Surnames: Kraft, Maxwell, O’Neill

----Source: Neillsville Press (Neillsville, Clark County, Wis.) 2 July 1931

FINDS OLD COINS

A short time ago, Mrs. Anthony Kraft and her little son were working in the garden back of Miss Irene Maxwell’s house, and found an old coin encrusted with dirt and corrosion. On scouring up the coin it was found to be a half dollar and is dated 1822. If this coin is genuine, it is possibly worth quite a large sum.

Mr. Kraft in searching in the garden found a silver ring near where the coin was found. This ring was also corroded, but was easily scoured quite clean.

The coin and ring were found not far from the site of old O’Neill House barn, and close to the original dwelling erected by James O’Neill, Sr., the founder of Neillsville, who came here in 1844, built a saw mill and established a town, thus, it is quite possible that this coin and ring were lost by some early settler of that day.

Mr. Kraft also has a nickel dated 1868 which he found in his wood shed, which is some distance from where the half dollar was found and probably not connected in any way with it.