News: Neillsville Explorers (Canadian Trip - 1962)

Contact: Dolores

Email: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Olson, Quade, Greiman, Gress, Gassen, Schmidt, Schuman, King, Anderson, Skenendore, Denney, Smith

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI.) July 12, 1962

Neillsville Explorers (Canadian Trip - 1962)

A 25-pound northern pike, swimming near the surface of a Canadian lake, was used to feed 11 hungry   Explorers and their leaders, Richard "Moose" Olson, the guide struck the large northern across the head with an ore and the fish was bagged in unorthodox fashion.  The fish did not realize a boat as so near it and it lost its head as a result.

The nine Neillsville Explorers of Post 64 were in charge of Richard Quade and Terry Greiman of the Winnebago Children’s home staff.  They made the trip north June 24 and returned home July 4.  They drove 400 miles to Ely in Northern Minnesota and thence north to the Canadian lake region.   They visited many lakes, made portages with canoes and all equipment, and traveled by canoe about 90 miles into the Canadian wilds.

They caught northern and Wall-eyed pike, small mouth bass, and lake trout (sometimes called land-locked salmon).  The group saw moose, deer and bald eagle and heard the weird call of the Canadian wolf at night.

"We learned many new things about the out-of-doors," said Eagle Scout Steve Gress, "and most of the boys did work on merit awards."  The group camped out every night and enjoyed good weather.  It only rained once.  One Explorer lost his glasses, and another a set of binoculars.

The Explorers included: Steve Gress, John Gassen, David Schmidt, George Schuman, Allen King, Merton Anderson, Chauncey Skenendore, Marvin Denney and Ira Smith.