News: Columbia (16 Apr 1970)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Sincock, Sollberger, Moon, Helling, Bitoff, Sischo, Prentice, Horak, Schulz, Vornholt, Aspen, Mashin, Olson

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co, WI) 4/16/1970

Columbia (16 April 1970)

Some early history of Columbia:

Mr. and Mrs. Richard Sincock of Milwaukee visited Mr. and Mrs. William Sollberger Saturday afternoon. The Sincocks had spent some time with a relative in Chippewa Falls and were on their way home.

Mrs. Sincock, nee Mary Moon, is a former pupil of Mrs. Sollberger, having attended the old Sunny Nook School. The Moon family lived directly north of the Columbia Cemetery on what is known here as the old “Helling place” or sometimes called the “Bitoff place.” The Hellings were the original owners, having built a large, white frame house with a barn across the road. A small stream near this location is called Hellings Creek. The buildings are long since gone, the house having been razed and the materials taken to a site in the Sidney area and used there in the erection of another house.

After the Moons moved from this location the place was taken over by a group who posted a beer sign near the entrance. This was during the prohibition era and the place became quite notorious. Questionable and unsavory reports soon began to circulate and complaints reached legal authorities who closed down the establishment.

Mr. and Mrs. William Moon, parents of Mary, are deceased. Robert, Mabel, Roger and their families reside in Milwaukee. Floyd died recently and Kenneth, the oldest son, is in California.
……….

The Leo Sischo residence with three acres of land has been sold to Philip Prentice of Mundelein, Ill. This is part of the former Horak estate, east of the old town hall.

Georgeana and William Schulz helped celebrate the birthdays of Mrs. Mark Vornholt and Mrs. Ole Aspen at the Vornholt home in Neillsville Saturday evening.

Mr. and Mrs. George Mashin and Tarra visited Mr. and Mrs. Leo Olson in Greenwood Sunday afternoon.