News: Clark Co.1897 Jail Museum ( Meeting - Nov 2013)

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

Surnames: Roberts, Kluckholn, Counsell, Schnabel, Pischer, Jaseph, Seelow, Krueger,

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co, WI) 11/20/2013

1897 Clark County Jail Museum (Monthly Meeting - 5 Nov 2013)

The 1897 Jail Museum Board and membership met Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2013, to report on the past month’s activities and discuss future plans. Following the secretary’s and treasurer’s reports, President Stephen Roberts brought up the subject of a Christmas open house. No Tour of Homes has been planned for this year, and the Jail Museum will probably not hold a holiday open house. The Walking Tour brochure is being updated by Jeff Kluckholn and Julie Counsell of the Historic preservation Council. New properties have been added, and they are doing research with the Jail Museum and Bill Roberts regarding some of the properties.

Dan Schnabel will be working on the trap door to the roof after consulting with Harvey Pischer. A possible leak from the front porch roof needs to be monitored. The heat has been turned on and the furnace should not need inspection this year.

Stephen recently acquired and donated to the Museum a postcard of the 1897 Clark County Jail, with a note written by Sheriff Jaseph’s daughter in 1906, “I will be living here.” Frederick and Ardis Seelow donated a Fannie Farmer Cookbook, a Sears & Roebuck catalog, a Ford Model A instruction book and a spittoon from “Pinkie’s Bar” (600 block of Hewett on the west side in early 1900’s). The museum received a bound minute book from the Trinity Scandinavian Evangelical Luther Church (Aug. 9, 1891, to May 21, 1941), which was located near the corner of Prospect and 12th Street. Sue and Rollie Krueger donated a child’s tea set and a Mickey Mouse plate.

Three private tours by appointment were given in October. The museum also had many visitors during its open house the weekend of the Autumn Harvest Festival. A family requested a scanned copy of the Neillsville High School 1958 Yearbook. There are also other requests for photos or research. Bonnie and Sue have been updating displays and putting new collection items on display or in storage.

The new edition of the museum brochure is being prepared for publication. Many old handwritten inventory records are being updated in the PastPerfect 4.0 software.

The next membership meeting, open to the public as always, will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2013, at the museum at 215 East Fifth Street in Neillsville. Anyone interested in helping, would like a tour or would like to do research on local history or families may call any of the officers or the museum office at 715-743-2150. Further information is available at the museum’s website (www.1897clarkcountyjailmuseum.com) and Facebook page (www.facebook.com/1897CCJM).