Township of Hixon
Clark County, Wisconsin
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General Store of W. S. Tufts, Withee This building has been recently enlarged, and is now one of the largest store buildings in the county, being 70 feet in width by 100 feet in length. Mr. Tufts carries an immense stock of general merchandise. His constantly increasing trade, caused by the settling up of this locality, has compelled him from time to time to enlarge his buildings until he now has an establishment that would be a credit to a larger town than Withee, Concerning Mr. Tufts himself. |
Hixon is located in the Northern extremity of the county. It extends twelve miles North and South and six miles East and West, consisting of two townships which are described as townships twenty - eight and twenty - nine, range two West. It was organized by act of the legislature in the year 1873, from which time until 1880, it included the two townships West of it which now form the town of Withee. In 1880 the town of Withee was formed, reducing Hixon to its present boundaries.
The town was very sparsely settled until about the year 1880, when the Wisconsin Central road was built through the town. There had been some settlers in the town prior to this time, but the settlement had been confined to two or three localities in the town, principally in the Southern part. Soon after this there were some large mills built in the town, and the settlement began to spread over the whole territory. A railroad station was established in the central part of the town, and the little village of Withee sprung up.
The timber has been cut from the land in many places and the soil is such that all the agricultural products of this latitude are easily grown, and there are already some very large farms in the town, and many smaller ones which are rapidly being enlarged. Aside from all the branches of agriculture, logging and manufacturing is carried on quite extensively. The manufacturing being confined to the manufacture of timber products, principally lumber.
The surface does not differ from that of other towns already described, it being rolling.
It is watered by many small streams, and by two large ones. Black river flows in a Southerly direction the whole length of the town, and Popple rivers flows throught the Eastern part of the Southern township, uniting with Black river a short distance South of Hixon.
The stage line running from Neillsville through Christie, Greenwood, Hemlock and Longwood, terminates at the village of Withee in this town. There is a general store at Longwood, post-office, owned and run by Joseph Gibson, who’s portrait and residence appears in this prospectus. This locality, at and near Longwood, is the oldest part of the town and includes some of the best farms in the county. Mr. G. F. Lantz is the postmaster.
One of the largest general stores in the county is at the village of Withee. It is owned and managed by W. S. Tufts, and a cut and description of the building, together with Mr. Tufts’ portrait appears in another part of this book. There is also another general store in the village, a grocery or confectionery store, a hotel, a blacksmith shop and a saloon.
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There is a large lumber yard in the village which is supplied by the mills along the railroad near by. The large mills of D. J. Spaulding are located on Black river, about two miles West of the village, in this town.
There are large quantities of valuable timber in the town, and also some pine, but the larger part of the valuable pine timber has been cut.
The railroad running through the central part of the town is proving a great benefit to it, inducing the building of mills in the town, and making the timber more valuable. There are wagon roads through all the settled portions of the town, all of which are in good condition.
The schools are nearly all supplied with good buildings, furniture, &c. and are under the supervision of competent instructors.
The town has had a good healthy growth, as the following figures will show: In 1875 the population of Hixon, which then included the four townships that now form Hixon and Withee, was 260. In 1880, before the town was divided, the population was 500. In 1885 the population of the Eastern half of this territory, and which is now the town of Hixon was 457; almost double the population of the same area five years before; and the population is now about 750. Although this may not be considered a rapid growth, it is such a growth as any town may well take pride in. It has grown in wealth much more rapidly than it has in population, and from its present prospects we predict that its growth will be much more rapid during the coming five years.
Mr. W. S. Tufts is the postmaster at the village of Withee. The chairman of the town of Hixon is Wm. Mead, the clerk is C. W. Funk, the treasurer is Philo Mead, and the assessor is Pat Sheehan.
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