In the next few years more families moved into the area, among them Blacksmiths. They were badly needed as there were horses to shoe and sleighs to repair. In the winter the saw mill was closed so the men worked in the woods cutting logs and hauling them to the mill. Then in summer when the mill opened up the men all went back to work at the mill. The work was hard and the wages were low. Some where between 50 cents and a dollar per clay. Thousands of cars of timber and bolts railroad ties and lumber were shipped from the mill, bringing prosperity to the community. Working in the mill was hard work, but these men were glad to have a job.

 

Some of the men walked miles to work putting a ten hour clay in with time out for lunch. There were no coffee breaks--they worked straight through. There were no easy jobs at the mill, they loaded ties carrying one at a time on their shoulders this job was so strenuous the men had to take turns. The mill had a log jammer which loaded the railroad cars.

 

In 1914 a man by the name of Otto Braun built a cheese factory. He named it the Black River Cheese Factory. It operated until 1950 when it was torn down. What happened to Clark is what happened to most mill towns when the timber was gone the mills moved out taking most of the workers with it leaving only memories of a once thriving community.

 

Living in Longwood, Wisconsin

 

I was born in Longwood in the year of 1914, over the years I have collected information to put in this book. My grandfather was Lewis Miller, he was one of the early settlers of the Longwood area. The farm that he built was recently honored as the century farm. Ellen Miller lives there now. He told how when he came to Abbotsford by train, there were no roads. He and his family traveled through thick forests to get to the Longwood area, where he purchased 160 acres of land for the sum of $600.00 back in 1872. At first he built a log house, as all the other settlers did. Later he built a large brick house. He farmed as long as his health permitted then moved to a small house a short distance from the farm.

 

I was eight years old when he passed away. But I still remember him well. How we loved to stop in and visit him on our way home from school. He was a gentle man with a long white beard and sparkling blue eyes. He always had time to tell me stories about the old days and how I loved to listen. I lived in the Longwood area all the -years I was growing up, I have some of the early history of Longwood.

 

The town of Longwood was a part of the town of Hixon as late as the 1890's the exact date of it becoming a township is not known as early records were destroyed by fire. John McCarthy was the first postmaster at Longwood, he was appointed to that position by U.S. Grant in 1874. He was also clerk for the town of Hixon. Longwood was named for the tall timber that grew there.

 

The early settlers came from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Germany and the eastern parts of the United States. Some of the early settlers were Lewis Miller, Ole Mathison, Tom Bredeson, William and Byron Mead, John and Ed Sanders, Louis Jorgenson, Hans Jorstad and others. They brought little with them except for their faith and courage.

 

The first Post Office was south of Longwood the Postmaster was a Mr. Sheldon. Later the Post Office was moved to a store operated by Ben Andrews. Mail was hauled in by stage between Withee and Greenwood. A hotel was started by Harry Mead. It was located across from the town hall. This building was still standing when I attended grade school at Longwood, it was a large red building.

 

The Mike Andrusis family lived there at this time. They had two girls and one boy. We were good friends with the children and went there to play often. The building was so large that the Andrusis family used only part of it for living quarters. What fun we had roaming around the large empty rooms making believe that we were hotel keepers. I think the building later burned down, so another old land mark was gone. This is the old Longwood creamery, or factory I am not sure which. I know they had a creamery before they had a cheese factory.

 

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