THE VILLAGE OF EDGAR, MARATHON CO., WISCONSIN

Surnames: Carey, Bowe, Quaw, Gumaer, Dessert, Kronenwetter, Ringle, Schill, Baesemann, Herman, Earny, Means, Hill, Smith, Martin, Kickbusch, Pradt, Vedder, Zaun, Crawford, Koehler, Barrett. Wagner, De Long, Bowe, Pfrang, Moll, Slepyan, Buntman, Puchner, Ottowa, Paeske, Tomkowitz, Bower, Hahn, Paul, Pivernetz, Werner, Jonas, Neese, Schroeder, Bier, Hohl, Krejcie, Paszek, Cherney, Marcz, Seim, Zepp, Sharp, Hoenish, Rifleman, Socha, Krass, Flieth, Fehlhaber, Crawford, Giesell, Thompson, Gross, Allen, Klein, Ballard, Roseth, Ellmaurer, Haas, Orthen

----Source: 1913 HISTORY OF MARATHON COUNTY WISCONSIN AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS BY LOUIS MARCHETTI, WAUSAU, WIS. pg. 502 - 507.

Was platted by Alfred L. Carey, attorney of the Milwaukee, Lake Shore & Western Railroad, in September, 1891, but several additions have been platted since. The village was incorporated from part of the town of Wien in the year 1898 and Mich. Bowe was its first representative in the county board of Marathon County. In anticipation of the coming of the railroad, S. M. Quaw and George Gumaer had erected a large saw mill close to the station and began sawing lumber in 1891. There was and still is a wealth of fine hardwood timber for miles, and also pine; a large part, however, had been logged off long before by Joseph Dessert and Sebastian Kronenwetter, who had camps in the vicinity and floated the logs out on Scotch creek, down to Mosinee. But in those years only the best of pine was taken, and what was left brought better prices after the railroad came, than the best before. This mill has been in continuous operation ever since, and millions of feet were manufactured every year; the lumber manufactured in later years being mainly hemlock and hardwood. After the death of Gumaer the partnership was incorporated as the S. M. Quaw Lumber Company, which was in business until January 1, 1913, when it sold out to Gustav Ringle and M. N. Schill, who carry on the business under the firm name of Ringle & Schill.

The wish of the people of Edgar to secure some other industry which would use the fine hardwood timber for a higher price article culminated in an association of Edgar business men and farmers, notably August Baesemann and Gustav Herman of the latter class, to build a veneer factory in 1912 which would work up the splendid hardwood close to the village, and for which the raw material would outlast generations. When the mill was nearly complete an offer was made to them to sell to Eamy Brothers, who agreed to convert the plant into a basket factory. As a new industry the offer was accepted and the plant sold to them, and the factory lost no time in getting started. It is expected that it will employ more men and manufacture a higher priced article even than the veneer mill could.

One of the earliest industries, its establishment being simultaneous with the beginning of the village, is the Brick and Tile Works operated by Thomas Hill, which has a history of its own. This brickyard, which has the best material that can be desired, was first opened and worked by William Smith. He incorporated the business and sold out to August Martin, who after one year's operation sold out to August Kickbusch of Wausau. He in turn sold it to Thomas Hill and J. D. Pradt, the latter managing it for three years. Then Thomas Hill took complete charge of the same, and under his management it came up to its present flourishing condition. There were sold from this yard since Mr. Hill managed it, as high as two million brick a year, and fifteen men were employed on an average. The bricks from this yard are sold on every station along the line of the railroad, including Wausau.

Of professional men there are: Drs. H. A. Vedder and H. H. Zaun, physicians and surgeons; Dr. A. B. Crawford, dentist; J. H. Koehler, veterinary.

The real estate man of this active village is C. C. Barrett, who has not only the sale of village lots, but also of farming and timber lands, and for years administered the law as justice of the peace. A. C. Wagner is the postmaster of Edgar.

Of commercial houses there are: C. C. DeLong & Co., Michael Bowe, E. W. Pfrang, L. H. Moll and Slepyan & Buntman, who keep a stock of general merchandise of all kinds. A. W. Puchner has a hardware store and a stock of steel, iron and tinner's shop, and machinery. Another hardware store is kept by Ottowa & Paeske. F. J. Tomkowitz conducts the village drug store and C. Wagner & Son a furniture store and undertaking. Franz Bauer runs a machine shop, and Charles W. Hahn and Carl Paul each a blacksmith shop, and Joseph Pivernetz is the wagon maker. Julius Werner has a harness shop and Frank Jonas a cigar factory, and a 5 and 10 cent store is carried on by Fritz Neese. Frank Schroeder is the painter and also barbers, and another barber shop is kept by William Bier. Meat markets are kept by John Hohl and V. Krejcie, and a poolroom and barber shop by Fred Paszek. A. J. Cherney is a dealer in wood, coal, grain, etc., and another saw and shingle mill is operated by Mr. Marcz.

Insurance is represented by W. C. Seim, A. J. Cherney, A. C. Wagner, and C. C. Barrett.

Priess / Preuss Bakery, ca. 1914

Left to Right: Gertrude Preuss, Emil Preuss, William Preuss, Herman Preuss,

Johana (Zube) Preuss and Ernstine (Schmidt) Zube.

Submitted by John Erickson Preuss

Fashionable ladies' hats and bonnets are supplied in the millinery salon of Mrs. Zepp.

There are four hotels: The Hoenish Hotel, owned and conducted by Miss Rose Hoenish; the Forest House, proprietor, C. D. Rifleman; one conducted by John Socha, and a hotel and restaurant, by John Krass.

Edgar has a telephone company, duly incorporated, with C. C. Barrett as president and William Bier as manager, with seventy-five telephones, which with their connections in Edgar, Cassel, and Emmet, gives its patrons one hundred and ninety telephones; besides which it has connections with six other circuits in Marathon County. Its telephone station opens at 7 A. M. and closes at 10 P. M., and night calls are promptly answered.

There is a volunteer fire department, consisting of twenty-two men and a good equipment to combat fire.

Edgar has a large public hall, which is owned by the lodge of the Modern Woodmen of America, or some of the members, being in reality owned by a stock company. The hall has a stage, scenery and curtain, and answers the purposes of a lecture, entertainment and dance hall. It is large and well finished.

Probably better than from any other description, the business done at Edgar may be estimated from an examination of the statement of its State Bank.

located at Edgar, State of Wisconsin, at the close of business on the 4th day of February, 1913.

Officers: A. W. Puchner, president; William C. Seim, cashier; H. G. Flieth, vice president Directors: H. G. Flieth, W. Puchner, C. C. De Long, O. G. Fehlhaber, William C. Seim

Appears regularly every Friday during the last five years and is edited and owned by Earl B. Crawford, a practical newspaper man. It is a large, full sheet six column paper, and the advertisement host shows that it is recognized as a good medium for business advertisements, not only by the people of Edgar, but by business and professional men throughout the county. It advances everything of benefit to its native village and is a very readable, newsy paper in general.

The schoolhouse is a large, fine brick structure, with excellent ventilation and equipment.

The village of Edgar has a high school with a four-year term, and a state graded school. The following is the staff of teachers: Principal, J. E. Giesell; first assistant, Miss Lillian Thompson: second assistant, Miss Selma Gross; seventh and eighth grades, Miss Bessie Allen; fifth and sixth grades, Miss Laura Klein; third and fourth grades, Miss Edith Ballard; kindergarten, Miss Mabel Roseth.

The Catholic St. John the Baptist Church — In the year 1899 a few German Catholic families organized this congregation. They built the church at what is now "Beach Street," and a few years afterwards, owing to the rapid growth of the village as well of the congregation, were compelled to move it onto its present location west of this street. It has a much greater area now and is finely situated. For some years it remained a mission, attended by priests from Marshfield, Stratford and Cassel. In the year 1905 a nice brick parsonage was built and in 1906 the Rev. John T. Ellmaurer became the first resident priest. When he resigned his charge in July, 1909, Rev. N. Haas was appointed to succeed him and under his charge the church was enlarged and remodeled. He resigned June 1, 1912, and the present resident priest, Rev. F. X. Orthen, took his place. Under his administration the parish got clear of all debts, and further improvements are contemplated. The parish is steadily growing and counts now one hundred and fifty families.

The German Evangelical Lutheran St. Stephen's Church — The congregation was organized in 1893 and the edifice erected in 1894, and religious service was conducted by Rev. P. Karl Schmalz until the year 1910, when the congregation felt strong enough to call for a resident minister; the congregation has grown to a membership of fifty families and it is still served by Reverend Schmalz, the resident minister of the town of Wien.

The German Evangelical Lutheran St. Paul's church was built in the year 1900. Like the St. Stephen's congregation, it has no resident minister yet, but regular service is held by pastors from neighboring villages or towns. The present minister in charge of the congregation is Reverend Janke. Sixteen families constitute the congregation.

The Presbyterian church was built in 1900 and has no resident minister yet, but religious service is conducted regularly every Sunday. The present visiting minister is Reverend McKane.