Neillsville, Wisconsin High School

July 1944
 
The Dickey property has been approved as the site for the new Neillsville High School building.  A building fund was started, with provisions for raising $10,000 in the current budget.  The property purchase price of $1,500 has been approved and authorized. 
 
The one speech in opposition of the building project was that of Kurt Listeman who urged that this school district go against the tide of national extravagance and set an example of economy.  He pointed to the prospective national debt of $300 billion; cited the recent decline in high school attendance and drew a picture of coming depression and gloom.  Listeman pointed to the increase in cost of education in recent years, and contrasted it with the reduced expenditures of municipalities.
 
Listeman was answered by R. E. Schmedel, Victor W. Nehs, Bill Campman, Henry Bartell and Dr. Milton Rosekrans who gave positive reasons for building the new high school facility at a favorable site.
 
The school board had reported a total budget of $55,364, with income of $27,750 from sources other than direct local taxation.  A new school bus has been ordered for the cost of $3,038.60.
 

January 1945

 

The Dickey property is now in the legal possession of the local school district.  The transaction was concluded a few days ago when C. R. Sturdevant, clerk of the board, drew an order for the funds, signed it with David E. Thayer, and made delivery to William A. Campman.  He then received the deed.

 

The completion of this purchase had taken some time, chiefly because of the necessity of adjusting the heirs’ interests. The years have brought changes to the Dickey family, including the death of Mary A. Dickey, the mother; Edgar E. Dickey, one of the two sons; and Blanche Dickey, who once taught the first and second grades in the public schools here.

 

Surviving of the family formerly living here are Marion Dickey, who taught the seventh and eighth grades, and Chauncey B. Dickey, a brother.  These two signed the deed, and also Marion E. Dickey, a son of Edgar.

 

The passing of this deed is an historic occasion, for it marks the first transfer of this property since May 15, 1865.  It was upon that date that Mary A. Dickey, the mother, bought the land from James O’Neill, Sr., who was one of the original O’Neills in this area, an uncle of Judge O’Neill.  Since that time the Dickey family has resolutely held out against efforts to get them to part with this land. Various persons have tried to buy it, but they would not sell; not until there was the prospect that the land could be used for a new high school.  That project appealed to Marion Dickey, the former teacher, and she promptly gave her consent.  This happened in the early summer of 1944.  The deliberation of the subsequent proceedings has been necessitated by the legal situation and not at all by the Dickeys, who have proceeded steadily in their purpose to get the property into the hands of the school district.  The consideration, $1,500, was a modest valuation for the approximately 15 acres, which is perhaps the most attractive sight and the best situated vacant piece of land in the residential area of Neillsville.

 

The Dickeys have been gone from Neillsville for many years, but their retention of the land was supposed to speak for the intention to return some day and to build upon it. The old Dickey home, a small frame house, is in ruins now, but it still commands one of the best views from Neillsville – the Neillsville mounds to the northwest, and the broad sweep of the golf course and the fair grounds to the southeast.  This little frame house is close to the highest spot upon the site; close to the spot upon which a new high school building would logically be constructed.

 

This land is but two generations removed from the government of the United States.  It was part of a forty upon which James O’Neill, Sr. entered August 4, 1853.  He was at that time consolidating the area which subsequently became the city of Neillsville.  He then entered five forties in what is now the central part of Neillsville, including the business district.  He took a patent from the government upon the forty in question November 15, 1854.  Presumably he paid for this land approximately what is now considered to have been the going rate at about that time or a little later, $1.25 per acre. The Dickey site presumably cost him about 20.

 

When O’Neill purchased this land from the government in 1853, it was just a piece of woods, located near a creek.  Nobody else would have given more for it.  Its increase in value has come slowly with the years.  Two full generations have come and gone since that purchase from the government.

 

The residence of the Dickeys upon this land must have extended close to 40 years.  Mrs. Dickey, the mother, is credited with extraordinary character and capacities, for her children were recognized for their good conduct and good manners. They did not have any great amount of money. The father had a little shop on the extreme northeast corner of the site, not far from the house.  The recollection as to what he made there is a little vague.  One of the old-timers thinks he did blacksmithing; another that he was cooper and sometimes made beer barrels for the local brewery.  He is also supposed to have worked the land.

 

As for the children, the two girls taught in the local schools.  Edgar was clerk in a local store, perhaps in the Dickinson store, or perhaps in the store of Hewett & Woods.  Like his sisters, he was a worker, and it was he who led the family to Portland.  The fourth child of May A. Dickey was Chauncey B., who is still living and who is with his sister in Oregon.  Chauncey is perhaps best remembered here by his old friend, Fred Ackerman.  In those days Ackerman was clerk in a local store and Chauncey used to come in to visit with him.  They visited by means of pencil and paper. Chauncey was deaf, but he had a good mind and was regarded by Ackerman as an interesting friend.

 

The nature of Edgar’s business in Oregon is not well known here.  Presumably he continued in the mercantile line.  He died Jun 25, 1941, leaving a son, Marion E.   The date of the death of Blanche was December 9, 1928.  The mother, Mary A., died August 15, 1912, after the family had moved. 

 

The decision to buy the property was reached at the annual school meeting, held last summer.  The vote was taken after Fred Bullard reported the successful conclusion of preliminary negotiations conducted by him with Miss Dickey.

Source: Clark Co. Press, 1900