Author: Amanda

Happy Easter Forest County Residents!

This week digital copies of three photographs from the Bingham family were donated to the Crandon Public Library and Forest County Historical Society.

This photograph features Henry Bingham and his wife Mary Ella Johnson Bingham with children:  Allen, Harriet, Nellie, Henry, Maud and  baby Ray.This picture was taken at a photography studio in Clintonville in the early 1890s (Bingham, Lowell 2015). Henry Bingham was born in Royalton, New York in 1850 but moved to Michigan as a young child. His family did not settle in one place long, he moved from Michigan to Illinois and finally to Wisconsin. He wed Miss Ella Johnson in 1880 and in 1885 he moved to Norrie, Wisconsin. While residing in Marathon County he held a number of prominent public positions and farmed the land. Around 1908 he moved to Crandon where he lived until his death in March of 1928. Bingham was known in town for the janitorial work he did on a daily basis for the Methodist Church. He was seen always with a smile and a kind word to his fellow Forest County residents (Forest Republican 1928). A large number of the Bingham family are buried at the Lakeside Cemetery.

The photograph above is Howard Henry Bingham in his World War I uniform. Henry was born in Clintonville, Wisconsin to Henry and Ella Bingham. He moved to Crandon, Wisconsin with his family in 1908 where he spent the remainder of his life. Howard worked in the woods for a living. He married Viola Fredrick in 1934 and had two children. Howard died in the Veterans Hospital in Wood, Wisconsin in 1940 and there are records of his burial at Lakeside Cemetery as well as a veterans cemetery in Milwaukee (Forest Republican 1940, Burial Registers, Military Posts and National Cemeteries, 1862-1960).

It is always wonderful to learn a new story and see physical evidence of a past Forest County resident. The Crandon Public Library always welcomes donations of local history photographs so we can continue to provide new information about our unique history.

 

 

Hello Forest County Residents!

To end National Women’s History Month I would like to tell you the story of a local teacher who was discriminated against because she was a woman but persevered in the end. Grace Ison was born in Pholox, Wisconsin to Andrew and Iva Schmidt in 1925. She graduated from Antigo High School in 1943 then went on to Normal School and received her education degree in 1945. After graduating she taught in Lynnhurst, Wisconsin for one year. In 1946, she married George Ison and the couple settled in Crandon. Grace continued her career as a teacher in Crandon at the Range Line School and then continued at the School District of Crandon (Forest Republican, Nov. 20, 2002). But Grace’s career as an educator came to a crashing halt when she became pregnant in 1957. According to resolution put in place by the Crandon School District:

” Married women teachers now employed, or married women teachers that may be employed in the future, that in the event that they become pregnant the respective teacher is to resign when her condition becomes apparent or the fifth month of pregnancy has been reached whichever comes first” (Chester Jackson, 1957).

Concerned about this resolution Mrs. Ison wrote to the State Superintendent to plead her case. She detailed her confrontation with the District Superintendent and principal in the letter. When she first alerted principal of her condition he assured her that she could finish out the school year, have the baby in the summer, and return to teaching in the fall. But on March 18, she was called into the office and the Superintendent explained:

“We are always glad to have a family increase but after five months of pregnancy our teachers are asked to resign. And we must replace you for another year as we do not know the baby will be born on time, and we can’t afford to hire two teachers. We have had to use force in some cases but its a nasty situation so we’d rather not have trouble. You will not need to come back after April 1st” (G.E. Watson, 1957).

This would cause her to lose her insurance and her career! She said she was willing to take two months leave without pay and without insurance but she would not resign. The State Superintendent responded by saying they did not like to get involved with contractual status of teachers. Soon after Grace received a letter not renewing her contract for the following school year. They had replaced her with the secretary in the office (Jackson, 1957).

According to her obituary, Grace Ison continued her teaching career until the Fall of 2001 so in the end Grace came out on top and got to carry on with the job she loved. The passing of Title IX in 1972 did away with these horrible sexist resolutions put into place by school boards (www.nwhm.org). Women’s rights have come a long way but women still make thirty cents less an hour for doing the same jobs as men. So follow the example of passionate women like Grace, and stand up for equal rights!

Happy Spring Forest County Residents!

I had briefly mentioned the Women’s Christian Temperance Union in an earlier blog post but I would like to revisit the subject because of a book that was found recently. There was a hand written inscription in the cover of the Louisa M. Alcott book “Eight Cousins” published in 1902 found in the library. The cover informs us that the book was given as first prize in the 1907 Forest County Fair to Helen Andrews in the category of essay on the effects of alcohol by a child over ten years. This book is historically significant for a few reasons. First, it is signed by Fannie VanZile, one of the first pioneers to live in Crandon. Her husband served in several prestigious positions in Crandon’s history. Fannie was also an important historical figure as President of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, member of the Eastern Star, Women’s Relief Corps, Royal Neighbors, and Workers of the Presbyterian Church (Forest Republican 1955).  Secondly, the Women’s Christian Temperance Union had a significant affect on our nation’s history. Currently,  the WCTU is the oldest voluntary, non-sectarian woman’s organization in continuous existence on the planet. Before women had the right to vote this group gave them a voice in the political sphere and allowed them to make positive social changes. The WCTU helped establish: shelters for abused women and children, eight hour work day, equal pay for equal work, founding of kindergartens, federal aid for education, women’s right to vote, penalties for sexual crimes, uniform marriage and divorce laws, pure drug and food act, and many more positive changes (http://www.wctu.org/earlyhistory.html). Locally, the Women’s Christian Temperance Union had a large impact on the regularization of alcohol consumption in the county as well as educational reforms. It just goes to show that you never know what you will find in your local library!

 

 

Hello Forest County Residents!

I am continuing to celebrate Women’s History Month by bring you a piece of local history that pertains to the ladies. For much of America’s history women were barred from voting which subsequently led to laws that discriminated against women. Women were not protected against rape and domestic abuse. Women could not own property, divorce their husbands, and were not allowed to work in many professions. Many women were also trying to create better conditions for children and the poor in this country but found it difficult to do without having any power over legislation.  The movement towards votes for women began in 1848 in Seneca Falls, New York at the first women’s rights convention. It took  70 years of educating the public, staging peaceful protests, and lobbying with government officials by women like: Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton and thousands of others to finally pass a Constitutional amendment allowing woman to vote(https://www.nwhm.org/online-exhibits/progressiveera/suffrage.html). These women were often thrown in jail, beaten up, threatened, and force fed through tubes but never gave up the fight. “With all the pressure from publicity generated by the White House pickets, the arrests and forced-feedings of women protesters, President Wilson finally lent his support to the suffrage amendment in January 1918. Congress approved it, and on August 18, 1920, with the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment, women achieved the right to vote” (http://www.americaslibrary.gov).

Local women were first given the chance to vote September 7, 1920, The Northern Advertiser, a local Wabeno newspaper, described the experience: “Bob Miller wins for Sheriff, Poppy nominated for treasurer, Woodbury Register of Deeds and Conway Clerk of Court. Tuesday’s election in Wabeno passed off quietly. The vote was light, only 382 votes being cast. Of this number 15 were Democratic, 2 Prohibition, 2 Socialist, and the rest Republican. Quite a few women cast their initial vote for state and county officers and all seemed to enjoy the experience. The required very little help to vote properly”. Imagine that! Forest County ladies please remember to vote because it is a right that should not be taken for granted. I hope this blog inspires more women to run in local elections!

Hello Forest County Residents!

March is National Women’s History Month so I will be exploring issues and stories tied to local women’s fight for equality. I chose to focus on girls’ high school sports  because of the local high schools finishing up their basketball seasons. I am very proud of all the lady athletes in the county, they are a wonderful representation of talent and hard work. Currently it is a matter of choice if a young woman would like to participate in a sport. But I am sure many community members can remember when girls were barred from high school athletics. Not until the passage of  Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 were girls included in organized sports. The law states: “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance” (www.gilderlehrman.org).

In the early 20th century girls would play sports in gym class but there was no organized competition. Women were not encouraged to keep score because being competitive was thought to be too masculine. Girls were told that they would not be able to have children or no one would want to marry them if they engaged in sports. As time passed schools  did allow young women to play sports but they would make them raise money for their own uniforms and they were never featured in the yearbooks (http://www.gilderlehrman.org).  Girls sports were not represented in the Crandon High School yearbook until a year after the passage of Title IX in 1973. The girls’ teams were all placed on one page with no mention of their season or their place in the conference. The boys teams each received two or more pages for every sport. I applaud the local women that participated in the first year of organized sports. You must have dealt with discrimination and under representation. I encourage all former female athletes to share their stories, we are grateful for your perseverance!

Hello Forest County Residents!

I would like to congratulate Zach Higgins and Isaiah Doane from the Crandon High School wrestling team for qualifying for the WIAA State Tournament. To celebrate the occasion I will be detailing the start of wrestling at Crandon High School. There was not a recognized wrestling team at the Crandon High School until 1971-1972 when Mr. Herman and Mr. Benkstein became the coaches of seventeen young men. The pioneer wrestlers took fifth place in the conference tournament (Crandon Yearbook 1972). It is surprising a team was not formed until the 1970’s considering the WIAA Tournament dates back to 1940 when it was held in Appleton, Wisconsin (http://wiwrestling.com/HS/indexhighschool.htm).

 

Hello Forest County Residents!

I am so excited for the The Hotel Crandon’s 85th Anniversary celebration tomorrow! I cannot wait to take a step back in time to 1930 with amazing food, drinks, and music. For anyone that is a fan of this blog, the event will be filled with local history memorabilia and displays. In honor of the event I will detailing the story of the robbery that took place at The Hotel Crandon in December of 1936.

According to the Rhinelander Daily News, Kenneth Fannin, the night clerk of the hotel was in the basement at 4 am when he heard noises upstairs. First he went into the office but realized the noise was coming from the tavern, so he grabbed a revolver from the desk drawer and made his way into the bar. When he got there the room was empty but the back door was wide open. Fannin looked outside to investigate and spied an Oldsmobile sedan trying to make a getaway. The wheels were slipping and the driver was having a hard time moving so Fannin fired at the side window of the car. The wheels of the sedan finally gained traction and sped away. The sheriff, Jess Ramsdell, followed the car to Langlade County where Antigo policemen took over but were unsuccessful at stopping the thieves. The outlaws outpaced the officers going 80 miles per hour fleeing south. The Hotel Crandon lost $125 dollars cash and three slot machines from the tavern. The men were most likely never apprehended because there was not any license plate to identify the car (Rhinelander Daily News).

Hello Forest County Residents!

When browsing through the old Forest Republican newspaper I noticed the unusual obituary for Minne the deer. The residents of Forest County must have adored this deer because the story took up three columns of the front page, in comparison with the obituaries of human beings in the newspaper only receiving a paragraph.  Minnie the deer resided in the game refuge in Argonne her entire life. The beginning of her life was marked with tragedy. In the very first days of her life her mother was killed by a violating hunter who took her hind quarters. Baby Minnie was found huddled against the remains of her mother by Warden Bert Nixon. Nixon carried the fawn in his backpack over 10 miles and then drove another 20 before he reached the Warden Headquarters. Warden Charles Otto and Walter Sebastian fed Minnie milk every day and she grew into a normal adult deer. Walter became especially attached to Minnie and she eventually took up residence in his cabin and slept with him in his bed. The article goes on to describe several stories of Minnie’s cleverness and bravery. She would evade photographers through her stealth and she once beat up two wolf hounds with her hooves. The article describes in detail all the offspring she had over the years, 16 in total. Minnie met her end when she was nine years old on a foggy July night. A car was parked in the darkness, which she approached because she was used to human beings. The person in the car then shot her in the head and left her body to be found. The murderer was believed to have been charged with hunting out of season and killed Minnie out of retaliation (Forest Republican 2/27/41).

 

This story reveals several things. There was an active game refuge in Argonne that was run by very dedicated game wardens. There were many violations of hunting laws and it was difficult to catch the perpetrators. Forest County residents have always loved having pet deer as evidenced by the current deer park located next to the Forest County Courthouse.

Hello Forest County Residents!

For the next few weeks I will be featuring stories about The Hotel Crandon to prepare everyone for the big event on February 21st. I encourage everyone to purchase tickets at the library for:”Take a Step back in Time: The Hotel Crandon’s 85th Anniversary”. There will be authentic 1930’s food, drinks, music, costumes, and historical tours of the basement. All the proceeds from the event will be given to  the Crandon Public Library.

When The Hotel Crandon first opened its doors the selling alcohol was illegal in the United States of America. For over three years this business functioned as a coffee shop and restaurant rather than a bar. But when the 21st Amendment was enacted in December of 1933 two business owners in Crandon were ready for the tavern business. Art McMillion, owner of The Crandon Hotel, and Tom Fannin filed their applications for tavern licenses which were received by the City Council.

Tom Fannin was quoted by the Forest Republican saying “I will have real beer about tomorrow noon. I will have all the popular brands of bottle beer and it will sell for 10 cents a glass or 20 cents a bottle” (Forest Republican).

Art McMillion said “I expect to have real beer on sale at 8 o’clock tomorrow morning. Besides Miller, Blatz, Oshksoh and Manitowoc bottle beer, keg beer will also be on tap for patrons. We will have to get 20 cents a bottle” (Forest Republican). The business men expected a rush of business with the first legal beer in years but promised to have enough beer to satisfy everyone’s thirst (Forest Republican).

This is just another reason that The Crandon Hotel is a historic landmark and an iconic piece of Forest County history. The sale of legal alcohol was a big deal in Forest County because many residents had been making and selling illegal spirits for years. It was way for people to make a living during the depression. But it was dangerous business because a person could be arrested and the stills could be destroyed. Not to mention the dangers of selling to gangters in the larger cities like Milwaukee and Chicago.

 

 

Hello Forest County Residents!

Below I have attached a brief history of the Argonne School written by Nona Sears. The Argonne School holds the title of the first consolidated school in the state. The town officials closed the rural schools in the area and bussed in the children using horse drawn  buses. This allowed them to have a high school, to hire several teachers, and have competitive sports teams.