Issue 5 - Summer 2020
1941 Snapshot of function at the Grange Hall
Letter from the Vice President
by Sue Mackowski
Since the last meeting of the Elcho Historical Society Inc. (EHSI) on March 12, 2020, we've been dealing with COVID-19. With schools closing March 18th, churches cancelling services, restaurants closing, and many businesses having to close or alter their schedules, we've been learning how to adapt to these new changes and come up with innovative ways of sheltering in place. It's been interesting to see the creative ways people are communicating with one another, including students being taught at home, relatives visiting via Face Time or Zoom, or other social distancing activities.
Our student members have been contributing to the EHSI in ways that showcase their strengths. A newsletter display stand with a donation box was finished by Mason Rusch and has been placed at the North Trail Store. Cora Bender wrote an article for the Antigo Daily Journal Primetime insert on the subject of the "Tradition of Fish Fries in the Northwoods." Another student, John Slowik takes care of the display case at the school. The case contains artifacts and pieces of history that help us connect with our area's past. Ellie Asbach has been doing some recorded interviews of some locals who have roots in the area. We're making an effort on gathering as much of their history as possible. If you know of anyone who might like to be interviewed, please let us know. We are proud to have our students as an active part of the EHSI. These young adults are the future of our town and we want to acknowledge their contributions.
I'm writing this article on Tuesday, May 5, 2020. As of today, all brat barn events and music in the park activities for May have been cancelled due to COVID-19, however, we've just been notified that the brat barns will resume after Memorial Day, May 25th. This means that the EHSI will be hosting the first brat barn event on May 29th, 2020 (as of now). How this will look in the weeks to come remains to be seen. There will most likely be some post-virus guidelines we'll have to abide by, but right now we don't know.
Music in the Park being hosted by the EHSI is scheduled for July 1st Quarry Road Band is the musical choice for the evening. At this point, we don't know what the post-virus restrictions will be, if any, so much of what we're doing for this event is subject to change.
On February 19th several members of th6 EHSI attended a meeting with the Mole Lake Cultural Committee in regards to preserving our shared history and help in fundraising efforts. A representative from the committee, Cassandra Graikowski, came to our last meeting in March and expressed interest in helping us with our fundraising for the museum and even participating in our events. Cassandra expressed interest in their Cultural Committee in working with us. On September 18-20 they are having a rendezvous and a pow wow in Mole Lake and we expressed interest in the EHSI participating.
Thanks to Bear Wheeler, Joe Jacobs Home Improvement, Sue and Bob Rabideau, Scott Allaire, and Builder's Service, the roof and foundation of the Grange Hall, site of the future EHSI museum, was fortified in order to get through the winter. We also had two park benches donated from the HEART organization. Eventually, we'll set the benches in the lot next to the EHSI museum.
We are always on the lookout for improvement projects. One of them involves Pat Patrick and Otto Tiegs who are working on the restoration of the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corp) camp sign on the south shore of Otter Lake on Enterprise Lake Road. Another event we're hoping is on schedule is a presentation on the CCC by Joe Hermolin, President of the Langlade County Historical Society. The scheduled date is July 14th at the Elcho school theater, but we will be monitoring post-virus schedule or cancellations.
Please check us out on Facebook at Elcho Historical Society, Inc.
Elcho's Woodman Hall
A Peek Into The Past And A Step Into The Future
By Bear Wheeler
As you drive west coming into Elcho from Post Lake on Hwy. K or Rummel Street, you pass by the Catholic Church and you see the old bones of Elcho's Grange Hall. Look on the left and you can't miss it. This building has seen Elcho's transformation over the years from a booming logging town that attracted people from all over the state, to a quaint tourist getaway here in vacationland.
Grange Hall with Train in Background
For many years I've always wondered what it looked like inside. Being a product of the 1970's, I'm not old enough to remember the Friday night movies showing the latest western flick that Roy Rogers had made, or remembering roller skating across those beautiful maple floors. But a lot of you are able to recall those times gone by, and what sweet memories I hear that they are.
Having lived in the Post Lake area my whole life, everyday driving past the old building, my father and I had often thought that it would be nice to someday restore it and have a museum here. As a history nut, I thought what better an idea to spark excitement and pride than to exhibit our areas past history in one of its original buildings. Long story short, I went around town and talked with people gathering oral histories. When I stopped by the chainsaw shop and talked with John Jacobs, he had brought up the idea of making the Grange Hall a museum. I was surprised he even mentioned the idea, and that started the two year long process of transferring the property from John Jacobs to the Elcho Historical Society. It proved not to be an easy task, and much appreciation is directed toward Joe Jacobs in helping this become a reality. The July 19, 2019 storm had tried to put a damper on the exciting events that were happening for our town and area. At the end of July, in the midst of cleaning up after the storm, the old Woodman Hall was gifted and signed over to the Elcho Historical Society.
This building was first built in 1908 as an insurance building for the Modern Woodman of America. Early in 1912, the Elcho State Bank was formed and was housed in the Woodman Hall until a building could be erected for it just north of the Muskie Inn from what we understand. It operated as an insurance/municipal building because town board meetings were also held there in those days. There was an organization that was formed in Langlade County in 1912 and in Elcho by 1916 called the Grange Movement. The Grange helped farmers have an escape from their daily chores, by giving them an outlet to be sociable with other farmers in the area. It would assist them in exchanging information on dealing with machinery, livestock, livestock feed, seed, and any other real property to make their lives better. It also provided security assistance for members to whom misfortune came. The Grange would hold different types of meetings, be it educational or social, and it would encourage entertainment for the entire community.
It is believed the Grange purchased Woodman Hall in the early 1930's and its role as a municipal building continued. Many stories and memories of this building now called the Grange Hall, have come from this time period up into the 1960's. I have heard many stories from people who lived in Antigo, who would hop on the train and come up to Elcho for a weekend getaway. They said they would get off the train in Elcho, check in for a room at the Muskie Inn, eat a fish fry, and go to the various entertainments around town. Recently, there have been posters found in a couple different places in town advertising a "Big Dance and Concert at Woodman Hall, Elcho, Wis., on Mon. Nov. 3." The band was “The Three Peters Bros. From Germany, World's Finest Concertina Bandoneon Players with Hans Schwartz, German King of the Ivories." Many local seniors can recall the dances, drama plays, roller skating, the Friday night movies, and other events that were held at the Grange Hall. The movies shown at the Grange Hall started in the early days of World War Two. The man who started showing movies there was Edmund Hanus, but in 1943 Bob Hittle and Fred West of Elcho took over the entertainment venue from Mr. Hanus and operated it until 1947. In 1947, Edmund Hanus once again took over his passion and showed movies until 1949 when regular showings of movies in Elcho ended.
Jacobs Equipment Summer of 1966
In 1958, the Muskie Inn was razed and in 1963, the present town hall was built on the vacant premises. The Grange Hall was kind of losing its purpose with those moves. The town meetings were no longer held there and the Grange movement was slowing down and wanting to get out of having the maintenance costs with the Grange Hall. The building was sold to John Jacobs on May 11, 1966. John was a chainsaw dealer and he saw great opportunity with the larger building. He had done the necessary repairs and renovations to the building to house his successful business. It served him for almost twenty years when the advent of logging processors slowed his business down to the point of going to a smaller building that had water and septic, which also was an issue at Grange Hall. Since then, it had been used as a storage building, which brings us to the present day.
Elcho Business District
Now that we have the building under the stewardship of the Elcho Historical Society, Inc., we are making a fundraising push to restore the building so that it can house a museum to be used as an educational center for our local history and heritage. We have ideas that we want to implement in the museum: there will be sections devoted to Charles W. Fish, our local logging history, the relationship between our Native American neighbors and our ancestors, an early chainsaw display dedicated to the Jacobs family, and a wide variety of available local histories and personalities. We are certain that we'll have enough artifacts and subjects to have a rotating display, and to have the Elcho School district utilize the available resources to teach our children our local history. For more information regarding donating to this wonderful cause please see the fundraising article in this publication.
Stepping Stones
As of May 2,2020, the Elcho Historical Society has been accepted as an affiliate of the Wisconsin Historical Society. Being an affiliate helps us to work hand in hand with the state because it connects us with many organizations that share the same vision of educating the public of our local histories. With this we have access to local history webinars, workshops, grants, and other areas to train us to organize and operate a museum. The Grange Hall museum will be the connecting point between the local history and the public
July 4, 1914, Elcho Train Depot
John Jacobs
In Memoriam John J. Jacobs
April 7, 1928-May 31, 2020
John Joseph Jacobs died Sunday, May 31, at the age of 92. John was born to William Aloysius and Mildred Anna Balmes Jacobs on April 7, 1928. He married JoAnn Cummings on October 25, 1949 at the same church they met as kids in Elcho, the Holy Family Catholic Church. JoAnn passed into eternal life on September 29, 1999. John and JoAnn had 11 daughters and three sons that have supplied them with many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. John's legacy will live on, because of his generosity. John donated the Grange hall to the Elcho Historical Society to help us preserve the history that he knew so well. John was known in the surrounding region as the chainsaw guy. I have talked to many shops in the surrounding states and they remember John from years past. I had promised him that we'll have a section in the future museum dedicated to the chainsaw industry. That will be something that we will do to honor John and his family whom also worked hard to keep the shop rolling. It is so important to honor and spend time with your loved ones while you can, nothing is guaranteed. Thank you so much John for the wonderful building and for all the local history you shared.
- Bear Wheeler
EHSI FUNDRAISING UPDATE:
Our fundraising efforts to preserve and structurally support the Grange Hall are a bit behind due to the pandemic and current financial climate. However, much like the Grange movement surging in response to the long depression in the mid-1870's, we hope that with your continued dedication and support of Grange Hall we will once again showcase resiliency and the true grit of our community. The greatest concern is to address the foundation, which I am sure will be yet another symbol of our times, especially to those of us who are still re-building from the storm this past July 19th. We have several events scheduled this summer to help us raise the much-needed funds for the Grange Hall improvements. To date we have currently raised $2,100 for Building Renovations.
Our first event was hosting the Brat Barn on May 29 and we had a wonderful turnout despite the cool temperatures. We will also be hosting Music in the Park on July 1, featuring the Quarry Road Band, at the Elcho Community Pavilion in Elcho, WI. Refreshments will be served and historical artifacts will be on display. New to this event will be the unveiling of a beautiful Star's and Blocks Quilt made by Kate Kelly, EHSI Secretary. We will be selling 250 raffle tickets for a chance to win. Tickets are 1/$10 or 3/$25 and all proceeds going to the Grange Hall Building Renovations Fund. For those of you who are unable to attend you can still support the cause by donating to the EHSI Building Renovations funds held at CoVantage Credit Union. Checks or money orders should be made out to: Elcho Historical Society Inc and notation on check or money orders can be made out to "Building Renovations" or "General Funds". Thank you in advance for your consideration and donations which are greatly appreciated and tax deductible!
-Jennai Rusch
Handeyside Gas Station
Welcome New Members -
Kim Rowe - Summit Lake, WI
Tom & Mary Jo Moran - Elcho, WI
Walter S. Rugland - Appleton, WI
Museum Building Renovation
Linda Best - Madison, WI
Dick & Marie Shuh - Elcho, WI
Monetary Donations
Connie & Jim Hubatch in memory of Jerry Aulik
Artifact Donation
Tina Rassmussen- Various historical items & written articles
Thank You!