A Historical Time Line for

Longwood, Clark County, Wisconsin

Contributed by Sharon Short & The Clark County History Buffs.

Time Line

1878

Oct: Ed Eaton is moving his store building at Longwood a mile north to Colby Corners.  The building, a large two-story structure, is being moved by High Hart.  Hart promises not to disturb a thing in the store.  Eaton’s barn and warehouse will also be moved.  (Not on the 1880 or 1893 plat maps, found no other reference to “Colby Corners”.)

According to Ed Eaton’s 1881 biography, he owned the Longwood store from 1873 to beyond 1881, was also the postmaster and town clerk.  He also opened the store at Withee. 

1881

The Longwood store and post office was kept by Ed Eaton

George Huntzecker’s (Huntzicker's) hotel was located one mile south of where Longwood now is, he retired from the hotel business 16 May, 1881. He put up a cheese factory in 1878.  (His biography indicated section 22, but I couldn’t find his ownership on the Longwood or Warner Township maps of that time.)

Sept: Work on the turnpike, between Longwood and Withee station, has been indefinitely suspended on account of heavy rains.

1885

April 30: Thomas Sullivan has sold his blacksmith shop to Louis Mathison.

1886

Smith’s Hotel, Longwood, is one of the best in the country. Best accommodations, good stabling. Hotel first class.  Ed Smith, prop.

1890

General store at Longwood, post office run by Joseph Givson, F. F. Lantz, postmaster.

1895

Longwood Township was organized November 16th.

1900

June: E. H. Tucker was in town this week making arrangements to start the Longwood Creamery, which has been rented for five years by Ross Paulson of Granton.  A wagon to haul the milk will run from C. A. Estabrooks on the main road north of Longwood.  They have already been promised milk from 100 cows in that area.  Wm. Goodman will be the milk wagon driver.  The milk will be picked up in the morning, separated at the creamery and the skimmed milk will be returned to the owner.  Paulson is a creamery man of the hustling kind as he has five creameries that are now operating in Clark County.  The customers of the Granton Creamery received 17.2 cents per pound for their butter in May, which is a good price.

Dec 8: Dance at town hall Saturday with an oyster supper at the hotel.

1901

May 27: The creamery is taking on five thousand pounds of milk daily.

July 26: Mr. Funk’s store will be known as the Cash Mercantile.

1905   

A. C. Barr, Blacksmith and town clerk, sec. 22 Longwood

G. B. Andrews, proprietor of general store, dealer in R. E. sec. 23 Longwood

May: Mr. Mink has moved into the hotel.

1906

April 19: Merchant G. B. Andrews of Longwood was down Sunday....

1913

Feb 15: Melvin Erickson and brother-in-law Alvin Thorson, only general store in Longwood housed in a new building.

1918

The Longwood community included a store, blacksmith, cheese factory, town hall, church and school house.

1920

In the 1920's, the village of Longwood was a small bustling farm community.

1920 Transcription of property owners and other plat maps of Longwood township.

1920 Photos of Hwy. 73, Clark Co., Wis. between Greenwood and Withee

The house on the corner, where the people who operated the cheese factory lived is still there. The cheese factory is still there although it is no longer used as a factory. Some of the people who operated the cheese factory over the years were a Mr. Merryfield, Art Schutte (Schuette?), Ben Douel, the Laabs family and the Zelms.

There was a Blacksmith shop owned by Tony Barr.  This was a popular place in the days of the horse and buggy.

The store building is still there although it hasn’t been used for that purpose for a number of years now. When we lived in Longwood it was owned and operated by Melvin and Stella Erickson.  It was a general store, they had groceries, footwear, dress materials, jackets, gloves and some hardware.

The feed mill is larger now. (I put this comment near the store as usually feed mills were situated near or part of a store. Stewart had this following town hall comments.)

A popular racetrack was built in the area by Ben Andrews and John Laneville and a Mr. Conrad. I heard many stories about this racetrack from the older people.  I think it was located east of where the old store building stands.

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.

A hotel was started by Harry Mead, it was located across from the town hall. The town hall is still standing.  The hotel was a large red building, still standing when I attended grade school (1920’s), Mike Andrusis family lived there then, later it burned down. At the time Harry Mead operated the hotel there were few roads.

The church (sec 22) across from the school (sec 27, Andrews land in 1926) was there when I was a child although it has been remodeled. The Methodist church that stood just east of the town hall was been torn down. (sec 26 on 1905 map)

There were two schools in the area, one was located on the McCarthy farm and the other was on the Louis Mill land.  The state Graded was built in 1904 and combined with the Owen-Withee district in 1961.

The Spring Valley Cemetery was the first cemetery in the area. There were no markers on the graves of old loggers who were buried there.

1934

Nov 22: Mr. & Mrs. Gerhard Gosse of Chicago arrived Sat for a visit at the Zelm and Gosse homes.

Sources

“Longwood Locals” taken from the Clark Co., WI web-site and various county newspapers; non-verbatim excerpts from “Follow the River” by Lula Mae Stewart who was born in Longwood in 1914 and grew up there. (I don’t know when she wrote this very interesting and informative book. Maybe written in 1980’s as she mentioned “The Little House on the Prairie” TV show.)

Additional Research

We are seeking additional information and photos for this history of Longwood.

Can you tell us anything more about these one time Longwood residents or businesses?

Andrews, Ben
Andrews, G. B.
Andrusis, Mike
Douel, Ben
Estabrooks, C. A.

Funk, Mr. (owned Cash Mercantile)
Givson, Joseph
Laneville, John
Lantz, F. F.
McCarthy farm (Which school was on this farm?)
Merryfield, Mr. (cheesemaker)
Mill, Louis
Schutte (Schuette?), Art
Thorson, Alvin

If you can help please contact us.