River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1876-03-23
HISTORICAL NC!DEyTS OF MaRTEL.

4 Staten as chairman, a. Y. Fly was
elected Clerk, Harvey Hull, Treasurer,
and Josiah Hudson, School Supt. $50
was voted as current fund; also 500
to Thomas Lauder for services as AS.
SCISSOR the previous year. At this
meeting the sum of $40 was very wise
ly invested in scrapers for the town,
and we may say here, that the Norwe-
gian people were, and are to-day, in
favor of roads being built and kept
upon the lines as far as possible, and
when once built, always built. Per-
haps no town in the county, all things
considered, has been able to offer to
the travelling public better roads than
has Martel.
During the year 1856, Lewis Randall
put up the saw-mill now owned by
! Winger Bros. We understand that he
acted in the interest of one Arnold,
who was then the owner of large tracts
of land in that vicinity. Messrs. Gray
& Whaley, of Hudson, erected the -four.
ing mill, subsequently owned by VIM.
Haverlandt, in the year 1858. These
gentlemen also put up the frame for
saw-mill, but it was never completed
on account of the want of sufficient
power to run the machinery. 1t has
always seemed to us like poor policy
to erect these mills here. The ma
chinery of the mill above could not be
flooded without more or less annoy
ance, and, being so near the pond from
the lower mill, the opening and clos
ing of various gates was always caus-
ing hard feelings somewhere. We be-
lieve Mr.. Haverlandt took possession
of the Gray & Whaley mill in 1868 or
1869. paying IS, 500 for the same.
THE VILLAGE.
We have already stated that Mr..
Elliot caused plat to be made in 1855,
and although we cannot give his rea-
sons, we can add that he dignified the
young hamlet with the title of Iris
ing Sun" This title was, however,
dropped as early as the summer of 1858.
when the county board gave it the
name of Martel. For some years the
growth of the village was hardly no.
ticeable, and at one time it was known
as the ''Roche duddle, in honor, we
suppose, of Uncle Ferdinand who was
at that time mayor, merchant, mill
owner, and p NJ, as well as some 9TH
er things. During the last few years,
however, new life seems to have ami
mated and revived the business of the
place, untilwe have a thriving little
burgh.
Messrs. Owens & Gasman are prepar-
ed to do all kinds of blacksmithing.
john Breitinger is always ready to
build or repair wagons, sleds, &C., and
is able to do so with neatness and dis
patch.
Peter Gasman is captain at the grist
mill, where he may be found from ear
ly dawn till close of day, and always
with the same CHEEKY phiz. This mill
was built in 1872, under the supervls-
ion of Roche and Bonsness, who also
own and run the saw-mill. 1t was
thought that the one power would be
sufficient to run both mills, but we re-
greet to say that, during the past year,
the company have found it necessary
to let the saw-mill lie still during the
dry season. in order to favor the other
mill.
Messrs. Roche hold forth at the old
pioneer store, where they keep any
thing people want, besides attending
to Uncle Sans p o. A little farther
up. we find Forseth & Thompson's gro
Gerry store. These boys also do live
ly business as fashionable tailors; they
keep the latest patterns and do first
class work at reasonable prices. A..
Marcus & Co. hang out a shingle as
shoemakers. IL is the intention OF
these young men to make work that
will be an advertisement for them
hereafter That is good idea, but
it would also be good investment for
them to publish card in the JoURSAL.
There is no regular hotel in the viii
lage, but Messrs. Roche are always pre-
pared to accommodate the weary tray-
eler with food and lodging and if
there is still thirst for more, one Of
the old gentleman's pioneer stories is
sure to fill the bill.
The place has now a population Of
one hundred, or upwards. There is a
semi.weekly mail from River Falls to
Spring Valley passing through the
place. II passes on Tuesdays and Sat
urdays, out and back the same day;
and we hope soon to have a line from
II Paso via Martel, 10 Baldwin, which
place and River Falls are about equi.
distant from Martel, the one north
being our nearest K. r. station. River
Falls is II miles west, where most Of
our trade goes. These places, with
Ellsworth, ten miles TO the southwest,
and II Pasp six miles south. afford suf-
hcient opportunity 10 those who wish
10 compare notes.