Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-03-12

has population of about 500 and
is practically owned by Mr.. Hiles,
his partner having withdrawn long
ago. Mr.. Hiles' enterprise and
business ability soon developed
the plant. There were no railroads
in the county at the time so he
set about to build his own road.
The Wisconsin, Pittsville &
Superior railroad was built from
Baskerville to Pittsville and Vesper
in Wood county and another
branch was built from Dexterville
to Lynn in Clark county which
became known as the Milwaukee,
Baskerville & Northern road. The
total length of the two branches
was fftyhve miles and the land in
the vicinity of the road became
greatly improved. A ready outlet
for the lumber manufactured was
now found and the saw mill was
soon changed from a water power
saw mill to modern plant. Mr..
Hiles retained possession of the
roaG until about seven years ago
when he sold it to the Chicago,
Milwaukee & St. Paul road for
100000, and it is needless to say
that he made a very good bargain.
With the completion of the rail
road system a number of small
towns sprung up along the line.
In some of these Mr.. Hiles in
vested his money to good advan-
tage and at the time of his death
he owned valuable property in
Pittsville where he was also
heavily interested in the lumber
manufacturing company. 1t was
largely due to his enterprise that
Pittsville was founded
FUNERAL AT DEXTERVILLE.
1t was very close to the mid
noon hour when the east bound
passenger train on the G. B., W.
& St. P. line steamed into Dexter
vile Wednesday leaving an extra
coach there filled with Twin City
people. 1t was a special car and
the large number of those within
was a splendid testimonial of
the regard and feeling towards
Mr.. Hiles on the part of the
citizens of our cities and of this
section of Wood county. At
Baskerville all was quietness; the
mills shut down, the stores and
shops closed, every line Of activ-
itv seemed to have ceased in
harmonious intuition with the
last heart beat of the founder of
that little berg and the support
of it for 10. these many years.
The delegation was met at the
depot by Mr.. Samuel Hiles,
brother ofdeceased, and carriages
were in waiting to take them
over town.
A special train from Milwaukee
had preceded the Green Bay,
reaching Baskerville at 8 a. m.
with the body Of the dead and
all the relatives from Milwaukee
and Chicago excepting the wife
Mrs. Hiles and her sister Mrs.
House. Mrs. Hiles is an invalid
with partial paralysis and could
not attend. The corpse was
taken direct from the coach to
the school house where services
were held at 3 p. m. Here it
rested in a bed of flowers when
it was visited by all who wished
to take a last sad look at friend
or old employer.
At about 2 p. m. a third special
train arrived bearing w. 6. Col
Inns, General Supt., and J. H.
Foster, Division Supt., of the
St. Paul road.
At milwaukee, no services were
held over the deceased, but his
body lay in state at the Farwell
Avenue home until taken to the
special train Wednesday morning
at 1910 o'clock. The entire
program of burial was carried
out in accordance with wishes
expressed by Mr.. Hiles before his
death, and a request that his
last resting place should be in
the cemetery just over the river
from Dexterville.
In the little Dexter schoolhouse
with it's rough. undecOrated