Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1923-04-04
HISTORY TO BE GIVEN
Lincoln, Oneida, Villas to be
Compiled Into One Big
Volume.

are filled with such thrilling in
terest as the development Of
northern Wisconsin Within the
memory of men and women still
living, and still vigorous, a vast
stretch of primeval wilderness,
noble forests, dreary swamps,
sweeping rivers and rushing
creeks, has been transformed into
one Of the most prosperous agrl-
cultural regions Of the country.
This change has been brought
about by noble pioneers, who left
the beloved scenes of their former
residence, to take their part in the
winning of the Old Northwest.
Every slightly set of farm build
ings, every well-tilled acre, every
city or village residence, every
business house, every church and
school, every improved highway
every move toward progress and
betterment, represents high am
bition and heart-breaking toll and
sacrifice.
So rapid has the progress been,
that there has been little time for
the participants to pause, and set
down the story for future gener-
ations, and in the rush of swiftly
moving events, the real facts and
picturesque color of the changing
environment, seem likely to be al
most forgotten, preserved only in
tales handed down more or less
vaguely from father to son.
In order that the story of the
notable struggles and accomplish.
ments of the makers of these
counties may not utterly perish
from the mind of man, many lead
ing citizens have long desired
concise, readable, and reliable his
tory, preserved in book form, for
all time.
To adequately justify it's pur-
pose such a" history should be of
a fourfold nature-it should form
a handbook of easy reference to
the important facts concerning
the life of the counties, both anci-
ent and modern; it should trace
the story of the counties by peri
DDS not only relating the facts of
each period but also telling some
thing of the causes and results; it
should deal with the courage, priv
atiOns, humor, pathos and person
alities of the pioneer days; and it
should tell the story of the men
past and present whose private
lives have been intertwined with
the general life of these counties.
To fill this lon-felt need, the
present work is being planned. In
its preparation, those who have
charge of the undertaking will
gather in so far as possible every
thing that has been previously
printed in books, newspapers and
pamphlets regarding the county,
and to this will be added all the
new material that trained re-
search can reveal; record books of
all kinds will be carefully scanned,
private diaries will be consulted,
letters written in the early days
will be unearthed from many an
attic, and a corps of gentlemanly
investigators will personally in
terview the old settlers and prom
inent citizens.
This material will then be thor
oughly studied, and from it a
history will be prepared which
will fulfill the ideas of what such
a work should be-a history ar
ranged in an attractive and schol-
arly manner, so that any subject
may be readily found and as read
lily grasped, valuable alike to the
child searching for thrilling stor-
les OF the past; to the teacher de-
string source material for class
work; to the general reader inter-
ested in the growth of an import
ant division of a great state; to
the man or woman seeking the
story of his or her locality, church,
school, lodges, creamery, bank or
other organizations; as well as to
every citizen of these counties who
has at heart the progress and de-
velopment of his community.
The history will be an honor to