Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1925-05-06
CASSVILLE
An Old Institution

/ tic annually carried on over the Mis-
| sllssippi river between Wisconsin and
Iowa on the Cassville ferry boat. The
ferry jointly owned and operated by
Glen D. Smith and Henry West, is in
service practically eight months of
the year, from April LIST to Dec. LIST.
| During the season of 1924, according
to the report submitted to the govern
ment as required by law, the number
of passengers carried across the river
totalled 17,456, automobiles 2238. Con-
, siderable produce is ferried over to
the Klindt-Geiger Canning Co. from
the Turkey river bottoms, or low lands
where this company owns upwards of
200 acres of rich, fertile land, which
is planted to sweet corn, peas and cab
bage. There were 3008 tons of sweet
corn brought over, 1872 tons of cab
bage and 26 loads of peas already
hulled.
The Cassville ferry is an old insti
tuition dating back to the Civil war
period. In those days Captain" Al
Dietrich was in charge, in fact he con-
tinued the service for an uninterrupted
period of As years. The boat at that
time, and until 1910 or 1912, was OPP
Grated by horse power, on the tread
mill plan. Only occasional trips on
regular schedule were made. When
the Milwaukee road was built on the
Iowa side, and even after the Burling-
ton had its tracks laid on the Wiscon-
sin side, regular mail and passenger
service was established between Cass-
vile and Turkey River.
In 1913, under the management of
/ ica
er ferry, operated by gasoline engines,
was established and the point OF
crossing changed from the old saw
mill or lumber yard landing to the
regular steamboat ievee, thus short
ening the distance with the laying of
la large wing dam extending some 700
feet from the Iowa shore. In 1919 Lis
cum sold his interest to his brother
in-law, Henry West, and the follow
! ing year a 25-ton steel hull boat, cap
able of carrying six cars, replaced the
wooden hull Since that time the roads
! leading to the ferry landing over the
| bottoms on the Iowa side have been
greatly improved and each year traf-
| fic and travel shows a steady in
crease. This also applies to Wiscon-
/ sin, tourists, particularly, finding 1t
/
here instead of detouring from 80 to
40 miles north to Pra du Chen, OF an
equal distance south to Dubuque, as
State Trunk Highway No. 81 leads
direct to and terminates at the ferry
| landing or levee.
! The distance across the channel is
about three-quarters of mile Inc
service now is practically continuous,
that is, daylight service. No trips are
made after dark.
The ferry boat has been christened
the Dewey" in honor of Nelson Dew
| ey. Wisconsin's first governor, who
for many years, even before and fol-
! lowing his retirement from public life,
was closely identified with Cassyille's
development and whose homestead,
now comprising about $50 acres on the
outskirts of the village, is wonder
full attraction to tourists and sight
seerS.
Uniform Display OF National COlOrs
The Mumm- Welsh post of the Am
erican Legion is sponsoring move
ment which will hereafter place Cass-
Vile in line with about $500 other
cities that have adopted the plan,
namely the uniform display of the Ma
tional colors on all patriotic and other
festive occasions The plan calls for
a flag set consisting of flag 4X6 IT,
a pole IL TT x1 IL in, with socket ana
cap. sockets to be placed at the cage
of the curbing in front of the various
business places and residences. The
noIes are of hard wood, highly var
nished. with wooden ball and hal
ward. This will provide beautiful, uni
| form decorations, and assure the cor
rect display of the flag. Fifty business
men and residents have placed orders
for these sets which will be in posi-
tion ready for use on Memorial day.
Appreciate Tourists
Tourists and other visitors to Cass-
Vile this summer will have service
deluxe as far as ice cream ana KIN
drnd refreshments are concerned for
+brae new ice cream parlors are
scheduled to open here within the
present month. These new establish
ments are such in service only-not
in name-as the proprietors nave Deeh
engaged in business here for quite
number of years.
Valorous Ishmael for many years
on GA ged in the saloon business, Is
| converting his place into bakery ana
deIicatessen shop; Fred Mink, drug
gist and apothecary, will aod elapor7
ate fixtures and otherwise cater TO ana
make provision for the needs and de-
mands of the thirsty who, through
choice and necessity, gracefully con
form IN the letter and spirit or the
Volstead law; Nick Alderman. eIse-
While saloonist, and more recently dis
nanser of those concoctions pre-
scribed by Fried Volstead, will reopen
his establishment and give an un INC M
able pink tea atmosphere with all the
fancy trimmings. e,,. ato
With ice cream parlors. filling sta
tions. garages, beauty parlors, otner
repair shops and movies Vlelng VII
each other for trade, and JockeylnIg5
for position and location, the smali
town is gradually undergoing a change
and adapting itself to modern re-
n,1irements. In fact, villages and nam
let's are developing into miniature
editions of the metropolitan proto-
type.-Jay NJ. Kay.