From the Waupaca Republican – May 9, 1884 Issue

Transcribed and submitted to the Waupaca County Website
by Paula Vaughan January 2002

A trip out on the Shawano road, which road by the way is the scene of the most staging and teaming of any road in the state, and four miles from Clintonville in the town of Matteson is the village of Embarrass. The village takes its name from the Embarrass river which flows through the town and empties into the Wolf river at New London. The Pigeon river empties into the Embarrass in this town on Sec. 20. The Wolf river also flows through Sec’s. 12, 14, 23, 26 and 25 in Maeeton; Embarrass is situated on Sec. 5. J. C. Palmer owns a large and flourishing grist mill here and D. Brightman a saw mill, wun by water on the Embarrass. James A. Wiswell has a steam carding mill. Palmer & Perry own a first class general store, Mr. A. C. Palmer is the town treasture, he is one of Matteson’s careful and successful business men. A. W. Wilmarth owns a drug and grocery store and has the post office. Uncle Same has honored Mr. Wilmarth to that position a good many years and the town of Matteson has like wise given him the position of town clerk for a quarter of a century. Mr. Wilmarth is an old standby. Chas. Wendt, wagon maker and A. Schroeder blacksmith. The Congregationalists with the help of the Embarrass people are erecting a church. Hank Caughell runs the city hotel. We never saw Henry before but we’ll wager a ham that there is a great big heart bearting under his vest, if it is apparently "home spun". If you ever have occasion to call on deacon Caughell we will bet the first thing he will do will be to tell a story. When you leave he will shake your hand and say "call again." It has been said by a local paper published in New London that John Morgan, chairman of Matteson was lazy, well we took a trip over to see that "lazy man" the "traitor" who voted for the new court house to be located in Waupaca. We found he had a pleasant home a good wife and a number of little and big ones to make home happy, and plenty to eat, and his stock all looked healthy and they had plenty to eat; and for a "lazy man" John has accomplished something. He had recently practiced dentistry on a large field near the house and had drawn all the stumps out by the roots and they are now doing duty in the shape of a fence. The Republican isn’t booming John Morgan for any office, but if John is a traitor because he voted for Waupaca and a lazy man because he works for an honest living we guess he will get along about as well as those who slander him. The town of Matteson endorse him by a large majority for chairman.

Hon. Geo. Warren, E. Ewer and N. Wetmore all have nice farms and good buildings in this vicinity. There are also other nice places in the town but the above were all we particularly noticed, on a hurried trip. A large Norwegian settlement is springing up on the east side of Embarrass near the center of the town, and a bridge was completed the past winter which gives them a good chance to get out to Clintonville or Embarrass as they like. Matteson has good soil and good hard wood timber within its borders and it has commenced to develop very rapidly. Time and muscle are working wonderful changes in this town as any one can see.