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Embarrass 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 Matteson; Embarrass is situated on Sec. 5. J. C. Palmer owns a large and flourishing grist mill here and D. Brightman a saw mill, run 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 treasure, 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 beating 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. ___________________________________ From Wisconsin County Histories, Waupaca County Edited by John M. Ware 1917 Transcribed and submitted to the Waupaca County Website by Paula Vaughan January 2002 The first settler to locate on the site of the village was Roswell Matte-son, in whose honor the township was named, and who came to the locality in July, 1855. In the following year the postoffice of Embarrass was established at that point, and E. D. Matteson, a son of the founder, was appointed postmaster. In 1859, after the coming of a few settlers, a log shanty was erected for a schoolhouse, and Miss Emma Dodge was engaged as its mistress. Close upon the heels of the school came the minister of the gospel, Elder Sharpe, the Baptist missionary, who preached his first sermon at Embarrass in 1860. In 1859 J. M. White had opened a store and by 1861 enough settlers had gathered around Embarrass postoffice to warrant the erection of a small grist mill by Palmer & Stacy. VILLAGE OF EMBARRASS Embarrass, a village of about three hundred inhabitants, is nearly a mile south of the northern boundary of the county, on the Embarrass River and Chicago & Northwestern Railway. It is one of the old settlements and lumber towns of the county. The first settler to locate on the site of the village was Roswell Matte-son, in whose honor the township was named, and who came to the locality in July, 1855. In the following year the postoffice of Embarrass was established at that point, and E. D. Matteson, a son of the founder, was appointed postmaster. In 1859, after the coming of a few settlers, a log shanty was erected for a schoolhouse, and Miss Emma Dodge was engaged as its mistress. Close upon the heels of the school came the minister of the gospel, Elder Sharpe, the Baptist missionary, who preached his first sermon at Embarrass in 1860. In 1859 J. M. White had opened a store and by 1861 enough settlers had gathered around Embarrass postoffice to warrant the erection of a small grist mill by Palmer & Stacy. The present village represents the trading and industrial center of a thriving dairy district. One of the substantial cheese factories of the county is that at Embarrass conducted by John Krubsack and Charles Gehrt. F. G. Allen operates a sawmill; Emil Gehrt, a carding mill, and A. B. Roberts, a lumber yard. There are several general stores in the village and a produce (potato) warehouse. A combined garage and repair shop and a new bank are further evidences of up-to-date growth. The Embarrass State Bank was incorporated in the fall of 1916, with John Krubsack as president
The village school is a state graded institution, occupying a substantial two-story brick building, completed in 1905 at a cost of $9,000. Two teachers are employed and over 100 pupils enrolled under the principal-ship of Miss Hattie Mielke. LUTHERAN ZION CONGREGATION The Congregationalists and Lutherans have churches, the former in charge of Rev. Wade Pinckney and the latter, of Rev. G. H. Schilling. The Lutheran Church is noticeably strong. The Lutheran Zion Congregation, as the society is called, was organized in 1888, among its original members being John and August Keub-sack, Ernst Boekow, Herman Fischer and William Kriewaldt. During the year that the congregation was organized, a church edifice was erected, which was also used for the parochial school. In 1903 the congregation called its first permanent pastor, Rev. G. H. Schilling, Jr., who is still in charge. During his pastorate the membership has doubled, having in-creased from forty to eighty families. In 1912, Zions Congregation erected the handsome house of worship now in use, with a seating capacity of some 400. Its large basement is devoted to the parochial day school, which had become so large by 1916 as to require the services of an assistant to Mr. Schilling, who had been conducting it in connection with his manifold duties as pastor. Since that year the parochial school has been directly in charge of Prof. J. T. Troyke, formerly of Chicago. It is evident that the educational advantages of Embarrass are of an unusually complete character for a village of its size. _________________________________ Questions, suggestions or additions please email. Copyright © 1999-2014 Paula Vaughan
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