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The following paragraph we clip from the traveling correspondence of the Milwaukee Sentinel. Scandinavia, at the head of White Lake, is 6 miles from Ogdensburgh, and in the midst of an industrious and enterprising class of Norwegians whose settlement extends up the valley to the distance of about 20 miles. Excellent fish abound in the Lake, and are easily taken. Messrs. Pouse & Anderson are erecting a Gristmill here on a branch of the Little Wolf, with three run of stone, which will be completed the coming season, and will cost about $5,000. Excellent mill sites may be obtained of these gentlemen on reasonable terms. A Post Office has been established there within the last three weeks, and Mr. Thomas Keough appointed Postmaster. Two or three subscribers to the Sentinel were obtained here while stopping to warm, among the intelligent Scandinavians. __________________________________ History of Waupaca County - by J. Wakefield 1890 Transcribed and submitted by Paula Vaughan January 2002 THE VILLAGE OF SCANDINAVIA __________________________________
SCANDINAVIA A Town Built By the Farming Industry The Green Bay & Winona railroad is a line of road which carries the in- and out-going of the people of the town of Scandinavia. This little city was started some thirty-five years ago by foreigners, mostly from Norway and Sweden. They are a most determined class, being industrious and honest, and willing to Americanize themselves as soon as possible, become citizens and help the prosperity of our country. They are also a class of people America is proud of – one that stands at the head in our country. No matter where or when called upon, that duty is obeyed which is taught them from the cradle – honesty and industry. Faithful, honest and industrious! Why shouldn’t they prosper? Standing at the head of this little city is a school house. Not many larger cities could boast of prettier location, building and surroundings. It is graded in the different branches and a careful selected body of teachers are hired for instruction, for a finer lot is seldom found under one roof than there is during the nine months of schooling which this school enjoys. The town is surrounded by the most beautiful farming land, including hard and soft wood of every description, the soil being that of a heavy dark clay loam and the rolling hills with little brooks running in each direction and now and then a lake to afford the hunters and fishermen plenty of sport. Two years ago a cornet band was started, every instrument being a Conn make, and of silver-plate. Under the leadership of C. Walstad they are able to discourse some very good music. The POST representative, knowing a few of the business people there, made a slight call on them the first of the week. Mr. C. L. Peterson was first found with a number of customers awaiting along the counter. This being a general store with the post office in connection makes it rather lively for the two clerks and himself most of the time. Mr. Peterson came in the store some four years ago for L. Nelson & Son. Two years after Herman Hermanson and Mr. Peterson formed a partnership and bought out the old firm of L. Nelson & Son. Hermanson being a man of out-door longings became tired of the although prosperous indoor business and sold to O. H. Iverson, who within a few months was bought out by the present management and Mr. Peterson now owns the oldest established business in Scandinavia, being built before a house could be seen. With his many courtesies his trade cannot be surpassed in that section. Although his health is quite delicate from the confinement of his extensive business, we join with his friends and wish him a speedy recovery. The Silver Lake Roller Mills is the name of J. O. Wolstad’s flour and feed mill. This was built in 1856 by Nels Anderson. Six years ago the roller process was put in by Hermanson & Setter Bros., J. O. Wolstad buying the entire plant a year ago and making some extensive improvements; with the remodeling which will take place in about two weeks it will be first-class in every respect. W. E. Davis, who has full charge of the establishment has our thanks for the many courtesies shown us at the mill. "Billy", is a miller from "way back", his father being in the same business and now the young son prides himself on the excellent grade of flour that is being used all through the state. There is no better made. O. D. Billings, who owns the tonsorial parlors, came to Scandinavia one year ago and started in the confectionery and barber business with plenty of wet drinks, all on the temperance order. Mr. Billings is a young unmarried man of strictly good habits and is deserving what he already has, a good business. Olson & Johnson, who recently bought the hardware store of O. A. Olson are young men of push and vigor. Owning the only store of this kind there, they have a large trade. These gentlemen are supplying many farmers with farming implements this season. C. Wolstad, the gun and blacksmith and tinner came there last fall from one of the metropolitan cities and opened business. Playing the clarinet and leading the band makes him somewhat popular among the citizens. Gunder Knudson came from the old country nine years ago and settled in Scandinavia and opened a blacksmith shop which trade he learned before coming to this country. His son Knute has charge of the business most of the time. Thorson Bros., Thor & Halvor, are in the general store business. These boys have lived here for 32 years and recognized as old settlers. Nine years ago they concluded another store would prosper in the town, and by placing a well selected stock of goods before the people they were met by a prosperous and growing trade. Ole Wambon, the wagon maker, has all he is capable of turning out in his line of business. The good natured blacksmith is E. Gottschalk, a man who is well up in the blacksmithing trade and an all-around good fellow. Theo. Paulson & Co. are dealers in groceries and confectionery, Mr. Paulson having lived here since 1857, Christian Hanson being the only person to locate here before him, teaching and clerking up to the time of starting the store which was in the fall of 1890. Dr. H. B. B. Poppe has a drug store with a 24 foot front, thus enabling him to carry a large line of everything in the drug business. The doctor is a graduate of the Keokuk Medical College of Keokuk, Iowa. The doctor is building a neat cottage home fronting the lake, which will be completed this fall. Gustavous Jensen is the druggist and a pharmacist of Norway. The Commercial House is owned and conducted by O. H. Iverson, a comparatively young man, having been born near here 32 years ago. Besides this hotel he is owner of a beautiful farm one mile south of here and in active business for some time, gives him large acquaintances. The hotel is well filled with boarders and the traveling public. Fifty persons can be comfortably seated at the dining tables. Charley Anderson, the potato king of Scandinavia, was seen about the streets. Much credit is due him in regard to the potato market which was established a few years ago. Pete Johnson the umpire of all coming ball games makes his home in this place, and this week is busy trying to get another set-to with the Waupacas. C.W. O. _________________________________ Transcribed and submitted by J. J. Johnson A THRIVING VILLAGE Scandinavia, Her Academy and Business Houses The editor of the REPUBLICAN spent Tuesday in the neat and industrious village of Scandinavia and was greatly impressed with the evident thrift and energy of her citizens. The three railroads entering the town give unusual means for getting in and out and many people come and go each day. While the village is almost forty years old there are but very few dilapidated buildings and the worst of these, the old windmill, is being torn down this week. The village has its share of churches, the public schools are well equipped and in charge of competent instructors and the moral tone of the community is shown by the fact that no licensed saloons are permitted. The town boasts one institution which is known not only throughout Wisconsin but also in the neighboring states, Scandinavia Academy. This was established 14 years ago and has improved each year until in 1908 it has an enrollment of 97 pupils taught by a faculty of 8 competent Christian instructors. The academy at first was a local institu-tion but in 1902 the Academy was taken up by the United Lutheran Church and is now aided by that body and under its supervision. The location on the wooded banks of Silver Lake is most picturesque and its eleven acre campus gives abundant opportunity for all kinds of recreation. The Academy building, a brick structure 48 x 80 feet, three stories and a basement, gives ample room for all the activities of the school and there are many organizations and societies for the development of the mental, social and athletic natures of the students. While the Academy is a religious institution and religion is one of the branches of study students of good moral character of no religious affiliation are received. There are now 194 graduates from the several courses. The Academy, under the able supervision of Prof. Holland bids fair to go on to many years of increased useful-ness and success. The business houses which have been longest in the field are Thorson Bro’s., Mr. Gottschalk, Gunder Knudsen, O. N. Wanbon and O. P. Sheveland. Thorson Brothers bought in 1882 of Mr. Wrolstad their present store and have occupied it ever since with a stock of general merchandise. Their business has grown so that they have been forced twice to build on to their store and it is still on the gain. Mr. Gottschalk, general blacksmith, has been in business at the same old stand for 22 years. He is using today a hammer, pinching tools, and a clincher which he made for himself in 1881. He landed in Waupaca on a dark rainy night and became immediately convinced that the Central’s depot was above the rest of the country. Gunder Knudson, Blacksmith and Horseshoer has seen 24 years as a Scandinavia business man. His wagons and sleighs are in use all over the country and although he is not as young as he once was, he is still turning out good work and lots of it. O. N. Wanbon is another maker of buggies, wagons and sleighs and sells many which he does not make himself. He has been in business in the village for 22 years. Another of the older business men is O.P. Sheveland the shoemaker. For over 20 years he has tended to the soles of the villagers and mended their uppers and enabled them to put their best foot foremost. He is still engaged in caring for such small ills as people’s footwear is subject to. A large, well equipped an fully stocked, modern store is that of Peterson Brothers Company, an incorporated company. The firm was a partnership of Peterson Brothers from 1896 till 1905 when they changed to an incorporated company adding largely to their room and stock until now they have a store which compares favorably with those in towns of twice its size having a fine stock of dry goods-groceries-shoes-clothing and crockery. Scandinavia has two hardware stores: Hanson Brothers and O. M. Sannes. The first named carry a complete line of all kinds of Hardware and Farm Machinery. They began business in 1899 and have grown slowly but surely until now they own the buildings and carry twice the stock they had at first. They have built up an excellent trade by straight forward business methods and handling only reliable goods. Mr. Sannes started a few years later and carries a smaller stock but is building up a thriving business by selling only first class goods at reasonable prices. He also carries a stock of Pianos, Sewing machines and musical instruments in another store and disposes of a large number each year. Scandinavia has a furniture store carrying as fine and complete a line of up-to-date furniture as is generally found in towns of 2,000 people. E. C. Leean, the proprietor, is a graduate embalmer and an exceptionally good business. He has a good trade in Graphophones and musical instruments. Engdahl & Company are the proprietors of an unusually well stocked Clothing and Gent’s furnishing Store. They do the best business of the village in their line and have been 8 years building it up. Mr. Engdahl, the Senior partner, is a skilled tailor and they carry a full line of suitings. The Bank of Scandinavia was organized as a private bank in 1900 by R. J. Bestul who did a good business but felt that it would be better to have stockholders so in 1903 it was changed to a state bank with ten thousand capital and 21 stockholders. Starting in a rented building, they built one of their own, a very neat, convenient building, the following year. Deposits were $48,500 to start and are now $133,000; the business is prospering as is shown by the $900 of surplus and undivided profits. Mr. Bestul has the confidence of the entire community and has shown himself worthy of the trust. The Scandinavia Drug Store, James Peterson proprietor, has a complete line of drugs embracing everything needed in up-to-date prescription work as well as the standard remedies. Here are also to be found large stocks of wall paper, paints and oils, fancy stationery and toilet articles. Other lines of business represented are Restaurants two kept by John Lee and Company and Anderson Brothers. Here warm meals may be obtained at all hours and fine lines of confectionary are also carried. G. F. Jole keeps the tonserial parlor of the village where for seven years he has trimmed the locks and scraped the countenances of the male portion while next door Miss Rudberg provides fashionable millinery for the female element. The Maxwell Lumber Company furnishes lumber, building material and coal for the local and surrounding country trade from its well stocked yards and the Scan-dinavia Mills grind the feed for the farmers. _____________________________________ Transcribed and submitted by J. J. Johnson. THE WAUPACA REPUBLICAN - Waupaca, WI February 27, 1908 TWO FLOURISHING PLANTS The Final Account of the Institutions of Scandinavia The farmers near Scandinavia to the number of 200 and over decided 3 years ago that they could market their own produce and proceeded to organize a co-operative company, built a warehouse and selected Mr. Anderson as manager. The business has thrived beyond expectation under his management. They are now disposing of a car load of flour and three car loads of feed a month. Last year they handled 200 cars of potatoes and 30,000 bushels of grain. This year they have handled 190 cars of potatoes so far. P. M. Olfson Company also has a warehouse here in charge of Charles J. Anderson and they have handled 60 car loads of potatoes this season. Mr. Anderson is also Secretary – manager of the Silver Lake Co-operative Creamery Company which has about 100 patrons and manufactures in the neighborhood of 7,500 pounds of butter weekly on average throughout the year. They have expended $2,000 the past year in repairs and new equipment and have still a balance in the treasury. No description of Scandinavia would be complete that omitted the Commercial House kept by mine host Plopper, a genial gentleman who is always ready to entertain his guests with stories as well as with edibles. His aim is to make his house as good as any small town can boast. A word must be added in regard to the neat job-printing establishment operated in connection with the post office by Post Master Peterson. A good press and a nice assortment of job type enables him to care nicely for the needs of the village in the line of job-work. The mill of J. A. Wrolstad is kept busy mostly on custom grinding. It has become famous all through that section for the uniform excellence of the flour which they turn out and this plant is an important factor in drawing the farmers of the surrounding country to Scandinavia. Stinson and Anderson are men who rely on air for their market. They do not care whether it is hot air or cold air, any kind of air will drive their light running windmills. They also carry a full line of pumps and water tanks and have their time fully occupied in supplying the needs of their customers. J. L. Tollefson carries a full line of fresh salt and smoked meats. He secures all the choicest stock of the surrounding country and keeps his customers satisfied because they get their money’s worth. The surplus stock of the vicinity is bought up by Ed. Johnson for Mr. Gulickson of Iola who ships frequently in car-load lots. This is a meager description of the industries of our thriving sister town Scandinavia. A visit there will convince any one of the thrift; industry and energy of her citizens who are working together for its advancement. _____________________________________
From Wisconsin County Histories Waupaca County Edited by John M. Ware 1917
Scandinavia is a sturdy little village of some 450 people in the western part of Waupaca County, located on the south branch of the Little Wolf River and the Iola & Northern branch of the Green Bay & Western Railroad. The surrounding country is admirably adapted to dairy purposes; is a good potato district and retains considerable stretches of timber. In the village are therefore found a flourishing plant of the Silver Lake Co-operative Creamery Association, a fair-sized lumber yard and several potato warehouses. For sixteen years also the village has had its own bank, and for nearly the same period has been building up a telephone system which has further enhanced its importance as a center of trade and influence. Even in a higher sense, Scandinavia is the center of Norwegian development in Waupaca County, for not only has it a very strong Lutheran Church of many years' standing, but one of the best-known academies for the Christian education of American boys and girls of Norwegian stock in the Northwest. The Scandinavian Academy is now in its twenty-seventh year. The little village of Scandinavia therefore presents several features in which it may well take pride.
The latter was incorporated in December, 1854, although it had been served for some time by preachers from the southern part of the state.
The Lutheran churches in Iola and Farmington townships, Waupaca County, and New Hope and Amherst, Portage County, have all orig- inated in the Scandinavia organization. The old church edifice, one mile north of the village, was built in 1856, and somewhat enlarged in 1865. The pioneers of the region brought the materials to the ground themselves, and were both architects and builders. That meeting house is said to be the oldest Lutheran
IN 1856 SCANDINAVIA ACADEMY The cornerstone was laid July 4, 1893, and on October 31 of the same year the school was dedicated by Rev. K. O. Eidahl; the academy was opened to pupils on the following day. The original cost of the building was $20,000, and a heating plant has since been installed for $2,500. The Scandinavia Academy is located on a beautiful campus a short distance from the shores of Silver Lake, within the village limits, and is surrounded by a delightful country of farms and wooded hills. The main building is three stories and basement, 50 by 80 feet, and is equipped with modern systems of lighting and heating, with a special water supply and sewer accommodations. Some years ago the management bought the village opera house and equipped it as a gymnasium. The building is located on Main street, is 40 by 80 feet, and serves the purposes well for which it has been adapted. The principals who have served the Scandinavia Academy are C. Aubol, L. M. Larson, E. C. Nelson, N. N. Esser, E. M. Wagnild, E. H. Westgor and Rev. H. A. Okdale. The academy is now in the twenty-fourth year of its usefulness, and more than three hundred pupils have graduated from its courses. They are to be found in all parts of the country, and quite a number are ministers of the gospel. The school is under the control of a board of directors, composed of twenty members, and a board of trustees, consisting of seven. Rev. O. Nilsen, pastor of the Lutheran Church of Scandinavia, has been president of the board of directors from the first, and has been rightly called the "father of the school." Among others who staunchly labored for the academy during its early years were M. Ravn, Herman Hotz, L. L. Loberg, C. 0. Hellestad, J. 0. Wrolstad, Hans Johnson, Thorson Brothers, L. E. Gorden, A. L. Dahl and Rev. K. 0. Eidahl. Active in the work of the school during the later years may be mentioned such neighboring ministers as Reverends Thompson, Masted, Kolste and Hoel, and such local laymen as R. M. Hanson, A. M. Peterson and R. J. Bestul, as well as S. M. Myhre and J. L. Wrolstad, of Iola. THE VILLAGE CORPORATION As far as the records show, the following were the successive officials of the village: Presidents-L. S. Jacobson, 1895, 1896; A. M. Peterson, 1897, 1898, 1899; H. Thorson, 1900; R. M. Hanson, 1901, 1902; T. Thorson, 1903, 1904, 1905, 1906; R. J. Bestul, 1907; T. Thorson, 1908; C. H. Anderson, 1909, 1910; R. J. Bestul, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1914; F. J. Anderson, 1915, 1916. Clerks-Theodore Paulson, 1894, 1895, 1896, 1897, 1898, 1899, 1900; R. J. Bestul, 1901; T. A. Peterson, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1905, 1906, 1907, 1908; J. O. Oas, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1912, 1913; G. E. Jole, 1914, 1915, 1916. Treasurers-Nels Danielson, 1895; John Paulson, 1902; 0. H. Iver-son, 1903; O. N. Waubon, 1904, 1905, 1906; G. E. Jole, 1907, 1908, 1909; T. Thorson, 1910, 1911, 1912, 1914; John Otterson, 1915, 1916. Superintendents-T. Thorson, 1895; Theodore Paulson, 1902, 1904; R. M. Hanson, 1905, 1906; J. L. Tollefson, 1907; R. M. Hanson, 1913, BANK OF SCANDINAVIA THE TELEPHONE COMPANY The officers of the Scandinavia Telephone Company are: A. M. Peterson, president; E. A. Hotz, vice president; R. J. Bestul, secretary and treasurer. Messrs. Peterson and Bestul have served in their respective offices since the organization of the company. C. A. Peterson is manager of the Scandinavia exchange building and lineman of the company. SCANDINAVIA LUMBER COMPANY __________________________________ Questions, suggestions or additions please email. Return to Cities Page Return to homepage
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