The following is from The WILDWOOD Story, The History of a "Ghost Town" compiled by "The Sun", Spring Valley, Wisconsin, 1949. "Six miles from Spring Valley on the Woodville road only a large brick house marks the spot where stood the thriving "ghost town" of Wildwood a half century ago. In its heyday Wildwood boasted a fluctuating population of 500 and possibly more. Its residential section was a half mile in length, and its business section consisted of a general store, a butcher shop, a barber shop, blacksmith shop, livery barn, two big company horse barns, a hotel, one sawmill, a shingle mill, a brick yard and a post office. Otis Olson, Spring Valley old timer who once worked in Wildwood, recalls counting more than 120 homes there at one time. Busiest spot in the thriving village was the 3-story wood factory. The ground flour was used for storing supplies; the second floor housed the bending factory where wagons and sleights were manufactured from native timber processed at the sawmill; and the top floor contained the thriving broom handle factory. Most spectacular gadget in the village was the huge iron cable which connected the broom factory with the mill. Wildwood died no lingering death. The depletion of the timber in the neighborhood was a sudden and shocking situation, and Wildwood had no other means of livelihood. At one time Wildwood supported two school buildings, one a two-story classroom structure. But today even the building has been moved a mile westward. The Wildwood store was sold as a unit to Lars Solstad, who moved it to Woodville and re-built it. The dozens of Wildwood homes? The company, having exhausted the community resources, had no farther interest in them. Mrs. Carrie Olson, 81 year old mother of Minnerd and Myron Olson of Spring Valley, recalls that many of them were moved by the occupants to the iron mine, just opening near the present location of the Madson sawmill, where they found employment when the Wildwood factory closed. The iron mine community was never an organized village, although it had a considerable population at one time. So it was that Wildwood died, speedily and painlessly. The irony of its death is this: Wildwood died because the supply of timber was exhausted. But every year since then - a half century ago - great quantities of lumber have been harvested from the nearby hills. Today, the two Spring Valley lumber mills probably harvest more lumber annually than the Wildwood factory did in its busiest year. If the men who operated Wildwood's industries had had greater vision, there would still be a thriving, bustling Wildwood today. But if Wildwood has disappeared - except for the big, brick house on the hill and a few foundation scars in the neighboring pastures - it is still a living, affectionate memory for those who lived there. Not because it was a pretty place. Sprawling Wildwood, with its board sidewalks and its twisting, dusty-muddy street, was never that. But because fine people with great hearts lived there. . ." It goes to mention the names of some of the families but I did not see Patnode. One of the former residents (Mildred Biddle Morley) -- "I left there when I was 7, but I remember it very well especially the big piles of broom handles . . . With little entertainment, in the winter "Front Street" became a place to coast. Old and young were out with toboggans . . . when the season for wild raspberries came on, everyone went "berrying" . . . in the fall everyone went butternutting. Great sacks were dried for winter, and we usually had a flour sack of hazelnuts as well . . . The friendships made in the mill town lasted through life. So few things for distraction one's friends meant everything." -----Original Message----- From: Dan Patnode [mailto:dbp@uwm.edu] Sent: Tuesday, August 16, 2005 7:50 AM To: WISTCROI-L@rootsweb.com Subject: [St. Croix] Wildwood If anyone here knows anything about it I'd be very interested in reading whatever you are willing to share with me. Dan Patnode

That is just wonderful, Nancy. Thank you so much for sharing this with me. I hope that anyone else on the list will share with me any other bits of information they may have on Wildwood, no matter how big or small. I'm the kind of geneologist who doesn't stop with names and dates and locations, I like to find out what I can about the lives of the people and what the places were like where they lived and works. Thanks again, Nancy. You're really nice to share this and I really do appreciate it. Dan Nancy Hawkinson wrote: > The following is from The WILDWOOD Story, The History of a "Ghost Town" > compiled by "The Sun", Spring Valley, Wisconsin, 1949. > > "Six miles from Spring Valley on the Woodville road only a large brick > house marks the spot where stood the thriving "ghost town" of Wildwood a > half century ago. > > In its heyday Wildwood boasted a fluctuating population of 500 and > possibly more. Its residential section was a half mile in length, and > its business section consisted of a general store, a butcher shop, a > barber shop, blacksmith shop, livery barn, two big company horse barns, > a hotel, one sawmill, a shingle mill, a brick yard and a post office. > Otis Olson, Spring Valley old timer who once worked in Wildwood, recalls > counting more than 120 homes there at one time. > > Busiest spot in the thriving village was the 3-story wood factory. The > ground flour was used for storing supplies; the second floor housed the > bending factory where wagons and sleights were manufactured from native > timber processed at the sawmill; and the top floor contained the > thriving broom handle factory. Most spectacular gadget in the village > was the huge iron cable which connected the broom factory with the mill. > > Wildwood died no lingering death. The depletion of the timber in the > neighborhood was a sudden and shocking situation, and Wildwood had no > other means of livelihood. > > At one time Wildwood supported two school buildings, one a two-story > classroom structure. But today even the building has been moved a mile > westward. The Wildwood store was sold as a unit to Lars Solstad, who > moved it to Woodville and re-built it. > > The dozens of Wildwood homes? The company, having exhausted the > community resources, had no farther interest in them. Mrs. Carrie Olson, > 81 year old mother of Minnerd and Myron Olson of Spring Valley, recalls > that many of them were moved by the occupants to the iron mine, just > opening near the present location of the Madson sawmill, where they > found employment when the Wildwood factory closed. The iron mine > community was never an organized village, although it had a considerable > population at one time. > > So it was that Wildwood died, speedily and painlessly. The irony of its > death is this: Wildwood died because the supply of timber was exhausted. > But every year since then - a half century ago - great quantities of > lumber have been harvested from the nearby hills. Today, the two Spring > Valley lumber mills probably harvest more lumber annually than the > Wildwood factory did in its busiest year. If the men who operated > Wildwood's industries had had greater vision, there would still be a > thriving, bustling Wildwood today. > > But if Wildwood has disappeared - except for the big, brick house on the > hill and a few foundation scars in the neighboring pastures - it is > still a living, affectionate memory for those who lived there. Not > because it was a pretty place. Sprawling Wildwood, with its board > sidewalks and its twisting, dusty-muddy street, was never that. But > because fine people with great hearts lived there. . ." > > It goes to mention the names of some of the families but I did not see > Patnode. > > One of the former residents (Mildred Biddle Morley) -- "I left there > when I was 7, but I remember it very well especially the big piles of > broom handles . . . With little entertainment, in the winter "Front > Street" became a place to coast. Old and young were out with toboggans . > . . when the season for wild raspberries came on, everyone went > "berrying" . . . in the fall everyone went butternutting. Great sacks > were dried for winter, and we usually had a flour sack of hazelnuts as > well . . . The friendships made in the mill town lasted through life. So > few things for distraction one's friends meant everything." > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Dan Patnode [mailto:dbp@uwm.edu] > Sent: Tuesday, August 16, 2005 7:50 AM > To: WISTCROI-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: [St. Croix] Wildwood > > If anyone here knows anything about it I'd be very interested in reading > whatever you are willing to share with me. > > Dan Patnode > > > > > > ==== WISTCROI Mailing List ==== > *** Roxanne Munns, Listowner (WISTCROI-admin@rootsweb.com) *** > Having troubles with the mailing list? Contact me at: WISTCROI-admin@rootsweb.com > > ============================== > Census images 1901, 1891, 1881 and 1871, plus so much more. > Ancestry.com's United Kingdom & Ireland Collection. Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13968/rd.ashx >