come on by

Swing by the library to view the coat Carl Christensen wore when he was shot by Baby Face Nelson, on display in our foyer!

Carl Christensen was the Manitowish Waters (then Spider Lake) town constable in 1934, when the FBI tracked down John Dillinger and his gang at Little Bohemia. Carl took place in the resulting shoot-out, having been asked to accompany several FBI officers to the scene. They had just driven up in their car when Baby Face Nelson, driving out, shot and killed one officer, wounding Carl and the other. Carl was subsequently hospitalized for his eight bullet wounds and received federal funding to cover his medical bills.

It is perhaps no surprise that Carl's scrapbook, in our possession, contains the grim images showing Dillinger's and Nelson's bodies in the mortuary after they were later tracked down by the FBI (and successfully killed). Though I must confess my initial distaste at these photos, it struck me that Carl had a simple reason to want them in his scrapbook. The men who had threatened his life -- who could so easily have killed him -- were now dead. They could never trouble him again. There must have been a reassuring finality in such images.

Such things serve as a reminder that the "Dillinger days" are not fiction. Real people lived in those times: experienced real fear: died real deaths. When we visit Little Bohemia to see the scene of this shoot-out, we must remember this, and though we all enjoy the exciting nature of the stories told, it must be said that not one of us would have wanted to be there on the night of April 22, 1934.

the making of the library: original town board documents

Report of the Committee
to the Town Board of Manitowish Waters
August 27, 1985

l. Creation of the Library Committee and its original mandate:

At the regular, annual town meeting of Tuesday, April 9, 1985, the assembled voters present voted to create a Library Committee. The official minutes of said meeting record : ". . .that a committee be formed to look into a library.” The committee as presently constituted (below) has interpreted that mandate to mean that this committee should serve as a preliminary study committee, with responsibility for bringing recommendations concerning the establishment and construction of a town library to the town board, and through said board to the citizenry of Manitowish Waters.

          The minutes of the April 9, 1985 meeting also show that "Chairman Olesen appointed Rev. Hall as chairman, Helen Townsend, Betty Skrobot and Toby Hyland —the report to be given at the budget meeting in Nov.” The Library Committee has duly functioned with that membership, and feels prepared to make at least its initial report and recommendations to Town Board at this time.

Names Carved in Stone, 2

Joseph Kullick: 1878-1915

Mike Sullivan: 1869(?) - 1940

Mother: Nelda St. Pierre 1876-1941

Husband Paul W. Lange: Aug. 2, 1877 -- Mar. 27, 1954

Thomas R. Ferris Died June, 1942

names carved in stone

Edward James, 1865-1943

Stenback: Olga W. 1886-1961 and Frank S. 1889-1947

Charles H. Lockerman Wisconsin Sgt. O.M. Corps June 13, 1937

Wife Minnie Lange Feb. 15, 1866 - Jan. 5, 1941

"Spider Lake" town directory, 1938

Who lived in Manitowish Waters (then called Spider Lake) in the year 1938? Read on to find out!*

Spider Lake, Wisconsin 1938 Directory

Andrews Gordon (Alice) Manitowish caretaker
Red Wood Point H Joseph

Bazso George (Mabel) Manitowish clerk Hansons Hdw P Hanson
Belter Ben H (Maude) Manitowish resort owner
Bernard Josephine (widow) Manitowish tavern keeper
Bey Frank (Hilda) Manitowish electrical shop
Brown Frank (Maraget) Manitowish laborer day

Campbell Julia (widow) Manitowish housework A I, Mayer
Cass Theresa (widow) Manitowish housework H B Hull
Christensen Carl C (Ann) Manitowish tavern keeper

De Woody Helen student
De Woody Loren in Navy,
De Woody L R Manitowish resort keeper
DeVine Dan (Elizabeth) guide resorts
Dooley Bert R (Cecilia) Manitowish guide
Durant Wentworth T (Katherine) Manitowish lawyer

Ferris Thomas (Susanna) Manitowish slot machines

Haakenson John (Esther) Manitowish resort keeper
Hanson Palmer C (Mildred) Manitowish contractor building
Haskin Thos (Mary) Manitowish laborer
Hayes Clarence (Ola) Manitowish caretaker Northwood Lodge Roy Jorgeson Heenan
Hugh (Pearl) Manitowish laborer
Heidemann Gus Manitowish resort keeper
Heim Walter (Myrtle) Manitowish bartender Belters Island B H Belter
Howe Robert S Manitowish retired
Hull Harry B (Maraget) Manitowish retired

Ilg Joe (Lenora) Manitowish resort keeper
Ilg Joe Jr. (single)
Ilg Robert (single) forest service South Dakota
Ilg, Vivian (single) Chicago office work Chicago

Jasniak August (Louise) Chicago laborer
Johnson Loraine (widow of W H) caretaker Dam
JOHNSON MAUDE (widow of Albert) resort owner
Johnson Robert (single) Manitowish electrical hlpr Frank Bey

Kirback Peter (widower) Manitowish retired
Kjir Henry (single) Manitowish carpenter
Knopp Frank (Maraget) Manitowish carpenter
KOERNER ALVIN (Lorraine) Manitowish resort owner
KOERNER T J (Marie) Manitowish resort owner
Kudrnacek Steve (single) Manitowish caretaker Seven Gables W T Durant
Kuhnert Henry A (Sophie) Manitowish hotel owner

Lang Paul W (Minnie) Manitowish resort owner
La Porte George (Anna) Manitowish store keeper
La Porte Neal (Eva) Manitowish store keeper
La Porte Susan (widow of Henry)
Larsen Jens (Lenora) Manitowish guide resorts
Leach L M (Lillian) Manitowish camp owner
LeVigne Joe (widower of Minnie) guide resorts
Loveless Dolly (single) Manitowish housework Milwaukee
Loveless Robert (Hilda) Manitowish tavern keeper
Ludsin Peter (single) Manitowish carpenter

Mayer A E (Maraget) Manitowish retired
McSweeney Bert (single) Manitowish caretaker Olivida C S Smith
Mehl Mae R (widow) Manitowish retired
Miller Christ (Ella) Manitowish pensioned
Mitchell Ed J (Annie) Manitowish resort owner
Mussati Adolph (Viola) Manitowish bartender Northern Lights H Kuhnert

Nichols Chas B Jr (Katherine) Manitowish resort owner

Oestricb Otto (Clara) Manitowish contractor stone mason
Olson John K (Bertha) Manitowish laborer

Pepowski Chas (Marie) Manitowish bartender Birchwood H A Voss
Perkins Earl R (Harriet) Manitowish pensioned
Peterson William (single) student
Powell Ethel (single) Manitowish resort keeper

Rayola Chas (Lilian) Manitowish laborer
Reinert Chas single Manitowish caretaker Twin Pines C Tialacker
Roe Irwin L (Annie) Manitowish carpenter

Schroeder Louis C (Ida) Manitowish resort owner
Schroeder Katherine (single) Manitowish home girl
Seppela Arvid Manitowish laborer
Seybold George (single) Manitowish caretaker A E Spiegel
Startz Joe single Manitowish home
Startz Myrtle (widow of Peter) Manitowish resort owner (Y)
St Pierre Ossie (Ann) Manitowish pensioned
Strang id (single) caretaker W W Alwort
Sullivan Michael (single) caretaker H G Pierle

Theriault Romey (Francis) Manitowish caretaker Rest Haven C W Nash
Tialacker Carl (Minnie) Manitowish tavern keeper

Vance Peter (widower) Manitowish pensioned
Versau Don (Grace) Manitowish mail carrier,
Voelzke Francis (widow of Ed) Manitowish resort owner
Voss Audrey (single) Madison Wis saleslady
VOSS HENRY A (Ruth) Manitowish Resort Owner Birchwood Lodge
Voss Lloyd (Carol) Manitowish resort owner

Walasek Frank Manitowish store keeper
WANATKA EMIL Manitowish Resort Owner Little Bohemia
Wanatka Nancy Manitowish
Williamson Peter (single) Manitowish resort owner
WIN-MAR THE Manitowish Specialty Store on 51 at Da
Wallen Godfrey Powell guide
Whitman John W (Mary) Park Falls R R farmer
Wilbecker Arthur Powell Bear River Camp Resort
Wilbecker William Powell Bear River Camp Resort

Young Charles (Elizabeth) Park Falls Big Muskie Lodge Self
YOUNG WINNIE (widow) Manitowish Store Keeper

ZIMMERMAN MARIE (single) Manitowish Store Keeper

*Please excuse any misspellings and errors -- if you notice some, please let us know!

Lunch at Boney's Mound

A great source on local history comes from Ruth Dickerson Gardner of Voss' Resort. Besides her personal knowledge and stories, Ruth has produced a book, Lunch at Boney's Mound: A Portrait of Family and Friends, as well as several films -- all of which are available at the Koller Library. The book is not readily found outside our local area, but please find the Amazon page here. The films, respectively titled Voss'...the First 100 Years and Generations, can most easily be found at our library.

These works have been produced with great affection for Ruth's family and for the area, as well as a reverence for our northern Wisconsin history. As she eloquently puts it in her introduction to Lunch at Boney's Mound:

This is the story of these people who sought the peace and solitude of Boney's Mound and the rest that came before...these loggers, farmers, hunters, trappers, and guides; raw-boned and rugged as the land itself.

It is the story of my family, myself; of all of us who cherish this land we have inherited. It would be a sad loss to forget those who have carved the way for us; passed into our care this beautiful piece of Paradise.

Their strength and determination should hearten us and their imperfections, warm our souls.

low in the grave he lay

Our blog regulars may recall the posts we put up on Daniel Divine (or Devine), an early settler in the area. A recent photo of his gravestone has come in, as well as data on Dan from the U.S. Census in 1900.

Dan Divine's gravestone

His gravestone reads: Daniel Divine, 1 Sgt. Co. C 23 Wis. Inf., memorializing his service in the Civil War.

Additional information (via AncestryLibrary.com and rewritten here for easier reading) on Dan's statistics:

Name: Daniel Devine
Age: 61
Birth Date: Jul 1838
Birthplace: Ireland
Home in 1900: Minocqua, Vilas, Wisconsin [Vilas]
Race: White
Gender: Male
Immigration Year: 1848 [1843]
Relation to head of house: Head
Marital Status: Married
Spouse's Name: Kate Devine
Marriage Year: 1879
Years Married: 21
Father's Birthplace: Ireland
Mother's Birthplace: Ireland
Occupation: [blank]
Household Members: by name and age

• Daniel Devine, 61
• Kate Devine, 55
• James Devine, 16
• Paul Devine, 9
• Hillie Devine, 1

Source Citation: Year: 1900; Census place: Minocqua, Vilas, Wisconsin; Roll: T623; Page: 13B; Enumeration District: 188.

 A U.S. Civil War Record is also available for Dan. (Information from AncestryLibrary, retyped here for easier reading.)

Name: Daniel Devine
Residence: Lewiston, Wisconsin
Enlistment Date: 13 Aug 1862
Rank at enlistment: 1st Sergt
State Served: Wisconsin
Was Wounded?: Yes
Survived the War?: Yes
Service Record: Enlisted in Company C. Wisconsin 23rd Infantry Regiment on 13 Aug 1862. Mustered out on 12 May 1865.
Sources: Roster of Wisconsin Volunteers: War of the Rebellion

An even earlier census record, from 1860, suggests Dan's whereabouts before the war began. Looks like he was the oldest of six siblings!

Name: Daniel Devine
Age in 1860: 25
Birth Year: abt 1835
Birthplace: Ireland
Home in 1860: Lewiston, Columbia, Wisconsin
Gender: Male
Value of real estate: [blank]
Household members (by name and age)

• James Devine, 48
• Lizzie Devine, 43
• Daniel Devine, 25
• Abia Devine, 20
• James Devine, 16
• Thomas Devine, 12
• Lizzie Devine, 10
• Mary Devine, 5

 To check all this fascinating info out on your own, visit AncestryLibrary.com!