Editing Weston, Clark County, Wisconsin (section)

==History==
The six mile square that would become Weston was first [[Surveying|surveyed]] in June 1847 by a crew working for the U.S. government. Then in October of the same year another crew marked all the [[Section (United States land surveying)|section corners]] in the [[survey township|township]], walking through the woods and swamps, measuring with [[Gunter's chain|chain]] and [[Solar compass|compass]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Land Survey Information|url=http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/SurveyNotes/SurveyInfo.html|publisher=Board of Commissioners of Public Lands|access-date=2024-11-09}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Field Notes for T26N R2W|url=https://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/SurveyNotes/SurveyNotes-idx?type=PLSS&twp=T025NR002W|work=Original Field Notes and Plat Maps, 1833-1866|publisher=Board of Commissioners of Public Lands|access-date=2024-11-25}}</ref> This survey produced a map which shows some sort of road already arcing roughly along the course of future highway 73 on the high ground east of the Black River, an "Indian Camp" on the east bank of the Black in sections 21 or 22, and a cabin on the west bank in section 4.<ref>{{cite book|last=Freeman|first=James E.|title=Township No 25 N., Range No 2 West, 4th Mer.|date=1847|publisher=Board of Commissioners of Public Lands|url=https://search.library.wisc.edu/digital/A5D44FK7MA445K86/full/A7PFGPE53H74IT8O|access-date=2024-11-25}}</ref> When done, the deputy surveyor filed this general description:
<blockquote>''This Township is well Situated for agricultural purposes(?) the Central and South Western parts are gently rolling and heavily timbered with [[Sugar Maple|Sugar]] [[Tilia americana|Lind]] White and Black Oak timber. the SE part has an extensive body of [[Pinus strobus|White Pine]] timber on it of the best quality for this country the NW part is low & wet but good timber. Perry's Creek which runs through the Eastern part of this township has a Saw Mill on the NE 1/4 Section 35 and many(?) more might be built on this and Black river There is a mill site(?) almost any where on Black river Current rapid & rock bottom all along Some Strong rapids(?)''<ref>{{cite web|last=Freeman|first=James E.|title=Interior Field Notes (Oct. 1847)|url=https://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/SurveyNotes/SurveyNotes-idx?type=article&byte=12484299&isize=XL&twp=T025NR002W|publisher=Board of Commissioners of Public Lands|access-date=2024-11-25}}</ref></blockquote>

An 1873 map of Clark County showed a "highway" reaching up from [[Neillsville, Wisconsin|Neillsville]] through Weston to Greenwood and beyond. Though that road somewhat followed the course of modern [[Wisconsin Highway 73|Highway 73]], it was a dirt wagon road. Another wagon road ran east from 73 along what is now County H for a mile, then wandered south, crossing Cawley Creek. The Town of Weston at that time extended much farther to the west than today, but the map shows no development west of the Black River.<ref>{{cite book|last=Glass|first=Louis J.|title=Map of Clark County, Wisconsin|date=1873|publisher=MacBride & Allen|location=Neillsville, Clark County|url=https://content.wisconsinhistory.org/digital/collection/maps/id/1634/rec/1|access-date=2024-11-25}}</ref><ref name=DeLorme>{{cite book|title=Wisconsin Atlas and Gazetteer|date=1999|publisher=DeLorme|location=Yarmouth, Maine|page=62}}</ref>

By 1880 Weston consisted of the modern townships of [[Seif, Wisconsin|Seif]] and Weston. The plat map from that year shows more wagon roads. East of the Black River, in addition to the road along 73, forerunners of Suckow Road, Heintown Road, County H, River Avenue, Panther Creek Road, Schofield Road, and Fremont Road were taking shape. Along these wagon roads were sprinkled about 30 settler homesteads. The Christie Post Office is marked on the map, a rural school where Panther Creek Road crosses 73, another school where Schofield Road crosses 73, a sawmill a mile west of there on Cawley Creek, and some sort of "Hotel" where Fremont Road crosses 73. West of the Black, roads and settlers were thinner, with forerunners of H and G and Resewood Avenue drawn in, along with some roads that no longer exist. A rural school was where H now meets Reesewood and another where Chili Road now crosses G. A dozen settlers' homes were marked west of the Black, but much of the land there was still in large blocks, owned by lumbermen and speculators, with the largest shares held by Blakeslee & Austin, Thayer and Kingman, and Samuel Marsh.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Bussell|first1=Charles E.|last2=Lee|first2=Allie|title=Map of the County of Clark, Wisconsin|date=1880|publisher=Charles E. Bussell|location=Neillsville, Wis.|url=https://content.wisconsinhistory.org/digital/collection/maps/id/1636/rec/3|access-date=2024-11-25 }}</ref><ref name=DeLorme/>

By 1890 the Neillsville-to-[[Withee, Wisconsin|Withee]] [[Stagecoach|stage]] passed through Weston each day, following the dirt road that would become modern highway 73.<ref>{{cite book|last=Satterlee, Tifft and Marsh|title=Clark County, the Garden of Wisconsin...|date=1890|publisher=Satterlee, Tifft and Marsh|location=Neillsville|page=27|url=https://content.wisconsinhistory.org/digital/collection/wch/id/19908/rec/2|access-date=2024-11-11}}</ref>

By 1893 more roads had been added on both sides of the Black, and more settler homes lining those roads. The plat map from that year shows a new school where 73 now passes Christie Mound. The map shows a new mill, church, and cemetery at Globe. Large chunks of unsettled land were still held by Davis and Starr Lumber Company and Coburn..<ref>{{cite book|last=Stockwell|first=C.S.|title=Weston E1/2|date=1893|publisher=E.P. Noll & Co|location=Philadelphia, PA|url=https://content.wisconsinhistory.org/digital/collection/maps/id/23785/rec/14|access-date=2024-11-25}}</ref><ref name=DeLorme/>

By 1906 Weston had its current six by six mile footprint, with Seif split off as a separate township. More roads had been added, and many more settlers. The plat map shows a new sawmill where County G now meets Fremont Road.<ref>{{cite book|last=Ogle|first=George A.|title=Standard Atlas of Clark County, Wisconsin, Including a Plat Book of the Villages, Cities, and Townships of the County|date=1906|publisher=George A. Ogle & Co.|location=Chicago, Ill.|url=https://content.wisconsinhistory.org/digital/collection/maps/id/21979/rec/6|access-date=2024-11-25}}</ref><ref name=DeLorme/>

Christie is an unincorporated community in Weston on [[Wisconsin Highway 73|Highway 73]] just south of Christie Mound. The 1918 ''History of Clark County'' described it at that time:  "Christie is located on the old tote road, between Neillsville and Greenwood, and for years was an important postoffice in the county. It now has a store, two churches and a school."<ref name=Clark_hist/>

[[File:Globe Wisconsin.jpg|thumb|Globe, looking east]]
Globe was another small rural community that developed a few miles west of Christie to serve local farmers. The 1918 ''History of Clark County'' described Globe as "...ten miles north of Neillsville in the center of a prosperous farming community. It has a [[creamery]], a large German [[Lutheran]] Church and school, and a store."<ref name=Clark_hist>{{cite book|last1=Curtiss-Wedge|first1=Franklin|title=History of Clark County Wisconsin|date=1918|publisher=H.C. Cooper Jr & Co.|location=Chicago and Winona|page=665|url=https://content.wisconsinhistory.org/digital/collection/wch/id/21003/rec/1}}</ref>

By 1920 Weston was largely settled - even west of the river. The plat map shows a cheese factory on what is now Panther Creek Road south of Christie. The transition from logging to agriculture was well underway.<ref>{{cite book|last=Paetzold|first=C.H.|title=Map of Clark County, State of Wisconsin - Weston|date=1920|publisher=C.H. Paetzold|location=Wausau, WI|page=17|url=https://content.wisconsinhistory.org/digital/collection/maps/id/17547/rec/9|access-date=2024-11-25}}</ref><ref name=DeLorme/>