Rock Dam and Clark County
Early Recollections
My first view of Rock Darn was on July 5, 1936, in the company of Al Covell, the then County Forester. We came by Highway G from Neillsville which was a terrible gravel road. At Globe Road, we turned West past Tom Kreji’s tavern at Tioga, then at the White School House North to the Willard Road, then West again to Rock Dam. Highway M was just a dirt trail, and the road to Rock Dam not much better.
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Hilarious Moments Inside a deer camp
The Windy Run Gang consisted of AdoIph Myers, Joe Groessel, Harry “Able” Wasserburger, Bill Whaley, Fred Daft, Butch Gerald; Al Covell; Hunz Schiesel and Louis Bra dbury. These are excerpts taken from a hook written by Joseph Groessel about tile adventures of camp in the woods of Rock Darn.
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Clark County Flooding: 1993
Residents survey damage in the Rock Dam area of the Town of Foster. From the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources: "South central portions of the state received rainfall totals that were 150- 200% above normal for the first seven months of 1993 with a number of stream systems experiencing flooding levels which exceeded the 1% (100 year) flood. Over Father's Day weekend, 10 dams and dikes were washed out. Another 12 dams reported damage. Numerous other dams suffered damaged which was not reported or discovered until a later inspection. A presidential disaster declaration was issued for 10 counties in southern and western Wisconsin for the period of June 7 - August 25, 1993."
The Town of Foster Turns 100!
The Town of Foster, where Rock Dam Lake is situated, turns 100 on July 11th, 2023.
Although there isn’t going to be any official birthday party, we thought it would
be appropriate to let folks know of this occasion which almost falls during Rock
Dam Days.
So, as you are celebrating during Rock Dam Days, keep in mind
this milestone and maybe raise a glass in celebration of this great area.
Below is some town history courtesy of the Clark County Historical Society.
Happy Birthday Town of Foster!
The Town of Foster was made an official Township by an Act of Governor Blame on July 11, 1923. Foster Township is part of the 69th Assembly District of Wisconsin and is nearly centered on the western most edge of Clark County. It was established in 1923, after being detached from Mentor township, and was named in honor of the early lumber baron and railroad developer, Nathaniel Caldwell Foster of Fairchild, Eau Claire County, WI. An election for town
officials was held on August 6, 1923 at the Cottonwood School with 26 voters present. During these early years the Town Board meetings were held at the area schools. The Act of Governor Blaine combined part of Mentor with Foster as it is known today.
Some of the subjects the Town Board at that time were subjected to, were the many small one room school houses in the area. The up-keep was one big problem with no electricity in the area, wood needed to be hauled for heat and oil for lamps.
In May of 1926, the Town, purchased an Adams Patrol Grader at $149.29 and $1,500.00 was levied for road work. In April 1927, culvert pipes were installed and plank replacement on Hay Creek Bridge and Bear Creek Bridge. The culverts were ordered from Felker Bros. in Marshfield.
Four culverts were 14 and 16 gage, 10-20 ft long at a price of $71.25. In 1933, the Bank of Fairchild closed its doors. The state settled with the Townships at 40% of their banked moneys.
Also, in 1933 and 1934, this area was in a drought disaster. The Board at this time joined the Workman’s Comp Relief and Drought Relief Program to help people through these disasters.
On August 3, 1935, an ordinance to regulate the sale of intoxicating liquors in the Town of Foster.
In the winter of 1935, if the snow plow did not come through, then the men of the area went out and shoveled the roads.
The Town of Foster, Clark County is the largest Township of Clark County, consisting of 72 sq. miles of which approximately 42,500 acres are County Forest Lands.