George and Emma Ducklow
Later Years in Village of Spring Valley and Gilman Township
[Updated 10/17/2008]
Who is George Ducklow? He is the 6th child of Thomas and Elizabeth Ducklow. He came to Pierce County as a young man from his boy-hood home in Dodge County. From about 1881 until about 1898 George Ducklow and family operated the Ducklow mercantile / harness shop and dance hall in Olivet. This hamlet had sprung up in the early 1870s and thrived economically when the surrounding woods were being logged and the lumber sawn during the 1880s and early 1890s. But by 1898 the Olivet area was depleted of large trees and the sawmills had moved on. The handful of business that remained relied on serving farmers who had converted the cut-over land into pastures and crop fields.
Below: A Business Envelope with George Ducklow Promotion on the Return Address
Artifact from Esther Northfield Ducklow Collection, Circa 1885Photo by Jeff Ducklow
In contrast, the Village of Spring Valley had become the region’s new thriving center of commerce. The discovery of iron ore just a few miles west of there in 1890, and the subsequent building of a smelter, attracted many laborers and supporting businesses. Spring Valley also was home to a spoke and stave company [staves are the individual wood strips that form the sides of barrels and buckets] that employed many. Most importantly, the village had attracted the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha rail line to transport smelted ore, lumber products, crops, and livestock to market. The rails were laid in 1891 and depot was built and in operation by 1892. Another milestone that occurred in 1892 was establishment of the weekly paper called the
Spring Valley Sun. Its founder and first editor was a man named Thurston Rostad. At its peek the Village of Spring Valley boosted a population of over 2200 people (today the population is near 1200).
In about 1897 George and Emma decided to move their mercantile business from declining Olivet to then thriving Spring Valley. The move was only five miles, but critical to staying viable. Not only was this a decision to move, but it also was a decision to build! George acquired a prime corner location on 1st and McKay (on main street, adjacent to the present day Valley Drug Store). By the year 1900 George had put-up a large handsome two-story brick building. Its most unique feature was the tuck-under corner entrance with a couple of steps leading to the side walk. The center support pole formed the outside "corner" of the building. The steps led to the first level mercantile business and above was an over store apartment. At the time George and family made the move from Olivet to Spring Valley, Vernon was 18 years old, Josie, 15; Frank, 13 and Clayton, five. Daughter Nellie was 22 years old, wed to George LaGrander and they had started their own family in Waverley.
George Ducklow's Mercantile Building in Spring ValleyBuilt circa 1900
Photo from 1958 as Clifford Arneson's Super Valu Grocery Store
Located on corner of 1st Street and McKay
Imaged scanned from Doug Blegen's "Spring Valley Yesteryear Revisited", used with permission
George and Emma did not operate their mercantile business for a long period in Spring Valley. They sold their 1st and McKay building to the Hamm Brewing Co. in March of 1905
(16 March 1905 Spring Valley Sun). When they sold the buidling they moved into another building in town.
However, less than a year later George decided to "discontinue his store business" all together (22 Feb 1906, 29 March 1906 Spring Valley Sun). This may have been because George started having health issues—mainly due to asthma. George's original McKay Aveune building was reported to have sold for $3,200; perhaps the equivalent of around $93,000 in today's dollars [2008].
This building has had many owners and business through the years: When Hamm Brewing Company owned it they sublet to Ed Schreiner and he ran the
Schriener & Rickerd Saloon . In the 1910s and 20s, it became
Geving & Gaarden general merchandise and grocery store operated by Henry E. Geving and Carl O. Gaarden. During the late 20s and up to 1930 it was known as the
Curtis & Rogers general store. Clifford (C. W.) Arneson purchased it and ran it as a
Super Valu Grocery store in the 1940s into 1960s. Later still, it became a
hardware store in the late 60s and 70s, changing hands several times. The original building continues to stand, through these many businesses. Today it is a warehouse space for a veterinarian products business operated by Mark Anderson. However, the once handsome brick is now painted gray and it has become a non-descript monolith that sits south of the present-day Drug Store, across the street going to "Church Hill."
At about the time George was building in Spring Valley he also purchased farm land in Gilman Township. In 1899 George purchased 40 acres of land that abutted John Upman’s farm
(Dec 7, 1899 Spring Valley Sun). This property became the home of George and Emma for the next twenty-eight years [for George] and thirty-eight years [for Emma]. For nearly three decades George’s health waxed and waned. Depending upon his health at the time, he took on numerous roles including sheep and ginseng farmer, carpenter, landlord of boarders, real estate investor, prominent community statesman, and part-time Marshall.
George Ducklow's Sheep on Vern's Land [Cady Township, St. Croix County] Circa 1928Photo from Jeff Ducklow CollectionFor several years George served as a part-time Marshall [Sheriff] of Spring Valley filling in for Sam Mars, the primary Marshall, when Sam needed time off. George began this role in May of 1902
(22 May 1902, Spring Valley Sun) and served until March of 1910
(24 March 1910, Spring Valley Sun) at age 59. Sam not only was the primary Marshall, he too was a local farmer, so relied on George to fill-in during planting and harvesting seasons. Willis Ducklow, the grandson who was raised by George and Emma, remembered that George had "worn the star." But because Willis was not born until April of 1910, he must have been told stories, and not recalled from his own direct memory. It appears that most of George's duty was dealing with drunk and disorderly conduct by villiage saloon patrons. In one instance George earned a punch in the face for his trouble in separating men in a brawl. He is quoted as saying "...Sam [Mars] has one black eye coming to him"
(12 Nov 1908 Spring Valley Sun). A day's pay was just $2.00
(16 July 1908 Spring Valley Sun). He wasn't getting rich—even after adjusting for inflation George was just getting a little over $50 a day.
It appears George was a bit of a "Donald Trump" character too. He was in a land partnership agreement with Peter Vanasse and Charles Petan during the period around 1904-1910. The land this group jointly owned in Gilman Township had some woods and it caught fire in the spring of 1905
(27 April 1905 Spring Valley Sun). Taxes in 1906 for his property in Gilman Township came to $36.09. His Gilman tax bill grew to $53.15 in 1907. He got some relief in 1908 by only paying $51.29, but had taxes in Spring Valley of $14.30. In 1909 George attempted to purchase a building "opposite the Commercial House of O.S. Williams"
(9 December 1909 Spring Valley Sun). The transaction did not complete, and the owner, William Williams, instead sold to a buyer named T.O. June. In 1909 George's Gilman Township dropped to $42.13.
His tax bill in Spring Valley was likely from the home he bought there in Feburary of 1906
(22 Feb 1906, 29 March 1906 Spring Valley Sun). It was referred to as the Barney Parks residence. In May of 1906 he was improving his newly acquired home by building an addition
(3 May 1906 Spring Valley Sun). Some of the land in Gilman no doubt served as pasture for Georges' sheep raising. In October of 1907 he shipped two separate carloads of sheep "West"
(10 October 1907 and 17 October 1907 Spring Valley Sun). Again in November of 1908 George is reported to have shipped a railcar load of sheep to St Paul
(3 December 1908). When George wanted to ship his sheep, he drove the entire herd from his Gilman pastures into Spring Valley. There he separated out those he wanted to send to market and those he needed to fatten-up. Those that were spared where driven back home.
Esther Northfield Ducklow writes about her husband's [Willis] memories of growing ginseng with his grandfather for profit. She writes,
"George and Willis used to hunt wild ginseng, dig up the plant, and transplant it into a garden in the woods that was behind and to the side of the house, a very large woods most of it still there in 1997. When the roots matured, they dug up the roots and hung them in the attic to dry before selling them. One day George and Willis went out to their ginseng garden but found that someone found it and dug up and removed every plant there. That was the end of their ginseng growing and the extra income it brought them." No doubt this was a big loss. Wild ginseng root has always been very valuable. Today it brings $250 to $500 per pound!
George was a third degree Mason and a member of the Spring Valley Masonic Lodge. This fraternal organization was made-up of well-respected members of the community that shared a common moral code, belief in God, commitment to building community, and pledge to defend other members in their time of need. In December of 1906 George was elected to the position of Trustee. In addition to the Masons, George was a member of the Odd Fellows organization that also was involved in charity and community promotion work.
Emma did not sit idle at home when George attended Masonic funcitons. She belonged to the Eastern Stars, the complementary organization for Mason's wives with goals of building social connections and community service.
George Ducklow's Masonic Pin
Measures Approx. 7/8" Dia.
Artifact from the Esther Ducklow Collection
Photo by Jeff Ducklow
In 1926 George’s health was poor and Emma was unable to properly care for him alone. During the fall of 1927 and winter of 1928 George became particularly feeble and stayed with daughter Josie and her husband George Rickard in Minneapolis. Josie's home is were George died on January 7th, 1928. In his obiturary, George was noted as an "honest, upright, industrious man, who had a host of friends." [
Spring Valley Sun, January 12, 1928]
Emma lived another ten years, presumably on the farmhouse in Gilman Township. During some of the winter months she spent with her daughter Nellie and her husband Albert Davis, in Granton in Clark County, Wisco
nsin. Summer months where spent rotating stays between her sons Vern, Frank and Clayton and back to the farm in Gilman. And like husband George, she too was cared for in her last months of her life at daughter Josie’s home in Minneapolis. She died on June 2, 1938 from heart failure. A tribute to Emma in her obiturary was, "Mrs. Ducklow was a quiet caring woman, who enjoyed her children and her friends." [Spring Valley Sun, June 1938].
Emma Eunice nee Hamilton Ducklow
Circa 1925, age 73Photo from Esther Northfield Ducklow Collection
Sources for information on George's Spring Valley 1900 Building:
"Spring Valley The Early Days," by Doug Blegen, Copyright 1995, Blegen Books, Spring Valley, Wisc. 54767
"Spring Valley Yesteryear Revisited," by Doug Blegen, Copyright 2000, Blegen Books, Spring Valley, Wisc. 54767
"The Sun" Spring Valley, Obituary for George Ducklow, Jaunuary 12, 1928
Research notes from Esther Northfield Ducklow
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