Bear Creek, WI

May 18th, 2006 · 45 Comments

Bear Creek, WI is a town of about 800 400 people located 124 miles northwest of Milwaukee, about 42 miles west of Green Bay. There’s a Catholic church and school, some houses, and about 1 bar for every 100 people in the town. That’s about it.

This is where my grandpa was born, where he married and had a large family, where he owned a bar for many years, and ultimately where he now rests eternally.

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Bear Creek Post Office, Bear Creek, WI

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It’s a ghost town. I think I saw one family in their backyard, otherwise the only people I saw in town were the people I was with.

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Jessica, Richard, Amanda, Rick (dad), Stephanie, Jeff, Dallas :: Bear Creek, WI

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The building where my grandpa’s bar was still has the sign on it. Rusty, but it’s there. I don’t know why I was so amazed by this.

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Posted on the door of one of the bars: In a village of 800, how many could really show up?

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My aunt & uncle used to live here. I remember going as a kid.

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Spence’s Market was across the street from the house my aunt & uncle lived in, a block up from grandpa’s bar. We used to go here as kids and get candy and soda and stuff like that. It was the only market in town.

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Now it’s closed.

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Not sure what this used to be.

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St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Bear Creek, WI

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45 responses so far ↓

  • 1 tien // May 18, 2006 at 7:12 am

    wow. that’s even smaller than lacon!

  • 2 mike // May 18, 2006 at 9:19 am

    Great batch of photos. To me, there’s something very sad about small towns.

  • 3 Nan // May 18, 2006 at 10:48 am

    Small towns are like big families. Some ways good - safe for kids growing up, etc. Other ways not so good - everyone up in everyone else’s business.

    Now, do you pronounce “Creek” like “Creeeek or Crick”? I say “Crick” ‘cuz my cousins grew up in Black Creek (and we grew up saying Crick).

  • 4 thomas // May 18, 2006 at 11:07 am

    why do all the buildings look run down except for the church?

  • 5 anonymous // May 18, 2006 at 11:49 am

    I think the building says:

    C.C. (can’t make out last name)
    hardware tinware stoves
    ranges furnaces
    harness paints oils

  • 6 jocelyn // May 18, 2006 at 12:59 pm

    strange. i would have felt very eerie. interesting though, that the birthday sign was bilingual. i wouldn’t have expected that.

    oh, wisconsin.

  • 7 rachelle // May 18, 2006 at 1:57 pm

    believe it or not, there is a huge sauerkraut company founded in Bear Creek.. the reason the town is even incorporated (as opposed to other towns that just have “Unincorporated” on their population signs). This company claims to be the largest sauerkraut manufacturer in the world. If you’ve eaten sauerkraut, I’m sure you’ve eaten their product. Heard of Krrrrisp Kraut? Yeh, that’s them.

    and so, there are a lot of mexican workers in the area who work at the plant and also in the fields picking cabbage. hence, the birthday announcement in both english and spanish.

  • 8 m // May 19, 2006 at 6:49 am

    The stores (and thus downtown) were probably killed off by malls and sprawl.

  • 9 mom // May 19, 2006 at 4:10 pm

    wow Rachelle. The store was Gambles, it was a hardware/dime store type, family owned.
    the corner appt that aunt & Uncle lived in, well your dad and I lives in the other half, on the left.
    and the population is probably more like 400. All my life, growing up there, it was 320 or 408. The most I ever, ever remeber was 510. Never more, never near 800. probably closer to 300.
    memories. I haven’t been there in many moons…strange, kinda eerie. and I always pronounced it “bare krick”
    Thanks…

  • 10 iso // May 19, 2006 at 4:28 pm

    There was a Gambles in my hometown, too - it might have a been a franchised chain….

  • 11 rachelle // May 19, 2006 at 7:52 pm

    i thought the pop. was always like 400-500, too, but that link i had said 800. I thought some people maybe moved in. heh. or i wonder how much farmland surrounding they count.

  • 12 mom n dad // May 20, 2006 at 6:18 am

    Rachelle, we moved into the left half of that white building (hedge in the front) shortly after we were married, and lived there almost a year, up until we moved to Florida in June of 1975, Thus, you lived there too!

  • 13 rachelle // May 20, 2006 at 7:39 am

    how could that be? in utero, i guess. bc i was born in florida sept 1975.

  • 14 mum // May 20, 2006 at 1:40 pm

    Exactly!!! teh heh hee!

  • 15 Sandy // Sep 28, 2006 at 7:17 pm

    I was just in Bear Creek today, I took pictures of grave stones at St. Mary’s. Most of my family came from Bear Creek and I’m doing a family tree.
    I lived about 3-4 miles from town. I was born there and lived there until 1978. Now for what I can remember there were 2 gro. stores, Spence’s and Zellmer’s (not sure on spelling) it was at the bottom of the hill from the church. The other store (pic) was Probst Hardware (Gambles). There was a feed mill also at the bottom of the hill. There were 5 bars Werth’s, Mr. Z’s, Smiths,
    Norder’s, there was one across from Norder’s but can’t remember the name I think it was Toby’s. They have also changed names through the years.

  • 16 Sandy // Sep 28, 2006 at 7:35 pm

    Norder’s my sister is about the same age as Wanda. I’m the same age as Alice, and my broter is the same age as Morry. We spent lots of time at the bar with my Mom and Aunt. Alvin and Dorthy (I think)are your Grandfater and Mother.
    I think there was 2 gas stations in town too. If I remember more I’ll let you know.

  • 17 Patrick // Oct 31, 2006 at 3:18 pm

    Bear Creek had a gas station, Page’s, which later became Bechard’s. There were two feed mills, Flanagan’s and a farm cooperative. Dunlavy’s had a lumber yard next to Mares’ cold produce operation. At various times there were three or four restaurants. The most recent closed just a few years ago and was located in the building that had been Zillmer’s general store. Spence’s market specialized in meat cutting and fine conversation. Probst’s Gamble store was adjacent to the original post office. Many years ago Bear Creek had a bowling alley, hotel and theater. The hotel building is across from the fire station and has long since been converted to residential. There also was a railroad station. Passenger trains went through Bear Creek as late as the 50’s. The last freight train was probably in the late 60’s or 70’s.

    When I grew up there in the 50’s and 60’s, Bear Creek had a beauty shop and Chuck Klemm’s barber shop. There was a pool hall across from Dunn’s Den run for a while by the Sanderfoot family. Five taverns anchored main street and, for awhile, there was a gentleman’s club. There was an American Legion bar across from the old ballpark. There was a blacksmith shop, Bessette’s, I think, and later Suehring’s. Dr. Morneau’s office was on 76 at the end of Clark Street until he died in the 60’s. His son Robert was my Little League coach for a year and is now a bishop in Green Bay.

    The high school closed in 1969 and the public and Catholic elementary schools have closed in recent years.

  • 18 Patrick // Oct 31, 2006 at 3:19 pm

    Bear Creek had a gas station, Page’s, which later became Bechard’s. There were two feed mills, Flanagan’s and a farm cooperative. Dunlavy’s had a lumber yard next to Mares’ cold produce operation. At various times there were three or four restaurants. The most recent closed just a few years ago and was located in the building that had been Zillmer’s general store. Spence’s market specialized in meat cutting and fine conversation. Probst’s Gamble store was adjacent to the original post office. Many years ago Bear Creek had a bowling alley, hotel and theater. The hotel building is across from the fire station and has long since been converted to residential. There also was a railroad station. Passenger trains went through Bear Creek as late as the 50’s. The last freight train was probably in the late 60’s or 70’s.

    When I grew up there in the 50’s and 60’s, Bear Creek had a beauty shop and Chuck Klemm’s barber shop. There was a pool hall across from Dunn’s Den run for a while by the Sanderfoot family. Five taverns anchored main street and, for awhile, there was a gentleman’s club. There was an American Legion bar across from the old ballpark. There was a blacksmith shop, Bessette’s, I think, and later Suehring’s. Dr. Morneau’s office was on 76 at the end of Clark Street until he died in the 60’s. His son Robert was my Little League coach for a year and is now a bishop in Green Bay.

    The high school closed in 1969 and the public and Catholic elementary schools have closed in recent years.

  • 19 Aunt Susie // Nov 1, 2006 at 6:28 am

    I’ll betchoo any money that “Patrick” was Patrick of Dunn’s Den. What a good post. It’s funny, I have a good friend Shiela who happens to know Pat from years ago. I told her my maiden name one day and she asked me if I knew Patrick. I had to admit that I only knew him when he was a tiny boy.

  • 20 Patrick // Nov 1, 2006 at 8:10 am

    Aunt Susie, you may want to reconsider that wager.

  • 21 rachelle // Nov 1, 2006 at 9:46 am

    my uncle dave said - No mention of the largest factory in town Kraut Factory, There was hardware store across the street from Cottons Bar ( Norders) A Bank next door, a restruant next to that, then Spences Store. Next to the Lumber Yard was Mares Farms who sold vegetable’s like bag cabbage, potatoes, and cauliflower. Dennison Oil Co Who delivered fuel oil to almost every home in town. There was a Christmas tree farm on the hill. The Will Gals who were employed by the Post Crescent to report the news in the area. Did they know the town was first called Welcome? Before the fire.

  • 22 Anonymous // Nov 2, 2006 at 4:34 pm

    I think it was Flanagan’s Sauerkraut Factory. I remember the pickle factory most. It brought migrant workers to town each year. I remember the sound of the sorters. For the village to be unincorporated, it certainly had a lot going on. I also remember the siren at night and sometimes Willie Fletcher, the town sheriff, would let you ring it and then tell you to run home.

  • 23 Doug Rohan // Jan 14, 2007 at 8:44 pm

    I grew up in the outskirts of Bear Creek.

  • 24 Sonia // Mar 14, 2007 at 9:50 pm

    I have to tell you that your post really choked me up. I was in Bear Creek at St. Mary’s cemetary in Sept. 2006 to put a cross at my mom’s grave. The strange thing is that she died 29 years ago in August when I was 5 years old, but no one ever knew what do for a marker. She is buried with my great grandparents and her baby brother. Both of my grandparents are still alive. I now have an 8 year old daughter and 5 year old son, so together, along with my mom’s 4 brothers we finally put a wooden cross as an visible memorial to her time here on earth. She was only 25-it was a car accident-and she had always said she didn’t want anything like that, but I know it was so important to my grandmother. It’s strange the ways we hope to find closure even after so long, yet it also brings people back together into unexpected places. I was so suprised to stumble across your pictures, and I felt the same way being there. It’s like another place and time…Thanks for sharing and thanks for letting me share, too.
    Sonia

  • 25 Ali (Alice) M Klegin Norder // Mar 19, 2007 at 3:52 pm

    Hi from Ali(Alice) M Norder (Klegin), the wife of Bob Norder. We belong to the Dunns Den Norders-Bob, Jim, Karen, Peg & Patrick.
    All of us in the Great Lakes Kraut office throughly enjoyed the comments sent in by various people(one of the girls in our office found the web page by accident)! They brought back many memories! We know Wanda and Rick as well as your aunts & uncles and enjoyed seeing them all at your grandfather’s funeral. Your grandfather was quite a guy.He knew everyone in 17 counties and would help anyone anytime!
    Whoever walked around town and did not see anyone in their yard needs to come back in spring or summer around 6:00PM. There would be many choices of campfires and beer from which to choose.
    I recognized Rick in the photos - neat photos by the way.
    Have a great day all!
    Ali

  • 26 mom // Mar 19, 2007 at 6:51 pm

    Hi Alice! It’s Mary (Rachelle’s mom). Nice to hear from you! And by the way, It’s Wanda & Doug and then Mary & Rick. :) Enjoy our daughter’s site. We’re SO proud of her! Mary

  • 27 Verona // Mar 30, 2007 at 8:10 am

    Awesome pics Rachelle!
    Actually makes the town look pretty nice — more like it used to be. Definitely brings back A LOT of memories.

    p.s. Hi Mary!

  • 28 Tom Sanderfoot // Mar 31, 2007 at 10:24 pm

    Jessica, Richard, Amanda, Rick (dad), Stephanie, Jeff, Dallas :: Bear Creek, WI

    The picture titled above shows 2 buildings my Grandparents owned. The one on the right was Lambert’s Restaurant. Grandpa moved across the street to a larger place later on. The building on the left was an old bank that my Grandmother used as a pool hall. Bear Creek used to have it’s own school district and the high school kids played pin ball and shot pool there. Grandma used the safe to store soda. This was the early 60’s. I can remember this was where I first heard the Ballad of the Green Beret’s on the juke box and Red Rubber Ball. We used to bring cucumbers into town to the pickle factory. Wisconsin Michigan power company had a regional office in Bear Creek in the 60’s.

  • 29 Anita Seering // May 3, 2007 at 9:09 am

    Wow, I found this summary of pics by searching Bear Creek and Welcome. I grew up in Bear Creek as did my parents, etc. My maiden name is Lorge. My Dad owned the plumbing and heating shop on Clark Street. I was in Bear Creek (Crik) last week to take cemetary pics. It may seem sad and barren to some people but no matter where I am or where I travel, Bear Creek will always be home. Anita

  • 30 susan roberts // May 20, 2007 at 1:09 pm

    My name is susan roberts, bert lorge is my uncle. What a beautiful site this is, I do miss my childhood in bear creek it was a place to kids to be kids. This small town had the most amazing families who took pride in raising good children not that we were kids that did not get into mischief at times. I hope some day life comes back to this small town by others.

    susan roberts / may 20, 2007

  • 31 Christy // Jun 17, 2007 at 10:22 pm

    It was very neat finding this site. My family moved to rural Bear Creek when I was 10 years old (20 years ago). A lot of the businesses were already closed, but I do remember riding bikes into town and buying sodas at the little grocery store. I enjoyed reading all of the comments and learning more of the history of Bear Creek.

  • 32 michelle lehman // Sep 24, 2007 at 8:56 pm

    my grandfather was also a norder… ralph norder. he and my grandmother ran the bar for a few years. in the fifties. can’t believe that i found this site. both my parents were born in bear creek. i spent a lot of time climbing cabbage piles outside of the sauerkraut factory. my grandma lehman lived next door to it. the house was bright yellow with blue and peach trim. they tore it down after she died when the factory bought the property. sad. i knew bill and katy spence, of spence’s market. and their girls… what a lifetime ago. thanks for the pictures.

  • 33 Sherri Flanagan // Dec 30, 2007 at 9:52 am

    I also was raised in Bear Creek. Willie Fletcher, the town constable, was my father.
    There is currently a bar in Bear Creek named for him, run by my sister and her husband. My family moved to Bear Creek when I was in the third grade. We attended St Mary’s school which is now closed but I was lucky enough to send my own daghters through the same school. Bear Creek has certainly changed through the years, but it was a wonderful little town with caring neighbors. My grandfather, Ernie Page owned and operated the gas station, which is where my mother(who worked there) met my father. He sold it to Bechards. Tom Bechard eventually become my brother in law.

    Anyone who came from Bear Creek no matter where they are or what they are doing now knows that going “home” means going to Bear Crik!!!

  • 34 Deb VanStraten // Dec 31, 2007 at 8:17 am

    What a great website and boy oh boy did I just relive alot of OLD but GREAT memories. I was Deb Bechard (from Bechards gas station). Leon & Bernice Bechard owned it and those are my grandparents. Tom & Sue (Fletcher) Bechard are my parents. I was born (1971) and raised in Bear Creek and attended St Mary’s Catholic School until 8th grade…….and then was shipped to Clintonville High School to graduate in 1989. From 1982 to 1985 I played basketball and was proud to be a Bear Creek Bruin. In 1985 when we were 8th graders we won a tournament and beat Mackville and Sherwood which was a great thing at the time. We had a great team of girls that all got along well and were a very close nit team for those few short years. Myself, Amy Lillge, Janet Spence, Brenda Jarvais, Jody Ransom, Tracy Lorge, Julie Balthazor, and Tammy Kriewaldt made up that great team that beat Doc Fischer and the Mackville team that thought they would beat Doug Hurdler and the Sherwood team. It was a great time in my young childhood life that I will never forget.

    What I remember most about Bear Creek growing up is that everyone knew everyone. You could walk the streets no matter what time of day or night and feel safe and say hello. We had a blast with the Thebo and Vollmer boys playing kick the can or hide and seek in the PIT……with many other stories that probably should not be shared on this website!

    Bear Creek will always be home. We go there every year for our Fletcher Christmas to the Community Center and celebrate. No matter what it is like now and what it has turned into, I will always remember that small town the way it used to be when I was a kid.

    …………..and another small fact, in 1985 I was the Sauerkraut Queen for the St. Mary’s Sauekraut Festival!!!!!!!

  • 35 Cathie (Fletcher) Hansen // Dec 31, 2007 at 10:32 am

    Very interesting site. Neat to see. Willie Fletcher was my Dad and I was quite suprised to see someone mention him and the bell ringing, something I never knew about him. Great Memories.

  • 36 Doug Rohan // Jan 4, 2008 at 4:59 am

    I left a message on January 14 2007 that says I grew up on the out skirts of Bear Creek. Now almost a year later I am proud to say I bought a farmette about 3 miles west of Bear Creek back to my roots to raise my son and english bulldog. I know many people in B.C. “BEAR CREEK” including the Spences “spences market” and the kraut factory I know the owners and have many many family members who are still in good ol BC. I love it here. Its a great place to raise a family. Also anyone who has info on the history of Bear Creek or as it use to be called early in the 1900’s Welcome Wi. Yes welcome wisconsin after the first person to claim it as a township WElcome Hyde was his name. Any way please email me with info or books I can purchase or what ever they can tell me about the past in this wonderfull village. my email is dougierohan@hotmail.com I can’t wait to hear from you. Also I have alot of info on the current status of Bear Creek and can get in touch with anyone there so let me know your questions thank-you some much. Doug Rohan

  • 37 Susan Bechard // Jan 5, 2008 at 10:58 am

    Willie Fletcher was mt dad,every night at 10 pm he rang the fire siren
    because ther was a curfew. my name is Sue(Fletcher) Bechard. I married Tom Bechard who owned the gas station in Bear Creek. I have mant great memories growing up in a small town.Thanks for a great web site.

  • 38 Aunt Susie on: Bear Creek Hardware Store // Jan 5, 2008 at 2:54 pm

    In 1902 there was a big fire. The town was nearly lost. After the fire, they named it “Welcome” after Hyde Welcome, because he was such a great guy. In 1915, the name was changed back to “Bear Creek”. I found “C.G. Ballhorn’s Hardware” before the “big fire”. I know Charles G. Ballhorn was the Postmaster in Bear Creek as of 1922. He was also a clerk, and was on the State Road and Bridge Committee. He also served as Chairman of the Bear Creek Farming Institute. Fred Ballhorn also lived in Bear Creek, he owned a Harness Shop which was actually in the same building as the post office. In 1938 The Peter Erickson Hardware Store was moved from the W.E. Klemm building to the building owned by C.G. Ballhorn, which had been vacated by Fred Ballhorn. The following year William Nicolai of Lebonon, purchased the hardware stock from Pete Erickson. I couldn’t find much after 1939…but the writing on the building reads:
    C. G. Ballhorn
    hardware tinware stoves
    ranges furnaces
    harness paints oils
    Gosh this is fun.

  • 39 Don Sanderfoot // Feb 10, 2008 at 11:06 pm

    The post office you have pictured at the head of your blog was actually built by Dale Schoenrock of New London and leased to the U.S.P.S. It was one of the first my first construction jobs as a teenager. Bear Creek holds alot of memories for me also. We had a small farm over near Sugar Bush that every year dad put in a patch of pickles for us to work. Saturday mornings we head into Bear Creek to the pickle factory after a week of my dad yelling at us to get those cucumbers picked. The pickle factory sorted them by size, paying more for the little ones, but I always found if you waited till they got really big they were easier to find and filled the pails faster! I also recall the visits to my grand parents pool hall or having lunch at their restaurant (Lambert’s Restaurant). I do recall it being a vibrant town back then. As I got older I’d bring my kids to visit my dad at his bar (Al’s Place) on the corner of Railroad & Tielky just a few doors to the east from Grandpa’s old restaurant. I think dad, “Shake of the Day Al” was more of a bank for the migrant workers than a bar at times as he was always cashing their payroll checks. I found out later he’d taken it upon himself to purchase clothes and donated them to several of the migrant families to help them out at times. Don’t tell anyone, he has a rep to maintain. He eventually sold that bar to one of the workers from the sauerkraut factory (Flanagan’s). I recall having to fix/replace their entire computer network after a fire in the plant. I’m certain everyone recalls the smell of the rotting cabbage in the fields? Its worse when its burning…

    Love the blog.

  • 40 Deb Hoskins // Mar 17, 2008 at 6:44 pm

    I grew up on Hwy 22 and went to school in Bear Creek (K-6). It was the Bear Creek Primary and the Intermediate. Does anyone remember or have any info on the old Intermediate– I think it was a high school before everyone got bused to clintonville.

  • 41 Neil Lorge // May 3, 2008 at 4:13 pm

    Hi:

    I have more memories of Bear Creek (eek), than you have time to read. Yes, I say Bear Creek (eek), not Bear Krick, but you know, I used to call it that all the time.
    When I grew up, my dad was Bert Lorge and my mother was Tootie.
    Ione, Percy, Ron, Anita, and Pete were my brothers and sisters.
    Anyway, when I grew up, there were three grocery stores in town, 5 bars, a black smith shop, two plumbers, an appliance dealer, a bank, two feed mills, a Gambles store, a shoe repair man, three gas stations, and a doctor.
    I’m sure that I’m missing a few things.
    I have three very very fond memories of growing up in Bear Creek.
    I’ll save the best for last.
    Every evening, this was before color tv, all of the kids on the block were playing in their front yard. Imagine, kids playing in their front yard, and on the street, and their parents were busy doing dishes or yard projects.
    We were safe then, there was “no fear” then, Bear Creek was home.
    So, across from my house was a small open field, just the right size for kids to have a ball game. And every night we did.
    Dick Schurtz, Tom Suprise, and usually more, played ball there. We even played the home run derby, just like on TV.
    Dick and Tom are no longer with us, but, I think that their memory still brings a smile to my face.
    Memory number two, was after the ball game, we would go behind Tom’s house and have a camp fire. Just us, the dark night, the stars, and kids full of shit, we were so full of it. All of the wonder, all the laughts, all the stories.
    I hope that every kid gets to have a chance to experience that, that very special time.
    And my third memory is driving the train through Bear Creek.
    Good thing I thought about that because I forgot to tell you that there were two diners also in town.
    So the train. Back then they were coal fired, and they belched out black smoke and sparks.
    When I lay in bed at night, I would wake up because the handles on my bed room dresser would rattle when the night train was coming through.
    The thing is that when the train went through Sugar Bush, it would blow it’s whistle at the crossing, and I would hear that whistle and hear the rattling handles, before I heard the train.
    So the train was special. I remember going with my dad to the train depot. The building was dark red, and had a porch, like a loading dock so supplies from the train could be unloaded.
    The station smelled like coal and smoke. Some times the train would pull in while we were there, and the air would be filled with steam and the smell of burning coal.
    We used to put pennies on the track before the train went by, and the penny was really cool after that, it was about twice it’s regular size and all the engraving was gone. Hope no Feds are reading this.
    One day, my brother Ron and I were out and about. and we noticed that the train was parked about in the middle of town. We walked around it and walked by Fishers grill and saw the railroad crew eating lunch.
    Oh, my!
    No one was watching the:::::
    Darn, Kathy Jarvais just call and wants me to work for the Kraut Festival.
    I told her what I was doing, writing this email, and she reminded me that there used to be an out door movie screen in town and on weekends there were free movies. It was right across from the Club House, you know where that is don’t you?
    So the train.
    No one was watching it. We decided to have a look at the locomotive.
    It was hot in there, and we could see the coal fire that powered the engine.
    I don’t remember many levers and controls, just a few handles and some pressure gauges.
    I’m not going to blame Ron, he most likely did it, but I’m not sure. Maybe I did it, but you know, I was a really good kid. So, we’ll say Ron did it.
    He pulled one of the levers.
    At first nothing happened. Then we heard the engine go Choo, and then a long pause and then, Choo!
    Ever so slowly we began to move, two boys filled with glee, and a run away freight train.
    Wow, is that a great memory!
    The train crew must have let the steam pressure go down while they were eating because we never went very fast, maybe a mile or two an hour.
    The plain truth of it is that we jumped off and ran like hell for home!
    From our front yard we saw the train guys running after their train.
    Thank God, they got on without anyone saying, “All Aboard”!
    If you grew up in or near Bear Creek, then you and I have a bond that goes beyond that of many families today.
    I don’t want to go back to that time, but, it sure would be nice if we could sit on our front porch in the evening and talk with passerbyers. And our kids and grandkids could play in the front yard, and even out in the street!
    I raise my Coor Light to you, Bear Creek, you were and still are, H O M E!!!

    Later

    Neil

  • 42 Aunt Susie // May 4, 2008 at 4:50 am

    That was really interesting to read Neal…

  • 43 Mary Norder, (Rachelle's mom) // May 4, 2008 at 7:11 pm

    thanks Neil, ~memories all right~ ………….

  • 44 Ali Norder // May 6, 2008 at 8:46 am

    Hi All! I found pages of Bear Creek History. One is a letter from a Wayne Hydea writer, to Mrs Esther Pelky. She called me in the 80s and asked that I come to visit, make her a copy of the letter and suggested that I take a copy as well for my files. I have had it since 1981!!!
    the other file is from a Mary Murphy Clark. It is a journal she wrote in September or 1928. I’m not sure how I got that one - I’m not THAT old! If any of you are interested, shoot me an email and I will send it to you.
    Have a great day!
    Ali Klegin Norder

  • 45 Ali Norder // May 6, 2008 at 8:49 am

    FYI - my email is anorder@greatlakeskraut.com

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