Valton cooperative Creamery : It is quite likely that the first shares of the newly organized cooperative creamery were sold December 6, 1913. This was determined by an old file of shares I found among some old records at home. Eighteen shares were sold on the above date. Each share was sold for 25 dollar. There was a total of 49 shares in this file which would bring $1225.00 dollars at par value. The last one of these shares was sold to Charles Shultz, October 27, 1920. Each share was given a number. Smallest number was 2 and the largest number was 88. A few shares seems to have changed hands because some of the numbers are duplicated.

The people to serve as secretary of the Association in those first years were Sim Mortimer (1913-1918). Hattie Smith (1918-19 ). Later Inez Holderman and James Mortimer were secretaries. Their job was to keep records of the cream, butter fat and make out the checks for the patrons. Charles Jordan was president from 1913-1918. Bert Mortimer was president followed by W. H. Gibeaut in 1920. Others who came later can not be named at this time.

Since the factory's beginning some capable men have been hired as buttermakers: Joe Bauer, Lee Frazier, Ivor Framness, David Dunnett, William Keepers, Clarence Mathews, Paul Wellman, Earl Bingham, Ben Wenzel, Arthur Ganz. The factory burned while Joe Bauer was there the second time.

When the creamery accidentally burned in 1936, a serious blow was struck at the financial welfare of the community it had furnished full or part time employment for several. There had to be a buttermaker and an assistant. One person found employment hauling cream, another was employed in hauling butter to Wonewoc and supplies back to the creamery. In winter, Wood was hauled to heat the boilers and ice was brought in from Cazenovia for the ice house. When the fire did its worse, there was no work in respect to the above jobs and the secretaries who were paid for making out the checks was also out of a job. The checks stopped coming to Valton to be spent on pay day and the cream of whole milk was shipped to other factories. The profits went to those with no interest in the community's welfare.

When the assessment roll was made out the next year, this comment was made on the report to the state. "Valton is a dead town since the creamery burned."

It was first organized about 1884. A German teacher from near Wonewoc trained this first band till the community was quite proud of it. He was an excellent teacher but very strict and tempestuous. If one made a mistake, he threatened to knock him down or some other rash thing. After this director died, William Mitchell was their leader for several years. Dell Mortimer has a picture of the old band. Dolph Horton and Orin Hutchens were the youngest members of the band.

Through the years the band furnished entertainment at many gatherings such as temperance rallies, independence day, picnics, etc. They also gave a number of concerts. The band sometimes went ahead with plans for celebrations such as the 4th of July. They even had a float of two. The parade was one of the best Valton ever had.

The band also obtained the service of Mr. Pollock a musician from Reedsburg who came a few times to help them practice.

When William Mitchell was band leader, the following were members: Lewis Lee, Bill Cannon, Dolph Mortimer, Mr. Horton, Horace Harvey, Big Ed Mortimer, Nate Mortimer and perhaps others. During the heyday of the band it was able to buy uniforms that would look nice on the players in any band. The coat, cap and trousers were blue and decorated with a stripe. When Bernard Day was a drummer boy, they had a nice picture of the band in a semi circle. At that time this was the personal: Will Holderman-Bass Horn, James Mortimer-Baritone, Jess Cox-Bass Drum, Ray Gibbons-Slide Trombone, Vern Beier-Alto, Jasper Shore-Cornet, Arlan Jackson-Clarinet, Amos Jones-Clarinet, Bernard Day-Snare Drum. At this time the band was called the Valton Concert Band. They received quite a lot of pointers from the Rott brothers, Carl and Wencil. The Rott's also helped them with their instruments in a concert. Their father had given them a through foundation in playing brass instruments.

William Mitchell was already mentioned as the director of the Valton band. He also had his own family band. Their picture taken in those days when they were appearing in concerts in a number of states, appeared in the Baraboo paper, May 5, 1951. Below the picture were the following comments: More than 55 years ago, the above musical organization was a familiar sight at entertainment in Sauk Co. William Mitchell and his six charming daughters composed what was known as the Mitchell concert band. The band members were: Mrs. Vertie Seaman's (Reedsburg), Myrtle (now Mrs. Johnson, Rushford, Minn.), Mrs. Pike (Baraboo), Bessie Hissey (Peterson, Minn.), Olive (Died not long after the picture was taken) and Jessie (Peterson, Minn.) Bessie, the youngest girl, was about eight. She plated the cymbals. Mr. Mitchell played the cornet. Other instruments they had were a slide trombone, tuba, snare drum and bass drum. One can imagine that a band of girls, all sisters might have been quite an attraction. They all were in uniform. Mr. Mitchell wore a high silk hat and coat with many buttons down the front.

This group was organized in 1916 when Rev. Sidney Hochkiss was pastor of the Wesleyan Church and Viola Smith was pastor of the Friends. The first meeting on November 28 was at the Friends parsonage. They elected the following officers: David Dunnett-president, Hattie Smith-secretary, Blossom Land- treasurer and Rev. Sidney Hochkiss-teacher. There were 22 charter members and they used the hurlbut reaching training lessons. The class met on Tuesday evening regularly. On December 12th the class was so large that they had to go to the Friends Church.

In the next few weeks this was an up and coming class, but by late spring more and more seemed to be losing interest for some unknown reason, the attendance dwindled down to four. The last record of a class meeting being held was June 26, 1917.

Met at Valton at the Friends Church June 9, 1910. There was a tent put up for the meeting and the Church was used for a kitchen and dinning room. Mrs. Pratt from Merrifield did the cooking (she was from Minn.). John Wesley Lee did some of the Preaching. He roomed at the Oscar Shore home. This meeting was outstanding in the way of Spiritual uplift. A great number made profession of conversion. At the Association business session Rev. Orin Hutchens was elected President. Dell Mortimer was put on the executive committee. People came from: LaCrosse, Sparta, Curtis and Racine. There was a Missionary there from India and another from China. The first prayer meeting held after these convention services ended was attended by over 70 people. It was summer time and the people sat on the lawn. The first three prayer services were at Heywood Frazier, Al Jacksons and George Goods residence.

The oldest marked grave had a stone on it with this engraved: Grandma Bundy 1813-1883. The cemetery was used for a burying ground years before 1883. But there seems that there was little done to mark the graves permanently. At least there marking of the plots was faulty and it is common today to dig into an unmarked grave while preparing for another burial.

The 4 H work was greatly hindered by the second world was and disbanded after two years of struggling. So many of the boys who had helped, left the community and the club had a membership of about 35 young people and they could not find enough help to keep it going.

The paintings on the wall was done by Ernest Heupenden (see page 10). The men in the paintings represent some of the local lodge members and a few outsiders. A saw mill in one picture represents one then in operation in Valton. The painter, a tramp, wandered into town one day after the building was finished. He had lost his wife and was very depressed, having no other family ties. He agreed to decorate the walls of the hall for a small sum and all the whisky he could drink and was to board at the Gibbons Hotel. He began work in early summer but painted only in spurts. The work lasted over the next winter. Later because of his much drinking he was moved out of the Hotel to a small shop and living quarters adjacent. While here he painted pictures on bottles, porcelain and canvas. When spring returned he finished his job at the hall and moved on to a distant locality. Some years later word came that he had perished in a snow drift, a victim of a bad habit.

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