1906 Early History of Franklin Township Weekly Home News, Spring Green February 1, 1906, page 1, column 1-2 Some
Early Spring Green History by F. J. Finn. Troy, Franklin and Bear
Creek. Comment upon and rumor of a prospective semi-centennial
celebration for Spring Green seems to have awakened considerable
interest among the residents of adjoining towns and incidentally
created a demand for information regarding the early history of those
adjacent towns, including Troy, Franklin, Bear Creek and Honey Creek,
geographically including the settlements of Cassell and Black Hawk. Franklin's First Settler. Dewitt Slatter, coming from the town of Troy, was probably Franklin town's first settler about 1848 or 1850. He was followed by T. J. Morgans, who went there from Spring Green town in 1850. Franklin's first school was started in the following year, indicating rapid settlement. [The article continues with the reason for the naming of Honey Creek, named for wild honey trees along its wooded banks.] 1907 Weekly Home News Plain. Friday,
October 18th, was a festal-day at St. Luke's church, the day being
celebrated in pompous ceremony, in honor of St. Luke, the patron saint
of our church. Solemn high mass was read at 10 a.m. Rev. Father Blum of
Sun Prairie, was master of ceremonies; Revs. Father Prucha of Muscoda
and Flasch of Mazomanie acted in capacity of decons, while Rev. Father
Ruprechter of Loreto was sub-deacon. Rev. Father Colling of Spring
Green delivered an impressive and instructive sermon on the life and
influence of Saint Luke.1907 ca Geschichte der kath. Gemeinde des hl. Lukas zu Plain, Wis. by Rev. John G. Laurer Ungefähr 9 Meilen nördlich von Spring Green und 10 Meilen in derselben Richtung vom Wiskonsinflusse, hinter den ersten Höhenzügen den sich, dem Wiskonsinflusse entlang hinziehen, liegt am südlichen Zweige der Honey Creek die kleine aber in der Geschichte von Sauk County nicht unbedeutende Ortschaft Plain, eine neue katl. Kirche, dem heiligen Lukas geweiht, nebst Schulhaus, Pfarrhaus und Schwesterhaus deuten darauf hin, daß die Bewohner dieser Gegend nebst dem iridschen Trachten und Streben auch höhre Ziele im Auge haben. . . Im Jahre 1874 wurde Plain eine Mission von Honey Creek, das in der Parson von Rev. Lorenz Spitzelberger, aus Frontenhausen in Bayer geburtig, einen eigenen Seelsorger erhielt Father Spitzelberger sah bald ein, daß Plain eine eigene Pfarrer bilden wurde. Er legte für die Gemeinde in Plain ein eigenes Taufbuch an im Mar. 1874. . . Der erste Kaufladen (store) wurde in Jahre 1869 von einem gewissen Perry gebaut in Cramer's Corner, so hieß damals Plain. 1912 Weekly Home News April 1, 1912. In the matter of the application for an order of Incorporation in the Village of Plain, Sauk County, Wisconsin. . .  Weekly Home News 1912 The Franklin Township books dating from when Franklin Township began until 1912 shows no reference to the naming of the Village of Plain, nor do the township books say anything about the incorporation of Plain. 1912 Baraboo and Other Place Names in Sauk County, Wisconsin Plain - Village in the town of Franklin, once called Cramers Corners because Solomon Cramer, John Cramer and Adam Cramer owned the land. A number of rough buildings were put up at the corners and the place became known as Log Town. J. H. Carpenter of Spring Green says the place was called Plain because the inhabitants were plain people.  1915 Weekly Home News Wants Plain Re-Christened Source: New Advent by Kevin Knight
Who could have written this letter?
1915 Village of Plain Caucus Weekly Home News, Spring Green, Sauk County, Wisconsin April 1, 1915, p. 8, col. 3 Plain. The following ticket was chosen at the village caucus Tuesday. For president, J.B. Liegel; for trustees for two years, Philip Bettinger, Ed. Kraemer, Wm Cramer; for trustees for one year, Philip J. Volk, Jos. Ruhland; for clerk, J.B. Weiss; for treasurer, Lawrence Beck; for assessor, J.G. Diehl; for police justice, J.G. Diehl; for justice of the peace, Geo. Liegel; for constable, J.W. Bauer; for supervisor, Geo. Liegel. Additions to the above ticket have been made for the office of trustee for two years, M.B. Paulus and Jos. M. Nachreiner having filed nomination papers bearing the necessary signatures with the village clerk. 1918 A Standard History of Sauk County, Wisconsin, Volume I Plain was formerly called Cramer's Corner. John Cramer distributed the mail throughout the Town of Franklin, from the time it was organized in 1855 until 1859, when postoffices were established at White Mound and Logtown (also Plain). The first store was opened at Logtown in 1869. .  | 1929 The "Our Lady of Ast" painting hangs in St. Anne's Shrine at the top of the hill behind St. Luke's Catholic Church in Plain, Wisconsin. This painting should not be confused with the painting of the Virgin Mary with Jesus which hangs in Basilica Maria Plain in Austria. Each painting has its own miracle associated with it. In September 1929, George and Barbara (Pfeiffer) Hetzel took a boat trip to Germany to visit the homeland where they were born. They were in Germany for 3 months. When they returned to their home in Plain, Wisconsin, they brought back a Mother of Pertual Help picture to hang in St. Anne's Chapel at Plain. This picture was from Maria Himmelfahrt Catholic Church in Ast, Bavaria. An inscription on the picture says, "Mutter Gottes von Ast uns niemals verlasst" (Mother God of Ast we never leave). St. Anne's Shrine in Plain was dedicated on July 26, 1928. Here is a picture of the famous painting from Ast:  On
April 8, 1930, Father Karl Hilburger of the church in Ast wrote a
letter to Mr. Weiss. A translation of a paragraph from the German
letter is as follows: Mr. Hetzl has seen already how beautiful we have made the half of the outside, and how unbeautiful the other half still is; but all the more the inner is in need of renovation. But from where to take the resources? But Our Lady herself assists! And our Americans don't let us down. Also, I am pleased that Our Lady of Ast has arrived well and has been well received. It is a beautiful folk-picture - the picture of the Virgin Mother! The picture in Ast
has an interesting story that has become legend. An image of the Mother
of God was reported on the branch of the ecclesiastical tree, and was
discovered when the lumber for the church was being cut. Click the following link to see the story of Our Lady of Ast, from the website of the city of Waldmünchen, Bavaria, Germany: Wallfahrt Ast Following is an edited Google translation:The
legend
tells of a countess who traveled to Bohemia. On the way, the horses of
the carriage were so tormented by flies and horse flies in Bohemia
(Šumava) (which was
then up to Neunburg covered) that they went through with fear, the
coach would be smashed. In this emergency, the Countess God
and the Virgin Mary called for help and promised to Our Lady that in
honor to her,
at the site a church would be built where the danger passed without
damage.
In cutting trees for the church a picture of Our Lady was found in the
branch
of a tree. This branch was newly built into the house of God and the
church was given the name "Ast." For centuries people make pilgrimages
to the sanctuary in Ast. More on the story of Our Lady of Ast: Weekly Home News (Spring Green, Wisconsin) About December 1978 Plain news by Lisa Thering: Trip to Germany - Josie Hetzel recently took an exciting trip to Europe to see her son Anthony who is stationed in Germany. This is her adventure . . . They then drove to the church at Asst [Ast] where Louis was baptized. This church is a special religious landmark. In the year 1200 a lady was driving a team of horses and they got scared and ran very fast. She got very frightened and prayed that the Blessed Mother would help her. The horses stopped short on the place where the Asst is, and the Blessed Mother appeared on the limb of a tree. So the lady promised to build a church on that spot, which was done. A picture of the Blessed Mother appearing on a tree limb is there, and George Hetzel brought a similar picture to Plain to be placed in St. Anne's Shrine. . . .  1950 In 1950, Edward (age 61) and
his wife, Gisela (Frank) Kraemer, took a Holy Year Pilgrimage to Europe. Details of their trip was written in the book, "A Kraemer Chronicle" by Claire Geesaman in 1992, pages 97 to 98. Copyright 1992 Edgewood College, 855 Woodrow St, Madison, Wisconsin.
The Kraemers visited Paris (France), Lourdes, Rome (Italy), Venice, Innsbruck (Austria) and a Passion Play at Oberammergau (Germany). They also took a trip to Irlach, Bavaria, Germany where Ed made a donation toward a new church. Irlach, Bavaria, was the hometown of Edward's parents (Paul and Walburga Kraemer). Paul and Walburga Kraemer emigrated from Germany to America in 1866, and moved to Franklin Township in 1867. Edward Kraemer published a pamphlet about Maria Plain, possibly not long after this trip to Germany.1957 History of the church in Plain 1857 Centennial 1957 Plain has a beautiful setting. The name is very misleading for it is anything but plane or plain. . .From January 1849 to November 1854 this community was known as the Town of Franklin or Honey Creek. . . Rev. Maximilian Gaertner, realizing the zeal and good will of the people of Plain, asked for and received permission from the Bishop to establish a parish in Plain, and became thereby the first priest to come to Plain on September 21, 1857 to establish a small mission congregation of some twelve families. . . Father Gaertner very shortly after his visit to Plain, returned to his monastery in Tyrol. . . 1968 The Romance of Wisconsin Place Names The section of the book that describes Plain, Sauk County, Wisconsin, says the town was first called Cramers Corners, named after John and Adam Cramer. Because there were only a few log houses in 1852 when logging began, Plain was generally referred to as Logtown. When a stage route was established between Spring Green and Reedsburg, the town applied for a post office. "The residents did not think Logtown was appropriate. A Catholic priest who stopped there suggested Plain because the land reminded him of Maria Von Plain in Austria. It has also been said that Plain was chosen because the residents were 'just plain people.'" 1971 Jaunts with Jamie In Sauk County, about 40 miles of Madison, is a village with another intriguing name - Plain. Again turning to Robert E. Gard's and L. G. Sorden's "Romance of Wisconsin Place Names," we find Cramers Corners was the first name of this settlement because the Cramers owned the land. [The next paragraph is a quote from the "Romance of Wisconsin Place Names" book by by Robert E. Gard & L. G. Sorden in 1968.] "In 1852, when the logging began, there were only a few log houses, so it was generally referred to as Logtown. Then a stage route was established between Spring Green and Reedsburg, and a post office was applied for. The residents did not think Logtown was appropriate. A Catholic priest who stopped there suggested Plain because the land reminded him of Maria Von Plain in Austria. It has also been said that Plain was chosen because the residents were 'just plain people.'"  1971 Jaunts with Jamie Plain People Were Builders PLAIN, WIS., is said to have been named for the “just plain people” who lived in the tiny settlement when the name was adopted. . . .  Page continues to Part 3 |
