(This page probably takes longer to load than it would take to drive Fifield from one end to the other and still have time to stop in at the Northwoods for a cold Leinie.)

In February 1877, Fifield itself was visited by a not-overly objective reporter from the Phillips Times. "I fail to discover anything nice about the place," he wrote, "...five frame buildings, one log ditto, and a good depot." Six months later the Times nevertheless reported in its "Fifield Items,: that "settlers are pouring in almost everyday."

Attracted by the pine up what was called the Dora Flambeau, settlers were "pouring" into the Fifield-Park Falls area. Soon there were enough of them to initiate Price Country's first regional political struggle.

In 1878, Phillips and Fifield competed for the site of the Worcester Town Hall. The conflict was more important than it would seem since everyone involved knew that more than the town hall was at stake. The winning village would also be the most eligible candidate for the seat of a new county the settlers expected to be soon carved out of eastern Chippewa.

With the future of the county seat at stake, Fifield called on Flambeau for help and approximately 160 boisterous voters from both villages descended on Phillips. Liquor flowed freely both on the train and at Phillips so the Fifield advocates were-so the story goes-hoodwinked by the wily Phillips crowd. When the tally was taken Phillips won the town hall and, in 1879, became the county seat of newly-formed Price County.

Fifield continued to grow even without the county seat. The South Fork of the Flambeau flowed through rich pine forest and loggers cut there before they worked up the North Fork. The first logging dam at Pike Lake was constructed as early as 1878. With the huge pine forest of the South Fork upstream and the Wisconsin Central depot there, Fifield seemed destined to be the pre-eminent city of northern Price County.

Family Histories Needed

From the September 2001 issued of the Price County Historical Society Newsletter: 

The committee which put together FIFIELD 125 YEARS received a number of family histories which we were not able to include in that publication. Time was one reason, but another was that we had not asked for family histories so some people had not included one. In order to be sure we have all the histories of Fifield families that would like to be included in such a book, we are announcing that we will put out this book in the future, hopefully in late summer or fall 2002.

We will make announcements in the PARK FALLS HERALD and in this newsletter asking that those who see this invitation, write and submit their family history (no more than 500 words or allow us to edit) and send it in with one or two pictures by June 30, 2002. You can also help by letting anyone you think might be interested know about this book.

Please do not let the future due date fool you. Sit down now and get going on YOUR Fifield family history. We would like to see most of them come to us by JANUARY 1, and will allow others to drift in, but such a book takes time and all the time given to putting this book together is VOLUNTEERED.  Histories sent in after June 1, 2002 may be too late.

Anyone interested in helping The Committee get the book ready, please call Leona Krucky at 715-762-2502.

Please send your history to Price County Historical Society - Family Histories, P. O. Box 156, Fifield, WI 54524. If you have questions, please write to Leona Krucky, same address, or call her, 715- 762-2502, or Pat Schroeder, 715-762-4571. We do appreciate copies, not originals of any documents you might send, and ask that you send GOOD photo reproductions, not original pictures.  Click here to see the brochure.

RESIDENTS: Hintz, Fischer, Peters, Newman, LeTourneau, Lapp, Felch, Wagner, Baroka, Krucky, Erickson, Severt, Fandrey, Plyer, Johnson, Kellogg, Jemiola, Warren, Hildebrand, Dragovick, Hintz, Gross, O'Connor, Buntrock, Borgen, Lawver, Patterson, Lobermeier, Engeldinger, Gudim, Engle, Balzer, Hicks, Putnam, Lannagan, Liebelt, Prescott, Warren, Abraham, Voight, Tatroe, Spearbreaker, Hilgart, Grassel, Halverson, Miller, Gierman, Fischer, Meyer, Nitke, Koshak, Haas, Gierman, Reno, Jemiola, Plyer, Johnson, Herbst, Bernoski, Movrich, Erickson, Chizek, Wick, Symokik, Warren, Koshaka, Putnam, Halverson, Obenberger, Schick, Meyers, Harrold, Hilgart, Zentner, Simon, Balzar, Endeldinger, Larson, Podvin, Costello, Gudim, Griffin, Smetak, Caves, Voight, Smada, Zentner, Moe, Felch...can you think of any more?

E-Mail links to present and past members of Fifield

(NOTE: If you are a Fifield resident, past or present and happen upon this page, please send me an email at this address: dsevert@mmcable.com.)

To view a brief history of Fifield, click here. If you have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed, it will open in your browser and you will be able to view the document. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader, click here to download your free copy.

The Pulp Yard