Property Record
9057 Stoney River Dr., Rothschild
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | Clark, Thomas House |
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| Other Name: | |
| Contributing: | |
| Reference Number: | 128038 |
| Location (Address): | 9057 Stoney River Dr., Rothschild |
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| County: | Marathon |
| City: | |
| Township/Village: | Weston |
| Unincorporated Community: | |
| Town: | 28 |
| Range: | 7 |
| Direction: | E |
| Section: | 35 |
| Quarter Section: | NE |
| Quarter/Quarter Section: | SW |
| Year Built: | 1885 |
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| Additions: | |
| Survey Date: | 2004 |
| Historic Use: | house |
| Architectural Style: | Side Gabled |
| Structural System: | Balloon Frame |
| Wall Material: | Wood |
| Architect: | unknown |
| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | Yes |
| Demolished Date: | 0 |
| National/State Register Listing Name: | Not listed |
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| National Register Listing Date: | |
| State Register Listing Date: |
| Additional Information: | outbuildings include: poured concrete chicken coop, wood frame chicken coop, small shed, outhouse, poured concrete shed, two small frame sheds and wood corn crib. Barn demolished ca. 1990, farm broken up by surrounding development. Razed sometime between 2004 and 2012. 2004- "This two story wood frame house has clapboard siding, is a front gabled structure with a one story ell addition. The house is simple, with simple window surrounds, east facing door, stone foundation, original 2 over 2 double hung windows. The exterior of the house remains fairly intact, as the most recent addition, on the south side of the house, was constructed in about 1929, however, the interior of the house has been significantly altered with dropped ceilings and modern wood paneling. Outbuildings on the property include a poured concrete chicken coop, a small wood frame chicken coop, a small shed, and an outhouse. Further from the house is another poured concrete shed, and two smaller frame sheds, all in poor condition. The Clark house was constructed in 1885 by Thomas W. Clark, after the original house burned down, apparently on the foundation of the previous house. Thomas Clark's father, Nathan Clark, purchased the original farm and farmhouse from Evilan Blodgett in 1855. The Blodgetts were the first homesteaders on the property, and reportedly ran a roadside inn next to Cedar Creek just north of the ·current farmhouse. During the time that the Blodgetts owned the property, the road which became known as Hwy 10 was built on the east side of the house. Today, part of that road is used as a recreational bicycle path. After logging in Marathon County created more flooding of the small creek, the Blodgetts apparently moved the house up on the terrace. Blodgett's family, according to Clark family lore, died of smallpox, and Mr. Blodgett sold the farm shortly thereafter. The Blodgett burial site (47BMr142) is reportedly somewhere on or near the house site. Nathan Clark sold the farm to his son Thomas W. Clark in 1869. Thomas Clark had been in Company E of the 18th Wisconsin Voluntary Infantry during the Civil War, and had returned home after internment at a southern POW camp. Thomas sold the farm to his son, Rodney A Clark in 1904. Rodney Clark sold the farm to his son, David Clark in the early 1960s. David Clark sold the farm, including the house, to a developer by the name of Creske in circa 1970, with the agreement that Clark and his wife would have a life-lease on the house. The barn, which once stood south of the house, fell in the early 1990s due to heavy snow on the roof, and was shortly thereafter burned. David's wife had died, and he was living with his sister, Ester, until January 2004, when he passed away. Ester is currently in the process of moving out of the house, to give it up to the developer, who plans to demolish the house and any remaining outbuildings. According to Ester Clark, the Clilrk family, starting with Thomas, primarily farmed and kept dairy cattle (registered Holsteins), milking 20 to 25 cattle at any given time. They kept the acreage for forage/feed for the cattle, and grew primarily corn, oats and hay." -"Bus 51/CTH XX at Cedar Creek, Rothschild", WisDOT#6999-10-71, Prepared by Barabara Kooiman, Mississippi Valley Archaelogy Center, (2004). |
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| Bibliographic References: | Marchetti, Louis. History of Marathon County, Chicago, 1913. Weston Centennial, 1859 - 1959, N.p., 1959 Clark, Ester, interview w/Barbara Kooiman, 7 January 2004. |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |