A small history of the village of Bevent

Written by Shelley Green, December 1999 [edited by Mike Reilly, Dec. 20, 2001]

    The original township in which [the village of] Bevent is located was the town of Pike Lake. It was created December 30, 1886, township 26, range 10 and the extreme southeast portion of Marathon County. In 1913, its territory consisted on townships 26 and 27, range 9 east. This township of Pike Lake was divided into the town of Bevent and the town of Reid, and the village of Bevent is located in both townships. {Editor's note: Carol Cira Mayer states in a "Family History Update 1995" that the Cira family went to the Town of Reid in 1879 after emigrating to America and a short visit to a daughter, Mary, living in East Dubuque, IL. So, was the Town of Reid, and Bevent established before 1913, or did the family move to the Town of Pike Lake near of what was to be later called in 1886, the village of Bevent? [Who was responsible for naming the village?]

    [The origin of the name Bevent - Carol Cira Mayer states in a "Family History Update 1995" that her great-great uncle Joseph Cira, brother of John, was born in Kreis, or County, Berent. A recent internet search by the editor found a town/village of Berent, in the Kreis, Berent (now called Koscierzyna), in the old district of Danzig or Gdansk, Pommern (Pomerania), Prussia (in the German Empire - East), now Poland. Question - Could the name Bevent be a variation of the homeland village/county of Berent?] 

    Residents of Stevens Point settled the town of Pike Lake, and the population was nearly all Polish, with a small number of Bohemians and Germans. J. Milanowski and Gustave Baranowski were the first settlers of the township, in which was located the small village of Bevent.

    The post office was established April 27, 1891 with Martin Cychosz as postmaster. It was discontinued December 15, 1910 when mail service came from Hatley. At this time it was in SE1/4 of Section34, T27N R9E in the Township of Reid.

    For a long time there was no road to Wausau, the county seat. Travelers had to come by way of Stevens Point. After two good highways were built, Bevent was connected by way of the so-called Waupaca road [also by the Plover River] and the also by way of the village of Hatley. The village even had telephone lines from the Elderon Telephone Company [Editor's note - Elderon is a village approx. 5 miles east of Bevent on State Road 153, formerly County Road K].

    The soil was excellently adapted for growing potatoes and corn. The railroad took the produce to market. The Chicago & Northwestern Railroad tracks ran through the townships from Eland Junction to Rosholt in Portage County.

    The township's first representative on the Marathon County board was August Marks. He was the board chairman.

    Bevent had a Catholic church, St. Ladislaus Church, which served as a meeting place for the inhabitants. The original church and the parsonage were built about 1883 [Did Bevent exist as a village in 1883?], and a new building was erected in 1896 at a cost of $15,000. In 1913, the rector was Rev. Ignatius Latorski. Membership was about 200 families at this time.

    Bevent also had two stores selling general merchandise. One store was run by Roman Woijtaski, and the other by Peter Knippel. There was also a creamery, which was operated by farmers as a cooperative. Joseph Cherek owned a blacksmith shop and J. Wanta operated a portable sawmill. There were seven school districts in the town of Pike Lake, with "many modern up-to-date schoolhouses". This again was in 1913.

    Currently, Bevent boasts Bob's Catering, operated by Bob, Country Fresh Meats, operated by Lenny Beyer, Carmen's Hair Salon, John's Custom Concrete, Jim's Trucking Company, Wanta Bros. Construction, The Bevent Store, operated by Diane Ziolkowski, two taverns and about five farms. People who live here like the small town living away from large cities, the friendly and caring people, the good land, lakes and the recreation. Population at this time was about 130.

Sources:

Marathon County Post Offices by William Grosnick, member Wisconsin Postal History Society

The History of Marathon County and Representative Citizens by Judge Louis Marchetti published 1913. Pages 146, 567, 570

2-page pamphlet about Bevent, not dated.

Wausau Daily Herald article, dated Thursday, May 4, 1978.

Joanne Goskowicz, Date: Tue, 24 Feb 2004 22:21:13

Mr. and Mrs. Anton Milanowski, Oldest Residents, Tell of Indian Days. Early Home Remains

First Farmer to Travel With a Team From Polonia; Others Made Trip Afoot

    It was too lonesome and there were too many Indians at Pike Lake [Editor's note - the lake called Pike Lake is NNE of Bevent by about 5 miles] forty-four years ago for Joe Milanowski [born in 1812, per 1870 census 88-88, wife Barbara, age 54, Thomas was 15 in 1870, born in Prussia. In 1870 - four sons and one daughter age 12, also born in Prussia.] and his son, Thomas. As a result they traded locations with their son and brother, Anton, who had lived at Polonia since 1864. When Mr. and Mrs. Anton Milanowski came to Pike Lake, Gustav Barnowski, Michael Zillman and Simon Rogalla, all of whom are now deceased, lived there, and there was no school and no church. In fact, it was so lonesome at Pike Lake, that their two young sons, John and Theodore, decided to go back to Polonia or Poland Corners as they had known it. They started afoot down the trail which has since become the Stevens Point Road. Their tracks were followed by their parents and the latter overtook them a mile south of their new home.

    Indians were numerous but the Indians seldom became trouble-some. They were camped on the east side of Pike Lake where they caught fish and muskrats and held their tribal dances, which lasted for three day intervals.

    Mr. and Mrs. Milanowski were born in eastern Germany and Mr. Milanowski came to Wisconsin in 1861. He worked on a farm near Eureka [Winnebago County] and Berlin [Green Lake County] for three years, and then came to Polonia. He ran the Wisconsin and Mississippi Rivers two or three seasons, starting from Steven's Point and Plover and going as far as New Orleans on several trips. Vividly, he recollects how he maneuvered with a paddle on these trips over the various rapids. At Polonia, where the second Polish Catholic congregation in the United States was organized, he was married in the church to Miss Mary Lackowlcz. This was sixty-five years ago.

    His father purchased an eighty acre tract of land for him near Polonia, and he and his wife cleared nearly fifteen acres, when he conceded to his brother's wish that he should locate at Pike Lake, where his father and brother had negotiated for a 160-acre farm with the late J.C. Smith of Wausau. The price was $100 per forty and Mr. Milanowski completed the negotiations. His father and brother has cleared approximately twenty acres, and he and Mrs. Milanowski gradually increased the clearing which now extends over 120 acres. The land was covered with maple, oak, and pine. There was a market for the pine but the oak and maple were burned.

    There was no Village of Hatley [Editor's note - about 10+ miles north of Bevent by way of the Plover River], St. Ladislaus congregation at Bevent did not then exist, and they were obliged to travel by logging trail to Polonia [Editor's note - this trip was at least 20 miles one way and would have required nearly a full day trip by buckboard] to attend church. Mr. Milanowski had been the first farmer to trail with a team from Polonia. Other residents of the Pike Lake region had made the trips afoot.

    One of the early Indians was John Soldier. The Indians made frequent visits to the farm houses for milk and meat. There were many deer, also a great many wild geese and ducks. Pike Lake was full of fish and the residents of Plainfield frequently came to Pike Lake for pickerel.

    Mr. Milanowski served Pike Lake as postmaster, the post-office being located in his home. Mail was brought from Hatley. The old home is still partly intact, but has been considerably enlarged. He also served his school district as treasurer. He was eight-five years of age on January 10, and is the oldest resident in the Bevent area. Mrs. Milanowski is seventy-seven years of age. Her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Joe Lackowicz, came to Wisconsin from Germany approximately the same as did Mr. Milanowski's parents.

    There are forty-two grand-children and nineteen great grand-children. Mr. and Mrs. Milanowski are in comparatively excellent health but they have retired from farming since the World War. Their sons, Phillip and Sylvan, own the home farm which has been divided between them.

    (Shown in a newspaper is the picture of Mary with the heading) - Pioneer Dies- Mrs. Mary Milanowski, town of Reid, who has 104 living descendants, died this morning at her home near Pike Lake. She and her late husband Anthony located there about 57 years ago.

    Mrs. Mary Milanowski, 90, who is survived by 104 descendants and who was one of the earliest residents of the town of Reid, died at her home here this morning at 12:45 o'clock. Her husband Anthony, died nearly 10 years ago. Funeral services will be held Monday morning at 9 o'clock at St. Florian's Catholic church in Hatley. The Rev. S.S. Krakceziecki will officiate and burial will be in the church cemetery. (1954)

    She was married at Sacred Heart Catholic church in Polonia, where she lived on a farm about eight years, after which she located on a farm near Pike Lake where Mrs. Milanowski has lived about 57 years. For many years she was a member of the Polonia Church, journeying by foot and by team over the primitive trails and roads to attend services.

    Later when St. Ladislaus church was organized at Bevent, she affiliated with that congregation, but during recent years has been a member of St. Florian's church at Hatley, where funeral services will be held, with burial following at the parish cemetery.

    Further information,   From: Joanne Goskowicz, Date: Tue, 24 Feb 2004 22:21:13

    A common mistake that people make (and I have had heated arguments about this, so please don't be offended), not all people coming to America from today's Poland are Polish. My ancestors say that they are Polish, but they are not. They don't speak Polish. They are Kaszubs, Kaschubei, or Kashubs. They speak Kaszubski/Kaschubisch/Kashubian. It's a Slavic language separate from Polish. Some people say that it's a Polish dialect, but it's not. It's part Swedish, part Polish, part German, part Russian, too, I believe. My father learned Polish so he could speak with our "Polish" ancestors, and they just smiled and said, "speak English. You don't speak Kaszubski." I don't know how you would prefer it ... West Prussian ancestors or Kashubs ... but if they are from the Gdansk or Danzig Peninsula and they speak Kaszubski, they're Kaszubs, not Poles. They are proud of their Polish heritage, though (hence Highway 66 is the Polish Heritage Highway). :-) 
    I'm not trying to be controversial, it's just that more people in America speak Kaszubski than in Europe. The language, the culture, and the people are dying, and we need to honor these great people and our heritage by not letting them disappear in history as "Poles." Part of genealogy is finding and recording the truth. I'm just telling the truth. Ask your ancestors of they speak Kashubski.