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Dancy, Village of

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Author:
Mary Forer

Location:
T. 26 N. - R. 7 E., Sec. 31, Township of Knowlton

Formallized:
Never incorporated

Background:

This information comes from Tom Willems, the director of archeology at UW Stevens Point at the time of the 1990s digs. He has proof humans have been gathering in the Lake DuBay area ever since the Ice Age glaciers started retreating from Wisconsin about 11,500 years ago. A series of archaeological digs starting in 1995 have uncovered layers and layers of history in the town of Dancy - from prehistoric people to tribes in the Copper Age 4000 years ago, to woodland Indians who operated a trading post there, to early European settlers in the 1800s.

With the coming of the Wisconsin Valley Railroad in 1874,a station was established and called Hutchington.  As soon as the station was established, a good road to the station was built and lumber was sent there from the mills for shipping. Originally known as Hutchinson, the name was changed to Dancy on February 16, 1887.

Post Office Established:
1875

First Postmaster:
Samuel M. Hutchinson

About The Post Office:

The Juelson Post Office was established in Portage County on February 25, 1875 with Samuel M. Hutchinson as postmaster. The name was changed to Hutchinson on March 25, 1879 with Samuel Welland as postmaster. It was moved to Marathon County on May 9, 1879 by Mr. Welland. The name was changed to Dancy on February 16, 1887 by Samuel Welland. It was discontinued on July 31, 1959 with mail service from Mosinee. It became a community Post Office of Mosinee on August 1, 1959 and finally discontinued on April 30, 1964. It was located in the SE 1/4 of Section 31, Township 26, Range 7 East. The postmaster and post office changed as to whether the democrats or republicans were elected.

Railroad:

See Background

Churches:

St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church - In 1893, Rev. W. George agreed to administer to the religious needs of a small group of German-speaking people around Dancy. News spread and services were held in a farm home. In 1903, a small group met and signed Articles of Association, incorporating themselves as a religious society of the Evangelical Lutheran U.A.C. Denomination. One acre of land was donated by George and Nora Knoller of Dancy and a church was erected in 1904.

Schools:

Dancy Graded School

Business:

General merchandise stores, a boarding house, and a dance hall were some of the businesses in this logging community.

Industry:

Sawmill - The sawmill was built in the second half of the 1840s and passed through several owners. In the 1880s, the mill was taken over by George Altenburg, who was later joined by Augustus (Gus) Stoddard. The mill was destroyed by fire in 1889 and rebuilt and probably discontinued in 1910-1911. This was a planing mill

Farming:

Farming, mostly of dairy cows, followed the logging industry.