Wayward Elk

Last week there was a rare sighting in sleepy McFarland. On "Black" Friday, an elk was spotted on Hwy 51 near Farwell St, near the Maple Tree. My wife had seen a Facebook post this past weekend. Bull 357, as it is known by the WIDNR, is three years old and is/was out looking for love. When the wife first saw the post she thought it was a joke. Then more reports came in of the sighting. The poor wayward elk is a subdominant bull and is looking for a mate. 

The poor subdominant bulls have a difficult time finding a mate, since most mating in the herd occurs with the dominant bulls, the lucky fellows. Hence, a wayward elk is not unusual, since they are left in the cold. Wanting to avoid a cold shower, bull 357 has traveled many miles. He first headed easterly out of Jackson County and the Black River State Forest to the Waupaca area, then then northwest to Wausau and further northwest to Taylor County. Not finding anything to his liking, he again headed southeasterly to the Shawno area, and then westerly to the Wisconsin Rapids area. It is from here he headed south to the Madison area. I have not heard of where he is five days later.  A television news report is available here.

Elk in McFarland
Source: channel3000.com

In 1989, the state legislature directed the DNR to evaluate the reintroduction of elk, moose and caribou into the state. They determined that the reintroduction of elk could succeed, but moose and caribou likely would not. Reintroduction began in 1995 in the area of Clam Lake. In 2013 they were also introduced in the Black River State Forest, with 150 elk from Kentucky being introduced over a five year period, with those 2013 elk split between the Black River State Forest and the Clam Lake area. Ten years after the reintroduction at the Black River State Forest, 155 to 160 in that area, which adds to the 355 in the Clam Lake area, for about 500 total elk in Wisconsin. 

Elk in McFarland
Source: channel3000.com

A recent news report indicated that the four randomly selected hunters by the state had met the quota. They did not say what the quota was. For some reason, I think they should be hunting more deer right now as deer pose a much greater pest to the ecosystem and cars. Deer eat the forest saplings such that there are now insufficient young trees to regenerate the forest ecosystem. Elk are also herbivores.

The DNR has been tracking this bull, and one wonders why it did not tell people to be on the watch as it headed into the more populated south part of the state. Wayward Bull 357, in the meantime, is roaming the state looking for love in all the wrong places.

Cool Biking

The week of Nov 12, was for the most part, fairly warm for this time of year. With a normal high in the upper 40's, high temperatures that week were in the 50's, and even a couple days in the low 60's. Most of those days, however, it was very windy. When it comes to late fall biking, I have yet to figure out a few things out.

Biking in cooler weather and the wind poses some interesting challenges. First, there is a difference of a strong wind, as experienced on many of those days that week, with the exception of Wednesday when the wind was not as strong. For some reason, biking against a strong wind seems more difficult in cold or cool weather than in warm weather. Biking on 18 Nov I was against a wind stronger than I thought, and going up a hill I am usually in gear 11 or 12, but I had to go down to gear 9. Is the wind worse in the fall due to lack of vegetation, or when crossing the lake on the longest bike bridge in the United States, it whips across cold water? For example, Sunday, Nov 12,  even though the wind was strong it was from a south-southeast direction, so I was not much bothered until the last couple miles home. Further, the days that are warmer in the fall also seems to be the ones with strong winds. I think it was Tuesday of that week that the strong wind seemed to change direction and at parts I swear I was heading into that wind on the way to the Lussier Center and on the way back home. Biking on 11/20, I thought I was fortunate that the wind to Lussier was not bad at all, and then at my turn around point things got bad, most of the trip home. 

Part of main route

The sun can also make a difference in how I dress for biking on a cooler weather day. Although as the days shorten, the sun is not near as intense at its low angle, and so its affect is being minimized. It is still better than biking on a cloudy day. On days when I have not been buffeted by the wind I generally extend my route in town another 2.25 miles. 

Second part of main route

But, beyond how I dress or bike in this cooler weather, I am surprised about the varied dress of the people I come across who are walking. I often get amused, and sometimes it lightens my struggle with the wind. I realize that the wind can create a windchill, but still it has not been unusual to see people dressed in winter coats with their hoods up at 50 degrees, and at the same time others may be in shorts or short sleeve shirts. One amusing person was walking his dog and had on shorts, but layered with long sleeved shirts, and a polar fleece ear coverings. I also have seen, with weather in the 50's people with heavy winter coats and bomber hats. It made me wonder what those people do when it really gets cold. Perhaps they stay inside all day. I would guess that most people I have seen have been dressed in a midweight coat. I did bike on Monday of this week when temperature was about 38 or 39 degrees, and my weather app had a 5 to 6 mph wind. I was surprised to see about ten other bikers on my bike bridge route. I guess I am not the only stupid person. I was going to bike outside Tuesday, but the wind seemed too strong.

In the end, as I bike in the cooler weather, the challenge may be how to dress, but I do get some amusement in people watching as I bike along the paths and trails.

All the Light

The wife's book club is currently reading All the Light We Cannot See. It follows two main characters, a blind French woman, who with her father escape Paris in 1944 to stay with relatives in St Malo who are members of the French resistance. The second character, is a young German soldier taken from an orphanage due to his savant nature with radios is given the chore of tracking down illegal broadcast locations, one of which is in St Malo. The wife and I just concluded watching the Netflix mini-series based on the book. During WWII My father had a connection to St Malo, France, through his attachment to the US 83rd Infantry Division. This is what I can piece together of that story.

While watching the mini-series I heard St Malo mentioned and that village name seemed familiar to me. I looked up the battle and Wikipedia did not disappoint. The lead general's name for the US was Robert Macon, who was the head of the 83rd Infantry Division. I then found a summary of the battles of the 83rd Infantry and sure enough there was St Malo. Or, perhaps, it was an article about my dad when he was discharged from the army that stuck in the back of my mind, but could not quite recall. In any event, the town seemed to mean something to me. 

Part of After Action Report, Campaign for St Malo
References materials captured

In the story and movie, the allies are bombing the city and environs, and conversations occur in varied groups such as German soldiers, French citizens and resistance about the coming US advance. In real life, St Malo had a port which the Allies viewed as necessary for its supply chain as it moved into the continent. General Omar Bradley assigned the task of obtaining the city and its environs to the 83rd Infantry Division. The 83rd Infantry's After Action report does not say anything about a bombing campaign, although a non-military source indicates it lasted about ten days. My dad was one of fourteen Counter Intelligence Corps (CIC) agents attached to the 83rd Infantry Division. At varied times, some were attached directly to one of the three regiments, while others were attached to headquarters. We know, from a letter my father wrote to a Thomas Johnson (28 Apr 1965) who was writing a book on the CIC and looking for information on the surrender of 20,000 Germans, that he was always assigned to the 83rd division headquarters. He also noted that at least one agent was permanently attached to each of the three regiments. However, he pointed out that there were times when he was sent to the regimental level. He self-described as a "trouble-shooter" going where needed as difficulties arose. 

Part of 4 Aug 1944 83rd Infantry CIC attachment
Morning Report

By the daily morning reports, we know that on the night of 3 or 4 August the CIC division headquarters moved to Pontorson, France, which is about 20 miles westerly of St Malo (it shows in the Aug 4 Morning Report). However, they were only there one night as the next morning, 4 or 5 Aug (9:00 am) they departed and set up HQ in Chateauneuf, which is five miles south of St Malo. Dad confirmed this in a 5 Aug letter home, where he says "We are in a new city right now and its wonderful to be in a place where there is little evidence of destruction and almost normal. We have rooms in a fairly nice hotel which the Germans stayed in. They toasted us with wine and are cooking our rations for us." But more interesting is this comment in the same letter: "They are happy to see us, more so than where we were before." On 10 Aug they moved once again, to St Servan, which adjoins St Malo. Moving was in concert with battle actions. The After Action report for August 1944 is dated 1 Sep 1944 and notes near its beginning that "Due to the extreme fluidity of the campaign and its rapid culmination, comprehensive Order of Battle Information in the conventional sense was unobtainable."

Part of pp 2&3, After Action Report, St Malo Campaign

War is intractable, and one never knows what will occur. Let me turn to the After Action Report for to provide a brief insight into the battle. It first notes that the enemy numbered over 12,000, of which 8,000 were concentrated on the St Malo side of the river. (Interestingly, when Bradley was making his decision he placed the German troop level at about 6,000.) The After Action report further notes that the quality of the troops varied greatly. "Permanent defenses were elaborate and were prepared over a long period of time."  It also commented that "Captured maps and overlays and information from FFI sources showed that these defenses were designed primarily against an attack from the sea." The Germans thought the Allied invasion would be in Brittany, of which St Malo is a part, not Normandy. The report specifically calls out "A map captured on 5 August revealed the following as the main enemy units to face us on the ST MALO side of the RANCE RIVER." (Capital letters in original.) It then identified six regiments and a security battalion. 

Present time Google Air Photo
St Malo and St Servan

The report goes on say, that regardless of design, tough land obstacles were in place, it then identified the varied obstacles the infantry division faced, including road blocks of concrete, twisted barbed wire, "and mined fields covered by AT guns." The 83rd Infantry attack on St Malo started on 6 Aug with the capture of outlying towns, although it noted that inferior troops were deployed along the outer defense lines. By 13 Aug St Malo, with two other towns "were in our hands, but our troops had to fight from house to house to wrest the city proper from the Germans." Allied bombing had destroyed most of the buildings in the city. After the fall of St Malo itself, the nearby Citadel, a rock and concrete fortress described as "practically impregnable" remained in German hands. The commanding German officer, General von Aulock, refused to surrender and the battle for the Citadel continued until von Aulock and "571 officers and men, including 200 marines" finally surrendered on 17 August. During the entire campaign, the 83rd infantry division captured well over 12,000 prisoners. Aulock did not like a static assignment and he, who had served in the Battle of Stalingrad, had hoped to command a mobile force.

Final Surrender, p4 After Action Report, St Malo Campaign

In the mini-series there is a German officer who has a mistress. Johnson inquired of my dad of a possible female spy named Franzeska Plourin, which, he said, my dad's commanding officer in the CIC could not much recall. Dad responded that he did not personally have any personal recollection of her, but did not think she could be the woman "whom the French underground uncovered immediately upon our entrance into Tours as the story behind that particular woman was to the effect that she had been living with a German commander in the area."  He believes, on the second or third day of having been entrusted to 300 Senegalese at the suggestion of the French underground, she became insane. He goes on to say that "Ordinarily, a mistress of a German commander would not be a spy...." In the movie I recall her asking the German officer to get her out to a different location, the officer wondered why she would want that. 

In a 9 Aug letter to his parents my father commented on the French taking care of things in their own way, when he wrote:

We are seeing numerous instances here where the civilians are taking care of the bad French themselves very effectively. They are a little late at it is the only trouble. In the last town we were at the people went & got 3 French gals who had been sleeping with the Germans & they shaved their heads. It was a pitiful sight to see them, afterwards, but the French are taking care of them in their own way.

 He did conclude by saying that there was not much he could write about, it was a busy time and "with all the confusion I can't write a very good letter either." 

Map of St Malo Area in France
Source The Thunderbolt history

We can see that the 83rd Infantry Division did a remarkable job in capturing St Malo and its environs in a relatively short period of time. However, the use of the port as a supply line for the US Third Army fell short of expectations due to significant sabotage to the port by the Nazi's which essentially nullified its use. The whole 83rd Infantry was held up for two weeks due to this mission. Patton argued it best to bypass it, so he did, cutting it off, and Bradley later assigned the 83rd the task of obtaining it. Some have argued that it would have been better to put the 83rd to more vital targets. My dad's brush with history is, however, more than simply being attached to the 83rd Infantry as a CIC agent. There is more to this connection.

A 26 Dec 1945 news article on his honorable discharge from the army notes that he received the Bronze Star "for capturing enemy documents at St Malo, France and for obtaining confessions from five enemy agents in Luxembourg." It would be interesting to know how and what enemy documents he obtained in St Malo, was it the maps and overlays referred to in the After Action report? Or, perhaps other documents that held even greater value to the larger war effort? This, we may never know. In response to Johnson, my dad commented:

As I look back on it now, I certainly am proud to have been a member of the CIC and especially of its 83rd Division detachment. However, the memory of that work is not pleasant, except in its long range effect. I would prefer to look upon it as a nightmare, simply having done the jobs we were supposed to do under the conditions in which we did them.

WSJ 26 Dec 1945

William T Sherman, one of the great Union generals of the Civil War once said, "War is hell." My dad's comments to Johnson certainly seem to fit that bill. In a letter home commenting on having received the Bronze Star, he noted that he was simply doing his job. Clearly, the US Army thought what he obtained at St Malo was important. I also wonder if the five enemy agents he obtained confessions from were those on trial in Luxembourg in mid December 1944. When he departed Luxembourg after the trial, he was shot at--one of the first shots of the Battle of the Bulge, which you can read about here. 

As for the mini-series, "All the Light We cannot See" did not say anything about an American CIC agent capturing enemy documents in St Malo. Only at the very end did we see US soldiers. Part of the job of a CIC agent was to find enemy spies, and that involved being in a place sometimes before the battle, after a battle, or both. I think dad would prefer to be under the radar, as he saw the war success as being from the solider with the boots on the ground having the greatest effect. As he said to Johnson in regard to the mass surrender of 20,000 enemy combatants, "the credit goes to the ordinary GI and his commanders in the field." I hope that the Allied cause gained a great deal from his captured documents than the ill-fated port. Among all of this brush with history, is the other part of the story---that I will now have to admit to the wife that I should read a book selected by her book club. 

Deeds

Readers will be familiar with the 1862 Homestead act, where the US Government provided 160 acres of land to a claimant, who had never taken arms against the United States, with the claimant being required to improve and cultivate the property. If after five years, the original filer had improved their holding, they could, for a small fee, own all of the property.  For a small filing fee and a cost of $1.25/ acre you could forgo the five year improvement and purchase the property outright. The west was settled due to the Homestead Act, which of course was at the time of the Civil War.  Most readers are probably not aware of the Bounty Land Warrant applications. There are bounty claims in the land ownership chain that my great grandfather Martin Hovel purchased in Iowa.

1852 Original Approved Land Survey,
Part of now T of Lincoln, Worth Co, IA
Source: see endnotes

The bounty land applications provided land to soldiers who served in a variety of US conflicts from the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, and what are referred to as the "Indian Wars." Over the course of several years, Martin acquired three different parcels in the town of Lincoln, Worth County, IA. His first purchase, the home farm, deed was signed 21 Dec 1877 for the N1/2 NE1/4 section 34 T98N R20W (town of Lincoln) consisting of about 80 acres, although divided by a railroad, he also had a road running along the north and east sides of the property. No easement for the road is provided on the deed. The plat maps show the road fully in his section, not divided between sections. His second purchase was on 22 Sep 1891 directly southeast of the home farm at 47.91 acres, this parcel included a 20' wide access strip (which does not show on the plat maps). His third parcel, of 42.8 acres, adjoined the same rail line, was acquired on 28 Mar 1908. 

First part of deed US Government to Olive Hurlburt
Source:  see endnotes

All three have history in the Bureau of Land Management Records of being sold to a person who serve in a war. The first to a Revolutionary War soldier, the second to one in the War of 1812, and the third to those who served in the Blackhawk Wars. 

Property Assigned to Wm Stevens, by Olive Hurlburt
N1/2 NE 1/4 S 34
Source: see endnotes

At least for the main farm we know from news articles that Martin broke the prairie sod on that farm and was considered a pioneer farmer. When Martin and Amelia arrived in the area in the fall of 1877, the city of Manly, actually Manly Junction at the time, only consisted of two buildings, the railroad dept and the Harris (later Knowles) general store. This makes sense as the city was first platted in 1877 and was at the junction of two railroads, the Rock Island and the Chicago Great Western. Martin's brother John, appears to have moved to Worth County, town of Union in about 1873. Of their seven siblings all but Rose would eventually move to Iowa and all, at least for a time, farmed the land in the vicinity. It was the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad that ran through or bordered all of his three holdings.

P 1 of 1937 VA letter

P. 2 of 1937 VA letter
Source: see endnotes

Let me focus on the records for the home farm, purchased 21 Dec 1877. The whole NE1/4 of section 34 was acquired by Olive Hurlburt widow of Timothy Hurlburt who served as a private in the Revolutionary War. Hurlburt was born in Connecticut, and first volunteered in July 1776. He served in a Connecticut regiments. He moved to Berkshire County, MA in 1781 and married Olive in 1811. (town of Pittsfield), the same general area where my wife's Goff family lived. Timothy died 12 Jul1838 in Pittsfield. His widow was granted bounty land on 23 Mar 1855, and was about 84 years of age at the time.

1930 Plat Map
Source: University of Iowa

For some unknown reason on 3 July 1937 Mrs. Florence Lawton of Rockford, IL requested information from the Veteran Administration regarding Hurlburt's pension and his receipt of bounty land of 160 acres (the NE1/4 s 34). In response of 27 July the assistant director of the VA responded with detailed information. My grandfather Rudy Hovel owned the former Hurlburt bounty land at the time, having acquired the home farm from his father Martin by deed signed 14 Dec 1912. Rudy paid $8,400 for the home "80" and the 42.8 acres in section 27 (the latter acquired in 1908 by Martin). Rudy moved to Wisconsin in 1930, but continued to own the farm until he and my grandmother sold the farm to CW Broderson on 24 Nov 1942. It would have been interesting to find out why Lawton was interested in Hurlburt's pension as the VA was not aware of any children of the Timothy and Olive. Anyway, the deed is clear that ownership was promptly assigned to William H Stevens of Berkshire, MA and his heirs. The deed was signed by President James Buchanan on 1 Jan 1859. Iowa entered the Union as a state on 28 Dec 1846.

1913 Plat Map
Source: University of Iowa

The Stevens ownership set off a series of transfers, likely related mainly to land speculation which was rampant in the era. William H Stevens continued to live in Berkshire and sold the 160 acres to for $300 to Fayette Richmond of Mitchell, Co, IA on 27 April 1870. Less than a month later, on 24 May, Richmond sold the 160 acre property to John Butler and his wife for $600. Both deeds were recorded on the same day in June.

As the area started to develop land values started to increase. John Butler sold the 160 acres for $2,000 to L.S. Butler and his wife and the unmarried E.W. Smith. The deed was signed 8 Apr 1876, and recorded two days later. Within a few months they then sell the 160 acre property to Joseph Bohm by a deed signed 3 July 1876 for $2,000. Notarization of the signatures, of Smith occurred in Pennsylvania in August, but LS Butler did not have his signature notarized until 9 Sep, which is odd as his spouse, Julia's signature was notarized in early August. 

Bohm paid the same price for the 160 acres as did the sellers. 1876 was at the end of the panic that started in 1873 with major financiers over extended on loans to railroad magnates. Although, the true start was bank collapses overseas. Bohm would then sell the north half of the NE1/4 of section 34 to my great grandfather, Martin Hovel for $970. Martin married Amelia Duscheck in January of that year, and a pamphlet produced for Manly's centennial (1977) indicates couple moved to Iowa in the fall of that year.

The Three Parcels on a present time air photo

The U.S. government must have been having a fire sale on Iowa land. Martin's daughters grandfather, so my second great grandfather, Andreas Pitzenberger, acquired property in Winneshiek County Iowa, which is eastern part of the state on 1 Jul 1859. I am not sure how it was decided what land was bounty land, but I have to think the Manly land was just developing at the time. My grandmother used to clerk at a general store two of her brothers owned in Manly, the Pitzenberger General Store, and my aunt recalls Ida telling stories of how Native Americans would stop by and they would give them some food or other goods. I guess it is the least that could be done for a group driven from the land by the government. 

Martin Hovel deed to Iowa home farm
signed 21 Dec 1877
Source: Worth Co Recorder's office

Martin, by the end of March 1908 had large blocks of land which totaled about 171 acres, most arable. By contrast, Martin's dad, Josef, owned and farmed in Bohemia about 45 acres in 67 parcels, with about 24 acres of that arable. The rest was meadow with some woods. Martin's son, my grandfather, Rudy purchased the home farm and the part in section 27 in 1912. Martin, did not of course, till all the land at once. The 1880 census, using data from 1879 crops, reports that Martin tilled 45 acres that year. Not bad considering it was before tractors.

Signature block of Martin's home farm deed
Recorded 12 Jan 1878
Source: Worth Co Recorder's office

A land deed can provide a great deal of information. The early deeds tell us where the grantor and grantee were living, the price paid, and of course the legal description. It also provides dates which can be useful in tracking down people by location. For example, Martin and Amelia were married at East Bristol in January 1877, but in December they have closed on land in Manly, IA where they would break the prairie sod and start a farm and family. 

Sources/Endnotes: 

Hurlburt letter: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/196077693?objectPage=19 (also page 1-56)

Hurlburt Deed: https://glorecords.blm.gov/search/default.aspx#searchTabIndex=0

Initial land survey: https://glorecords.blm.gov

Other Deeds: Worth County Recorder Office. Big thanks to the kind public servants of said office who located and electronically provided the records to the author.

1977, Culver, Marjorie. Manly Memories 1877-1977.

Halloween Candy

Halloween is associated with candy that is given out to trick-or-treaters. Not desiring to have to put up with a trick, I like to provide candy to the few that come to our house. Years past, say 20 to 25, the neighborhood used to have many more children. The children have moved on, but many of the parents have stayed in their homes, altering the demographic makeup of the neighborhood. What type and how much Halloween candy does one dispense?

Bag of Candy, with most Snickers out

A couple weeks ago my spouse and I were at Farm and Fleet to purchase a belt for the rototiller, and a few other items. My spouse asked if I wanted to give out candy for Halloween, and I said yes. So we picked up a bag of what was reported to be 55 pieces of candy from Mars/Wrigley. The bag contained four types of candy: Twix, M&M's, Peanut M&M's, and Snickers. For some reason, I was thinking they would have a near equal distribution in the bag. That was not to be. They may have simply labeled the bag: Snickers with a few M&M's, Peanut M&M's, and Twix thrown in. 

First candy distribution

During Covid I started to place candy outside, with a nice sign asking themselves to help their self to two pieces. (One year I used a few, and had a teenage girl dump the whole bowl in her pillow case, so now I limit to two). During peak Covid, 2020, I went so far as to layout the bars in groups so they only had to touch what they picked up. The wife thinks I am taking the easy way out, by not answering the door. I know her passive-aggressive tactic, which is to have me keep getting up so I get sick of giving out candy. She is one of those who thinks we should no longer give out candy on Halloween. I am not one of those persons. Bill Gates said he likes to hire lazy people because they find the most efficient method of doing work--and hence can do more work. I have found, but that one incident, an efficient way of candy distribution.

Candy by type. Minus one Peanut M&M

Back to the candy bag allocation. When I was starting to set up a container with the candy, it seemed I kept pulling out Snicker bars. I decided to count what I had: 28 Snickers, 6 Twix, 15 M&M, and 8 Peanut M&M. I had eaten one Peanut M&M for which I had to delve to the depths of the bag. My take is that people must not like Snickers, because they put so many in. The anti-Halloween wife likes Snickers and provided the theory that they are likely giving out what people like and that is Snickers. My favorites would be what the bag had the least of. A Snicker bar is at the bottom of good candy bars in my opinion. 

My Sign

We have not gotten many trick-or-treaters the past several years, and with the cold weather for this Halloween, I doubted the number would increase. This year for the first round, I placed all 28 Snickers and two M&M's in the container. I don't put all the candy in the container at once, in case one person, like that girl, decides to go rogue and dump all candy in their container. I put about half in the container. Later I put out more candy. What I found was that 20 Snickers and both M&M were taken from the container. This means (small sample size aside) that 100% of the available M&M's were grabbed, but less than 75% of the Snicker bars, proving that children do not like Snickers as much. After putting out more candy we had no Trick-or Treaters. I turned off the light at 7:35 pm. I put out the Snickers, because if we have left over candy, I prefer it not to be Snickers. At two pieces each I can handle 28 visitors. The reason I ate one was to get the number from the advertised 55 to 54. I guess I should have counted before eating, but that Peanut M&M was just screaming eat me, eat me. 

The good news, we did not get tricked, and so even if they do not like Snickers, they were at least kind enough to know they got something. Maybe, just maybe there is some redheaded kid out there that likes Snicker bars. Kids are kids and will likely be happy with any type of Halloween Candy, even if a Snickers bar.