Hladek

Pete Hladek

Hladek property is shown on the Aerial Photo

1930 Census:
Pete Hladek age 46 - Head of Household. Emmigrated from Yugoslavia in 1910
Margaret "Maggie" Rotar Hladek age 25. From Yugoslavia. Daughter of Frank Rotar, Sr.
Frank age 5, born in WI

1930 Employment: Pete, Laborer, Saw Mill

Maggie Rotar Hladek is quoted in the 1954 History

excerpt: Hladek, Maggie. Lecture given at Lugerville School, Phillips, WI, 1950.

Maggie Rotar Hladek

"Mrs. Maggie Hladek’s story of transportation to Lugerville in the spring of 1920 is similar. “We came to Lugerville by truck as far as the sawmill, (I was fourteen years old then) then we (walked) up the track; this track went from Lugerville past Kenyon’s farm of today to camp 5, then what is now Highway 70 to Boyd’s place. Our land was in Popple Hill and there wasn’t a road to Popple Hill. We went to a one-room log school, across from the Kenyon farm, on a trail through the woods. My Dad, Frank Rotar, worked in the sawmill at Lugerville and he walked three miles to work, over just a rough trail through the woods, too.” (Hladek, 1950)
The big timber had been cut by this time. The main road which was and still is County Trunk F, was extended from Lugerville to Highway 70 in the spring of 1921. The “Red Bridge” was built over the Flambeau River and Popple Hill settlers had an altered way of life in reaching market, school, post office, church and social activities.
The stage, which was run to Lugerville, by Mr. Al Fraser of Phillips, from 1916 to 1927 also carried the mail. Mr. Fraser’s son-in-law, Kurt Troebs, drove the stage, too, at times. The first post office in Lugerville was in the mill company store.  It was opened July, 1914. Mrs. Levings was the first post mistress and Mrs. Thora Rishel followed her. The post office was, in later years of its existence, housed in Mrs. Thora Rishel’s house in Lugerville. It was discontinued in 1943, and mail was received and sent out by rural free delivery as it is today. Mr. Lepke is the mail carrier on the Luger Mail Route at present. (Hladek, Barber, 1954 and Bodenburg)