Elk Mound will display historical items at village hall and library
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by LeAnn R. Ralph
ELK MOUND — Plans are in the works to display historical items donated to the Village of Elk Mound at the village hall and at the library.
Marv and Charlotte Cartwright gathered many historical items related to Elk Mound, said Terry Stamm, village trustee, at the Elk Mound Village Board’s April 3 meeting.
The items have been given to the village to store and to display, he said.
Marv Cartwright, who died in December of 2011, was born in the Town of Elk Mound, attended Elk Mound schools, enlisted in the United States Army and served with the 101st Airborne Division, and was a paratrooper who served in the Battle of the Bulge, according to his obituary.
He retired from the United States Postal Service after 30 years of working as a rural mail carrier in Elk Mound.
After marrying Charlotte Whitney in October of 1951, Marv and Charlotte made their home in Elk Mound.
Charlotte Cartwright died in June of 2022.
She was the daughter of James and Gertrude (Pierce) Whitney and was born in the ferry house on the Chippewa River [south of Elk Mound at Caryville], according to her obituary.
Charlotte graduated from Elk Mound High School in 1950. She and Marv had two daughters and were parents to 17 foster children.
She worked as a bookkeeper at the American National Bank in Eau Claire and at the Print Shop in Elk Mound.
In addition to collecting historical items, Marv and Charlotte Cartwright wrote a book entitled “History of Elk Mound,” Stamm said.
Some of the historical items donated to the village include a 1912 license plate and a sketch of the creamery, he said.
Pictures will be put up on the back wall of the village board meeting room where they are out of the sunlight, Stamm said.
One picture that was donated was taken when the building now housing Gilbert’s Gun Exchange was under construction for its original purpose as a bank, he said.
Other items are expected to be on display in a cabinet at the library, Stamm said.
The Elk Mound library, which is a satellite branch of the Menomonie Public Library, is itself a historic building that was once a car repair garage, a beauty shop and a Laundromat.
There is a six to seven foot spot at the library where a cabinet could be located for displaying historical items, Stamm said.
The idea will be to display some items at the village hall and some at the library and to have displays that rotate and change every six months, he said.
Stamm said he would report back to the village board about the display of items after meeting with personnel from the Menomonie Public Library.
If there are other people who have historical items to donate, “we do not want to discourage more donations,” he said.
Grant
Mark Levra, director of public works, reported to the village board that he had applied for a grant from the Water Environment Federation for an auto sampler and flow meter for the wastewater treatment plant.
One of the auto samplers and flow meters was replaced a few years ago, but the other one was last replaced 30 years ago in 1993, he said.
Elk Mound received a grant for $15,000 to replace the auto sampler and flow meter, Levra said.
