Books & Gifts

The Gift Shop is open during regular Old Town Museum hours.

The Gift Shop offers a variety of items for sale:

  • Local History Books of Price County
  • History Books for adults and children
  • Toys
  • Souvenirs

 

Until we get our online purchasing, to order books, please send a check for the amount of the book along with your shipping name and address to:

Price County Historical Society
P.O. Box 156
Fifield, WI 54524

Books available at the Park Falls Chamber Office and Park Falls Ace Hardware Store: 100 Years on the Flambeau, and The Lake Shore and Eastern Railroad: A Logging Railroad in North Central Wisconsin, by John L. Berg

Books available at the Phillips Area Chamber of Commerce: The Lake Shore and Eastern Railroad: A Logging Railroad in North Central Wisconsin, by John L. Berg

Books available at Johnson Hardware Store in Phillips: The Lake Shore and Eastern Railroad: A Logging Railroad in North Central Wisconsin, by John L. Berg, The Storm, Lugerville, and Country School Recollections Volume I and II.

  Fifield 1876-1976 Fifield 1876 - 1976 by Elva Lessard

The story of Fifield sets forth the narrative and pictorial history of the settlement of Fifield and the resilient pioneers who carved a living from a forest wilderness on the banks of the Flambeau River. Originally written and published to mark Fifield's 100 year Centennial, it's historical significance continues to be relevant and invaluable to modern day history lovers and researchers.

127 pages, $13.50 including S&H
 
  Metropolis of the North Metropolis of the North -- Fifield - Her People and Their History by Rena Lake

Published for the Fifield 100 year Centennial, this book contains a combination of historical and family genealogy containing many family stories and photographs. They combine to convey a story of Fifield residents, both past and present.

139 pages, $5.oo including S&H
 
  Fifield Wisconsin 125 Years -- 1876 - 2001 by Price County Historical Society

Picture album of families, individuals, places, and events to stir many a memory of the Fifield area. Published as a memento for the Fifield 100+25 Celebration, it is a historical photographic record that not only captures past history, but also the promise of the future.

68 pages, $13.50 including S&H
 
  Fifield Post Office Fifield Post Office 125 Years of Dedicated Service 1877 - 2002 by Debra M. Alexander

Historical and pictorial account of the 125 year history of the Fifield Post Office and all who served as postmasters, postal clerks, and mail carriers. Many other important community events also took place at the post office and are captured in detail within these pages.

28 pages, $9.50 including S&H
 
  The Pike Lake Chain The Pike Lake Chain by the Pike Lake Chain Lakes Association, Fifield Township; researched and written by John L. Berg; researched by Leonard Stein, Jr.

A collection of historical accounts and photographs of the Pike Lake Chain and how these lakes and tributaries gave birth to the South Fork of the Flambeau River and shaped the people and culture in northern Wisconsin. The history covers the earliest settlers through 1960 and depicts an area rich in hunting, fishing, logging, recreation, resorts, and individuals who have and still call this area their home.

196 pages (includes map), $15.00 including S&H
 
  The Round Lake Logging Dam The Round Lake Logging Dam -- A Survivor of Wisconsin's Log-Driving Days by John N. Vogel

A superb historical documentation of the days of the abundance of floatable pine and the network of waterways that connected the piney with sawmills and other markets. The Round Lake dam is a surviving example of the "folk technology" that was a vital component to the logging industry. This book also contains detailed diagrams and photographs, which enhances the narrative chonicling not only the history of the dam, but also the loggin era of northern Wisconsin.

21 pages, $3.50 including S&H
 
  Caring for the Land Atop a Fire Tower Caring for the Land Atop a Fire Tower -- An Oral History and Family Story of Fire Lookouts by USDA Forest Service, Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest

Meet a brother and sister who viewed the forested landscape of northern Wisconsin from atop a 100 foot fire tower as they searched the horizon for "smokes" that might signal a wildfire. Towers were the focal point of the fire detection system and were dependent on these lookouts communicating one another by radio or phone and other fire dispatchers. Many first-person accounts and photographs tell the story of these fire lookouts and their family life as they grew up and lived in the forests of northern Wisconsin.

25 pages, $3.50 including S&H
 
  Wintergreen Reflections Wintergreen Reflections -- A History of Wintergreen Lake in Wisconsin by Gerald Brillhart

A historical account of Wintergreen Lake located midway between Fifield and the Pike Lake Chain. This book chronicles 1870 to the present, including early travel routes used by Native Americans, the great White Pine era, and recreation and resorts. The people who settled the Wintergreen Lake area both past and present are depicted in the story of this beautiful clear water lake in northern Wisconsin.

95 pages, $20.00 including S&H
 
  100 Years on the Flambeau 100 Years on the Flambeau -- Park Falls, Lake, Eisenstein 1889-1989 by Michael J. Goc and the Centennial Book Committee

A Centennial History of Park Falls, Lake, and Eisenstein. This book contains the rich history of the greater Park Falls community and chronicles the stories of the pioneers as told by themselves, their children, or grandchildren. It contains many important stories of day to day lives and is a treasure trove of accounts of the times. A very comprehensive history of northern Price County with vivid descriptions of the places and people that settled this wilderness, complete with a history index.

508 pages, $40.00 including S&H
 
  Pictorial History of Park Falls, Fifield, and Butternut A Pictorial Histoy of Park Falls, Fifield and Butternut, Wisconsin compiled by the staff of the Park Falls Herald

An extensive collection of photographs make up this pictorial history. This special project was undertaken to illustrate in pictures and accompanying captions the heritage and culture of Price and Ashland Counties in Northern Wisconsin and to preserve old photographs that might otherwise have been lost. Both goals have been met superbly in the publishing of this book.

95 pages, $33.00 including S&H
 
  The Lake Shore and Eastern The Lake Shore and Eastern -- A Logging Railroad in North-Central Wisconsin by John L. Berg

A thoroughly researched and well paced narrative complete with over 200 photographs and accompanying maps covering the entire span of operation of the Price County logging railroad. This book is designed to appeal to students of the steam-era short lines and for the general reader of Wisconsin history. Those engaged in land use policy will also find a thorough documentation of the era.  This railroad carved through northern Wisconsin helped to establish the many communities that exist today. The City of Phillips is one of those communities, and the book is also a study of that community along with the surrounding area.

327 pages, $35.00 including S&H
 
  Phillips Fire Centennial Phillips Fire Centennial 1894 - 1994 by the Phillips Fire Centennial Book Committee

"The very air seemed to explode and burn. No power on earth could have stopped it. It was a terrible night for those who were cut off and surrounded at different points by the fire. Many were obliged to keep their heads covered all night with wet clothing and to throw water over each other to keep alive. It was a terrible night never to be forgotten by those who passed through it."
                                   - The Phillips Bee, August 1, 1894

On July 27, 1894, the entire city of Phillips was consumed by a wave of fire whose flames rose 200 feet into the air. Thirteen people perished including eight children. Monetary losses were in the millions of dollars. This book describes Phillips before, during, and after the great fire. Vivid descriptions, photographs, and first-person accounts tell the story of that aweful event and the subsequent courage and resiliency of the citizens as they reclaimed and rebuilt their city.

176 pages, $17.50 including S&H
 
  The Storm The Storm -- July 4, 1977 by the "Community Involvement" class of Phillips High School

The morning of July 4, 1977, was hot, humid, and muggy. At 2:50 pm, a fierce storm of raging rain, hail, and high winds struck the city of Phillips and the surrounding area leveling homes, barns, and trees and causing more destruction than most people had seen in their lives. This book describes that storm and its aftermath through many first-person accounts, photographs, and stories. They illustrate not just the destruction, but also the sentiments of those who lived through it and resolved to rebuild ever mindful of how rapidly nature can turn on them. They have marked the storm permanently in their memories, and this book captures those remembrances.

80 pages, $15.00 including S&H
 
  The Art of Fred Smith The Art of Fred Smith -- The Wisconsin Concrete Park: A Brief History and Self Guided Tour by Lisa Stone and Jim Zanzi

The Wisconsin Concrete Park, an outdoor museum located south of the city of Phillips in Price County, is comprised of 237 embellished concrete sculptures and objects built by retired lumberjack Fred Smith. Fred spent his early life working in the lumber camps and, around 1948 while in his early sixties, stopped working to become an artist. Smith, who had no formal art training, was moved by personal vision to animate his landscape with images from his own life and imagination. This book is filled with a pictorial compilation of his art work, and it also tells the story of how his creations were preserved along with the ongoing efforts to curate this historical and cultural gem. Fred's work is now world renowned and toured by artists and individuals from all over the world.

34 pages, $13.50 including S&H
 
  Phillips Czechoslovakian Community I Phillips Czechoslovakian Community Volume I by the Phillips Czechoslovakian Community

The story of the migration of settlers from the mid 1800s to the 1920s who came to farm and settle the "cut over" land. This is a story of building communities, perseverence, and the rich ethnic culture and traditions they brought with them and then passed on to future generations.

254 pages, $11.50 including S&H
 
  Phillips Czechoslovakian Community II Phillips Czechoslovakian Community Volume II by the Phillips Czechoslovakian Community

The whole story could not be contained in Volume I, so the story of the Czech, Slovak, and Moravian people continues in Volume II. This volume contains and expands on the history of the countries, families, settlements, organizations, and traditions that influence Price County to this day.

248 pages, $11.50 including S&H

Purchase Czechoslovakian Community Volume I & Volume II for $21.00 including S&H
 
  Czech Slovak Fest Czech Slovak Fest - Phillips, WI -- 25 Years of Ethnic Pride by the Phillips Czechoslovakian Community Festival, Inc.

Written as a tribute to a span of time to document 25 years of community celebrations of the ethnic culture of Price County. The festival is held annually the third weekend in June in Phillips, WI.

254 pages, $11.50 including S&H
 
  Lugerville -- Town of Flambeau 1904-1954 by Hellen Mary Schancer Green

The history of Lugerville in Price County was prepared in 1954 as a term paper by the author for one of her college courses as she was seeking to finish her degree. This paper, published in its entirety, chronicles the significance of the history of Lugerville, the heritage from European culture, and its settlement and growth. The publication contains many historical accounts touching on all aspects of life in Lugerville, along with many quality photographs depicting daily life during that time.

24 pages, $8.50 including S&H
 
  Prentice Fire Department Prentice Volunteer Fire Department -- 100 Years of "Dedicated" Service 1905-2005 by the Fire Department Centennial Committee

Researched and compiled by students of the Prentice High School History Project in conjunction with the 100 year celebration, this book is a tribute to all the people who served in the Prentice Volunteer Fire Department. This comprehensive history also documents many accounts of fires in Prentice and the surrounding area and their aftermath.

244 pages, $15.00 including S&H
 
  Country School Recollections Country School Recollections -- Price County One Room Schools, 1879 To Consolidation by The Committee for Research on Price County Rural Schools

By 1879, the wilderness of Price County started to be tamed, and families began to settle in the area. With the families came the need for schools. This book is a true historical treasure chronicling the story of the one-room schools in all regions of the county. The schools sprang out of the wilderness and played a vital role in the education of the children in Price County. Extensive research went into documenting the locations of each school according to the township in which it was situated. Teacher training, duties, typical school days, student life and socials, and field trips are all covered in great detail. Each school's history is chronicled along with photographs if they were available. An alphabetical index of schools, towns, and teachers concludes the book.

91 pages, $14.00 including S&H
 
  County School Recollections II -- Rural and Village State Graded Schools, One Room Schools Updated, Price County, Wisconsin by The Committee for Research on Price County Schools

Five years after the committee published its first volume dedicated to one-room schools, they released another extensively researched book documenting the State Graded Schools in Price County along with fascinating segments on the institutions that supported education in the county such as the Price County Training (Normal) School, county superintendent, county nurse, the Demonstration Room, and teacher experiences. Again, as with the first book, each State Graded School is documented according to location throughout the county, along with many photographs and detailed historical accounts of each school.

116 pages, $14.00 including S&H
 
  Echoes from the Woodland Echoes from the Woodland by Cecelia Wester Stanke

The Woodland - Ohrmstrom School, Joint School District No. 6 Towns of Ogema and Catawba, was built in this Swedish enclave located in southern Price County on one acre of land donated by Charles Ohrstrom. This little school measured 18 x 37 feet and was built exactly like a traditional Swedish log home. In September 1887, the school opened with 10 pupils and continued to educate children until 1944. These stories and photographs tell the history of this school and the community that supported it. In 1957, the building was carefully relocated to the Price County Fairgrounds in Phillips to serve as a historical reminder of early one-room schools for all to view and enjoy.

16 pages, $3.50 including S&H
 
  The Past in a Brush Stroke -- The story of Edith Fleming 1909 - 1989 by Patricia Schroeder

Edith Atwood Fleming came to live in the cutover land in the tiny community of Kennedy, west of Park Falls , in 1917. Even though life was hard, this did not deter her from expressing a deep and special creative talent for drawing and painting. Although she had no formal training, Edith's extensive talents enabled her to capture the lives and times of the people living in the logging camps, farms, and woods of this wilderness. Edith was a part of the Wisconsin Rural Art Movement and the Wisconsin Rural Artists Association, sitting on its board from 1956-1969 and serving as president in 1967. This book tells Edith's inspiring story along with her enormous artistic contribution to the history of northern Wisconsin.

31 pages, $4.50 including S&H
 
  The Story of Ruth -- Ruth Jerusha Stolle 1897 - 1985 Artist and Educator by Joyce Swenson Bant

"It is not an imparting of limited knowledge or technical skill but a spontaneous enthusiasm. Teachers must inspire or they are nothing. No matter how terribly tired I got, I never was weary for in teaching I usually walked on air."
                                  -Ruth Jerusha Stolle

Ruth Stolle, a prolific artist, considered herself first and foremost an educator, a profession for which she had great respect. Ruth taught art for many years in the northern Wisconsin schools of Tripoli and Prentice in Price County. She was part of the American Red Cross International School Art Program and the Wisconsin Rural Art Movement. Along with local and state recognition, Ruth received the National Gallery of Art award for Distinguished Service to Education in Art in 1966. This book brings to life her struggles and triumphs and paints the portrait of a woman who left a far reaching legacy through the many contributions she made to her community, state, and nation.

45 pages, $4.50 including S&H
 
  A Special View -- A Book About Maybelle Hardy by Diane I. Johns

Maybelle Hardy's is the story of an incredible woman rising above hard times to enrich the lives of all she touched. Maybelle contracted polio while a teenager and lost the use of both her arms, forcing her to compensate by using her feet and teeth to accomplish daily tasks. This did not stop this determined woman from carving out a rich life for herself in the Kennedy area of the remote Northwoods of Wisconsin. Maybelle was a lover of history and nature, and she wrote a weekly newspaper column entitled "Through my Kitchen Window and Beyond," which captivated readers with her writing style and observations of the wildlife crossing her path and visiting her feeders. This remarkable story of a true Northwoods legend also includes many photographs along with historical information of the Kennedy area.

53 pages, $4.50 including S&H
 
  Price County Stories Price County Stories by various local authors and compiled by the Price County Historical Society

A compilation of stories about life in Price County in northern Wisconsin from 1900 to 1950 as told by more than thirty local authors whose families came to settle the area and call it their home. These enduring stories contain real life experiences and leave a historical legacy unique to each individual, family, and community they depict.

180 pages, $13.50 including S&H
   
   
 
  The Way We Worked by various local authors and compiled by the Price County Historical Society

After the success of Price County Stories, this book originated from a Wisconsin Council of Local History project. The stories contained within these pages are again from local authors, and they span roughly the time from the Great Depression to post World War II. They are an exceptional depiction of the way work was done to sustain life at a time when modern conveniences were not the norm. Tales of manual labor, sacrifice, hardships, and resourcefulness give a glimpse of the heart of the people who came to put their mark on the land and built not only a life for themselves, but a community.

194 pages, $13.50 including S&H
 
  More Price County Stories by various local authors and compiled by the Price County Historical Society

So many stories about life in Price County existed that another book was needed to preserve these historical gems. In addition to local authors, sophomore students from Prentice High School contributed to this volume through a writing assignment about the lives of their parents and grandparents. These stories added a different dimension to the book, making it a truly unique historical record of Price County and Northern Wisconsin.

210 pages, $13.50 including S&H
 
  Stories from the Lou! Stories from the Lou! -- Stories from the Lives of Two Hungarian-American Brothers by Louis Kiraly Banyai "Lou" and Peter David Banyai "Pete"

Stories from the Lou is chocked full of splendid historic detail and hilarious personal anecdotes that will give you an intimate look into the life of a second-generation Hungarian-American family between 1934 and 1960. Lou and Pete have a distinctive story telling ability and complement each other's memories. You are guaranteed to laugh along with some of the stories and cry with others; all the while enjoying the poignant memories, insights, and reflections of these two brothers. With this book, Lou and Pete have created not only a family legacy, but a historical one as well.

153 pages, $13.50 including S&H
 
  The Pleasure of the Sorrow The Pleasure of the Sorrow by James A. Rhody

This historical novel tells the story of homesteading and logging camp life in the Northwoods of Wisconsin in the 1890s through a cast of characters who play their part in the history of the area. They depict the pleasures and hardships of the day, with sadness and always with humor. While the camp and characters are ficticious, the dates and details are historically accurate. The late James Rhody made his home in northern Wisconsin and was noted for his extensive historical knowledge and splendid story-telling abilities.

243 pages, $4.50 including S&H
 
     
     
 
     
     
     
     


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