Wisconsin State Legislator, public speaker and newspaper publisher of the Herold.
He was educated in the Merrill public schools and at an early age became an apprentice at the Merrill Advocate, edited by the late C.N. Johnson.
Mr. Chilsen worked as a rural mail carrier out of the Merrill post office for two years, being one of the first rural mail carriers in Lincoln County. He also worked for a time as clerk in the village general tore at Bloomville, Wisconsin. In the boom days of railroad building he served as commissary clerk for the J. C. Stubbs Construction Company, Kansas City, Kansas, when that company was helping push the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad through to the Pacific Coast. He also worked in a lumber of logging camps during the "Golden Age of Lumbering."
In March of 1909 he formed a partnership with C. N. Johnson in the purchase of the Merrill Herald, a daily newspaper. In 1921 he purchased the interests of F.J. and A.H. Smith, who had succeeded Johnson, and, in cooperation with his brother, Joe A. Chilsen, the paper was published under the firm name of the Merrill Publishing Company.
Walter Chilsen, in 1915, organized the Merrill Rotary Club and was its first president. Merrill was the first city in the United States with a population under 10,000 to have a Rotary Club. He took an active interest in civic, fraternal and social affairs and held many positions of trust and responsibility. He was a past district deputy of the Elks for Wisconsin Northwest, and was secretary of the Merrill Chamber of Commerce and president of the Lincoln County Chapter, American Red Cross. He was president of the local chapter of the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis. He belonged to the Merrill Aerie, Fraternal Order of Eagles, and when they had lodges in Merrill was a member of the Knights of Pythias and the Loyal Order of Moose. He was a Mason and belonged to Virginia Falls Lodge No. 226, F&AM.
He was elected to serve as a member of the Wisconsin State Legislature in 1918. At the expiration of his term the pressure of business caused him to decide against running for the office again. Mr. Chilsen was active for many years in state Republican circles and was a delegate to the national convention in 1928, when Herbert Hoover was nominated. Like all newspaper publishers he, during World War I and World War II, took a leading part in home front activities.
Mr. Chilsen was keenly interested in farming and conservation and operated an experimental farm for a number of years. He had an eighty-six-acre forest tract where for fifteen years he supervised the carrying out of approved forestry practices. He was a member of the committee in charge of raising funds for the establishment of the Holy Cross Hospital and the A. H. Wein¬brenner Shoe Company plant in the city of Merrill.
Mr. Chilsen was in great demand as a public speaker and toastmaster and was a noted story teller. His Scandinavian dialect stories were heard throughout Wisconsin and neighboring states. He was interested in dairy improvement work and was a past president of the Merrill local of the Pure Milk Products Cooperative Association, Fond du Lac, the largest local of the organization. He was vice president of the Highway 51 Association.
Walter Chilsen was the son of Anfin S. and Alvina (Nelson) Chilsen. Walter
Walter Chilsen was married on June 29, 1915, in Wisconsin Rapids to Miss Margaret Sullivan, the daughter of Mr. and Ms. William J. Sullivan. Together they had five children.
Walter Chilsen died in July 1982. He is buried in Merrill Memoral Park in Merrill, WI.
He was educated in the Merrill public schools and at an early age became an apprentice at the Merrill Advocate, edited by the late C.N. Johnson.
Mr. Chilsen worked as a rural mail carrier out of the Merrill post office for two years, being one of the first rural mail carriers in Lincoln County. He also worked for a time as clerk in the village general tore at Bloomville, Wisconsin. In the boom days of railroad building he served as commissary clerk for the J. C. Stubbs Construction Company, Kansas City, Kansas, when that company was helping push the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad through to the Pacific Coast. He also worked in a lumber of logging camps during the "Golden Age of Lumbering."
In March of 1909 he formed a partnership with C. N. Johnson in the purchase of the Merrill Herald, a daily newspaper. In 1921 he purchased the interests of F.J. and A.H. Smith, who had succeeded Johnson, and, in cooperation with his brother, Joe A. Chilsen, the paper was published under the firm name of the Merrill Publishing Company.
Walter Chilsen, in 1915, organized the Merrill Rotary Club and was its first president. Merrill was the first city in the United States with a population under 10,000 to have a Rotary Club. He took an active interest in civic, fraternal and social affairs and held many positions of trust and responsibility. He was a past district deputy of the Elks for Wisconsin Northwest, and was secretary of the Merrill Chamber of Commerce and president of the Lincoln County Chapter, American Red Cross. He was president of the local chapter of the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis. He belonged to the Merrill Aerie, Fraternal Order of Eagles, and when they had lodges in Merrill was a member of the Knights of Pythias and the Loyal Order of Moose. He was a Mason and belonged to Virginia Falls Lodge No. 226, F&AM.
He was elected to serve as a member of the Wisconsin State Legislature in 1918. At the expiration of his term the pressure of business caused him to decide against running for the office again. Mr. Chilsen was active for many years in state Republican circles and was a delegate to the national convention in 1928, when Herbert Hoover was nominated. Like all newspaper publishers he, during World War I and World War II, took a leading part in home front activities.
Mr. Chilsen was keenly interested in farming and conservation and operated an experimental farm for a number of years. He had an eighty-six-acre forest tract where for fifteen years he supervised the carrying out of approved forestry practices. He was a member of the committee in charge of raising funds for the establishment of the Holy Cross Hospital and the A. H. Wein¬brenner Shoe Company plant in the city of Merrill.
Mr. Chilsen was in great demand as a public speaker and toastmaster and was a noted story teller. His Scandinavian dialect stories were heard throughout Wisconsin and neighboring states. He was interested in dairy improvement work and was a past president of the Merrill local of the Pure Milk Products Cooperative Association, Fond du Lac, the largest local of the organization. He was vice president of the Highway 51 Association.
Walter Chilsen was the son of Anfin S. and Alvina (Nelson) Chilsen. Walter
Walter Chilsen was married on June 29, 1915, in Wisconsin Rapids to Miss Margaret Sullivan, the daughter of Mr. and Ms. William J. Sullivan. Together they had five children.
Walter Chilsen died in July 1982. He is buried in Merrill Memoral Park in Merrill, WI.
Wisconsin State Legislator, public speaker and newspaper publisher of the Herold.
He was educated in the Merrill public schools and at an early age became an apprentice at the Merrill Advocate, edited by the late C.N. Johnson.
Mr. Chilsen worked as a rural mail carrier out of the Merrill post office for two years, being one of the first rural mail carriers in Lincoln County. He also worked for a time as clerk in the village general tore at Bloomville, Wisconsin. In the boom days of railroad building he served as commissary clerk for the J. C. Stubbs Construction Company, Kansas City, Kansas, when that company was helping push the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad through to the Pacific Coast. He also worked in a lumber of logging camps during the "Golden Age of Lumbering."
In March of 1909 he formed a partnership with C. N. Johnson in the purchase of the Merrill Herald, a daily newspaper. In 1921 he purchased the interests of F.J. and A.H. Smith, who had succeeded Johnson, and, in cooperation with his brother, Joe A. Chilsen, the paper was published under the firm name of the Merrill Publishing Company.
Walter Chilsen, in 1915, organized the Merrill Rotary Club and was its first president. Merrill was the first city in the United States with a population under 10,000 to have a Rotary Club. He took an active interest in civic, fraternal and social affairs and held many positions of trust and responsibility. He was a past district deputy of the Elks for Wisconsin Northwest, and was secretary of the Merrill Chamber of Commerce and president of the Lincoln County Chapter, American Red Cross. He was president of the local chapter of the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis. He belonged to the Merrill Aerie, Fraternal Order of Eagles, and when they had lodges in Merrill was a member of the Knights of Pythias and the Loyal Order of Moose. He was a Mason and belonged to Virginia Falls Lodge No. 226, F&AM.
He was elected to serve as a member of the Wisconsin State Legislature in 1918. At the expiration of his term the pressure of business caused him to decide against running for the office again. Mr. Chilsen was active for many years in state Republican circles and was a delegate to the national convention in 1928, when Herbert Hoover was nominated. Like all newspaper publishers he, during World War I and World War II, took a leading part in home front activities.
Mr. Chilsen was keenly interested in farming and conservation and operated an experimental farm for a number of years. He had an eighty-six-acre forest tract where for fifteen years he supervised the carrying out of approved forestry practices. He was a member of the committee in charge of raising funds for the establishment of the Holy Cross Hospital and the A. H. Wein¬brenner Shoe Company plant in the city of Merrill.
Mr. Chilsen was in great demand as a public speaker and toastmaster and was a noted story teller. His Scandinavian dialect stories were heard throughout Wisconsin and neighboring states. He was interested in dairy improvement work and was a past president of the Merrill local of the Pure Milk Products Cooperative Association, Fond du Lac, the largest local of the organization. He was vice president of the Highway 51 Association.
Walter Chilsen was the son of Anfin S. and Alvina (Nelson) Chilsen. Walter
Walter Chilsen was married on June 29, 1915, in Wisconsin Rapids to Miss Margaret Sullivan, the daughter of Mr. and Ms. William J. Sullivan. Together they had five children.
Walter Chilsen died in July 1982. He is buried in Merrill Memoral Park in Merrill, WI.
He was educated in the Merrill public schools and at an early age became an apprentice at the Merrill Advocate, edited by the late C.N. Johnson.
Mr. Chilsen worked as a rural mail carrier out of the Merrill post office for two years, being one of the first rural mail carriers in Lincoln County. He also worked for a time as clerk in the village general tore at Bloomville, Wisconsin. In the boom days of railroad building he served as commissary clerk for the J. C. Stubbs Construction Company, Kansas City, Kansas, when that company was helping push the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad through to the Pacific Coast. He also worked in a lumber of logging camps during the "Golden Age of Lumbering."
In March of 1909 he formed a partnership with C. N. Johnson in the purchase of the Merrill Herald, a daily newspaper. In 1921 he purchased the interests of F.J. and A.H. Smith, who had succeeded Johnson, and, in cooperation with his brother, Joe A. Chilsen, the paper was published under the firm name of the Merrill Publishing Company.
Walter Chilsen, in 1915, organized the Merrill Rotary Club and was its first president. Merrill was the first city in the United States with a population under 10,000 to have a Rotary Club. He took an active interest in civic, fraternal and social affairs and held many positions of trust and responsibility. He was a past district deputy of the Elks for Wisconsin Northwest, and was secretary of the Merrill Chamber of Commerce and president of the Lincoln County Chapter, American Red Cross. He was president of the local chapter of the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis. He belonged to the Merrill Aerie, Fraternal Order of Eagles, and when they had lodges in Merrill was a member of the Knights of Pythias and the Loyal Order of Moose. He was a Mason and belonged to Virginia Falls Lodge No. 226, F&AM.
He was elected to serve as a member of the Wisconsin State Legislature in 1918. At the expiration of his term the pressure of business caused him to decide against running for the office again. Mr. Chilsen was active for many years in state Republican circles and was a delegate to the national convention in 1928, when Herbert Hoover was nominated. Like all newspaper publishers he, during World War I and World War II, took a leading part in home front activities.
Mr. Chilsen was keenly interested in farming and conservation and operated an experimental farm for a number of years. He had an eighty-six-acre forest tract where for fifteen years he supervised the carrying out of approved forestry practices. He was a member of the committee in charge of raising funds for the establishment of the Holy Cross Hospital and the A. H. Wein¬brenner Shoe Company plant in the city of Merrill.
Mr. Chilsen was in great demand as a public speaker and toastmaster and was a noted story teller. His Scandinavian dialect stories were heard throughout Wisconsin and neighboring states. He was interested in dairy improvement work and was a past president of the Merrill local of the Pure Milk Products Cooperative Association, Fond du Lac, the largest local of the organization. He was vice president of the Highway 51 Association.
Walter Chilsen was the son of Anfin S. and Alvina (Nelson) Chilsen. Walter
Walter Chilsen was married on June 29, 1915, in Wisconsin Rapids to Miss Margaret Sullivan, the daughter of Mr. and Ms. William J. Sullivan. Together they had five children.
Walter Chilsen died in July 1982. He is buried in Merrill Memoral Park in Merrill, WI.
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