Some weekends are measured by a calendar. Others are measured by the memories they bring home. 2026 Owen Jr. Fair weekend, September 11–13, was that kind of weekend. Once a larger regional attraction, the Owen Junior Fair has lost some of its former glory. Yet for those tied to Owen, Withee and the surrounding countryside, it remains a yearly homecoming and a living page of local history.
I spent the week moving through Owen, Withee and Thorp, visiting old friends, faithful readers and people who had traveled back. Since this newspaper series began in January 2020, I have written more than 250 stories. Former residents buy the paper to keep track of “back home,” and some return for fair weekend. Mike McMillan comes from Minnesota each year and has donated historical treasures to the Owen-Withee History Center. His father was my high school guidance counselor—one more link across generations.
The weekend opened Friday, September 11, Patriot Day and the 25th anniversary of the 2001 attacks. At the Owen-Withee History Center, I had the honor of lowering the flag to half-staff and raising it again at sunset. History is also how a community pauses together to remember events that shaped us all.
That day, Forward Bank’s Withee branch unveiled the 1885 Natalie Scherf piano. After nearly 50 years at the old Clark County Jail Museum in Neillsville, the piano needed a new home when the museum closed in November 2025. Forward Bank offered lobby space, and the piano—now owned by the Owen-Withee Area Historical Society—returned to Withee. There I met retired farmer Bob Hubbard. When I introduced myself, he replied, “I know you. I read your stories.” His thanks—and his appreciation for a simple handshake—reminded me why these stories matter.
Saturday began with the Owen-Withee FFA Alumni & Supporters’ Breakfast at the Orchard at Barb Finkelson’s Black River Orchard. Later, the old Owen school gymnasium filled for school reunions–Old, All and Rural. Phil Greschner’s mother, Lois, also thanked me for the stories. She was a friend of my late mother, Eileen—a connection reaching beyond school years.
At a rummage sale benefiting the Owen-Withee Food Pantry, I found a vintage spinning wheel from the 1970s or 1980s. Not a pioneer antique, it can still help younger people picture work once familiar in rural homes.
Sunday brought the 78th annual Owen Junior Fair parade. Its 48 parade units followed the theme of America’s 250th birthday, with music, patriotic floats and entries from across the region. Among those in Owen were Dave Jankoski, Stanley’s longtime mayor and a leader of its historical society, and his wife, Pat. Dave regularly supports events around Clark County. Longtime fair manager Phil Greschner helped carry on the tradition, and Thorp native Kris Karaba—whose marketing and storytelling talents are well known around the area—kept the parade moving as announcer.
Some contributions are less visible. Amish and Mennonite families are a substantial part of our rural community, though many prefer to live quietly. In recent years, Mennonite neighbors have done much of the preparation and cooking for the Knights of Columbus chicken dinner before Sunday’s parade. One faith community helping another is also part of today’s Owen-Withee history.
The weekend events opened another historical door. Owen Police Chief Patrick Fehlman and I discussed Fred Griffin, the Owen marshal who was shot in 1912 while attempting to arrest suspected thieves on or near the railroad tracks in Owen. He died from his wounds several weeks later at a hospital in Chippewa Falls. Chief Fehlman noted that Griffin is honored on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C. I was able to share a previously unknown photograph of Marshal Griffin—another face returned to our community’s story.
The fair may be smaller than in its glory years, but its meaning cannot be counted only by midway rides, exhibits or parade units. It is measured in alumni coming home, neighbors working together, old friends gathering and stories finding their way back. For one September weekend, past and present met again—and reminded us that local history is still being made.