Lila Haapoja: Oct. 13, 1923 Brantwood Wis.

Dear Friends,
How was your weekend? Mine was not to bad. Ended up going to Appleton so my daughter could get her wedding dress on Saturday. It rained some on Saturday and a little Sunday night. but other wise not a bad weekend.
Here is the next letter from a new girl Lila Haapoja from Brantwood.

As always here is what is says if it's hard for you to read.

     Brantwood, Wis.
       October 13, 1923
Dear Howard,
  I suppose you're
thinking that I'm
writing to you
on an unlucky
day, but it happens
to be Saturday, and
I have plenty of
time.
I haven't much
to write about,
but I wanted to
thank you very
much for the
pictures. You
asked for our
pictures in return
          2
Well, I haven't any,
but the wisest
thing you could do
would be to come
and take some of
us, then you'd
have them. Don't
you think that
would be the
best plan?
  The fires have
been raging quite
badly around here.
All week, the men
have had to be
fighting them day
and night. It's been
rather terrifying.
people have had
         3
their clothes all
packed, ready to
flee. Some places
have burned
altogether.
 And when are
you and Annie
coming to see us?
Be sure to come
while the roads
are still good.
 I guess this is
enough for once,
so good-bye.
     Sincerely,
        Lila Haapoja
Address:
Brantwood, Wis.
R.2.D. #Box 37

I'm not sure how many letters are from her but she sounds like a nice person. I was trying to figure out how to say her name and even asked a few people how to say it but they couldn't. One person did tell me it is a Finnish name. In that area there were a lot of Finns, Norwegians and Swedes.
I tried to see if I could find anything on the internet about fires in that area but couldn't find anything. I did find a little info on Brantwood if you want to know about it.
It is an unincorporated community in southern Price County Wisconsin. It's on Hwy 8 between Prentice and Tomahawk. It was settled in the late 1890's as a logging community by the Knox brothers from Stevens Point. it prospered in the 1920's but in the 1930's it closed up because of the Great Depression.
Today there are less then 400 people in the area.
I have been through there a few times but there is not anything there that I can think of right now.

Anyway here are a few pictures from the past.

Just a couple of the logging pictures. I wonder who the guy is that is waving from the top of the log pile?

This is of the Swanson children who lived close to Grandpa.

Well that's about all I have time for now.
Till next time.
Your friend,
Sandy