Withee Township

Clark County
Townships

Withee Township

written and contributed by Kay Scholtz <scholtz@tznet.com>

Note: There are presently 33 townships in Clark County.
Thirty-two townships are of standard size each covering six square miles.
The Township of Foster includes two 6 square mile areas.

Withee was created by the Clark County Board on June 11, 1879 and held its first meeting in April of 1880 at the Bernard Brown home. The township was named in honor of Niran H. Withee, a native of Maine born in 1827. Niran Withee came to LaCrosse County, WI, in 1852 and on to Clark County in 1870. He was heavily involved with lumbering in the Black River Valley. Withee served as county treasurer in 1875 and was in the assembly for 2 terms. Mr. Withee organized the Island Mill Lumber Company at La Crosse which he was head of until his death. He built a large farm, stave and heading mill, and cheese factory at Longwood, Clark County. Niran also owned a line of towboats on the Mississippi River. He died at his home in La Crosse in 1887.