Otto Severt

In 1887 as a young man of about 16 years, Otto worked at the Connor Lumber Camp number 4 in Auburndale, for several winters. During one period of time Otto worked the Ice Sleigh (see the detailed logging camp account) that put down a nightly coating of water to refreeze to make "tracks" for the heavy sleigh loads to be brought out of the woods.

He later worked for the Wisconsin Central Railroad, which eventually was leased and purchased by the Soo Line Railroad, starting as a laborer in Auburndale. Several years later he accepted a job as section foreman in Arpin, originally walking the six miles through the woods every day to work. In 1911 the family moved to Arpin.   The sections were small, because most of the labor had to be done manually and all they had to inspect the tracks with were pushcarts, which limited the distance they could travel. This section was part of the main line  between Chicago (Schiller Park, Illinois) and Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Having a small barn and several cows, the Severt’s furnished milk for their neighbors. House to house deliveries of bottle milk and cream were made by the family using a small wagon in the summer and ski’s and sled in the winter. When the route expanded, Otto made deliveries with a milk wagon pulled by his faithful horse, "Doll". Later the auto replaced "Doll".

(Note:  The background is an embossed image of a photograph that was published in the book "A Century with Connor Timber", by Mary Connor.   The picture is also displayed at the Camp Five Logging Museum, Laona, Wisconsin and is also used in a multimedia presentation at the museum.  Pictured are Otto Schultz, Otto Sievert (Severt), and Mike Baltus.  The smaller inserts are Otto and his horse Doll, used for years to deliver milk in Arpin. Donald Rassmussen, Otto's grandson,  is on Doll; Otto with his deer at the cabin of his son Emil; and Otto with Richard Wilke and Fred Sommerfeldt (a brother-in-law) working at the Soo depot in Arpin.)