From The Early Files

In Tuesday’s primary election, women did not cut a very large figure in their first vote in the county, a total of 710 casting ballots. The Whitehall ladies made the best showing, 98 of them voting.

25 YEARS AGO

Sept. 7, 1995

            Ann Toraason of Whitehall suffered minor injuries when the car she was driving struck the Brookside Apartment building on Claire St. this week Tuesday morning. Unhurt was Eunice Kaas, who resides in the apartment where the car entered the building, but was in another room at the time. Toraason was backing out of the driveway of her home, located across Ervin St. from the apartment, when the car accelerated, jumped the curb and struck the building.

            New full-time teachers at Whitehall middle and high school are Colleen Mertes, Laura Tomasko, Amy Skoyen and Diane Nelson. New to the teaching staff at the Pigeon Falls K-1 Attendance Center are practice teacher Jennifer Suchla and full-time teachers Stephanie Stogdill and Amy Peterson. 

            A five-year-old traffic fatality case will wait at least a couple more months for resolution, while state-of-the-art blood tests and continued legal dueling try to settle the fate of a Blair man. Trempealeau County Circuit Court Judge John Damon last week Wednesday ordered DNA testing of blood samples found in the car in which Julie Murray was fatally injured on Sept. 9, 1990. Damon agreed to rehear arguments over whether statements made by Murray could be used during the trial of Eugene Greenwold later this fall. Greenwold, 30, is charged with causing death by intoxicated operation of a motor vehicle. 

            Music has often been the way in which we can try to effectively communicate with each other. One man has dedicated his life to bringing the enjoyment of music to others. Ernie Reck is celebrating his 35th year on the radio. Reck has been operating through his radio at his home in Arcadia for several years. His remote program is headed through KWNO 1230 AM in Winona, Minn. at 12:45 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 12:30 p.m Sundays. 

            People around Arcadia and surrounding areas wait with great anticipation for the opening of the new Hwy. 93. Construction of the highway ran not a little trouble with the recent rains, which slowed work a great deal. Several hills along the construction site were planted with grass to hold the topsoil in place. The rains severely damaged the newly planted grass and, as a result, some of the topsoil has slid down large embankments. The completion date for the newly constructed highway is set for Oct. 25.

            So, how Clear is Lake Marinuka? Anyone who has been out fishing, surfing to splashing around has a fairly good idea. But only one person has been going out periodically all summer to actually test its clarity. That’s Bill Spencer, he has been keeping an eye on the lake ever since moving to Galesville in 1958 and locating on its west shore. In late April, he began checking the lake’s water clarity for the state Department of Natural Resources. 

            The Galesville city council discharged the city’s public works director Sept. 1, citing his failure to meet a deadline for moving into the city. Dave Teske was relieved of duty the same day in a move that he said caught him off guard because he’d made a down payment on a house in the city. The council acted at a special meeting last Friday. That was the extended deadline given to Teske to move into the city from his rented residence on Highway 54, several miles east of Galesville. The city had extended the deadline by three months, beyond the usual year given new employees to find a residence inside city limits. 

            Burn barrels, the subject of complaints about smelly fumes indicating illegal items, will be banned in Trempealeau starting April 1, 1996. 

            There will bee 11 girls, all sophomores or juniors at Blair-Taylor High school, seeking the title of Miss Blair. Contestants include Jacky Hanson, Shannon Hibbard, Melissa Knutson, Erin Kringen, Lisa Mathson, Jule Thompson, Crystal Stenberg, Carol Stenberg, Sherry Simmons and Terra Noren. 

            During the last two weeks the Trempealeau County Health Department has been notified of six laboratory confirmed cases of Escherichia Coli (E. Coli). All confirmed cases attended the Aug. 13, 1995 Ss. Peter and Paul Fall Festival in Independence. At this time, the festival appears to be the common link between the people. 

50 YEARS AGO

Sept. 10, 1970

            The Whitehall city council Tuesday night authorized advertising for an aluminum pool in two sizes, 42 by 75 feet and 42 by 100 feet. The pool would be erected at the site of the present pool, in the park now being developed east of the country club area. If a bid is accepted and state approval received, the pool could be built in time to open for the season next spring.

            Commanders of Trempealeau County American Legion posts and Legion Auxiliary presidents met recently to plan their Child Welfare program and arrange for the annual fund drive.

            Funeral services for Redmond F. English, 77, prominent Arcadia businessman for over 50 years, who died suddenly at his home at 3 p.m. Saturday, were held Tuesday at Killian Funeral Home. Pallbearers were Ervin Scharlau, Eldon Berg, Edward Thomas, Alvin Kohner, Norbert Schlesser and William Koslo.

            Mr. and Mrs. Bill Roesler will hold grand opening of their newly remodeled bar this Saturday. Formerly Annex Hotel Bar, it is now Bonnie and Bill’s 

            Beach Community Club decided to buy new folding chairs, an electric coffeemaker, to paint the basement and to find out the cost of new screens.

            School opened in Blair with an enrollment of 686 students.

            Quadruplet calves were born to a three-year-old Holstein on the Jack Bradshaw farm in Lakes Coulee. 

            Taylor Old Fashion Days Princess was Linda Koxlien, daughter of Gerald and Beulah Koxlien of Big Slough. Terry (Butch) Hanson won the fullest beard contest, bushy beard to Dick Waldera and lightest to Josh Hansen. 

75 YEARS AGO

Sept. 6, 1945

            The enrollment at the Whitehall high and grade schools, which opened Tuesday, is slightly higher this year than last, with 170 in the high school and 168 in the grades. Six new teachers are on the faculty this year: Mrs. Belle Sutton, Miss Mildred Hagenstad, Miss Sylvia Hanson, Miss Melba Sands, Miss Florence Goplin and Miss Daphne Beeckler.

            Raleigh Gatton of Antigo has come to Whitehall to become a partner with his half-brother, Kenneth Berdan, in the nursery business. Mr. Gatton and Mr. Berdan are busy cutting hundreds of dozens of gladiolas from their gardens in South Whitehall and shipping them to Midwestern cities.

            Burton Risberg of the Sunnyside Cheerites, town of Preston, was chosen as the healthiest 4-H boy in Trempealeau County this year. Lillian Ravnum of Galesville is the healthiest girl.

            School opened Monday in the Pigeon Falls district. Mrs. Thelma Linnerud of Whitehall, new teacher in the upper grades, has 44 pupils; Miss Irene Anderson, who has returned as teacher in the lower grades, has 38.

            Pvt. James Alley has sold his residence property directly west of the post office to Harold Olson. The residence at present is occupied by the William Ball family.

            The Mothers Club of the Whitehall school placed Red Wing pottery vases filled with gladiolas in each of the teachers’ rooms for the opening day of school this week.

            With their 11 to 6 victory over Galesville at the county fair on Labor Day, the Whitehall Cubs now have a recorded of 10 wins and one loss on the season. Ray Hagen was the leading batter for the Cubs, with two doubles and three singles in six at-bats.

            Miss Margrete Roed, leader of the Norwegian underground during the Nazi occupation, will speak in Arcadia Sept. 20 for the National War Fund Drive in Trempealeau County.

            Sylvester Lessman, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Lessman, Dodge, fell onto the handle of the hay fork last Friday while threshing. The fork penetrated his body at the lower end of his spinal column. He receive medical attention at St. Joseph’s Hospital and will be cared for at home. Doctors say it will be some time before he will be able to get back to work. 

            More than 3,000 bushels of oats were threshed from 55 acres and 185 bushes of wheat from six acres at the Emil Stern farm.

            The Blair Bakery, owned and operated by Leonard Ellison, closed its doors Saturday.

            The Julius Johnson farm in Larken Valley was sold to Basil Nyen, consideration being $5,200.

            The contract for digging the new well for the village of Blair was let to the Fisher Well Drilling of Durand. 

100 YEARS AGO

Sept. 9, 1920

            In Tuesday’s primary election, women did not cut a very large figure in their first vote in the county, a total of 710 casting ballots. The Whitehall ladies made the best showing, 98 of them voting.

            The salespeople at both the Modern and the Solsrud Mercantile Co.’s stores were excited the past week, and wanted to wait on the customers at once. Both of these stores have an instrument — the Measuregraph, they call it — that does away with the measuring of yard goods, computes the amount of sales instantly, and eliminates the possibility of incorrect measurements. Just step in and see the wonderful little machine that never makes a mistake as to the yardage or the amount to be paid.

            Dr. E.A. MacCornack has purchased the O.P. Larson residence for the Community Hospital, to be used as a training school for nurses. The school had been registered and only awaits suitable quarters, which will be amply provided by this beautiful home.

            Under the rigid enforcement of the speed regulation in Whitehall since the enactment of the ordinance, only two violations are reported, Percy Lamberson on Aug. 27 and Melvin Bryn on Sept. 4. In both cases, fine and costs were remitted on promise to obey the regulation in the future.

            One of the most pleasant features of the Labor Day program at Whitehall was the match game of indoor baseball played on the ball field Monday afternoon. It was a game between the married men and the single men, and the score at the end was 26 for the benedicts and four for the bachelors. Very few of the old boys were able to attend the dance in the evening, however, and are now oiling up their joints to be ready for another challenge.

            The Wagner school of Hale took the most prizes at the Galesville fair. This is the school that has been under the supervision of Miss Florence Parker for the past four and a half years. Miss Parker will teach at Strum this year.

            Mrs. O.C. Torson, who has spent a seven weeks’ vigil at the bedside of her daughter, Mrs. E.A. Sletteland, sick with typhoid fever, is home again, bringing her convalescent daughter with her.

            Massuere Lumber Company sold its real estate, stock and good will to Central Lumber Company of Stillwater, Minn.

            Hunting season opened Sept. 16. The season was closed to mink and muskrat trapping to prevent their total annihilation. 

125 YEARS AGO

Sept. 5, 1895

            Bussmen and draymen coined ducats running their outfits to and from the fairgrounds. They are resting up this week.

            Tuesday’s session of county court was the largest ever held in the county, 16 cases being on the calendar.

            A thief raided some of the saloons, and tried to force entrance into other business houses here last Tuesday night. There’s going to somebody killed ’round these yer diggings, if this foolin’ don’t let up. Beware!

            The German Lutheran church of Hale will be dedicated on Sunday, Sept. 22. Rev. C. Rutzen of Arcadia will have charge of the services.

            Pigeon Falls — Andrew Foss, who was injured falling from the grandstand at the Whitehall fair, is improving.

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