From The Early Files Jan. 6
25 YEARS AGO
Jan. 11, 1996
Figuring out what to do with the Whitehall Municipal Swimming Pool and an anonymous donation offered to help repair or replace it, is such a serious issue that the full city council will have to come up with the answer. Mayor Keith Johnson Tuesday night said he would appoint all six aldermen to serve on the committee that will recommend what to do with the pool. “It’s too important of a thing…that will be your legacy to the kids,” the mayor told the council members.
An Osseo teenager already on probation for car theft is facing four new felony charges, in the wake of a high-speed chase over roads in Trempealeau and two neighboring counties. Quentin Evenson, 18, was arrested in Osseo last week Wednesday after being pursued for over an hour by the Eau Claire and Trempealeau county deputies, local police and Wisconsin State Patrol.
A rural Whitehall man, who is fighting Trempealeau County’s mobile home ordinance, won’t know until nearly a year after he was cited for violating the code whether he has won or lost his battle. Circuit judge John Damon postponed a hearing scheduled for last week Wednesday on a motion filed by the attorney representing John Long. Damon asked Alan Robertson of Blair and District Attorney Laverne Michalak to file additional legal briefs in the case.
Jenny Pehler recently opened Main Street Floral and Crafts at her residence, 851 East Main St., in Arcadia. Pehler maintains that she has always had an interest in creating floran arrangements. She said that people have always told her she was a creative individual.
The waiting is finally over for the members of the Arcadia Cooperative Association. On Friday morning, the organization opened the doors of its new convenience store to the general public. The cooperative owns the building and will be leasing out half of it to Burger King.
The Franciscan Skemp Foundation Arcadia, previously known as the St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation, has been working diligently since 1978 to supply the medical facility with equipment and space to take better care of the citizens in Arcadia and the local area.
“Everything’s going alright, except that they lost everything.” That was the message from the flooded Sava River north of Tuzla, Bosnia, where Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau graduate Scott Uhl helped army engineers overcome nature in putting up a bridge allowing NATO troops to reach the spots where they will play peacekeepers for the next year.
There are no free nights left on this spring’s calendar for a new G-E-T High School awards night, sot he event will be delayed at least until 1997. In the meantime, principal Craig Gerlach will send parents a survey on the idea of separating scholarship awards from the traditional Saturday afternoon graduation ceremony.
Fire damaged the interior of a 1987 midsized sedan in the Galesville business district, but the owner was able to drive it away. “The car still works, so I’ve still got my work car and no one is hurt,” said Fred Hackett.
A Galesville native with a love for country music and “an itch to go to Nashville” will get to scratch his itch soon. But his weeklong visit to the capital of country music isn’t the climax for Scott Foster, it’s the rest of the beginning of his quest for status as a singer-songwriter. Foster sent a company that assists aspiring musicians a compact disc on which he sings four of his own compositions. “They called me back; I was surprised,” Foster said.
The first baby of 1996 born at Black River Memorial Hospital was Brady Jason Kidd, son of Brian and Kristine Kidd, Blair.
Corner Café opened in downtown Blair on Jan. 2. Located at 106 Urburg Ave, home of the former Our Town Café, the building underwent a few renovation since its purchase. Wally and Shaun Berg purchased the business and they are open seven days a week.
50 YEARS AGO
Jan. 14, 1971
There were 33 fewer citizens in Trempealeau County in 1970 than in 1960, according to the final U.S. Census figures. The city of Whitehall gained 24 in population over that period, while the surrounding town of Lincoln dropped from 882 to 811.
Dr. Dennis Strangstalien opened a dental office in the Dr. S.B. Ivers office building on Ellis St. on Monday of this week. The doctor, who is starting in private practice after completing three years in Army service, and his family are occupying an apartment in the Lyle Pavek duplex on Anderson St.
City Clerk A.E. Berg reports 140 births in Whitehall during 1970, down from 145 the previous year. Marriages also decreased, from 29 to 21.
Robert Luethi, son of Mr. and Mrs. Melvin Luethi, Waumandee, has received confirmation from the Secretary of the Navy of his appointment by the President of the United States to the rank of lieutenant in the Naval Reserve.
Dave Schreiber was reelected president of the Arcadia Sportsmen’s Club at the annual meeting held last week Tuesday. Bob Myers was elected vice president, succeeding Mike Lettner.
Arcadia Chief of Police Edward Kaiser warned snowmobile owners that the operation of snowmobiles on city streets s prohibited by state law. Snowmobiles are allowed to cross city streets, but the operator of the machine must be at least 12 years of age.
Robert Howard, superintendent of the Gale-Ettrick District, has been chosen to serve on a superintendent’s advisory council to the Wisconsin Improvement Program.
The Galesville Community Chest has reached its goal of $2,900, according to Rolf Hammer, manpower committee chairman.
The Ettrick and Galesville Lions Clubs are accepting donations of any sort for the Loren Howe family who lost all their clothing and some furniture in a fire recently.
75 YEARS AGO
Jan. 10, 1946
At the annual meeting of the Whitehall Volunteer Fire Company Friday evening, a 50 percent bonus was declared. The firemen receive 50 cents for each weekly meeting they attend, 50 cents for each extinguisher fire, $1 for each hose fire plus 50 cents and hour after the first hour. The company was called to 28 fires during 1945, 18 of which were chimney fires.
Joe Matchey, owner of the Matchey machine shop in Whitehall, plans an enlargement of his building as soon as labor and materials are available. He has taken the agency for the Minneapolis-Moline line of farm equipment, and intends to stock a complete line of farm machinery.
Emil Hill of Gordon, who has acted as guide for the Whitehall-Independence deer hunters the past few years, came to Whitehall Wednesday to submit to an operation at Community Hospital.
100 YEARS AGO
Jan. 13, 1921
F.W. Lowe went to the Rio Grande Valley again last week, accompanied by a large party of excursionists from Hixton. Mr. Lowe intended to remain for some time to look after the planting of a crop on land that he bought on a previous trip, but the purchase of property by 11 out of 12 of the bunch with him on this excursion moved the Surety Farm Co. to secure Mr. Lowe’s services to return and arrange for another excursion to leave here Jan. 21. He returned Monday and is now out talking of the Eden of the South to others. Ward Lowe and wife were of the number who went last week and bought a tract.
Among the institutions in Whitehall which have come into being in the past few years, and which does its work quietly yet most effectively, is the nurse’s training school conducted in conjunction with the Whitehall Community Hospital. Although the school is only three years old, there are already 10 nurses in training. The school is open to all young women of good moral character between the ages of 19 and 35 years, and members of all denominations are admitted on equal terms. They should have two years of high school work or its equivalent, but where this has not been obtained, this instruction may be given in conjunction with the training.
Sam Marsolek was brought to the hospital Friday. He suffered a broken leg when his team ran away while hauling wood, throwing him under the runner.
Pigeon Falls — Marion, little daughter of Mrs. Edwin Johnson, fell from a sewing machine last Tuesday and broke both bones in her arm.
York — The basketball game at the York hall Thursday evening between York and Pigeon Falls was very exciting. The score was 9 to 8 in favor of York.
George Schwertel has taken over the management of the Wadham gas station at the intersection of Highways 93 and 95 on the west part of the city. The station was formerly operated by Quentin Burt.
Gust Behnke, a 50-year-old foreman at the Neuheisel Lime works five miles south of Arcadia, received severe facial cuts and body bruises in an accident at the quarry Friday morning. Behnke’s clothes became caught in the shaft as he adjusted a rock feeder on the pulverizer.
This week a new charter was received by the local post of the American Legion. When the post was first chartered it was listed as the Rowles Post No. 103. It is now officially registered as the William F. Rowles Post 103.
Arrangements are being made for the opening of the Beaver Valley State Bank at Ettrick within a few days. This new bank is capitalized for $25,00 and starts with a surplus of $5,000.
A quarantine has been established at the home of Albert Swartling, South Street in Galesville, where a case of smallpox has been reported. Nearly all the children and the teacher in District No. 3 have been vaccinated.
125 YEARS AGO
Jan. 9, 1896
Oluf Mattson vacated his hotel Monday and moved his family into Martin Engen’s dwelling house to temporarily reside.
Dr. Olson of Osseo has quarantined the homes of Wm. Person, Severin Peterson and Gust Berg, in the town of Garfield, Jackson County, on account of diptheria.
The sociable and public installation of the Women’s Relief Corps held on Saturday evening at Scott’s Hall, were well attended, those who were present expressing themselves as amply repaid for their attendance.
A remarkable proposition is that made in Philadelphia, that the art of shopping should be taught in the public schools. Women, it appears to us, don’t need any teaching, and men don’t want to know.
Town Treasurer A.E. Wood desires us to state that he will postpone the additional charge of three percent for collection of taxes from Jan. 10 to 16. Parties who wish to take advantage of this extension of time must pay before the 16th, as on that day the regular five percent will be charged.
Blair — Dr. Bodom’s horse took fright at harmless clothes swinging on a line in a door yard by the wayside about two miles out of town Monday, and precipitating the good doctor to the ground, the animal made for home at a lively pace. Dr. Bodom did not receive a scratch, and the only injury sustained was that received by the cutter as it went though the gateway into the doctor’s door yard.
