From Our early Files December 9
25 YEARS AGO
Dec. 14, 1995
Despite all the problems the city of Whitehall has had with its swimming pool the past few years, city officials have maintained that replacing the facility would be too expensive. Building a new pool or renovating the existing one hasn’t gotten any cheaper. But as of Tuesday night, one of those options is definitely more doable. The legal representatives for an anonymous donor appeared at the city council’s regular meeting Tuesday with an offer that the city probably can’t refuse. The donor is offering the city the principal and income from a trust fund to pay part of the cost of building a new pool, or renovating the existing pool. The total currently in the fund is $105,081.95.
A 19-year-old man has been sentenced to prison for holding a gun on his father during a robbery attempt. Cody Fernholz pleaded guilty in Trempealeau County Circuit Court Oct. 24 to armed robbery and aggravated battery, both as a party to the crime. As a result, Judge John Damon sentenced Fernholz to seven years in state prison on the armed robbery count with a five-year probation to be served after his release.
In the five years that the Whitehall Area Chamber of Commerce has held the Festival of Trees, participants have hade to put up with cold weather or snowy conditions a couple of times, but never both of them at once, or in such extremes. Friday’s near-blizzard conditions resulted in the cancellation for the first time of the parade that kicks the annual Christmas promotion of, and apparently impacted festival events held on Saturday as well.
Roger Klein and his family raise llamas. It is a project which Klein and his family have been involved in since 1985. “It has been a real tool in bringing our family closer together,” Klein said. “It is also an excellent stress-reliever for me.”
One person who has learned not to take anything for granted is Polly Vogel. On Dec. 18, she will be celebrating her 100th birthday.
The new administrator of the Franciscan Skemp Health Care-Arcadia Campus is Robert Tracey, a Mindoro native.
Property tax bills due in south Trempealeau County in 1996 show lower rates, reversing a trend and resulting in lower tax bills for those who escaped a hike in property valuation. The tax bills also hit at even larger cuts than have been promised. Those cuts are due in 1997 after a major shift of school property taxes to the state.
The chairman of the Galesville city council streets and alleys committee would like to shed a little light on detour routes in the city. Specifically, councilman Gary Redsten would like a streetlight placed at the intersection of Highways K and 93, especially since some motorists are likely to use that entrance to the city once the south Beaver Creek Bridge is torn down to make way for a new span.
Art Gillmeister doesn’t think of himself as one of a steadily declining number — he’s having too much fun cutting hair in his Galesville barbershop for that. When asked about the fact that only two male barbers advertise their presence in the south Trempealeau County, Gillmeister recalls when his late father Don, was one of three barbers in Galesville. It just doesn’t bother Gillmeister that he’s the only practicing barber between Holmen and Blair these days.
Matt Bush, a senior at Blair-Taylor High School, was presented with a new letter jacket from B-T athletic director Gerald Blaha. The communities of Blair and Taylor, school friends and staff donated money for the purchase. Bush was injured in a car accident last October and, at the time, his jacket was cut off by emergency personnel upon extracting and aiding him at the scene of the crash.
Santa Claus will be back in Blair with his reindeer and sleigh on Dec. 23, making home visits from 6 to 9 p.m.
The Sports Page in downtown Black River Falls is now taking orders for Jarrod Lovette basketball jerseys. Navy blue and gold lettering, the backside will bear Lovette’s name and number (45) with the Marquette University logo on the front.
50 YEARS AGO
Dec. 17, 1970
Whitehall city councilmen voted last week Tuesday night to locate the new swimming pool, which is to be built in the coming year, near the site of the old pool.
The Whitehall High School Student Council is sponsoring a contest, open to area residents and WHS students and graduates, to name the new high school building which is to be completed during the spring of 1971. The council will chose five of the names from among those entered for approval by the school board, and the student body will make the final selection.
Arcadia’s new sewage lagoon went into full operation Dec. 7. Since then, sewage and industrial wastes from the entire city and the A-G broiler plant are pumped into the lagoon at approximately 800 gallons per minute.
A funeral service for Joseph Pietrek Jr., 35, a former Arcadia resident who was killed in a two-car crash near Neillsville Thursday afternoon was held Monday at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in North Creek.
Arcadia Chief of Police Edward Kaiser reported that three recent break-ins and entries in the city have been solved with the apprehension of six juveniles from Arcadia. One juvenile was involved in the break-in and entry at Gil’s Service Station a week ago Friday in which $300 was taken and also in a break-in at Kokott’s warehouse where some beer was stolen. Five other juveniles were apprehended for a break-in at Bautch Motor Sales about six weeks ago in which five cans of spray paint were taken. Several signs within the city were damaged with the stolen paint.
Rev. K.M. Urburg will conduct a Norwegian Christmas service at Blair First Lutheran Church Dec. 20.
Blair stores will be open seven evenings before Christmas.
Peter Odegaard, 82, bachelor and one of Ettrick’s older citizens, came to this country in 1911 from Norway. He ran a blacksmith shop here.
The Kenneth Olsons of Ettrick are erecting a concrete block dwelling house near their concrete block factory.
75 YEARS AGO
Dec. 13, 1945
Children of the entire Whitehall trading area will be entertained at a Christmas party on Saturday, Sept. 22. The entertainment will include a free movie at the Pix Theatre. Manager J.L. Johnson says that, in order to accommodate the children, only those who can view the show unattended will be admitted. In previous years, many adults have accompanied their children, which has resulted in a crowded condition.
The first carload of honey ever to be shipped from the Green Bay and Western Railroad station at Whitehall left Monday for Lima, Ohio. It included 46,809 pounds of the product raised by Henry Schaefer of the town of Hale, who has about 1,000 colonies in this area, plus those he keeps in the Red River Valley at Oklee, Minn. The Green Bay station is a busy place these days, sending out three to four tank-loads of milk and cream a day from the Land O’ Lakes plant, in addition to the usual run of business.
Preliminary plans for staging a Homecoming Community Dance were made at the monthly meeting of the Hutchins-Stendahl American Legion Post Tuesday. The dance will be sponsored by the World War II veterans, who now make up at least half the membership of the post here.
Richard Rumsch of Minneapolis, a salesman for a barber supply house who was in town Saturday on business, says that Whitehall was the first town on his route that was decorated for the holiday season.
A Chevrolet truck owned and driven by Herman Pape of Independence, loaded with block wood, crashed into a boxcar on a freight train at the Green Bay and Western Railroad crossing on Abrams St. Tuesday morning. Mr. Pape was not injured, but the front of the truck was badly damaged.
Traffic Officer H.F. Theurer opened safety patrols at the Elk Creek, Pleasantville and Caswell schools, to complete a dozen such patrols that have been established in Trempealeau County to date, including at the Pigeon Falls State Graded School.
The new pipe organ in St. Michael’s Church in North Creek will be dedicated Sunday afternoon.
John Runkel, recently discharged from army duty, has purchased the store from his brother. Formerly known as Allen’s store, the store will now be known as the City Drug Store in Arcadia.
Blair streets are a blaze with holiday color after several years of blackout.
Oscar Frederixon purchased the former Lee Jewelry Store building and plans to modernize it and move the barbershop there.
Spec’s Coffee Shop will be open Thursday in Blair by Lloyd Skogstad with Mrs. Henry Clatt and Mrs. Ida Dale as cooks.
Roger Halverson and William Leetz have returned home from the service.
Charlotte Beirne is employed at the Ettrick Firestone Store.
100 YEARS AGO
Dec. 16, 1920
The Wisconsin-Minnesota Light and Power Co.’s crew of linemen have been busy the past week closing up the gaps in the work here, and then prospect is that we will soon have that service here in Whitehall.
Two Trempealeau County boys, Ensel Evenson and Elmer Schultz, are among the many factory operators who are attending the dairy course at the University of Wisconsin.
Children playing about the courthouse are warned to conduct themselves as young people should. The janitor has a number of them spotted for indecent conduct.
Peterson Bros. delivered an Oldsmobile eight to Mr. Metzger at Blair Saturday, also a Dodge to Albert Killian at Independence, also a Dodge truck and Ford convertible a week ago.
The Light English Operate Company presented the comic opera, “patience.”
Arcadia’s tax rate was $3.83 per hundred compared to $2.85 in 1919. Total tax to be collected was $43,349.50.
Two Trempealeau County boys, Ensel Everson and Elmer Schultz, were attending the 12-week UW dairy course at Madison.
125 YEARS AGO
Dec. 12, 1895
The waterworks piping was extended into the basement of the courthouse by Thompson and Bakken last week.
D. Wood will build a large warehouse west of the Cargill’s on the side track, and will commence work immediately.
Knudt Jodhalen has purchased the interest of Filla Bros. in the city meat market, and is now a partner in the firm of Simon Olson and Co.
Oluf Mattson has leased his hotel property Ole Haralsrud of Pigeon for two years, possession to be given the first of January. Henceforth, Oluf will shove the jack-plane.
The Black River Falls Banner reports that the dispute over the question of a graded school for the villages of Sechlerville and Hixton, which has agitated both places for the better portion of the summer, has been ended by an order of the state superintendent of schools handed down last week. The school will probably be located midway between the villages, and will comprise several rooms.
Pigeon Falls — The latest organization at the Falls is the Pigeon Falls Athletic Club, with Ed Nyhus, the druggist, as the instructor.
Blair — One night last week, parties made a raid on the hennery of Mrs. C.H. Melby, living east of the village, and stole between 40 and 50 chickens. Certain persons are suspected, and if the theft is proven against them, the crime not only will cost them handsomely, but will leave a stain upon their character.
Independence — The final test of the waterworks has been made, and our system is found perfect. The reservoir is 174 feet above the business portion of the village, and holds 66,000 gallons; the well is 442 feet deep and eight inches in diameter. The total cost of the plant is $6,300.
