From Our Early Files Jan. 13
25 YEARS AGO
Jan. 18, 1996
He was a thousand miles a way, and a couple days early — but for the long-suffering Green Bay Packer fan who couldn’t’ get to Dallas, Texas, last weekend, a tailgate party in the parking lot of the county courthouse was close enough. So Trempealeau County Treasurer Vitus Kampa set up his grill Friday to fix some brats in honor of the Packers’ appearance in the National Football Conference championship game Sunday.
The Dairyland Conference has asked the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association to find another league for Onalaska Luther. District administrators from the conference schools voted 8-1 with one abstention Thursday to request WIAA consideration for reassigning the private parochial school. Alma cast the lone “no” vote and Luther abstained.
Despite opposition by some of its members, the Trempealeau County board of supervisors Monday night awarded the bid for the planned remodeling and improvement project of the courthouse. The 15-4 vote chose Market Johnson of Eau Claire with a bid of $2.55 million as the general contractor for the work.
President and co-owner of Northern Investment Company Richard Warner maintains that the company is trying to reach a larger clientele. He believes that the recent acquisition of Weiss & Associates, a real estate company based in Durand, is a move that can give his company an opportunity to thrive in the future.
The first baby of 1996 at Franciscan Skemp Healthcare in Arcadia is Andrew James Yusten, born Jan. 11 to Michelle Belisle and Glenn Yusten.
Rev. Arnold Flater was named by Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau school board president Rick Nemitz to head a citizens group that will aid the board in dealing with the issues that surfaced in a report about substance abused and other at-risk behavior by G-E-T students.
The term “citizen input” took on a new meaning at old Marynook. Organizers of a town meeting on how to use the 30-acre site that the city purchased last summer handed out maps and colored markers, to let residents illustrate which portions of the grounds and buildings were most important in their view. They probed the 50 or so residents who showed up from as far as Whitehall on what uses they’d like to see at the site of what’s been called Wisconsin’s oldest university, more recently an ecumenical retreat center.
A special election will be held on May 4 to allow residents of the Blair-Taylor School District to vote on a $6.5 million building referendum for the construction of a new high school in the rural area between Blair and Taylor and to remodel the existing Blair building for grades pre-K to eight.
CJ’s Café, Gilbert Street, downtown Blair, will hold its grand opening Jan. 17 through Jan. 27 with specials galore.
50 YEARS AGO
Jan. 21, 1971
Discussion of names for submitted for the new school nearing completion in west Whitehall was on the agenda for the school board meeting held Monday night. Student Council representatives Barb Bensend and Carol Hanson explained their choice of six names, and these and other from a list of 41 names will be considered by the board. Final decision will be by a vote of the entire student body.
Mrs. Henry Thoreson was injured when she was struck by a car operated by Roger Johnson of Hixton while walking along Hwy. 53 last week Wednesday morning.
Debbie Humphrey and Solveig Aasen will take the lead roles of Helen Keller and her teacher, Ann Sullivan, in the Whitehall High Drama Club production of “The Miracle Worker” to be staged this weekend.
The Arcadia city council accepted a truck bid for the city street department, discussed problems with members of the utility commission and contracted for a chemical fertilizer that prevents grass growth, thereby eliminating cutting for the city parks.
Cari Ann Vogel, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Vogel of Arcadia, arrived at St. Joseph Hospital Monday at 3:35 a.m. to claim the first baby of the yew year honors and become the recipient of prizes in the 16th annual First Baby Contest sponsored by the Arcadia business and professional people.
Arcadia Volunteer Firemen were called to the Kenneth Bucholz farm in Norway Coulee Thursday where fire destroyed a kennel and 15 dogs.
“At last it’s over — finally we can get to work and really start integrating and improving primary and secondary education in all the schools of the Trempealeau, Ettrick and Galesville communities,” Robert Howard, superintendent of the G-E- School District said when it became obvious that the referendum for the attachment of the Trempealeau District to the G-E District had passed. The only area in which the referendum was defeated were the villages of Ettrick and Trempealeau as it passed 927-602.
The second annual trout fishing contest held on Lake Marinuka last Sunday was a success, according to Jim Brandtner, volunteer trout club secretary.
75 YEARS AGO
Jan. 17, 1946
The Otis Elevator Co. is now installing a passenger elevator at the Community Hospital in Whitehall, which will have a ground-floor ambulance entrance and openings on all three floors. Bed-ridden patients will be able to be moved easily from floor to floor, and no longer will it be necessary set a fracture under anesthesia on the first floor, when it can be done more efficiently in the operating room.
G.C. Boll, superintendent of the Whitehall schools, was awarded the Silver Beaver Award by the Gateway Council, Boy Scouts of America Monday evening, only one of two such awards presented in the council’s region this year.
A musical concert under the direction of Lawrence Ernst, orchestra and band director, and Mrs. Mary Forsythe, vocal music teacher, will be presented at Whitehall High Jan. 23.
Curtis Stuve has completed the stripping of tobacco from the 11-and-a half acres he raised on the Stuve farm in the town of Lincoln this year. His father, George Stuve, and his brother Gaylord, recently discharged from service, assisted him. This was the largest acreage ever raised on the farm.
A heavy blast of dynamite Friday at the Neuheisel quarry on the Arcadia ridge south of that city loosened chunks of limestone, some of which weighed half a ton, which destroyed buildings on the Edward Kolstad farm.
Tim Main, agricultural instructor at Holmen and Mindoro the past six years, has been engaged by the Trempealeau County agricultural committee as 4-H club agent for the county.
Eugene Brownlee is the new owner of the former Paetow Jewelry store in Arcadia. He takes over the management of the store this week, but Mr. Paetow will remain to do repair work for the time being.
Major Benedict Walske, physician and surgeon, announced this week that he will locate in Arcadia to practice medicine. Office quarters are being prepared for him now in the second story over the Farmers Store.
100 YEARS AGO
Jan. 20, 1921
All kinds of weather in the last week, below zero, fierce snowstorm, rain and today regular April sunshine.
The first anniversary of constitutional prohibition was celebrated at the Baptist church Sunday night. Judge Hensel took as his theme the judicial phase of the question, pointing out some of the obstacles to the enforcement of the 18th Amendment and how to correct them. The storm kept many away, but the few that were there are said to have found new light and deepened conviction of the need for prohibition.
Fred Lowe leaves tomorrow with another Surety Farm Co., excursion for Texas. No use to go south for the winter, with robins singing here at home, and frogs croaking.
Miss Bill, the county nurse, completed her examination of the Whitehall school Thursday. She reported that the Whitehall pupils have as good health as the average. The importance of this work cannot be exaggerated, and wherever the county nurse has inspected, results are show both in schoolwork and in the health of the students.
An “old time” farewell surprise, with games, music and singing, was given Mr. and Mrs. J.J. Scott Saturday evening by a number of friends. Mr. and Mrs. Scott leave soon to make their home in Texas.
The Galesville Republican last week recalled the courtesies extended to the press 40 years ago, when publishers were often the recipients of cord wood, grubs, pumpkins and goose grease. Brother Gipple this year received apples, chickens and pork chops from admiring friends, accompanying New Year greetings.
York — Edwin and Clarence Eid have begun cutting and hauling ice from the mill dam to the York creamery.
The body of Private John Schock, the first Trempealeau County boy who was drafted and died of wounds received in France, arrived here for burial.
W.E. Bishop was elected worshipful master of Arcadia Lodge 201, F & A.M.
125 YEARS AGO
Jan. 16, 1896
Remember the big mask ball at Opera House tomorrow evening.
Ole Vold will move back onto the farm when he give possession of his residence in the village to John O. Gilbertson.
There will be a mask ball at the Grange hall in Pleasant Valley on Jan. 31. Good music will be furnished, and a pleasant time is assured for all.
J.P. Mallery has sold his farm of 80 acres in Hale to P.L. Solberg of this village, taking in part payment what is known as the Johnson property, near the fairgrounds.
C.J. Anderson, proprietor of the Scandinavian Hotel, was pleasantly surprised by a large number of his friends last Monday evening. Mr. Anderson’s friends presented him with a dozen large office chairs.
Merchant John O. Gilbertson, who contemplated buying lots in the village on which to build a residence, could not secure a desirable location, and has rented the Ole Vold residence in the south ward. He will remove his family from Frenchville and take possession of the property the first of next month. The Times-Banner is pleased to have Mr. Gilbertson become a permanent resident of Whitehall.
John Terring and family left Tuesday for Minnesota. His family has been financially supported by town of Lincoln the past year.
Blair -- Oluf Bredeson opened the immersion season Saturday by precipitating himself into the mill pond all over while cutting ice. Oluf inadvertently placed himself on the cake he was sawing off, and met with about the same mishap as did the Irishman who sat on the limb he was severing from a tree.
Pigeon Falls -- Carl Kaas, who was injured severely by being kicked on the leg above the knee by a horse about two weeks ago, is at Blair being treated by Dr. Bodom. We understand an operation has been performed.
Pigeon Falls -- The athletic club is having its weekly meetings and the boys say that muscle is developing under Druggist Nyhus’ instruction.
Blair -- It was considered impudence on the part of the young man in town the other day, who never owned a foot of real estate, to ask a young lady to share his lot.
