From Our Early Files July 14, 2021
25 YEARS AGO
July 18, 1996
Jerry Freimark, district administrator of the Whitehall schools, was elected to serve as the chairman of the Western Wisconsin Technical College District board of directors for the coming year.
Outgoing club president Ken Colby was presented with the Whitehall Lions Club’s Citizen of the Year Award.
Mining companies spend, and make, a lot of money getting minerals out of the ground. The Flambeau Mining Co. hasn’t turned a shovel, much less a profit in Trempealeau County so far, but the firm is already spending money to produce something that could be even more important to its success: a favorable public opinion. The company last week started running large advertisements in The Times about environmental issues involved in mining. Earlier, the Times received a press release concerning the taxes paid to state and local governments by Flambeau’s mine near Ladysmith and economic benefits it has created in that area.
The upholstery division opened at Ashley Furniture less than a year ago and already the company is adding a new dimension to its newest line. In April of this year, Ashley announced that it would be entering into the very competitive leather upholstery market.
The Arcadia Police Department and city council recently hired Dale Marsolek to fill the patrolman position vacated by Jeff Halvorsen last month. Marsolek is the son of Richard and Betty Marsolek of Independence and is a 1987 graduate of Independence High school. Most recently, he has been a jailer at the Trempealeau County Sheriff’s Department, where he spent four years.
Antique tractors, a pancake breakfast, a faster demo derby and a sawdust pile for kids are among the added attractions planned for the Trempealeau County Fair. The 138th version of the fair opens Thursday and runs through Sunday.
Roger Kordus, who teaches vocational agricultural courses at Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau High School was honored as Outstanding Agriculture Education Teacher at the 79th Conference for Wisconsin Instructors in Agriculture/Agribusiness Education in Madison.
Elaine Delaney and Glenn Brommerich shared Citizen of the Year honors as civic groups voted from among their nominees for the annual award presented during the Miss Trempealeau Pageant. Melissa Meunier was named the new Miss Trempealeau.
Three new staff people have been hired at the Blair-Taylor School District including Dave Feidt, Onalaska, psychologist; Jeff Eide, Eau Claire, gifted and talented coordinator and Darrin Briggs, West Salem, third grade.
Adam Pronschinske, 21, of Blair was in stable condition at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Arcadia, where he was taken after his arm came in contact with a wire while he was working as a lineman in rural Fountain City.
50 YEARS AGO
July 22, 1971
Youths 18 to 20 years of age will have their first opportunity to vote in Trempealeau County at the annual school meetings to be held this coming Monday. The constitutional amendment granting the franchise to that group has been ratified by the required number of states and signed by President Nixon.
Bids for the new Whitehall swimming pool will be opened at the regular city council meeting to be held Aug. 10. The S and C Club has donated $38.40 to the swimming pool fund.
Alma Center Lincoln sewed up the Dairyland Conference baseball title here Tuesday, by defeating Whitehall 11-3 and finishing with a 13-1 record. The Norsemen, who ended up 11-3, had hoped to share the championship by beating the Hornets.
Kent Nilsestuen, son of Mr. and Mrs. Gerhard Nilsestuen, rural Arcadia, will attend a national agri-business conference, the American Institute of Cooperation Summer Institute at Colorado State University on Fort Collins, Colo. Aug. 1-4.
Clarence Crum was installed as president of the Arcadia Lions Club last Tuesday night, succeeding Stanley Wiersgalla.
About 200 members of the Gale-Ettrick School District met in the G-E High School to vote for a new elementary school in Galesville. When all the talk was over, the district cast an overwhelming vote of 120-56 to purchase the 20 acre Douglas and Leon Sacia property on French Road for a total of $38,500.
A Numsen TV Sales and Service Agency will open soon in Galesville at 118 So. Main, according to Robert A. Numsen, owner of Numsen TV in La Crosse.
All young men going out for athletics at Gale-Ettrick High School during the 1971-72 school year should report for physical and dental examinations on July 28.
75 YEARS AGO
July 18, 1946
Russell Fischer, 25, drowned in the Trempealeau River at swimming beach at Whitehall shortly before midnight on Tuesday. His companion at the time, Le Moine Olson, ran to Main Street, where the first person he met was Hilman Arneson, who notified the sheriff and went with a group to the river. Night Marshal Walter Bensend and Adrian Smieja of Independence found Fischer’s body almost immediately. Examination of the deceased, who could not swim, indicated that heart failure was the cause of death, rather than drowning.
The Trempealeau County Conservation Association voted a nine-day deer season for the coming fall, commencing Nov. 16, after a large group met Monday evening at the courthouse. A controversy in the state followed a decision by the state conservation congress in June to set only a four-day season. Lloyd Anderson of Ettrick, chairman of the meeting and a county delegate to the state congress, was instructed to notify the state conservation commissioner of the county’s desires.
The Christmas present that the Pigeon Falls Businessmen’s Club gave to Gerald Hagen, town treasurer of Pigeon, is finally in service. Hagen, crippled by dread infantile paralysis since age seven, has no problem getting around to attend to his duties. The power scooter had to be returned to the factory for an easier starter, but now Hagen drives it regularly, as often as not with a young boy or two perched on the chassis.
Mrs. Bennett Anderson, 38 and the mother of two young children, was taken to the isolation hospital at La Crosse Tuesday evening, suffering with polio. She had been ill for several days, but a stiffening of her lower limbs did not appear until the first of the week.
Everett Guse had lost over 100 pheasant chicks at his game farm, located on the O.H. Settingsgaard place just east of town, which he purchased this past spring, before the marauders were caught. Deciding that badgers had done the job, Everett secured traps from Lester Hanson, and caught one of the animals Wednesday morning. He and his brother David cornered and killed the other badger.
Henry Vogel Jr., son of Mayor and Mrs. Henry Vogel, Arcadia, has been named an Eagle Scout.
The Trempealeau County Electric Cooperative was represented at the REA personal conference and bookkeepers’ school in Madison July 8-11 by E.F. Thornton, project superintendent, M.L. Olson and Betty Schultz. The first day was devoted to discussion of general topics of interest to cooperative personnel. This was followed by three days of instruction in REA accounting procedures.
B.M. Smith, vocational agriculture teacher, resigned from the Blair School District after nine years of teaching to be a supervisor of “on the job” farm training program for veterans.
About 1,000 people attended the Trempealeau County 4-H picnic held at the Blair Riverside Park.
O.I. Slette reported that detasseling corn had started on his 100-acre farm. He has a group of 40 boys and girls from Blair and Taylor.
100 YEARS AGO
July 21, 1921
Work is again progressing on the Dewey Street improvement. The roller went into action Monday, but it was found necessary to remove some of the shale to make room for the crushed rock. The material removed is being put to good use on Park Drive.
The validity of the people of the town of Ettrick voting $55,000 in bonds for the Ettrick and Northern Railroad, it is said, will be tested in court. Attorneys Cowie and Hale of La Crosse have been retained by the bond objectors, and a fight is on.
The band concert last Saturday night attracted a good crowd. The ladies of the Whitehall Improvement Association auxiliary served ice cream and cake, and took in $30.85 for civic improvements.
The bowery dance at Wm. Witt’s was not a success, owing to the storm. It is billed again for next Sunday.
W.E. Clough’s new paper, the Eleva Gazette, is the latest addition to our exchange list. It is a neat, six-column quarto, well-filled with local reading matter and advertising.
Thomas Sobotta Jr. of Korpal Valley was killed by a bold of lightning as he was driving a three-horse team when a sudden thunderstorm came up. One of the horses was also killed, but a hired man near by and the other two horses stunned by the bolt revived. The heavy wind and rain did considerable damage to standing crops. The big Chautauqua tent was blown down and extensively damaged.
Mike Hannon on the Glencoe Ridge completed a new 40x86-foot hall which he planned to open to the public by July 17.
The Galesville Canning Co. plant is closed down for the season of 1921. The total output was approximately 60,000 cases or 1,400,000 cans. Weather conditions cut the canning season short.
Dr. Christiansen has the distinction of driving the first Cole car owned in Galesville. A handsome Cole Eight was placed in his garage last week.
Nearly 200 members of the Masonic fraternity assembled in Blair Thursday night to help institute a new Masonic Lodge.
Thomas Nelson’s new barn in Crystal Valley was dedicated Saturday night with a dance.
125 YEARS AGO
July 16, 1896
The Whitehall village board was in regular session Monday night at the hose house. The principal business transacted was the granting of a franchise to Arcadia Telephone Co., allowing them the privilege of constructing their lines within the village limits.
John O. Gilbertson gave away an $85 music box the first of the month, as an incentive to trade. Every customer was given a coupon for each dollar of goods purchased, and the greatest number of tickets took the box. O.C. Haralsrud was the winner, with 130 coupons, and the guests of the City Hotel now enjoy the sweet strains of music.
A foot bridge has been built across Ervin Creek on Dodge Street. It is a convenience to the dwellers on Mill Street and a great many others.
Prof. Huleatt, Wm. Buchholz and Clarence Van Tassel returned Tuesday evening from their hunting and fishing expedition to the northern part of the state, having had a splendid time.
