From Our Early Files July 21, 2021
25 YEARS AGO
July 25, 1996
Voters in the Independence School District will be asked to decide in September whether the district should borrow more than $6 million for a new preschool through 12th grade building. The district board of education voted unanimously Monday night to approve an initial resolution authorizing general obligation bonds for that purpose.
The state Office of the Commissioner of Railroads has issued a final order on the repair of two area Fox Valley and Western Ltd. Railroad crossings. The agency ordered the railroad to upgrade the crossings on Hwy. 121 in the town of Lincoln and on Hwy. 95 in the city of Blair and upgrade warning signals at both. The order finalizes a decision issued after a June hearing on petitions filed against FVW by the state Department of Transportation.
Arcadia High School junior Roy Forsythe recently took fourth place at a National Greco-Roman wrestling tournament held in Fargo, N.D. He, along with approximately 1,000 young wrestlers from across the country, took part in the national competition.
The Arcadia school board passed a referendum resolution to build a new high school facility on the property near the Arcadia Athletic Complex at the regularly scheduled meeting Monday evening. The referendum is scheduled to take place on Oct. 12. The new high school facility is expected to cost an estimated $9.4 million.
The Arcadia Raiders baseball team could be considered one of the Cinderella teams that have qualified for a berth in the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association State Summer Baseball Tournament. The Raiders’ defeated Cuba City 4-3 in the sectional final and will play South Milwaukee in the state tournament.
The Trempealeau County Sheriff’s Department was authorized to buy new computer equipment from P.C. Technology Inc., Eau Claire, for $20,429.
With the sheriff’s department reportedly cracking down on underage drinkers and the Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau coaches asking for more strict and uniform rules, the G-E-T school board is moving forward with a more stringent athletic code.
After an absence of several years, homemade maple syrup will again be exhibited at the Trempealeau County Fair.
The Slette House, a community-based residential facility in Blair, will close its doors at the end of July due to new state laws and regulations. The facility is affiliated with Grand View Care Center. “The new law makes it prohibitive to operate,” said Grand View Car Center Administrator Michael Kittleson.
A major construction remodeling and renovation project at the county courthouse is now in the second of six construction phases. Offices in the courthouse are being shuffled around as Judge John Damon has been holding court in a basement meeting room while the work continues.
50 YEARS AGO
July 29, 1971
Employees of the Land O’ Lakes plant in Whitehall were informed Friday that milk drying operations at the plant will cease Aug. 1 for a 90-day period, after which time it is hoped that milk volume will have increased enough to warrant re-opening. All but about a dozen of the plant’s 45 employees will be laid off.
The Coral City area was without electricity for a time last week Wednesday when a car driven by Dale Olson of rural Osseo struck a truck driven by Howard Olson of Pigeon Falls and then hit a power pole at the intersection of Co. S and Hwy. 53.
Darlene Gabriel hit three home runs as the Pigeon Falls women’s softball team defeated Osseo Lanes 26-8 Monday.
Voters of the Arcadia School District at the annual meeting Monday night approved a budget of $880,111 with a tax levy of $598,961, but not before a few fireworks were heard in what had at first appeared to be a rather routine meeting. Harry Trowbridge said that the budget should be rejected. He proposed that teacher contracts for this year be voided and the district negotiate with unemployed teachers in order to bring instructional costs down. His motion failed to receive a second and died. The motion to accept the budget was then promptly made, seconded and passed by a near unanimous voice vote.
Gerhardt Nilsestuen was elected chairman of the Arcadia school board, succeeding Ernest Sobotta; the Rev. Wayne Radke was reelected clerk and Jerome Schollmeier was reelected treasurer. Members are Conrad Christ, Kenneth Sonsalla, Ernest Sobotta and Maynard Olson.
Jill Sobotta, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Dominic Sobotta, rural Arcadia, and Mary Sendelbach, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Sendelbach, Waumandee, returned recently from the national convention of Future Homemakers of America held in Kansas City, Mo.
About 200 district residents invaded the Gale-Ettrick High School gymnasium for the annual district meeting Monday night. A peaceful district budget meeting preceded the annual meeting at 8 p.m. with Robert Howard, superintendent, explaining the budget for the coming year.
For heroism in aerial flight, Army Private First Class Larry G. Pervinsky, son of Mr. and Mrs. George E. Pervinsky, Galesville, received the distinguished Flying Cross in a recent ceremony near Vinh Long, Vietnam.
The Blair summer school classes traveled to Chippewa Falls to spend part of the day at Irvine Park.
Arvid Sandaker, Oslo, Norway, was visiting relatives in the Ettrick area.
A funnel-shaped cloud touched down near the French Creek Church and caused some damage.
75 YEARS AGO
July 25, 1946
C. Andrew Kuhn, formerly of Black River Falls, has leased the Harold Lindstrom building on Main Street and plans to open a Coast to Coast store there in six to eight weeks. Mr. Kuhn is known here for supervising the construction of the Pix Theatre for Eskin Theatres of Milwaukee, for whom he was operating the Black River Falls theatres at the time.
Acting as agent for the municipalities, County Clerk Roy Matson has secured from the War Assets Administration 32 creosoted poles for athletic fields in Whitehall, Arcadia and Winona. The dozen poles being obtained for this city will be used in the enlarged athletic field adjacent to Melby Park, for which an extensive expansion project is laid out, including bleachers, rest rooms, etc.
Jack Johnson, manager of the Pix Theatre, states that Colonel Larson has completed taking moving pictures in natural colors of Trempealeau County scenes, which will be shown at the Pix in August.
George Stuve’s car burned up in the yard at his home on Dewey Street Wednesday afternoon. A short-circuit is believed to have been the cause.
Mrs. Bennett Anderson, who was taken to the isolation hospital in La Crosse last week, has only a slight case of polio. One of her arms is affected, but she is not paralyzed, and may be able to return home in a few days.
Unanimous approval was given by the Trempealeau County Board of Supervisors to two resolutions relating to an extensive road improvement program at a special meeting held Tuesday. Both were presented by the special committee appointed in April to investigate the proposal, which was introduced at that time. Members of the committee are Burr Tarrant, Bert Gipple and three members of the road and bridge committee.
The village of Ettrick is considering the installation of a sewer system, sewage disposal plant and water system to provide complete treatment service to the village proper and the outlying portion of west Beaver Creek, including the creamery, anticipating future growth of the community.
Leslie Sather, S 1/C, Blair, arrived at his home after receiving his discharge at Great Lakes.
Gerald Melby of the Blair FFA and Beaches Northern Lights 4-H Club was one of the people representing Trempealeau County at the dairy judging contest at the state fair in Milwaukee.
100 YEARS AGO
July 28, 1921
Judge H.A. Anderson is taking lessons in driving a Ford car. He will soon be adept at the wheel, and an expert in spark plugs and differentials.
Judge Hensel has suspended his citizenship class during the harvest. Mr. Hensel is pleased with the interest shown by his pupils.
Portia Lowe took the school census in the Whitehall district last week. The returns show a school population of 297, 152 girls and 145 boys.
Earl Hutchins of Independence was badly scalded when a car ran into his bicycle, and the water from the radiator burned him. He is at the hospital for treatment.
Johnnie Johnson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Theodore Johnson, cut off one finger and badly smashed two others in the gear of a bicycle Tuesday.
Disappointment was expressed with the annual Chautauqua Week program and the local committee refused to sign for another year “as it seems the price of Chautauquas has increased which is contrary to the general trend of things…and people are reluctant in paying higher prices for Chautauquas when the price of labor and produce is on the decline,” according to The Leader.
A warning was issued to parties who were removing and destroying guideposts or placing them on different posts, misdirecting tourists.
Deputy Game Warden A.A. Holmes was in town Tuesday and notified the public of the change in the game laws. Deer tags are now 25 cents instead of 10 cents. Boys under 16 may buy trapping permits for 25 cents. The term “game” means all birds and animals. It is necessary to have a hunting license to shoot wolves or crows.
The Chautauqua tent is being pitched at the ballpark in Trempealeau in preparation for a five-day session. Thousands are expected to attend this summer number.
125 YEARS AGO
July 23, 1896
Hon. J.H. Berkley, prohibition candidate for governor, addressed a fair-sized audience at Opera Hall last evening, from a prohibitionist point of view.
Prof. Elertson of Coon Prairie is teaching a term of parochial school at the graded school building.
The Whitehall town board has decided to replace the bridges, for which abutments have been put in on the Ervin and Pigeon creeks, with steel structures. These will, of course, cost more than wood, but will last enough longer to more than compensate for the difference, and besides are much nicer in ever way.
The two-year-old child of Mr. and Mrs. Chris Anderson of the Scandinavian Hotel, and its nurse, fell through a trapdoor into the cellar Thursday, nearly killing the child and considerably injuring the girl. The little one is thought to be improving, but it is possible that it may never fully recover from the effects of the fall.
Work has been done on the track at the fairgrounds this week, and there are half a dozen horses now in training there. The premium list for the upcoming fair is now in press at this office, and will be the most attractive ever issued by the association, the premiums being enlarged until they are beyond doubt the most liberal offered by any society in this part of the state.
