From Our Early Files March 9, 2022
25 YEARS AGO
March 13, 1997
The city of Whitehall’s special swimming pool committee accepted a design proposal from D.F. Burbach Municipal Engineers. The action by the committee – which consists of the full city council – essentially authorizes the Platteville firm to begin drawing up final plans and specifications.
Persons who loiter in Whitehall’s City Center, and get caught, could find themselves out over $100. The city council unanimously approved a new ordinance making loitering in, or otherwise illegally occupying, the municipal building, an offense punishable by a fine and court costs. A first-offense citation for violating the ordinance would cost a person age 14 or older about $116.
Action by the Trempealeau County Board of Supervisors on a controversial revision of the county’s mining ordinance, originally expected to take place next week, will wait instead until next month. The board’s zoning and land records and land conservation committees, at a joint meeting voted to recommend the ordinance to the full board for adoption. But the committees will not request the ordinance be put on the agenda for this coming Monday’s regular board meeting. Instead, the matter will be on the April 21 meeting agenda.
Students at Arcadia Catholic School have been very busy preparing for various forensics competitions throughout the region. The team, which is comprised of sixth, seventh and eighth grade students, has been very successful to this point in the season. The team has already competed in three competitions.
Members of the Arcadia High School FBLA chapter competed in a variety of business-related events at the regional leadership conference at Logan High School in La Crosse.
Detour signs will be posted Monday morning, the last traffic will be allowed across the south Beaver Creek bridge in Galesville at about noon and demolition of the 1931 span will follow, state Transportation Department officials said Tuesday at a briefing.
“Sweep, sweep” calls out the familiar voice of Henry Grover as he watches a teammate’s rock come humming down the ice. Then he takes his broom and sets it down confidently as a marker for the next curler. It’s the 37th annual season-ending Senior Men’s Bonspiel at the Centerville Curling Club. Grover and Harry Murray, the deans of the club at age 88, are proving that whatever infirmities old age may bring, the spirit of curling is stronger than all of them combined.
50 YEARS AGO
March 16, 1972
Joseph Diffie of Whitehall was arrested at his Main Street residence Sunday afternoon, and was arraigned Monday in Eau Claire County Circuit Court on charges of kidnapping a 17-year-old Eau Claire youth. Paul and Mary Matthews, who rented from Diffie the rural Independence farm where the youth was held for five days, and Dennis Schendel of Independence also are being charged in connection with the crime.
The Wisconsin American Legion has selected Trempealeau County Sheriff’s Deputy Maurice Scow of Whitehall as one of the three outstanding law enforcement officers in the state for 1971.
A decision to close the Waumandee Public School for the 1972-73 school year was made at a special meeting of the Arcadia board of education Friday night. The decision will be reevaluated at the close of the 1972-73 year. The motion carried by a 5-1 vote. The primary reason for closing the school is the dwindling enrollment, according to W.B. Gautsch, superintendent of schools.
Bids on water main and reservoir construction in Arcadia were opened and read by Glen Tamke of Owen Ayres & Associates, city engineers, at a joint meeting of the city council and utility commission. Apparent low bidder on Proposal No. 1, water main construction, is assumed to be Winona Plumbing company, out of Winona, Minn.
The Galesville Youth Development Council has opened a youth center in the old Laundromat located next to the Fairway grocery store. The center has a pool table, pinball machines, jukebox, television and card-playing area and offers candy and pop.
A public meeting is being called for all people of the Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau School District who are interested in working for a new Galesville Elementary School The meeting is set for March 21 at the present Galesville Elementary School gymnasium.
75 YEARS AGO
March 13, 1947
The Fair Oaks Dairy of Whitehall has expanded again, having purchased the Robert Gilbert Dairy at Osseo, which served Osseo, Eleva and Strum. The dairy now furnishes pasteurized milk and cream to those communities and Taylor, Hixton, Northfield, Pigeon Falls, Independence and Whitehall. The proprietors of the dairy are Ernest and Reuben Rasmussen.
An all-boys piano concert will be presented at Whitehall High School next Tuesday, by the students of Mrs. John Jacobsen. Performing will be Richard Rice, Billy Brennom, Kenneth Nelson, Charles Hagen, Roger Erickson, Sheldon Ivers, Charles Keilholtz, Richard Hanson, Richard Mattson, Richard Matson, John Speerstra, Joe Maule, Hans Aleckson and Curtis Torgerson.
Lyman Swaim of Osseo won the $2 first-place prize in the pie-eating contest put on by the Pix Theatre Saturday afternoon following the matinee. Richard Kildahl and Rodney Thompson won second and third place, respectively, and received passes to the show.
Capt. Kenneth Nehring of Alexandria, Va., is spending a couple weeks at the home of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. A.E. Nehring, before starting out for Japan, where the Army has assigned him as an agricultural specialist with the occupation forces.
Robert Engen of Lincoln has been appointed crop insurance agent for the towns of Lincoln and Pigeon, and will serve all those who wish to take advantage of the federal insurance plan.
Lewis Johnson, son of Theodore Johnson of this city, has been engaged as buttermaker by the York Cooperative Creamery. He will succeed Roy Webster, who has resigned to take a similar position at Elk Mound.
The Blair High School basketball team won a place in the state tournament by defeating Altoona 46 to 38 in the sectional finals Saturday. They will play West Allis tonight in Madison. Blair also played in the state tournament in 1932, and was defeated in the first game by Tomah.
Local Catholic parishes will be among the 15,000 Catholic parishes across the nation to launch a gigantic relief campaign for suffering victims of the war on March 16. The drive is behalf of the two internationally known relief agencies of the Catholic Church in America.
Ignatius Sonsalla, a technical sergeant in the Army, was decorated with the British Empire medal in the ceremony held at the St. Paul hotel Wednesday of this week. Awarded by the British government, the medal was presented by British authorities.
100 YEARS AGO
March 16, 1922
The spring breakup is always attended by more or less anxiety on the past of the mill men for the safety of their dams, and the people generally for the security of bridges and roadways. This spring has been no exception to the rule. The heavy snow and ice on the ground has caused high water, and some damage is reported. The Elk Creek dam was washed away, and the precipitation of the pent-up waters of that pond against the Independence dam caused the structure to go. Railroad bridges and culverts have gone out, too, and we have had little service this week, none at all from the west.
The classes in public speaking, citizenship and English at Whitehall High School are studying the local school building problem this week. This question is being analyzed from all points of view, so that students may carry to their homes exact information on our school problem.
About 40 couples attended the third of the married folks’ dancing parties given Tuesday evening. Refreshments were served and a very good time reported. Excellent music was furnished by the “Syncopated Five.”
The Legionnaires played the businessmen at basketball last night at the Village Hall, the former defeating the latter 20 to 15. It was a benefit for the Whitehall Improvement Association Women’s Auxiliary, netting them $16.20.
The “Syncopated Five” will furnish the music for the annual class play at Independence Thursday evening.
The North Branch school in Hale was closed this week on account of bad roads.
York -- John Larson and Theo. Larson had employment on the road Saturday, plowing and shoveling snow from here to the county line.
High water caused a 300-foot washout east of the upper railroad bridge in Arcadia, cutting off train service from the east.
M.C. Abts purchased the William Waters farm at auction.
S.S. Simpson and family of Osseo were moved to Arcadia where he had accepted the position of buttermaker at the Arcadia Farmers Cooperative Creamery, replacing Ben Kreher who had resigned.
125 YEARS AGO
March 11, 1897
The American House is being newly shingled.
E.C. Getts is absent on business at points in northern Michigan.
A telephone connection for the use of Sheriff Jensen is being placed in the sheriff’s office today.
John Vold has purchased W.J. Webb’s residence on Blair Street, and will take possession in about two weeks. The consideration was about $800. Mr. Webb will erect a shanty for his use until his residence is completed. Mr. Vold is from Pigeon, and will handle farm machinery.
The entertainment given by the Relief Corps at Scott’s Hall Thursday evening was a success socially and financially, the receipts being $11.50. The address by A.J. Coram is highly spoken of by all who heard it, while everybody knows that the place to get a square meal is at the old soldiers’ suppers.
The John O. Melby and Co. Bank have a private telephone connection. The instrument was installed in the bank yesterday.
The whist club met with Mrs. Fred Best Monday night, and 16 persons were present, enough for four tables. Considerable sport as had at the expense of the winners of the low prizes, Mrs. A.J. McNaughton and W.H. Stallings, which consisted of a doll to the lady and a rattle-box for the gentleman.
About the 20th of this month, John Sprecher will open a banking institution at Independence. Mr. Sprecher has conducted an exchange business in conjunction with his machinery and lumber trade, but he will, after that date, devote his full time to his new banking enterprise. The capitol will be $10,000, with Mr. Sprecher as president and Anton Senty as cashier. It will be known as the Bank of Independence.
Rev. George Dissmore announces that religious services will be held at the Wagner school house next Sunday at the usual hour, 11 a.m.
Blair — Frank Immell is the possessor of a prodigy in the animal kingdom. It is a snow-white calf, having two heads, two tales and five legs.
