From Our Early Files Nov. 24, 2021
25 YEARS AGO
Nov. 28, 1996
A year and a half, and several modifications, after it was installed, the wheelchair lift at the Pigeon Falls K-1 Attendance Center may finally get state approval for use. District Administrator Jerry Freimark told the school board at its monthly meeting Monday night that he had worked out a deal with the contractor that installed the lift, which would meet state requirements for the device.
Whitehall School District sixth graders will have an opportunity to receive vaccinations against a dangerous and highly contagious disease starting next week. The school district is offering hepatitis B vaccinations in cooperation with the Trempealeau County Health Department.
Duane Miller, a Star Prairie native, has been residing in the Arcadia area for a long time. He has been employed by Supreme Graphics for almost 20 years after receiving a degree as a commercial artist in 1975. He has done many ink drawings of historic sites, animals, farms and business throughout the region. Among his work was a drawing of the old Arcadia Brewery, one in a series of five prints of breweries that were once located in the region. Miller has sold his work to many people around the United States and as far away as France.
The Meadowlark Homemakers recently decided to do their part in helping to comfort small child victims in accidents in and around Arcadia. The group created comfort blankets for children who were involved in accidents. “We just felt that giving a quilt to a child in a time when they are scared would help to comfort them,” Sandy Slaby, club member, said.
About 40 tour arrangers who toured Trempealeau County this fall liked what they saw and, as a result, at least 10 bus tours are planned next summer for tourists, according to the Trempealeau County Tourism Council. The council said the 40 who tourned the county gave a “very positive” response.
Deer harvest totals in the Galesville, Ettrick and Trempealeau areas were up this year with 138 more deer harvested in 1996 than in 1995. Johns 1 Stop in Ettrick reported an increase of 96 deer and Express Mart in Galesville showed an increase of 65. Centerville Stop ‘N Shop had a decrease of three and Gil’s Sportsman’s Bar in Trempealeau had 20 fewer deer harvested.
Preliminary medical reports show that high school junior Craig Brommerich had a slightly enlarged heart and also tested positive for presence of marijuana, though neither finding has been blamed for his death during a preseason basketball competition in Holmen. More complete results of medical tests are expected in several weeks with results so far not providing anything, according to John Steers, La Crosse County Medical Examiner.
Steven Swenson, 42, a bar owner from Blair made his dream come true this month. Swenson was belted into a 160 MPH rear engine super comp gas dragster and roared down the drag strip while attending a drag race driving course at the fastest driving school in the world — Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School, whose home base is in Pomona, Calif.
50 YEARS AGO
Dec. 2, 1971
An eight-inch blanket of snow arrived for Thanksgiving, and as of this week is still here. Hazardous driving over the holiday weekend curtailed traveling.
Soil Conservation Service engineers recently completed a survey of the town of Hale farm purchased earlier this year by the Whitehall-Pigeon Rod and Gun Club, and consider it an excellent site for the dam and 10 to 15-acre lake proposed by the club. The dam is expected to be built next spring.
The annual meeting of Arcadia Projects, Inc. will be held Monday in the Willie Wiredhand Room of the Trempealeau Electric Building. Two directors will be elected to two-year terms, succeeding Laurence Jensen and John C. Sobotta. Jensen is currently serving as president of the board.
The 36th annual meeting of the stockholders of the Arcadia Cooperative Association will be held Saturday in the Arcadia High School gym. Guest speaker will be David Belina of Midland’s member relations department. The business session will include the report of officers and election of three members to the board of directors. Directors whose terms expire are Allen Dorn and Paul Pehler.
Mrs. Gloria Brantner, kindergarten teacher at Arcadia public school, recently received a certificate of special recognition for the Kindergarten Visual Perception Reading Program conducted in her room last year. The Arcadia program was one of 29 in the country that received recognition.
The Galesville legion and legion auxiliary will hold their annual Christmas potluck supper on Wednesday.
Private First Class Robert L. Gelder, United States Army, Company B, 2nd Battalion, 5th Calvary was awarded the Bronze Star medal for heroism Jan. 2, 1971 in Republic of Vietnam. The award was for heroism not involving participation in aerial flight in connection with military operations against a hostile enemy force in Vietnam.
Former area man Harvey “Butch” Molitor won the Wisconsin Haircutting and Styling Championship at a national contest in California.
Clifford Hoff, French Creek, bagged a 195-pound, 18-point buck in Trump Coulee. Harold Tenneson downed a 212-pound, 10-point buck near Beach.
75 YEARS AGO
Nov. 28, 1946
Hans Aleckson, the son of Mr. and Mrs. H.J. Aleckson of Whitehall, was awarded the Eagle Scout badge at the district potluck dinner held at Galesville last week.
Mr. and Mrs. Odell Borreson and daughter Lesley Ann of Pigeon drove to Hokah, Minn., to talk to Mrs. Borreson’s parents at High Wycombe, England, over R.H. Hoffman’s short-wave radio.
A member of Whitehall High’s championship football team entertained the 1946 championship squad and the men teachers from the school at dinner at the Walgert Hotel Wednesday evening. The host was P.M. Paulson, who played guard on the 1903 team, which not only won all its games, but was did not allow any scores. After 1903, the high school dropped football, and the sport was not revived until a few years ago, when the Mississippi Valley Conference was organized for the sport.
Work on enlarging the athletic field at Melby Park has begun, a bulldozer from the Trempealeau County Highway Department having been engaged by the local baseball club, which volunteered to pay for the grading and leveling. The project includes moving the baseball diamond about 40 feet north, to allow for a longer left field, a grandstand, bleachers to the south and floodlights.
King, the three-year-old English setter belonging to Knut Amble, Whitehall jeweler, captured three coveted prizes at the all-breeds American Kennel Association show held at Chicago over the weekend.
Galesville High defeated Whitehall 25-24 in the first basketball game of the season for the Norsemen. Herbert Johnson was high man for Whitehall with 10 points.
Arcadia opened its basketball season Tuesday night with a pre-conference game at Independence. It was a hotly contested game and two overtimes were required to break the tie of 23-23 at the end of the fourth quarter. Independence won the contest 28-26.
Arcadia, as well as other parts of the nation, will be affected by electric conservation regulations set up by the Civilian Production administration as a result of the coal strike. Most apparent will be the reduction in the amount of street lighting. Lights at intersections will be lit while others will not be until the coal strike is over.
Herried Bros. Hardware sold 300 deer hunting licenses up to the opening of the season.
Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Olson opened a women’s apparel shop known as Hazel’s Dress Shop.
An Army and Navy surplus store, operated by Olson and Anderson of La Crosse, opened in the Henry Knutson building in Ettrick.
Cliff Stevens had part of a finger taken off while at work in his blacksmith shop.
100 YEARS AGO
Dec. 1, 1921
At a recent meeting of all farmer’s telephone companies in Trempealeau County, a resolution was introduced and approved which, if adopted by each of these companies, will effect the merger of the lines. A committee on uniform equipment was appointed, of which Chas. Schilke of Whitehall is a member.
The case of Adam Ogodzinski against the Rev. Fr. Gara of Independence is on trial again in La Crosse. Our readers will recall that the trial of the case in the courts here was won by the plaintiff, but the verdict was reversed on appeal to the State Supreme Court, on the grounds of errors in the instructions given to the jury.
The committee has called your attention to the matter of saving your ashes, to be put on the park drive next spring for the purpose of making a permanent road.
The Blair Board of Education has passed a resolution prohibiting pupils from attending dances outside the village of Blair during school days or nights. As a penalty for infraction of this rule, five points will be docked in all studies for each such dance attended.
County Nurse Agnes Bill will be incapacitated for a few days, owing to an injury to he foot she sustained Monday.
The union service at the Presbyterian church Thanksgiving night drew a large congregation. Rev. Clark preached a very forcible and appropriate sermon, fitting to the day and equally fitting to the times.
Our old friend Carl Sakrison, the Mark Twain of Chimney Rock, was among the school board members who called on us this morning.
J.M. Ingalls and J.E. Rhode are installing drinking cups on the Ingalls farm.
Pleasantville -- Albert Johnson and Nels Gunderson were at Independence Friday getting repairs for the mill. Sever Williamson repaired a windmill for Hans Maug last week.
Good School Week was to be observed at Cowie’s School in Glencoe.
John Kaiser was appointed a supplementary village carrier for the local post office to help out over the busy season.
Lake Marinuka froze over the night of Nov. 15 and skaters were on it the next day.
Rev. L. M. Gimmestad, the first president of Gale College under Lutheran control, arrived with his family this week.
Charley Kellman’s main business was groceries, but he was also a breeder of fancy chickens. He received an order from California for one of his prize birds.
Students at Galesville Public School are jubilant. Significant funds have been raised to place an order for a piano. The student committee is Carl Dettinger and Mabel Thornton.
125 YEARS AGO
Nov. 26, 1896
Simon Olson and K.K. Jodahlen, partners in the meat market, have dissolved their co-partnership, Mr. Olson retiring on account of his health. Mr. Jodahlen continues the business at the old stand.
O.F. Harlow has purchased of A.C. Knight the latter’s wheelwright tools, and is conducting the business so long managed by Mr.. Knight, who is obliged to practically discontinue business on account of infirmity and old age.
George Morden went to Canada last Saturday, to spend the winter at least. Before departing, he sold his farm, formerly the Betsey Harrington-Randall place, to H.O. Hovde. Mr. Hovde is one of our most enterprising farmers, and if he keeps purchasing all the land that adjoins him, he will eventually own all on the north side of the Trempealeau.
Whitehall school took a recess yesterday, so our teachers could partake of the Thanksgiving meal at home. School will not re-open until Monday, to allow the teachers to attend the association meeting at Independence tomorrow and Saturday.
Sheriff-Elect Jensen of Galesville was in town Tuesday on business pertaining to his removal here following his induction into office Jan. 1. Jr. Jensen will appoint James Merwin of Trempealeau as under-sheriff, and Samuel Penney of Arcadia as deputy sheriff. There appointments are good ones, and will give satisfaction to the people of the county.
Blair — The village blacksmiths are pretty busy horse shoeing. The icy condition of the roads and streets render it impossible to get about without sharp-shod horses, and creepers strapped to the feet of the average pedestrian. We have an excellent bottom, and with a few inches of snow, the sleighing will be first-class.
