EARLY FILES - March 4, 2020

(25 YEARS AGO) March 9, 1995 - Plans for a $3 million improvement project at the county courthouse apparently will proceed, despite action by county board of supervisors aimed at delaying their implementation. The board’s building, property and finance committees were scheduled to meet this week to continue to work on the planning process. The chairman of a couple of the committees said that a motion approved by the full board at its Feb. 20 meeting would have no direct effect on the plans. 

Whitehall’s new city center will boast a room full of exercise equipment, if the city council adopts a recommendation from one of its committees. The property committee voted Monday afternoon to recommend the purchase of weight room gear and exercise machines to be placed in what used to be the cafeteria of the former Memorial High School building. 

A former Whitehall woman will serve time in jail for paying two juveniles to slash the tires on a relatives car. Jaqueline Samples of Taylor was sentenced last week Wednesday in Trempealeau County Circuit Court to three criminal counts, including contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Samples, 23, was ordered to serve 90 days in the county jail as one of the conditions of her three-year probationary term. 

The Arcadia High School wrestling team captured second place at the 1995 Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association State Team Wreslting Championship held at West Allis last Saturday. The Raiders came up with a semifinal win over previously undefeated Wrightstown by a score of 37-21 before losing to nationally-ranked Athens by a score of 52-8 in the state championship match.

The Arcadia branch of the Woodmen of the World organization honored one of its members, Peter Slaby, with the Mr. Woodman Award. Slaby has been an active member of the Woodmen of the World for 58 years.

Board members and staff from Marinuka Manor will travel to Osseo next week to visit a senior citizen-child day care center similar to that planned in Galesville. Marinuka’s nine-member board is raising $20,000 for playground equipment for the project, scheduled to be operational in the fall. 

A chamber of commerce will be formed in Galesville. That was the decision of an interim group on March 2. The new organization — still to be named — will incorporate one and possibly three existing community groups. And it will be a kind of “peoples’ chamber,” with associate memberships for non-business persons and with representation from local government, said Norm Faulstich, who chairs the interim board. 

All of the proposed bids on constructing a new highway  department office building in Trempealeau County were rejected by supervisory committees. “We felt the bids were too high,” John Beirne, a county supervisor from Ettrick serving on the board’s property committee, said. 

The growing coyote population in Buffalo, Pepin and Trempealeau counties has caused some to worry about the future loss of wildlife and livestock. But local wildlife manager Dave Linderund said he was not overly concerned about coyote ravaging the countryside, noting that coyotes rarely attack livestock and normally control their own numbers. 

(50 YEARS AGO) March 12, 1970 - The Whitehall city council has agreed to cooperate with Hutchins-Stendahl American Legion Post 191 in the latter’s plans to develop a lake and park area along the Trempealeau River on the city’s northeast side.

William Mattka and Neal Dauphin are the new owners of the City Café in Whitehall, purchasing the restaurant fixtures from Mr. and Mrs. Harold Wood and the building from Knut Amble, and will rename it the Norse Inn. The new owners also have purchased the small building next door, and will expand and remodel the restaurant.

Jeff Dahl and Ralph Rasmuson have been named to the All-Dairyland Conference basketball team. Scott Gunderson and Orland Hagen were honorable mentions.

Clarence Pronschinske of Glencoe installed a new type of dairy barn setup. Pronschinske installed a Freestall Barn on his farm. The new barn has a capacity for 85 animals. 

A-G gross sales topped $17.6 million for the 1969-70 year. This was an increase of $17,000 from the previous year and a new record earning for the cooperative. 

Seeing a bright future for small rural communities, Ken Hutson, guest speaker at the Galesville Businessmen’s Association meeting, gave a few points on how a small community such as Galesville will be able to compete for their share of business. 

The Senior Citizens Center in Galesville is open, according to Eleanor Riphenburg, senior citizens supervisor for Western Dairyland Economic Opportunity Council, Inc. out of Whitehall. The center will be open every Monday afternoon from 1 to 5 p.m. beginning Monday, March 16 in the Isaac Clark room of the Bank of Galesville. The committee invites all senior citizens in the Galesville area to come and join in the fun, games and refreshments. 

Olson’s LP Gas will serve a 100-pound beef roast cooked in a gas range at their Open House March 12. 

Nancy Lofgren of Taylor was selected DAR Award winner at Taylor High School. 

(75 YEARS AGO) March 8, 1945 - A notice from the Public Service Commission states that the Green Bay and Western Railroad has filed an application to discontinue passenger service on all its lines in the state. A public hearing on the petition will be held April 5 in Merrillan.

Two Whitehall restaurants exchanged hands over the weekend. Lester Hanson has purchased Lee’s Coffee Shop, located in the same building as the Swenson and De Bow barbershop, from Lee Johnson. Firpo’s Cafe has been sold by Mrs. Emil Johnson to Ernest Davidson.

The dining parlor at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church was filled to capacity Tuesday evening for the annual fathers and sons banquet, during which 214 guests were served.

The house on the Albert Erickson farm one mile southwest of Pigeon Falls in Fuller Coulee was completely destroyed by fire Sunday. The fire was discovered by Morris Evenson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Reuben Evenson, who was driving past, and the Whitehall Fire Department was called immediately. But the pump did not work and the flames were fought by neighbors and friends. The loss is estimated at $8,000, partially covered by insurance.

County Treasurer August Knudtson and wife are now occupying their new home. The Knudtsons purchased the former Joe Matchey residence on Abrams St. from the city last fall and moved it to a lot on the east side.

The Modern Beauty Shop bowling team are proud of one of their members, Mrs. William Ball, who made a score of 193 Tuesday evening.

Ralph Lyon was elected a director of the York Cooperative Creamery Association at the annual meeting held Friday at the York hall, replacing Arthur Johnson.

A car driven by Mrs. Ben Berg was completely destroyed by fire Tuesday night at about 9 p.m. near Tamarack. The tires were saved, but the rest of the car was lost in the blaze. 

Joe Glowcheski, an Arcadia farmer, is exhibiting a home grown lemon, which weighs one-and-one-fourth pounds and measured 15-by-14 inches. Glowcheski has grown such lemons before in his lemon tree. 

Pfc. Tilman Leque stationed in Belgium met his nephew Pvt. LaVern Leque for a few visits as they are now in the same outfit. 

(100 YEARS AGO) March 11, 1920 - Alf Wilberg was the unanimous choice of his comrades for commander of the Otis E. Hutchins Post of American Legion 191 at the meeting held at the John O. Melby and Co. Bank Thursday evening for the purpose of organizing the post. The Whitehall post starts off with 34 members, an excellent proof of success.

At the meeting of the Our Saviour’s Lutheran congregation last Monday, it was decided to build a new brick church on the Main St. site. A building committee composed of R.H. Holtan, Ludwig Solsrud, Geo. Larson, Oscar Anderson and Richard Mattson has charge of the arrangements, and work on the structure will begin as soon as weather permits.

Bert Thompson has secured the agency for the Willard storage battery, and has obtained quite a large territory, comprising a part of the towns of Lincoln, Preston, Pigeon and Hale in this county and several towns in Jackson County. To meet the requirements of the undertaking, he is now building a 24- by 40-foot structure just east of the post office.

Again, the Green Bay and Western Railroad is out of coal, and in consequence Nos. 5 and 6 were abandoned Wednesday night.

Judge Anderson has purchased the building formerly used by I.H. Ecker as a jewelry shop. The building is opposite the post office and makes a very nice law office.

The rural carriers failed to cover their routes last Friday, due to the drifted condition of the roads.

The Arcadia Leader reported that Arcadia was hit by one of the worst snow storms ever witnessed before. Snow blocked railway tracks, roads and streets. The weather was also cold as the temperature hit 30 degrees below zero.

Douglas McWeeny again signed with the Milwaukee baseball team in the American Association. This is the fourth year with the club. McWeeny has many friends and fans who are watching his career and interested in his success. He is the grandson of Mr. and Mrs. James McWeeny of Arcadia. 

Galesville is to have a new business concern with Roy D. Young and Martin Johnson at the head of it. Electrical supplies and pneumatic water systems will be the line for the present. 

George Kopp, Harley Johnson and Charles Shumway attended purebred hog sales in West Salem and other points. 

Looks like that old switchboard in the Galesville central of the Western Wisconsin Telephone Co. is doomed. Plans are being made for work that will be on during the summer. Never mind greasing that crank on your phone. 

(125 YEARS AGO) March 7, 1895 - The firms of Solsrud, Kidder and Co., Scott Bros. and Adams and Taylor put large, new safes into their stores last week.

E.J. Matchett of Sumner is attending court and talking county asylum. Ed believes that it is for the best interests of the people of Trempealeau County to vote in favor of the insane asylum at the election in April.

County Surveyor Cox came down Monday and perfected arrangements to henceforth have his headquarters at the county seat. His office will be with that of the clerk of the circuit court, which officer is to act as his deputy.

Blair — The village health officer will soon be looking after and investigating the sanitary conditions of your residences and surroundings, in accordance with the ordinance governing such matters. You are notified to clean up and secure as far as possible a healthy condition of affairs before warm weather sets in.

 

 

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