From Our Early Files Aug. 31, 2022
25 YEARS AGO
September 4, 1997
Jim Herman is your typical Wisconsin teenager who hunts, plays football, helps out on the farm and belongs to the FFA. Oh – he also wins fiddle contests, has a cassette tape-recording for sale and there’s another tape on the way too. Area residents who have attended the Whitehall Farmers’ Market, or any of many local gatherings, have heard the 15-year-old play his violin as part of the band Jim Herman and Friends. The son of John and Connie Herman of rural Whitehall has been playing the fiddle for more than 10 years, at barn dances, anniversaries and weddings.
The construction of a new municipal swimming pool in Whitehall got underway last week with the destruction of the old one. The city council unanimously approved the demolition of the 25-year-old city pool and bathhouse. The city is planning to build a $1.1 million “family aquatic center” on the same site over the next year.
Some city of Whitehall residents may have been wondering the past couple weeks why a different postal carrier is delivering the mail. No, nothing has happened to the regular carrier. The change is more significant than just personnel: it’s the first time in half a century or more that the Whitehall Post Office has had more than two rural routes. The United States Postal Service added the Rural Route Three effective Aug. 16, splitting off a portion of Rural Route Two located within the city limits. Mail on the new route is being delivered by Sue Halama of rural Whitehall.
Governor Tommy Thompson signed a $696,822 contract to improve a stretch of State Trunk Highway 93 in Trempealeau County. The work, which consists of resurfacing nearly six and a half miles of roadway, will be performed by Arcadia-based Wilber Companies. The Highway 93 project begins one and a half miles north of the junctions of Highways 93-95 in Arcadia and extends to the south limits of Independence.
The construction of a new water main began last week on Main Street in Arcadia. This project is the first step in a total reconstruction of the street.
Matt Schultz and Jan Murty were recently hired as new teaching instructors at the Arcadia Catholic School.
The Arcadia school board recently decided that the new Arcadia High School would have a greenhouse facility for students to utilize. The decision was finalized at the school board meeting last week because board members felt very strongly that a greenhouse is something that can help enrich the overall education of students who attend the facility.
Residents and visitors of Galesville could be crossing Beaver Creek on two Main Street bridges again as early as next week. That’s when DOT officials in La Crosse say they’d like to see the new south Beaver Creek bridge open to traffic. Work began in mid-March with an expected completion date of Oct. 1.
State highway patrolman Richard Sacia of Galesville has received a Life Saving Effort Award for his role in rescuing a wounded tree cutter last winter. According to the patrol headquarters, which made the award, Sacia was off-duty near Ettrick when he noticed a First Responder unit in the area. He stopped, crawled up a steep hillside in eight-below zero weather and found a semiconscious victim who was bleeding from a severe head wound. The patrol went on to say that “Trooper Sacia assisted in stabilizing the victim and holding a bandage on his head as he was wrapped in blankets and secured to a backboard.” The agency didn’t identify the victim, but the person was said to have suffered a skull fracture that required three metal plates to repair.
Vivian Truax is fed up with damage done to her yard each year during Ettrick Fun Days. She told Ettrick village officials Tuesday night that she was sick of it. “I’m not going to have it any more,” Truax said. “There’s going to be war if anyone drives or pulls into my yard.” She expressed her displeasure not only with damage done by people who ignore her posts and rope intended to keep vehicles off her lawn, but also with people who use her lawn as a restroom.
50 YEARS AGO
September 7, 1972
Crews from Jurowski Construction Co., began work this week on Whitehall’s new 18-acre municipal park, located next to the swimming pool and golf course along the Trempealeau River. The park, which has been a year and a half in the planning process, will cost $87,350, split between the city and the state Department of Natural Resources.
A unique program that combines group, self-help labor and low-interest federal loans has been set up to build 80 homes in Trempealeau County over the next two years..
A 42-yard pass completion from Arnie Johnson to Dave Pientok took Whitehall deep into Onalaska Luther territory in the closing minutes of Friday’s season opener, but the Norse had to settle for a 0-0 tie.
April Andow, 16, daughter of Kingo Andow, Arcadia, and Mrs. Joan Andow, Galesville, was one of two area teenagers who died Sunday when the car in which they were riding flew apart when it struck the end of a bridge on Highway 53, about half a mile north of Galesville. Miss Andow, a former Arcadia resident, resided with her mother in Galesville. Robert Brenengen, 16, son of Mr. and Mrs. Silas Brenengen, Ettrick, driver of the car, was pronounced dead on arrival at St. Francis Hospital in La Crosse. Miss Andow died in the hospital’s emergency room a short time later.
Paul Pronschinske turned in a record-breaking performance Friday night to lead Arcadia to a 55-0 rout of the Blair Cardinals. Pronschinske broke Wayne Auer’s 1956 record of five touchdowns in a single game with six touchdowns. He also brought an end to Willie Berzinski’s 21-year-old record of 258 rushing yards, netting 324 yards on 13 carries. Among his touchdown scoring bursts was a 95-yard scamper, breaking Terry Schollmeier’s 1971 mark of 89 yards for longest run from scrimmage for a touchdown.
The new Trempealeau Lions Club will have its charter night on Sept. 18, secretary Peter G. Tabor announced Tuesday. The Galesville Lions Club will be the sponsoring organization. There is a full program planned. Dave Birch is president of the Trempealeau club.
75 YEARS AGO
September 4, 1947
While the walls for the new pumping station situated in South Whitehall were completed earlier in the summer, brickwork on the structure was not started until last week. Within a short time the new building will be completed, and city officials are confident that by mid-fall, the new waterworks system will be in operation, together with the iron-removal unit.
Miss Phyllis Tangen resigned her position in the register of deeds’ office Aug. 30 and was given a farewell part by the courthouse personnel Wednesday afternoon. Miss Tangen was employed in the draft office during the war.
Ted Johnson, formerly of the Drummond Packing Co. and the Livestock Buying Co. of Eau Claire, has been appointed in charge of procurement and buying of livestock at the Whitehall Packing Co. Mr. Johnson plans to move his family to Whitehall as soon as housing conditions permit.
Game Warden Fred Gardner reports that he recently planted more than 8,000 legal-sized brown trout in Elk Creek, North Creek and several other county streams.
Oluf Hagen, who purchased the Louis Schansberg residence and five acres of land east of Whitehall a year ago, is improving the house. Oluf, who is a carpenter, has built an enclosed porch on the rear of the house, installed bathroom fixtures, and hopes to be able to hire help soon to build a cesspool.
School opened at York Monday with Miss Loraine Fleming as teacher. There is an enrollment of 28, with three beginners. The Schimmerhorn school opened the same day with Mrs. Violet Rogstad teaching. Clifford Beede has purchased a panel truck and is transporting the children from Timber Coulee to Schimmerhorn.
A terrible rain storm came down in sheets, accompanied by strong winds and hail. It did great damage to crops, trees and small buildings in a two-mile area near French Creek. Cornfields in the area were stripped and laid flat after the storm occurred.
Albert Woychik and Charles Suchla are the new owners of the City Meat Market, which they purchased from Peter Weaver Saturday, taking immediate possession. The transaction includes the meat market and the locker plant.
100 YEARS AGO
September 7, 1922
A number of pupils in the grade school have been remaining at home on the complaint that it is too hot to attend school in the barracks that are being used while the new school building is under construction. Every child of school age should be in regular attendance, says C.E. Butler, principal, and the only excuse that can he accepted for absence is sickness. Grade teachers have the privilege of holding their classes in the open on hot days, and when the heat is oppressive, the barracks will be closed at noon.
One-half hour before sunrise on Sept. 16, Wisconsin hunters can unlimber their guns and go after their annual bag of birds, for the open season for waterfowl and shorebirds begins at that time. The hunters are warned, however, not to draw beads on the birds not classified as game birds and protected by state and federal laws.
The bondholders of the Ettrick and Northern Railroad had a meeting in Whitehall last week. The general opinion seemed to be at this meeting that if the people of Ettrick and vicinity did not care to support the road, the bondholders would try to collect what they could and let it go.
A dance will be given in the new barn of Pete Weiverstad in the town of Pigeon Saturday night. Good music will be furnished.
The following members of the York Boys’ and Girls’ Calf Club were selected to take their calves to the La Crosse Inter-State and Jackson County fairs: Leonard Hulett, Casper Hulett, Arnold Haugen, Arnold Olson, Alvin Hagen, Agnes Hulett, Arthur Magelee, Donald Wensel, Leonard Eid, Oswald Hagen, Clarence Jacobson, Gaylord Jacobson, Brice Humphrey, Jack Humphrey, Alice Humphrey, Harold Hanson and Carl Everson.
There will be a dance at the Albert Dahl home Saturday night. Music by the Haakenson orchestra. Leave your moonshine at home.
Senator Robert M. LaFollette rolled up the largest majority ever received in any state primary in his bid for the Republican U.S. senatorial nomination over W.A. Ganfield of Waukesha.
Corinne Hogden of Ettrick was first place winner in the State Fair spelling contest, which all counties of the states had entries.
125 YEARS AGO
September 2, 1897
A mass meeting is called to be held at the hose house this Saturday evening, for the purpose of hearing the D.M. Benton, noted electrician of Galesville, talk upon the subject of supplying Whitehall with an electric light plant.
Trout fishing closed Sept. 1, and chicken hunting opened on that date.
A.W. Bensend and G.S. Rice caught 42 trout in Pigeon Creek, Jackson County, on Sunday. Andrew says his 24 weighed 10 pounds.
Johnnie Kidder has been sick the past 10 days with malarial fever, contracted while outing at Trempealeau, but is now improving.
Byron Lake feels exceptionally good over the knowledge that a full-blood Poland China board, which he sold to W.E. Bishop of Arcadia, took the first premium at the Arcadia fair.
The local camp of Modern Woodmen moved their paraphernalia into their new quarters, the D. Wood building, Monday, where they are to have the most commodious and pleasant rooms of any camp in the county.
A Prohibition conference for Trempealeau County will be held at Arcadia Sept. 14. All ladies and gentlemen interested in the prohibition of the liquor traffic are invited to attend the conference at the M.E. church.
A.M. Dake of Hale had a close call from being burned out last Tuesday. He had a large oat stack struck by lightning and set on fire. It was discovered at once and by throwing bundles down to the “bulge,” then pouring water into the hole in the center of the stack, the fire was extinguished and a heavy loss averted.
A large delegation from here attended the fair at Arcadia last Friday. The day was propitious and all enjoyed the visit to our neighboring and prosperous village.
