From Our Early Files Dec. 28, 2022
25 YEARS AGO
January 1, 1998
Barring a sudden surge of interest in the next few days, there won’t be many decisions for Whitehall-area voters to make when they go to the polls on April 7. With the deadline for filing candidacies only five days away, there are no contests so far for the Whitehall city council, Whitehall district school board or Trempealeau County board of supervisors seats. The only race, apparently, will be on the Independence district school board.
A rural Arcadia dairy farmer was ordered to pay a forfeiture and court costs for violating state rules governing sanitation in milk production. Trempealeau County Circuit Judge John Damon on Dec. 17 signed a consent decree negotiated between Tim Pronschinske and the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection this past summer. The decree settled a complaint filed by the DATCP in Trempealeau County Circuit Court citing multiple violations of the Wisconsin Administrative Code. According to the civil complaint, milk from Pronschinske’s town of Arcadia farm exceeded limits on somatic cells in the code’s agriculture, trade and consumer protection section. A high somatic cell count in milk indicates health problems with the cows producing it and often reflects on the sanitation practices of the dairy producer.
Gold’n Plump officials recently did their part to ensure that victims of domestic violence and abuse were not forgotten during the holiday season. The company announced the donation of chicken to 36 families so they can enjoy the season.
The recall petition against Blair-Taylor school board president David Quarne has been certified. It is not yet known who will appear on the ballot to run against Quarne, a 13-year board member. The petition was led by Daryl Rose of Taylor.
Midge Feyen of Ettrick has been appointed postmaster for the Blair Post Office. A ceremony will be held on Jan. 9 with West Salem Postmaster Sig Czeiska, who served the Blair office for more than 10 years, presiding.
50 YEARS AGO
January 4, 1973
Among the Trempealeau County officers sworn in this week Tuesday morning were two new ones, District Attorney Roman Feltes and Register of Deeds Nels Hegge. Two others, Clerk of Court Evelyn Maldonado and Sheriff Wayne Holte, are starting their first full terms, having been elected in November after being appointed to their posts earlier in the year.
Mary Matthews of Independence, who has served eight months of a 27-month prison sentence for her part in the kidnapping of an Eau Claire youth last March, has been denied probation.
By a joint resolution, the county boards of Buffalo, Trempealeau and Jackson counties have changed the name of the West Central Community Mental Health Center. The new name is the Mississippi River Mental Health Center. All service and locations in Alma, Mondovi, Independence and Black River Falls remain exactly the same.
The 13th child born to Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Kotlarz of Arcadia is Arcadia’s New Year Baby and thus became the recipient of many gifts awarded by local business and professional people in the 18th annual First Baby of the Year Contest. The baby boy, named Kerry Joseph, arrived at 12:25 a.m. Jan. 1 at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Arcadia. He weighed eight pounds and seven ounces and measured 19 inches at birth.
Edwin Sullivan and Wendell Sacia have purchased the former Schilling electric building on Mill Road in Galesville from the Galesville Manufacturing Corporation. Their plans for the factory have not been disclosed.
Henry Kopp of Ettrick was elected director of the Tri-State Breeders cooperative at the annual meeting for Trempealeau County members in Whitehall.
75 YEARS AGO
January 1, 1948
The public is warned to use precaution when approaching crossings on the Green Bay and Western Railroad. With through freights now operating, do not take chances, as trains are traveling at a faster speed than previously.
The Whitehall Lions Club will sponsor a winter carnival, featuring a program of fancy skating, the crowning of a queen and a public dance, on Jan. 17 and 18.
A party of five skiers from Beloit practiced on the Whitehall hill a couple of days last week, in preparation for the tournament to be held at Duluth Sunday.
Tom and Floren Hegge, who decorated the S.N. Hegge residence for the Christmas season, received first prize of $15 in the contest sponsored by the Lions Club. The Dr. S.B. Ivers home received the $10 second prize, and the Dr. J.C. Tyvand residence, with Santa Claus seated on the second-floor porch, received the $5 third prize. Honorable mention was given to the Carl Schaefer, Al Mattson, George Hegge and Arnold Olson homes.
Members of one of Whitehall’s several birthday clubs and their wives, numbering 19, had their Christmas party Monday evening, in the form of a dinner at the Walgert Hotel and a tree and the exchange of gifts at the Palmer Lee home.
The annual Pigeon Falls ski tournament will be held on the Eid hill on Sunday, Jan. 11. The hill has already been put in condition by the Pigeon Falls Ski Club, and riders are invited to practice there.
The new basement under the S.L. church in Pigeon Falls is now being used by the congregation. Good weather and the good fortune in securing steel beams from the county road commissioners made it possible to speed the work to a rapid construction. The public had a chance to see the new church parlors at the lutefisk supper Tuesday evening.
Eight-year-old George Quackenbush is following in the footsteps of his father Roy and grandfather Lute, but is starting early. Tuesday he brought to County Clerk Matson a fox which he had trapped, and for which he had received a bounty of $5.
A record of having worn a police badge for over 45 years is held by Henry F. Theurer of Arcadia, who is retiring from the position of Trempealeau County traffic officer on Jan. 1 at age 66. He served as county traffic officer since Aug 15, 1929 and also from 1922 until 1939, he was deputy state treasury agent from the department of agriculture and markets, the latter enforcement being taken over by the state traffic patrol in 1939.
Frank Hewitt of Arcadia will retire from the position of county highway patrol superintendent Jan. 1, 1948 after 22 years of employment in that capacity. He is the oldest employee in the county in point of years of service, having been on the payroll of the highway department for the past 35 years.
100 YEARS AGO
January 4, 1923
The New Year is supplying very fine weather, not unlike the closing days of the old year, but snow has been falling gently and paving the way for good skiing. The thermometer is at 26 above this morning, and the sun promises to come out and dispel the clouds that have obscured it since the passing of the old year.
The citizens of this village express their appreciation of the fire companies from Blair and Independence for their willingness to respond to the call for assistance on the occasion of the fire here Sunday morning. A movement is being started to have an understanding between the fire companies of these three villages to have an exchange of apparatus in case fires assume dangerous proportions.
O.C. Torson has arranged a novel window display in the front Model store window called “Pioneer Wisconsin.” It consists of two log cabins, which Mr. Torson cleverly constructed, a log watering trough and all that goes to make a pioneer settlement. Mr. Torson is to be complimented on his skill.
Trempealeau County is without a tax assessor. Geo. Schmidt, who has held this office for many years, became a member of the assembly the first of the year, and the office became vacant.
Two of the new-style Ford roadsters have just been received by the Auto Sales Co. This new body with a one-man top and slanting windshield, lower seat and the larger locking deck in the read, makes on of the neatest looking cars in the Ford line.
Ex-Sheriff Ed Erickson has moved his family back to the farm in the town of Arcadia. Ed’s genial smile will be missed at the county seat, where he has been a familiar figure for the past six years.
The rooms that E.C. Getts is occupying is the old store building where he, as a boy, worked for his father in days long gone by.
Robert Clark had the misfortune to break his right leg below the knee Monday afternoon while skating. Although it was a clean break, it will keep the young man laid up for some time.
Charlie M. Briggs suffered the loss of two fingers last week while sawing wood.
Cheer up — only three short months to birds, blossoms and baseball.
Pigeon Falls — Ole Fredrickson sold four purebred Holsteins to Martin Mikkelson of Northfield this week.
Northfield — Edwin Rasmussen has resigned from his position in this town, and left for his home in Fall Coulee on Monday.
Martin A. Erickson Post of the American Legion planned its second annual Carnival ball and Game Supper at the auditorium in Arcadia.
Two bandits walked in to the Mondovi State Bank at the end of a pre-Christmas Day rush and escaped with between $7,000 and $8,000 after locking the cashier in the vault.
The West Prairie flour mill near Centerville, destroyed at a lost of $7,000, would be rebuilt in the spring, according to owner Charles Harris.
125 YEARS AGO
December 30, 1897
A Happy New Year to all our readers.
O.C. Haralsrud severs his connection with the City Hotel tomorrow. He is to be succeeded by Theodore Erickson.
Fred Hokland, manager of the Whitehall and Pigeon Trading Association, enjoyed Christmas turkey with his family in Hale.
Some of our Whitehall people were extremely “merry” Christmas. They are excusable. The happy occasion rolls around but once a year.
The union Christmas tree festivities at the Baptist church were quite largely attended. A very interesting program of exercises were carried out.
Solsrud, Kidder and Co. have their new steam-heating plant in operation. Though we have not had intense cold to thoroughly test the apparatus, it appears to be satisfactory.
The Modern Woodmen dance at their hall Monday night was a pleasant affair and fairly profitable to the camp. Forty-nine tickets were sold. Supper was served at Erickson’s restaurant.
A sleigh-load of our young people drove down to Independence Saturday night and gave Miss Myrtle Whitney a surprise party. A very pleasant time is reported.
Mrs. N.L. Fredrickson has associated herself with Miss Mabel Congdon in the millinery business, the firm to be named Fredrickson and Congdon. They commence business Jan. 1.
The old ice house on Dodge Street so long used by H.E. Getts has been torn down and moved away.
Solsrud, Kidder and Co. have about completed their yearly inventory of stock. This is one of the busiest firms in Trempealeau County.
Miss Emma Kremers had a Christmas tree and entertaining exercises at the Fly Creek school, where she is teaching, Christmas night. A large number of her friends were there, in addition to the pupils of the school.
There are hundreds of subscriptions to the Times-Banner which expire with this issue. We shall sit quietly in our sanctum sanctorum from this time on, ready to receipt for renewals, as well as for new subscriptions. First come, first served.
Blair — The Wisconsin Valley Telephone Co. have Blair connected with Independence, Whitehall, Hegg, Ettrick, Frenchville and Galesville. We shall soon be able to converse through the phone with all the other villages in the county.
