From Our Early Files Jan. 11, 2023
25 YEARS AGO
January 15, 1998
The village of Pigeon Falls apparently won’t get any new village board members during the spring election, but village residents attending Monday’s annual caucus were told that they will get a new village president next year. Kermit Hanvold, who has served as president for the past 10 years announced at the caucus that his current term will be his last.
Plans for Whitehall’s new fire station haven’t been finalized yet, but costs are already becoming an issue. The city council’s property/fire station committee met Monday to review preliminary drawings for the new station, which is being built with the help of a state Department of Commerce grant. And the bottom line was $40,000 to $100,000 higher than had been planned.
Ashley Furniture Industries announced plans to create HomeStores throughout the United States. The concept of HomeStores is something which the management at Ashley has been working on for some time. Ashley President of Business Development Don Marxs feels the progressive company has shown real vision and foresight in trying to make the HomeStores concept a working reality.
Students from Arcadia High School spent time getting to know senior citizens at the Franciscan Skemp Healthcare-Arcadia Nursing Home last week. The interaction between the students and the residents is part of a weeklong program, which is part of Mike Sobotta’s advanced health class.
Nelson Industries, Inc. announced that its merger into Cummins Engine Co., Inc. was completed last Friday. Nelson is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Cummins, a publicly held designer, producer of diesel engines.
Imagine 127 five- and six-year-olds in one building all day long. Now picture them leaning in this environment. When Kindernook was first introduced as an idea to parents, many had a hard time picturing any form of education that involved all Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau kindergarten students in one place for the entire day, but a year and a half since Kindernook opened, teachers are confident the all-day, all-in-one kindergarten is working out well for the G-E-T School District.
Scott Foster, Galesville, a country western singer/writer, who has traveled to Nashville to record songs, has written one for Mike Peplinski, a member of the Men’s U.S. Olympic Curling Team and former Galesville resident. Foster said the new song “Living to Win,” is an “inspirational song on the struggles of health Mike has faced and his goals to fulfill his dream.”
50 YEARS AGO
January 18, 1973
The Whitehall Chamber of Commerce has scheduled a public meeting for Jan. 25 to discuss the possibility that the city may lose two industrial plants. Representatives of the Whitehall Packing Co. and Land O’ Lakes, whose future operations here are uncertain, have been invited to attend. Land O’ Lakes officials in Minneapolis have said milk-drying operations in Whitehall will continue for the time being, but layoffs at the plant here have continued, and the workforce, which several years ago was near 100, is now down to less than 20.
The pros and cons of a new $250,000 building for the Mississippi River Mental Health Center in Independence were discussed at a public meeting held last week Tuesday in Whitehall.
The Mississippi River Regional Planning Commission, at the request of Western Wisconsin Health Planning Organization, sponsored a meeting last Wednesday at the Trempealeau County Courthouse in Whitehall concerning the construction proposal of IMD Corporation in Independence, for a new building for the Mississippi River Mental Health Center. The new building is expected to be located in Independence because the city is in the central part of the county.
John Wetzel has been appointed assistant area game manager of the Black River Falls Area of the Department of Natural Resources according to Eugene Kohlmeyer, area game manager. Wetzel will be working in Buffalo and Trempealeau counties and will have his office at Merrick State Park near Fountain City.
Will French Creek run silt free again? Eight years ago the answer to this question would have been a definite no. But serious streambank erosion was devouring fertile topsoil and threatening farmsteads. Sediment was filling downstream fishing holes and contributing silt to Lake Marinuka in Galesville. In 1964, a massive soil conservation effort was initiated to reduce the devastating effects of the streambank erosion on French Creek. Since the projected started, approximately 2.8 miles of French Creek has been protected from grazing with 4,540 feet rip rapped.
Airman Gary Tiepelman, son of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Tiepelman of Ettrick, has been assigned to Keesler AFB, Miss., after completing Air Force basic training.
Sergeant William Eichman, son of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Eichman, Trempealeau, has graduated at Shepard AFB, Texas, from the U.S. Air Force management analysis specialist course conducted by the Air Training Command.
75 YEARS AGO
January 15, 1948
The queen of Whitehall’s first ice carnival will be chosen from among 22 candidates at the dance that will open the two-day event on Saturday. She will also preside at the program of fancy skating to be held at the ice rink Sunday afternoon, for which a number of acts have been secured from Eau Claire and elsewhere.
Another new building has been added to Whitehall’s business district, a 28- by 44-foot garage at the rear of the Texaco service station on Blair Street. It will be occupied by Melvin Dascher and Joe Maldonado for motor repair service, and for the display of Abner Thompson’s line of used cars.
Mr. and Mrs. Bennie O. Nelson will open their new dry-cleaning plant in Whitehall this coming Monday. The new “Vic 90” cleaning machine and other latest-model equipment is located in the 20- by 40-foot building which they have erected on Scranton Street just west of the Knut Amble jewelry store. The Nelsons have engaged Peter Christianson as presser.
Fire of undetermined origin consumed the T.J. Hanson Red and White store, the Mrs. Mae Johnson variety store, the Woodhull produce station and two apartments at Taylor early Tuesday. Whitehall firemen were called on to assist with fighting the blaze, which did an estimated $60,000 in damage.
A robin is wintering in the yard at the Irvin Coulee schoolhouse, but is not faring badly, as the children and their teacher, Mrs. Mildred Stenberg, keep feed out for it and any other birds braving the January temperatures.
The officers and directors of the Pigeon Falls Volunteer Fire Company met Tuesday evening and heard a report that $6,000 in cash and pledges had been collected towards the purchase of a fire truck.
Emil Hagen of Pigeon had a narrow escape with death Monday afternoon, when he became caught in the machinery of his wood-sawing outfit. He was saved by his brother, Theodore.
The Arcadia News-Leader reported that Miss Emerene Sonsalla will be Arcadia’s representative at the winter carnival in Winona, Minn. this weekend, where she will be an attendant to the Winona girl who will reign as carnival queen.
Jean Onsrud has been announced the grand winner of the farm safety essay contest which was promoted in the Arcadia community by the Arcadia Chapter of Future Farmers under the supervision of their instructor and advisor, Merrill Pinch. This contest was sponsored by the state farm safety division of the college of agriculture.
100 YEARS AGO
January 18, 1923
The property of the Whitehall Mill and Power Co. was sold last Friday to a group of local businessmen, who purchased the interest of Mr. Wagstad and that of the estate of Richard Mattson, the sole proprietors. The title is at present in the name of Theo. B. Olson, but it is understood that a stock company will be formed to take over the property.
The building crew of the Green Bay and Western Railroad completed their work in Whitehall Saturday on the new coaling station, which is one of the largest on the line. The building is 74 feet high and has a capacity of 175 tons of coal, which is carried to the top of the structure by mammoth buckets operated by electric power, which can handle one ton of coal per minute.
A large number of applicants for the position of patrolmen appeared before the highway commissioner and the road and bridge committee yesterday. Only a few changes were made, among them Theron Scott’s assignment to section 29 on the country trunk, Frank Gimza going to section nine on the state trunk.
The Blair mill property was sold at foreclosure sale here Monday. The John O. Melby and Co. Bank, the mortgagee, bid the property in.
A public meeting will be held this coming Monday for open discussion of the question as to whether or not a tourist camp shall be provided by the village.
Speerstra hill is affording much sport to the young. It is an ideal place for coasting.
Blair — A new road has been laid out, starting at the Theodore Austin farm on trunk highway 11 and running to the Bear Creek Road near T.A. Toraason’s. This mile and a half stretch has been needed for the past 40 years, and relieves seven farmers from swinging 19 gates and lowering a pair of bars.
Braun & Sons and P. Kronschnable each had a crew of men and teams at work harvesting the ice crop at the Kamla & Co. mill pond. The ice was reported to be exceptionally clear and about 15 inches thick.
A.M. Kieffer of Madison arrived in Arcadia to take charge of the testing work in connection with organization of the first cow testing association in this vicinity.
Scarlet fever had broken out in Danuser Valley with three families — William Eimerman, William Comero and John Reisch — quarantined. School was closed.
125 YEARS AGO
January 13, 1898
Charles Briggs of Onalaska has rented the Dake-Low farm in Hale for a year, to take possession in the spring. Mr. and Mrs. Dake will leave the farm March 1 and move into the residence in this village which they purchased recently from Mrs. Simon Olson.
Sheriff Jensen ran down one Englstad, a resident of the northern part of the county, at a very late hour last night and has the gentleman behind the bars in the county bastille. Englstad, we understand, tends a saloon bar in Onalaska, while his family resides in the town of Sumner. He is charged with contempt of court.
A communication from C.E. Scott announces that he is visiting the family of Silas Wright at Lodi, Calif. Mr. Wright will be remembered as a former citizen of Coral City, and the founder of that erstwhile village.
Blair — Haldor Lokken is molding bullets for use in his Klondike trip. The quartette of gentlemen previously mentioned as making arrangements for an expedition to the gold fields of Alaska will leave here next week, unless something unforeseeable turns up in the interim. The boys mean business.
Independence — A raffle dance in Zinsli Hall Monday night was well attended, mostly by boys from the country.
Elk Creek — An Indian doctor has been around the past week peddling medicines of his own make. From reports, this must be a sickly community, or else the old adage, all fools aren’t dead yet, is again verified.
