From Our Early Files July 13, 2022
25 YEARS AGO
July 17, 1997
Attorneys for an Independence teenager charged with killing his mother’s boyfriend have succeeded in getting the youth’s bond reduced. The bond was reduced from $50,000 to $25,000, but friends and neighbors trying to raise money to free Ryan Bogdonovich haven’t been able to come up with the lower bond. So the 16-year-old will remain in Trempealeau County Jail while awaiting trial. He is charged with first-degree intentional homicide with a deadly weapon in the May 17 death of Gerald Bisek.
There is what could be a record turnout of Trempealeau County young women seeking the title of county fair queen this year. Contestants include Tricia Austin, Sarah Critzman, Julie Giemza, Kristina Glodowski, Carmen Kampa, Rebecca Waller, Tracie Schroeder, Patience Renning, Nicole Peters, Jenny Woychik and Melissa Lambert.
The man who led the organization of a fundraising effort for Whitehall’s new family aquatic center will head the “capital campaign” itself. Dave Pientok, chairman of the steering committee for the pool campaign, was appointed last week as general chair of the drive.
There are local employees at Mid-America Dairymen, Inc. in Arcadia who are still in the state of shock. It was announced on July 9 that the cheese plant’s Arcadia branch will be closing for an indefinite period. According to cooperative officials, the recent action is expected to not impact farmers who currently market their milk though the company, but 44 of the 77 people employed at the Arcadia location will be laid off.
Construction of the new Arcadia High School facility has begun as the building is on schedule to open in August of 1998.
Members of the Arcadia Chamber of Commerce and Main Street Committee have joined forces to help get old sidewalks repaired when Main Street is under construction in 1998. The city has decided it will pay one-third of the construction of the new sidewalks for business owners and the business owner would pay the remaining cost.
Two former dormitories at what is now the city-owned Gale College site won’t survive another winter and should be disposed of before then, the city has been advised. The advice came in a personal appeal to the Galesville city council by Lorraine Herman. Three times at the council’s July 10 meeting, Herman advised city action yet this year – “or you won’t have anything left.”
A request by the Galesville Curling Club that the city take over its building and then lease it back to the club is on its way for a legal review. The Galesville city council agreed to turn over to the city attorney for review a draft of a list of sale conditions drawn up by Councilmen Gary Redsten and Bob Johnson.
Dusk is approaching and from a cornfield along West Prairie Road comes the muffled boom-boom-boom of guns set with timers. They’re the type of device used to scare away blackbirds. Except that Fred Bork, who farms in the area, says there haven’t been any blackbirds to speak of since the wet summer of 1993. He said he has five or six of the guns, but haven’t used any of them for the last three years. Bork and other town of Trempealeau residents have complained about the guns being used by brothers Wendell and Carlton Klein. The town of Trempealeau board agreed to turn to its attorney to see what kind of controls might legally be adopted.
50 YEARS AGO
July 20, 1972
Eighteen candidates filed for the seven Trempealeau County offices that will be on the ballot this fall. Every post will be contested except for district attorney and treasurer.
The city of Whitehall will be featured on the WEAU-TV program “Communities in Action.” Mayor Lester Brennom and Clerk Tony Berg will be interviewed, and the new swimming pool and park development will be discussed, as well as other planned city improvements.
A severe storm with wind, rain and hail rumbled across the area Sunday afternoon, causing heavy crop damage in many parts of Trempealeau and Buffalo counties. The path of the storm seemed to cut northwest to southwest between Arcadia and Whitehall, crossing Highway 53 south of Blair through the Bear Creek area north of Beaver Creek, through Plum Creek and North Creek.
Ben Fetting, Arcadia, noted his 91st birthday with the receipt of a congratulatory card from President Richard M. Nixon and a telegram from Paul Harvey, radio newscaster. Ben and his wife, Hannah, who make their home on Washington St., have one son, Norbert, six grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren.
The Trempealeau Business Men’s Club, the VFW Post, Caledonia 4-H Club, Trempealeau Boy Scouts, the Trempealeau Fire Department and the fast pitch softball teams are sponsoring a two-day celebration called “Catfish Days” this weekend in Trempealeau.
A budget hearing to review the proposed expenditures and receipts for the 1972-73 school year is scheduled to precede the Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau school board’s annual meeting. The estimated expenditures are $1.56 million.
75 YEARS AGO
July 17, 1947
At the annual school district meeting held Monday night, plans for a new school building were discussed. Two years ago, a committee was formed to draft plans to relieve the congestion in the school, and the board and Superintendent G.C. Boll have visited several new school buildings over the past year. The board has suggested a two-story building, 76 by 48 feet with full basement, which would be erected south and east of the school.
The new lights at the renovated Melby Park ball field were turned on last Thursday for the first time, and the ball park is ready for the first baseball game to be played under the lights at the county seat. Manager Rudolph Hagen has signed Ettrick for the opening game, which will be played tonight at 8:30 p.m. The dedication of the new field will be held July 27, hosted by the Lions Club, in cooperation with the Millers ball team.
Information has been filed in Trempealeau County Circuit Court by District Attorney LaVern Kostner that on July 4, Post 186 of the American Legion, Independence, unlawfully possessed and operating slot machines for gambling purposes. Similar charges have been filed against the Veterans of Foreign Wars post at Strum.
The uncertainty of life was again impressed upon the community when word spread swiftly Monday morning that James Garaghan had passed from this life, at the age of 31. Jim became ill after pitching for the Whitehall Millers July 6, during which game he apparently was affected by the heat and asked to be removed.
A day last week, Theodore Thorson, who lives in the town of Hale, was mowing a field of hay when he observed what appeared to be a newly-made grave. Sheriff Erickson was called to the Thorson farm the next morning, and found a fresh mound of dirt, situated due east and west. The sheriff and Mr. Thorson dug up all the loose dirt, opening a pit about seven feet deep, but found no evidence whatsoever. Who dug the pit, and then apparently refilled it, and the reason for the spade-work, remains a mystery.
Odien Gabriel, proprietor of the Coffee Shop in Arcadia received a fractured left collarbone when his milk truck overturned Wednesday afternoon as he was returning to Arcadia from a trip to Eau Claire. The accident occurred between Eleva and Elk Creek on Highway 93.
100 YEARS AGO
July 20, 1922
Gov. John J. Blaine will speak to the voters of this community from the bandstand Saturday evening at 7:45 p.m. Everybody should come out and hear the governor, who is a candidate for reelection, discuss the issues in this important campaign. Gov. Blaine also will speak at Pigeon Falls, at the Holstein Breeders Association picnic that will be held Sunday at the Hegge grove.
Many citizens, appreciating the work of the Whitehall Municipal Band, has come forward the past week and made donations to its treasury. Saturday night concerts at the bandstand, only two of which have been missed this season, one on account of the weather, makes a record hard to beat. The band has never shirked an invitation to play at special occasions, even though some members live at a distance and others have employment which makes it hard for them to get away.
The carload of Fords received by the Auto Sales Co. last week have been delivered to the following: Helge Hjornevik, Pigeon; Ed Jacobson, York; Anderson Bros., Blair; Joe Maule, Herbert Steiner and Simon Gabriel, Independence and Aldred Dahl, Whitehall.
Much enthusiasm is being aroused in local baseball circles since the great game of Sunday, when Whitehall held the champions of Blair scoreless for 14 innings, before losing 3 to 0. Preparations are now being made for a large number of games to be played before the close of the season.
The Very Rev. Andrew W. Gara, pastor of Ss. Peter and Paul Church, Independence, one of the area’s most distinguished, learned and beloved priests and citizens, died.
George Schmidt retired as supervisor of assessment of Trempealeau, Buffalo and Pepin counties after 18 years.
Two orchestras, Tins Ragged Edges of Arcadia and Orpheus of Blair were playing at Hannon’s Pavilion on the Glencoe Ridge.
Ralph Haines was awarded the contract for painting the interior and exterior of the Arcadia Public School building.
125 YEARS AGO
July 15, 1897
Whitehall Fair, Sept. 28, 29 and 30.
Archie Wood has the contract for putting up the upright addition to William Lennon’s place.
Anderson and Ekern have started the foundation for their new law office on Main Street, nearly opposite the Times-Banner block.
Last Thursday was put down as the hottest day in Wisconsin in 65 years, thermometers indicating throughout the state, 100 to 106 in the shade.
James Larson is making improvements in his flouring mill, at which work he will have carpenters employed for about a month. Theodore Olsson, one of the best workmen in the Northwest, is the boss carpenter on the job.
A telegram from Trempealeau states that a deluge of ice and hail fell there during a severe storm Sunday night. Chunks of ice seven inches in circumference are said to have come down with such force as to break many window frames in that city.
C.A. Sherwood has sold his farm near the village to J.C. Lamberson, the consideration being $800. Mr. Sherwood has purchased five acres of the Kelly property across the road from N.L. Fredrickson’s, which is a fine location and admirably adapted to the gentleman’s purpose, fruit growing.
We have just gotten up some new marriage certificates. They are the next thing to a lithograph production, and should be in the hands of every minister of the gospel and all justices of the peace.
Blair -- The game of base ball here Sunday between a nine composed of Indian boys from Black River Falls and the home team, resulted in a score of 15 to 6 in favor of Blair. The game was witnessed by a large crowd.
Independence -- There have been some changes in the saloons the past week. M. Mish has gone into the old Elstad building, which has lately been put in first-class shape, Joe Libowski has gone out of the business, and Aug. Weir has taken up the business at his old stand.
