From Our Early Files June 30, 2021
25 YEARS AGO
July 4, 1996
The city of Whitehall may bring rollerbladers under the same rules as bicyclists — and may crack down on bike riders who violate city ordinances. That’s the recommendation made by the city council’s law enforcement committee when it met last week Wednesday, anyway. The city council will have that proposal before it at the regular monthly meeting.
The Pigeon Falls village board approved assessing part of the cost of developing new residential lots in the Windsand Addition to adjoining property owners. The action came after a public hearing, as required by state law, was held at the regular board meeting; neither the affected property owners, nor any other citizens, appeared at the hearing to comment on the assessments.
Erica Waldera reigned over last weekend’s Independence Days as the newly-crowned Miss Independence. First Attendant was Emily Wiersgalla, Second Attendant was Heather Slaby and Little Miss Independence was Bethany Halama.
The Waumandee-Montana Fire Department will reach its golden anniversary on July 7.
Arcadia’s Nancy Ziegeweid finished in the top 10 at the Miss Wisconsin Pageant, held in Oshkosh June 20-22. She earned a $400 scholarship for participating in the pageant and finishing as a semifinalist.
In their retirement, Russ Severson and Allen Dorn have found part-time jobs working for the city of Arcadia. They have spent their last four summers working to help keep the parks in Arcadia looking presentable to the public.
Roger Nelson thought he’d made some good progress on his medical problem. Since last fall, when he made a concerted effort to find out what was causing his seizures and started taking medicine for them. Their frequency had dropped from four a month to one. But, on May 29, while frying hamburger and slicing onions on his kitchen stove, he got that feeling. No one knows what exactly happened next or how long it was before Nelson became aware that his hands were badly burned. It might have been a few seconds. Doctors have said it may take a month for Nelson to be able to return to work. In the meantime, his medical bills are mounting and Zion Lutheran Church — where Nelson is employed — has established a fundraiser for him.
An estimated $10,000 to $15,000 people will gather in the village of Trempealeau Friday through Sunday for Catfish Days.
The offensive line coach at University of Wisconsin-La Crosse was named Monday night to be head varsity football coach at Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau High School. Jon Steffenhagen will be leaving the post he’s held for three years to lead the Redmen team and to teach in the school’s exceptional educational needs department.
50 YEARS AGO
July 8, 1971
Incumbent Dr. Carl Webster and Peter Bieri and Boyd Relyea have filed for the two Whitehall district school board seats up for election at the annual meeting July 26. Not seeking reelection is Kenneth Berdan, who has served 20 years on the board, the past six as board president.
The new Whitehall Clinic is a reality, with the first physician taking occupancy this week Tuesday. Dr. Theresa Cachuela, a surgeon on the Tri-County Memorial Hospital staff, moved over from the old clinic on Dewey Street. An additional loan has been obtained to finish the lower level, which will be occupied by dentist Dr. Dennis Strangstalien.
Two people filed for positions on the Arcadia school board prior to the deadline on Tuesday. Filing with Rev. Wayne Radke, clerk of the school board, are Kenneth Sonsalla, a candidate for reelection and Maynard Olson, Cochrane.
The La Crosse Diocesan changes announced recently by Bishop F.W. Freking have resulted in two changes among Arcadia area clergy. The Rev. Joseph Udulutch assumed his duties at St. Joseph Hospital and Nursing Home on July 1. He will also assist at St. Stanislaus Church. The Rev. Edwin Stanek is the new pastor at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Pine Creek.
If, and when, the Gale-Ettrick School District builds a new elementary school in Galesville, should the new building be constructed at the present site in the heart of town overlooking Lake Marinuka? This is the basic question which will face the voters of the G-E School District when they meet to hold a special district referendum in the G-E High School July 13.
The Galesville Business Association voted to continue the annual Wooden Nickel Trempealeau County Fair Promotion and moved to purchase baseball uniforms for the Galesville Little League and Pee Wee teams at their last meeting.
75 YEARS AGO
July 4, 1946
Colonel Larson, Whitehall High School coach, was elected first president of the newly-formed Lions Club at a supper meeting held at the Walgert Hotel Monday evening. A delegation of Black River Falls Lions, the sponsoring club for the Whitehall organization, was present. Whitehall’s is the 103rd Lions Club to be formed in Wisconsin. It will have as its purpose the development of projects of benefit to the entire community.
Twenty-five Trempealeau County schools have not yet obtained teachers for the coming year, according to Miss Dorris Sander, county superintendent of schools, who is making a vigorous search for such instructors. Anyone interested in returning to the teaching field in the fall should contact her immediately.
Rebecca Arneson is one of the many children in this area who have the German measles. Red measles are also rampant among the children of the community.
Sam Thelen broke his leg again Wednesday, in the same place it was fractured two months ago, while he was entering the rooms he and his wife have in the Allen House. Two or three years ago, Mr. Thelen fractured both legs in a fall from a scaffold while building a silo.
The windstorm that swept through the area Friday partly destroyed a barn on the former Chris Sveum place, no occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Holmen, near Pigeon Falls. Fortunately, the barn was partly filled with hay, so it was not completely destroyed, and about 20 men from the neighborhood gathered and salvaged and piled the lumber so it can be rebuilt.
Pigeon Falls — New homes are still going up in the village. The basement is completed for the Reynolds Tomter home, and adjoining it will be a new home to be built for Mr. and Mrs. Thurman Fremstad. The Carl Fremstad home will be moved from Fuller Coulee during the first week of July, placed on a waiting foundation and remodeled into a modern residence.
A large modern barn on the Albert Pronschinske farm in Glencoe was completely demolished in a heavy windstorm. Neighbors who saw the destruction described a hurtling black ball. which struck with terrific impact, leveling the barn at once.
Robert Topkins, 21, Galesville fell asleep at the wheel. His vehicle traveled 175 feet and flipped completely over. He was given medical attention and released from the hospital.
Six people were injured in an accident on Tuesday. The crash occurred on County Highway J near Arcadia. All were taken to the hospital and released. Most of the victims were from Winona, Minn.
100 YEARS AGO
July 7, 1921
John Fredrickson, deputy sheriff, on July 2 seized an automobile loaded with about 20 gallons of liquor, and caused the arrest of Clarence Shisler and A.D. McCrady of La Crosse. According to the new law, if the accused are convicted of the crime, the auto is sold at public auction.
The women’s auxiliary to the Whitehall Improvement Association has fitted up a rest room on the first floor of the Village Hall, with a toilet and washroom, and a drinking fountain on the same floor. The room will be open every day, and not only tourists, but women from the surrounding country, are invited to make use of it. The auxiliary women also are placing picnic tables and benches in the city park.
Eddie Kuka of Independence, who forged several checks in this vicinity some time ago, appeared before Judge Hensel yesterday and was sentenced to 90 days of hard labor, on some farm to be selected by the sheriff.
The vote on the question of bonding the town of Ettrick for $55,000 to aid the Ettrick and Northern Railroad carried July 2 by a very close vote, 44 out of 836 cast, the majority in favor of the proposition was the result of a hot fight. The bond issue, coupled with a private subscription, will put the road out of debt and place it on a paying basis.
O. Busby was elected treasurer of the Arcadia School District for three years. The sum of $18,000 was voted for high and graded school expenses for the next school year.
Two young Glencoe men, Emil and Herman Theurer, on their way to swim in the Trempealeau River, found a human skull in a pasture. It was believed to be that of an Independence man who had disappeared more than a year ago and was thought to have drowned. It was theorized that the highway water had washed the skull ashore.
L.A. Hild’s drug store in Arcadia was broken into and robbed of a bottle of liquor and about $15 in cash.
At the annual meeting of the joint district of Galesville and Gale, voters voted $22,000 for school purposes, which is $5,000 more than last year. An additional $350 was voted for repairs.
125 YEARS AGO
July 2, 1896
John Nyberg and S.T. Wade are putting in the abutments for the Irvin Creek bridge.
An enclosure is being constructed around the jail building, which will effectively preclude anyone from conversing with the inmates in the future. It will be eight or 10 feet high.
John Porter and Frankie Wing performer the extraordinary feat of cycling from Whitehall to Blair and back, and from here to Independence and back — a distance of 30 miles -- between the hours of 1 and 6 p.m. Monday.
A case of assault was up in Justice Ecker’s court Monday, in which John Bidney is accused with assaulting on Andrew Berg. Berg it seems, while intoxicated, was causing a disturbance in the defendant’s place of business, and in ejecting him from the establishment the court held that harsher means were used than were necessary. The judgment of the court was that Mr. Bidney be fined $1 and costs, which he paid. Mr. Berg was not injured further than suffering a bloody nose.
Iver Pederson’s four-horse team was over from Ettrick Monday with 15 barrels of the product of the Beaver Valley roller mills. This flour is kept on sale by J.O. Gilbertson and Co., and their sales have averaged 15 barrels monthly for the past four months.
Hale — William Cox has had the misfortune to lose 18 swarms of bees this summer. Wild bees will be plentiful hereabouts this fall.
