From Our Early Files March 29, 2023
25 YEARS AGO
April 2, 1998
City of Whitehall officials may have to reconsider plans for a new fire station since bids on the project came in much higher than architects’ estimates. Bids for the new fire station, which would be built in the west side commercial park on Highway 121 were opened last week. The apparent low bid, submitted by RJ Jurowski Construction Co. of Whitehall, was nearly $100,000 higher than the $300,000 project estimate used when the city applied for the state grant that would pay for part of the cost.
The decision to move the Whitehall Head Start center to Independence has generated opposition from some parents with children in the government-sponsored child-development program. The Head Start Policy Council, which consists of parent representatives, voted Thursday to move both the Arcadia and Whitehall centers. The facilities would then be combined and operated in what is now the Independence High School Annex, which is being purchased by Western Dairyland Economic Opportunity Council. One of the three members of the council who voted against the move said the council majority wasn’t thinking about the needs of parents and children who use the centers that will be moved. “Nobody cared, because their town wasn’t involved,” Michelle Elrod said. Western Dairyland Economic Director Jim Schwartz said that the monthly cost to buy the annex building is half of what it is paying to rent centers in Whitehall and Arcadia and that the ability to combine resources in one place will benefit families.
The Whitehall Volunteer Fire Department took delivery of a new pumper, which was purchased by the city of Whitehall and town of Lincoln a couple of weeks ago. The 1998 Peterbilt-based rig will replace the department’s 1969 pumper.
Dairyland Farmers of America, Inc., announced to its employees that the lactose division at the Arcadia plant would be closing within 14 business days. The layoff was expected after earlier last year when the company announced the closing of the plant’s cheese making division.
Students receiving the Student of the Month award at Arcadia High School are Jeremy Lyga, Natalie Rausch, Scott Matchey, Bernadine Woyczik, Jordan Klein, Kristin Carty, Jennifer Motszko, Faye Ziegeweid and Maren Flynn.
Five people were injured in a two-vehicle accident three-quarters of a mile west of Galesville Friday night. Gabriel Hull, 20, Galesville apparently tried to pass a 1987 Chrysler New Yorker driven by Shirley Cook, 71, Stockton, Minn., according to a report by the Wisconsin State Patrol. Cook, who was driving eastbound on Highway 54/93 near County Highway T had signaled to turn into a private driveway when Hull’s Pontiac Coupe struck her vehicle, forcing it into the ditch. Both Cook and Hull suffered minor injuries. Injured passengers were Rose Cook, 45, Louise Cook, 55, and Steven Cook, 43, all of Stockton.
The Glasgow-Hardies Creek Busy Bees recently celebrated their 75th year of 4-H club work with a reunion of over 90 past and present club members.
50 YEARS AGO
April 5, 1973
Mrs. Thurman Fremstad and write-in candidate Len Ellison won three-year terms on the Whitehall district school board during Tuesday’s election. Ralph Rasmuson, who had served 20 years on the board, finished third in the three-way race for two board seats.
Whitehall Police Chief George Fromm is calling for an effort to and spruce up the city, and says he will ask the city council for helping in forcing property owners to clean up vacant lots and cluttered property, if they don’t do so voluntarily.
An interloper that had been causing trouble on the city’s south side was shot and killed by Whitehall Police Officer Garland Green Thursday. The skunk had been a problem in the area of some homes on Co. D last summer.
Funeral services were held for three-year-old Todd Glenzinski, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Glenzinski, Arcadia, who drowned Tuesday afternoon when he fell into a cistern on his parent’s farm.
A total of 2,604 boxes of girl scout cookies were sold during the recent sales, reports Mrs. William Rogers, Arcadia cookie chairman. Highest sales in each of the three participating troops were Barbara Conrad, 101 boxes; Carol Lisowski, 107 boxes and Linda Gunderson, 138 boxes. The cookies have arrived and are being delivered this week.
Members of the Arcadia High School Junior Prom Court are Wayne Kampa, Kris Fernholz, Tina Harrison, Dennis Klonecki, Bill Flury, Ann Sendelbach, Steve LaLibertie, Mary Kay Kulig, Beverly Bisek and Ron Olson.
The Trempealeau Lions Club held Farmer’s Appreciation Night at Sullivan’s Supper Club. There were 27 Lions Club members and 28 farmers in attendance for the program. Wendall Hilton and Arild Engelien were in charge of the arrangements for the evening.
Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau student Larry Stuhr rated superior among 46 contestants in the state high school Dairy Showman contest.
75 YEARS AGO
April 1, 1948
The casketed remains of two more Whitehall World War II veterans, Cpl. Stanley Hamilton and PFC Ernest Moen, will be returned here from overseas cemeteries for final burial in Lincoln Cemetery within the next month.
Add to the spring circuit court calendar is the jury trial of an action brought by Oscar Nordby against Vernon Anderson, both residents of the town of Pigeon, for medical expenses and damages resulting from an assault that took place Aug. 16.
Charles Keilholtz states to The Times this week that he has definitely decided to enter the race for sheriff of Trempealeau County. “Chuck” is well known in the central and northern parts of the county, as for the past several years he has represented the Federal Bakery in those areas on his daily route.
The bowling championships will be held tonight, announces Lee Johnson, who is operating the alleys. The ladies’ teams, the Farmerettes and the Singlettes, will bowl at 7 p.m., and the men’s teams, the Barber Shop and the Schlitz team, at 9 p.m.
Mrs. P.J. Speerstra received a box of Hawaiian flowers for her birthday March 24 from her daughter, Carolyn, who has a nursing position in the island chain.
Three Arcadia area youths, Melvin Abts, Pat Rohn and Ronald Evenson, left for Chicago Tuesday to take physical examinations for the air corps. If they pass, they will be sent to San Antonio, Texas, for preliminary training and will continue their high school education while in the service. The air corps has a set-up at present which takes in one youth a week who is not a high school graduate and allows him to finish school while getting his air corps training.
Attorney LaVern Kostner of Arcadia filed an appeal to the Wisconsin Supreme Court with Trempealeau County Clerk of Courts Marjorie Schaefer at Whitehall on March 25. He represents Zach Neiderhauser, Cora Plant and Rose Welch, children of the late Samuel Neiderhauser of Columbus, Ohio, who are appealing the decision handed down by Judge A.T. Twesme in probate court of the will of Bertha Witwer, the deceased. Witwer left one-sixth of her estate to Samuel Neiderhauser, but there were two Samuel Neiderhausers so the case was sent to probate court.
100 YEARS AGO
April 5, 1923
School opened this week in the new building in all departments. There is considerable work to be done yet by the contractors, but in the main the work is done, and Whitehall has the distinction of having one of the finest educational institutions in the county.
Tracy Rice has been devoting considerable time and energy to reorganize the Whitehall band. Through his efforts, J.H. Beng of Winona was engaged to conduct a rehearsal Monday evening in the rooms over Wright and Paulson’s restaurant. About 20 of the former band boys were present and spent about three hours rehearsing. The band officer hope to be able to decide soon where they will be in a position to hire an instructor. With summer coming on, it is to be hoped that we may again enjoy the regular weekly band concerts.
O.H. Settingsgaard has a flock of 300 White Leghorn hens that laid 394 dozen eggs during the month of March, in spite of the cold weather.
Olaf Wevelstad brought Mrs. Casper Johnson and son Conrad of Pigeon to Whitehall Monday, the later to have his eye treated. Conrad had the misfortune to run a fork tine into one eye, but fortunately the sight was not destroyed.
Fewer than 300 votes were cast at the Arcadia village election on Tuesday. T. Knudtson defeated F.B. McWeeny for village president.
Massuere’s grocery specials included grapefruit, five cents; ice berg lettuce, seven cents; tobacco, Yellow Lion cigar scraps, per package, 50 cents; Martha Washington cornflakes, four packages for 25 cents.
The oratorical and declamatory contest at the high school in Galesville last week was one of the most interesting numbers in the school history. Participating were Stacia Shuster, Emma Helleckson, Wendell Myhre, Joserph Modahl, Maude Guertler, Lois Gilbert, Maria Enghagen, Mary Dopp, Elizabeth Scherr, Evelyn Herberg and Irene Ryder in declamatory. Forrest Uhl, Ralph Witherbee, Howard Rifenberg and Ezra Becker in oratorical.
Mrs. Albert Sylvester had resigned from the sales force of the Sagen-Shuster Co. store.
Volunteers wil line up for cleaning up the High Cliff Park, so says President Harry Sturdevant.
Tom Chase, former baseball champ of Galesville, was in town last week. He was under manager Gus Apel.
125 YEARS AGO
March 31, 1898
J.J. Baumgartner has been appointed postmaster at Dodge.
Archie Wood and crew have the new residence in course of construction on the Wade farm nearly enclosed.
Johnnie Kidder has been down with the measles the past week. The disease promises to have a run in the village.
Joseph Augustine is building a large addition to his farm residence north of town. Richard Mattson and crew are doing the carpenter work.
Our pleasant spring weather caught cold Sunday night, when the rain turned to snow and a couple inches of the beautiful fell. It drifted badly in some places.
Wolf scalps were exhibited by the wholesale in County Clerk Johnson’s office this week. Alfred Thompson of Lincoln obtained the bounty on a litter of eight small ones, and Peter Slabik of Arcadia, on a mother and eight little ones. The whole outfit was bagged near Square Bluff, in the town of Arcadia. The bounty is $10 on old wolves and $2 on young ones.
At the teachers’ examination held here last week, 32 persons wrote; seven for first grade, 23 for second grade, and 11 for third.
Blair -- It is reported that we are soon to have another mercantile establishment in town. Should the business materialize, it will make six general stores in Blair.
Pigeon Falls -- Iver Eimon returned from his journey to the south Saturday, having been as far south as Vicksburg, and returned home by way of St. Louis. The gentleman is enthusiastic over the advantages, particularly with regard to the climate, that this part of the county offers, and we would not be surprised to see him locate in some southern state in the future. We hope, though, that he will be satisfied with the conditions in Trempealeau County and remain.
Elk Creek -- A band of Gypsies have camped near the Wegner schoolhouse. They have 20 horses and are scouring the surrounding country trading horses and telling fortunes. The camp in evening seems to be a favorite resort for our young people.
