From Our Early Files September 21, 2022
25 YEARS AGO
September 25, 1997
Reigning over homecoming festivities being held in Whitehall Memorial High School are the members of the court: Jerry Tiffany, Mike Estenson, Mike Geurink, Jason Estenson, Tim Gunderson, Laura Bender, Nicole Tollefson, Amy Halama, Tricia Sobotta and Tricia Austin.
The Whitehall School District may be spending less this year on milk for its food service program, but money isn’t everything, members of the school board were told Monday night. Area dairy farmer Gary Everson complained about the source for the milk used in the district program. The district had, for a number of years, bought milk from the Foremost Farms cooperative and its predecessor Golden Guernsey Dairy. But when the district decided earlier this year to contract with the Eau Claire School District for management of the food service program, the board committee decided to use the same milk vendor chosen by Eau Claire. Everson estimated that, of the 125 or so dairy producers in the Whitehall district, 35 of them were Foremost patrons.
The Trempealeau County board district representing most of the town of Lincoln and part of the city of Whitehall is getting its fourth different supervisor in the past three years. The county board accepted the resignation of Gordon Johnson, who is moving from the town of Lincoln to the village of Pigeon Falls. He was elected in 1996, defeating Norm Herman. County board chairman John Killian said he has received several inquiries about the position.
Cyril “Sonny” Pehler will be opening an addition to his Stop and Shop convenience store in Centerville. He plans to add a café, which will have the capacity to feed 48 individuals.
The 1997 Arcadia homecoming court includes Jeni Boberg, Nicole Pronschinske, Jenny Bautch, Jenny Lince, Wendy Sobota, Darby Dettloff, Rocky Pierzina, Jake Busch and Derek Schlesser.
The Wisconsin Chiropractic Association presented Arcadia chiropractor Michael Schroeder with its highest honor: Chiropractor of the Year at a luncheon in Madison.
The Galesville city council approved a plan Tuesday that will put the 1997 Apple Affair around the Square, but not on it. The move resolves a site problem created by the expectation that work on the tore up Square won’t be completed in time for the annual celebration. In past Apple Affairs, artists and craftspeople had put up their stands on the grassy plot in the center of the business district. The solution: moving the vendors to the parking area on the south side of the Square area. The suggestion came from John Ph. Graf, representing the Apple Affair Committee of the Galesville Area Chamber of Commerce.
Galesville’s new South Beaver Creek bridge was opened to traffic unceremoniously late Friday morning. The Sept. 19 opening was nearly two weeks ahead of schedule and allowed Highway 53 traffic to move through the city without detour for the first time in about six months.
50 YEARS AGO
September 28, 1972
Work is progressing on a flood-control dam north of Whitehall that will have another major benefit for the area — creation of a public lake for swimming, fishing and other recreation. The earthen dam is being built on land owned by Whitehall-Pigeon Rod and Gun Club in Johnson Valley.
H.D. Briggs will retire this Sunday as head usher at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church, after serving in that position for 32 years. A special reception in his honor will be held Sunday morning.
Mike Matchey and Linda Larson were chosen as Whitehall High Homecoming king and queen Friday. Their attendants are Gary Larson and Barb Berg, Gary Bautch and Betsy Fremstad, Roger Johnson and Carol Hanson, and Marcus Shepherd and Debbie Halama.
Gary Sosalla passed for 110 yards, including two touchdown passes to Brian Skroch, as Independence defeated the Norse 33-14 Friday.
The A-G Cooperative Creamery in Arcadia is one of 10 state cooperatives listed among the top 100 Wisconsin-based firms during 1972. Ratings are based on rank in sales volume, A-G was 74th.
The 1973 graduating class of Arcadia High School will present “The Miracle Worker” as the senior class play. Miss Carolee Johnson is the director and the cast includes Colleen Maloney as Anne Sullivan; Marsha Christ as Hellen Keller; Bill Gamoke, Captain Keller; Mary Kostner, Kate Keller; Randy Gilbertson, James Keller; Barbe Rebhahn, Aunt Ev; Bob Kulig, doctor; Christy Giemza, Viney; Cathy Chambers, Martha; Joe O’Brien, Percy; Greg Bremer, Mr. Anagos and Carleen Angst, Ann Herrick, Sue Sokup, Mary Rose Persick, Sandy Weaver and Janet O’Brien, blind children.
The Gale Packing Co. operates 12 months a year and currently has 400 people canning lima beans. They come from as far as 40 miles away. It’s the peak of the lima season. They will can 225,000 basic cases of lima beans this year. About the same number of peas were canned. Plans are for 120,000 cases of carrots in October.
Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau had to come from behind to beat Onalaska 16-7 on the latter’s home field, but the Redmen still stretched their winning streak to 37 in a row.
75 YEARS AGO
September 25, 1947
Two additional schools, Riverside in the town of Unity and Sunnyslope in the town of Arcadia, were closed this year because of an insufficient enrollment to make keeping them open practical. This brings to 19 the number of rural schools that have been closed in the past few years, in addition to the four detached districts in the county and the several that have joined other districts. Among the latter are Roskos and Instenes, which have joined Hale; and Preston, which has been divided between Carpenter and Larkin.
The Whitehall Archers Club was recently organized, with Rollin Holtan as president, Harold Everson as vice president and Jack DeBow as secretary-treasurer. The present membership is about 21. The boys will go on their first club hunt this Sunday, and Colonel Larson of National Newsreels will take pictures.
Melvin Erickson is building a new home on Ervin Street just east of the J.E. Garaghan residence. George Gilbertson of Schimmerhorn, whose home was destroyed by fire recently, is rebuilding, Alfred Nelson and crew doing the rebuilding. Ray Hagen is erecting a 40- by 44-foot addition to his garage in Pigeon Falls. Two new cottages are being built for employees at the Trempealeau County hospital.
The annual school census taken by the county superintendent’s department each year shows that during the 1946-47 school year there were 6,100 children in Trempealeau County between the ages of four and 19. Of these, 3,149 were boys and 2,951 were girls.
Paul Tyvand, the new Ford dealer in Arcadia, announced the grand opening of Tyvand Motor Sales this Saturday, with an all-day open house at the garage. The two super deluxe Ford passenger cars will be on display during the open house.
100 YEARS AGO
September 28, 1922
The children’s picture show given by G.G. Eberhardt at the Opera House last night, in connection with the screen production “Black Beauty,” drew large crowds at both shows. The center of interest was picture slides of the children and babies of Whitehall, along with snapshots of local men and women in action on the streets.
The Whitehall Creamery Association has contracted with the Wisconsin-Minnesota Power and Light Co. to operate its plant by electric power. In a short time, all plants requiring dependable power will be supplied from this source.
A.L. Solberg of French Creek has supplied many Whitehall residents with grapes this season. He has a fine vineyard of Concords, the largest in the county.
The school here has received a communication from Arcadia High in regard to football. Arcadia has already organized a team, and if the neighboring high schools would organize teams, the sport would be promoted in this section. Football is an excellent outdoor game, especially during the snappy fall weather. In the past, Whitehall has had fine teams. Next year, when we are in the new building, this sport may be revived.
Mrs. Halvor Arneson of Fly Creek suffered an injury to her hip Monday while milking, losing her balance and falling while attempting to get up from the milk stool.
The Whitehall Band will open a class for beginners, and those who wish to study an instrument, on the first Friday in October. The school orchestra is to be enlarged to take in any student who wishes to join, and this will be an opportunity for the young ones to gain experience in both band and orchestra.
Work on the school building is beginning to show something of what the new structure will look like. In the meantime, school is progressing nicely in the barracks and various places “too numerous to mention.”
William Waters was elected grand knight of the Arcadia KC Council.
Fire resulting from lightning destroyed a large barn on the Reuben Rosenow farm in Tamarack.
125 YEARS AGO
September 23, 1897
Alfred Hopkins had his shoulder blade broken yesterday by being jammed in the stall by a vicious horse. Dr. Parker reduced the fracture.
Under the heading of “Whitehall is on the Boom,” one of our citizens expostulates at length on the beauties of nature and the public enterprise and business thrift of our village. If “Observer” will wait a month or such a matter, we will give him something more to feel good over, in the shape of a first-class electric light plant. No, there are no flies on Whitehall.
Next Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, if the weather be favorable, will probably see the largest crowds ever assembled in Whitehall. For the 11th-annual fair, the best program ever arranged by the fair association has been prepared. For the races, three purses of $400 each had been offered. There will be a good, hot ball game for a purse of $35 every forenoon at 10 o’clock.
A son of John Wiezork of Hale, while fooling with the sickle of a mower, yesterday had a finger on the right hand so lacerated as to necessitate amputation.
The first genuine frost of the season occurred Sunday night, when everything of a vegetable nature and susceptible to its killing influence turned black and passed in its checks.
Blair -- At the village election Tuesday to vote on the question of establishing the amount to be paid for a liquor license, in case a license should be granted, 55 votes were polled and all were for a $500 license.
Pigeon Falls -- Even Erickson has commenced to erect a barn in place of the one that was destroyed by fire in the early part of the season.
Pigeon Falls -- Another building is going up in the village. This time it is A.C. Gilbertson, our popular harness maker, that has found it necessary to get into larger quarters.
