TEN YEARS AGO
Thursday, February 18, 1982
A fire apparently started by a heat lamp used to keep livestock warm, destroyed a barn on the Jerome Johnson farm in Fly Creek Valley last Sunday night.
Trempealeau County’s contract with the union representing its social services employees, settled just before negotiations were to go to arbitration, barely survived a county board vote Monday night. Supervisors voted 10 to nine in favor of ratifying the pact, which included pay raises of about nine percent.
More than 10 percent of the students in the Whitehall district were home sick during the past week, the result of an influenza epidemic that also kept four teachers home.
Joe Carty will represent Whitehall High at the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association sectional wrestling meet this weekend, as the 167-pounder placed second in regional tourney Saturday. Independence, which won the team title, got firsts from Randy Sluga, John George, Jeff Bautch, Bob Guza, Greg Matchey and Scott Kulig.
FIFTEEN YEARS AGO
Thursday, February 17, 1977
U.S. Rep. Robert Kasten will be the guest speaker at this Sunday’s Trempealeau County Republican Party Lincoln Day Dinner. Kastem reportedly is considering running against Democratic Gov. Patrick Lucey next year.
Diane Schiefelbein, a former follower of Sun Myung Moon, will speak at the Whitehall United Methodist Church this Sunday. The Fall Creek native is now helping with the deprogramming of other “Moonies.”
Gertrude Smick of Independence escaped serious iinjury Friday when the car she was driving hit a Green Bay and Western train at the West Lincoln crossing on Hwy. 121.
Four Norse wrestlers — Jim Bautch, Bruce Berg, Alex Hernandez and Mark Koxlien — have advanced to the sectional tournament at La Crosse Central. Berg and Koxlien took firsts in their weight classes at the regional meet Saturday.
TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO
Thursday, February 23, 1967
Fire Monday night gutted a large portion of the Arcadia Industries plant in Independence, causing an estimated $150,000 damage to the building and finished stereo cabinets that were to have been shipped Tuesday. The building, financed by the Independence Medical Development Corp., was completed one year ago.
The Whitehall schools were closed last week Wednesday and Thursday because of a snowstorm which brought a half a foot of new snow to the area, accompanied by winds of 20 to 25 miles per hour.
Whitehall High School senior Janet Everson is a finalist in the National Merit Scholarship contest.
As a result of action taken by the school board Monday night, a piano room will be made available in the Whitehall schools so that local piano teachers can give lessons to district students.
Freshman center Ralph Rasmuson scored 30 points and grabbed 24 rebounds as the Norsmen defeated Osseo 67-52 Friday and remained tied for first place in the Dairyland Conference.
FIFTY YEARS AGO
Thursday, February 19,1942
The Whitehall Ski Club will hold its 10th-annual, United States Central Ski Association-sanctioned meet this Sunday. With the anxiously-awaited heavy snowfall of the early part of the week, all dread of a postponement has vanished, and Lester Brennom, president of the club, reports that the Whitehall hill is in perfect condition. Arrangements have been made with the local school bus drivers to haul passengers to the hill from the downtown area, and the buses will run every 15 minutes before and after the meet.
Chimney fires were extinguished by the fire department at the Palmer Hagen residence on Hobson St. Tuesday morning, and at the Gilbert Paulson’s on the east side that afternoon. Also reporting chimney fires were Mrs. Louise Harnden on Tuesday evening, and Mrs. L.N. Larson and Sigvald Knudtson the following day.
With the arrival of the necessary steel, construction work has progressed materially at the new milk plant in Whitehall during the past 10 days. The brick and tile on the south of the structure is already several feet high. The present cold weather has interrupted work, but as soon as the weatherman permits, progress will again be udnerway.
Parents are asked and warned to keep their children away from the new milk plant site. This is for safety reasons, as with building activity under way, serious accidents might result. Look from a distance and be safe.
The milk drying equipment at the Pigeon Falls Cooperative Creamery is being converted to dryers for producing milk powder for human consumption, Clarence Kaas, secretary of the creamery board, told the more than 50 stockholders and patrons attending the annual meeting Saturday afternoon.
The Valentine Box Party at the York hall Saturday night, given for the benefit of the National Farmers Union Legislative Fund, was well attended. High honors in the progressive whist went to Bernt Thompson and Mrs. Ervin Harnisch.
Dr. and Mrs. Anton Vold received a box of oranges and grapefruit Saturday as a valentine from Miss Hilda Larson of Miami Beach, Fla. Miss Larson was employed at the Vold home years ago.
SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO
Thursday, February 22, 1917
There has been considerable talk in the village the past week regarding the question of laying the West St. sewer the coming summer, and many are of the opinion that it should be decided by the people at the coming charter election. It would seem that it is too big a proposition to handle by a direct levy. If it is divided into parts, it would mean separate contracts, and would make a “piece-meal” and probably a botch job, and at considerably greater expense. The only feasible plan seems to be to bond the village, lay it all and be done with it.
E.C. Getts, who has been in business here for the past 25 years, and his father before him, is doing a large business in chickens and eggs. Ed is also the local coal dealer, and smiles when others are condemning the cold weather. When other towns have been complaining of a coal shortage, he has been able to keep his customers supplied.
Claude Everson sold a bull Monday of last week through the Pigeon Grain and Stock Co. The animal weighed 1,750 pounds, and sold for $8.75 per 100 pounds.
Sixteen of the young people of Whitehall went to Pigeon Falls Sunday evening to attend the Y.P. Society.
The Eau Claire Leader states that Sheriff George Garman visited Augusta and srved warrants for the arrest of Dr. W.J. Clancy and Druggist W.S. Arnold, charging them with violation of the "Dry" ordinance. According to evidence secured by the John Sather Detective Agency, the doctor had been doing a thriving business writing prescriptions at 25 cents per, while Prescription Clerk Darreel Lampman had been filling same, mostly in half-pints and pints.
Independence — Joseph Maule, the son of Fred Maule, left Tuesday for Kansas City to take a six-week course in an automobile school.
ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO
Thursday, February 18,1892
Our snow is disappearing.
Leo, the crayon artist, is crowded with work making sketches of a large number of our good people.
We can say but little of the “Georgia Minstrels” who showed here Thursday night, as we did not remain through the performance, nor have we learned of anyone who did, the audience leaving the hall thoroughly disgusted before the proprietor announced that the best part of the show was yet to come.
Joseph Bjorge came home Saturday from Price County, where he had been cutting railroad ties, with a bad gash in his right foot which was accidentally made while in performance of his duties.
Wanted — A good man, who can sing and play the banjo or guitar, to travel with a medicine company. Good salary and steady employment. Direct to George Parson, managed of the Mountain Medicine Co., Whitehall, Wis.
The Burlington has closed up their depot at Beef Slough, Buffalo County, as the business there did not pay running expenses.
H.A. Fremstad of Pigeon is getting lumber on the ground for a barn, 30 by 66 feet, with stone basement, to be built in the spring. Mr. Fremstad is also one of the committee appointed to advertise and sell the “lower church” at Pigeon Falls, notice of the sale of which property is given in this issue.
Ettrick — Saturday evening, six couples from this village did up North Bend, ostensibly to hire a band leader, but more than anything else to give their sweethearts a free ride.