TEN YEARS AGO
Thursday, December 1, 1988
The Whitehall district school board Monday night approved a motion to hold a special district meeting on the proposed sale of a parcel of district-owned land to a Tomah developer. Jack Alderman wants to build three, eight-unit apartment buildings on the land, which is located across Hobson Street from Sunset Memorial High School.
Trempealeau County District Attorney LaVern Michalak has ruled illegal the decision by the Independence city council to purchase 16 acres of land for a handicapped housing complex. Michalak decreed that the council could not act on the matter at its Nov. 21 special meeting because the purchase was not listed on the published agenda.
Led by 18 points from Adam Highman, Independence defeated the Norse boys 51-44 last week Tuesday. Cory Fields led Whitehall with 23.
FIFTEEN YEARS AGO
Thursday, December 1, 1983
The Whitehall district school board voted Monday night to require high school athletes to maintain a C-minus average in order to remain eligible. The new standards also apply to students involved in other extracurricular activities, which previously were not covered by academic eligibility requirements.
Most members of the St. Paul’s Lutheran congregation, who lost their church building to fire last week Monday, reportedly favor building a new church.
Sophomore Troy Pride scored 17 points last week Tuesday to lead the Norse boys’ varsity to a 66-34 win over Blair in the team’s Dairyland Conference opener.
TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO
Thursday, December 6, 1973
A group interested in securing community cable television for Trempealeau County and Taylor voted Monday to incorporate as the Western Wisconsin Communications Cooperative. The group’s board of directors includes local government officials, school administrators, teachers and representatives from farm and telephone cooperatives.
John Peterson scored 22 points and grabbed 18 rebounds as the Norsemen won their first Dairyland Conference game of the season Friday, 61-42 over Alma Center Lincoln.
FIFTY YEARS AGO
Thursday, December 2, 1948
A large congregation of worshippers attended the first Mass at St. John’s the Apostle Catholic Church at City Hall in Whitehall Sunday morning, officiated at by the Most Reverend John Treacy of La Crosse, assisted by his secretary, the Rev. James Finucan and the Rev. Edward Roskos of the North Creek parish, who will serve as pastor of the new congregation. Joseph Wozney, student at Ss. Peter and Paul’s school at Independence, was the server. The choir, brought in from North Creek by Fr. Roskos, consisted of Stanley Wierzgala, Emily and Theresa Kluz and Mmes. Henrietta Mish and Hattie Prudlick. The congregation so far numbers about 70 families. A location for a church is being considered.
Six major changes have been made to school districts in Trempealeau County, according to the annual report submitted last month to the county board of supervisors by County Superintendent of Schools Dorris Sander. The most significant of those is the organization of an entirely new elementary and high school district in the Arcadia area. Schools that have closed this year as a result of low enrollments include Fitch Coulee in the town of Pigeon and New City in the town of Burnside.
The directors of Whitehall Winter Sports, Inc., are offering a season’s admission to anyone suggesting a name to be eventually used by the group for the present so-called ski hill.
Eugene Sosalla, star second baseman on the Whitehall Millers team the past season, is also a hunter of note. Gene was one of the successful area nimrods, and brought home a doe from down in the Dodge territory.
The new U.S. Hwy. 53 from Whitehall to Pigeon Falls, a distance of about six miles, was officially opened for traffic Saturday. The new stretch of concrete had been used by local people for nearly a month while the shoulders were being worked on, but the detour signs routing buses and tourist traffic through the town of Hale have now been taken down.
Ten Whitehall Boy Scouts received their tenderfoot badges in an investiture ceremony held Monday at the mothers’ and dads’ potluck supper, about 125 people attending. Receiving their new rank were James Breska, Gavin Strand, David Wood, Arthur Hanson, Rodney Thompson, Paul Hendrickson, Gary Larson, Theodore Johnson, Douglas Kopp and James Garson.
SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO
Thursday, December 6, 1923
O.J. Galstad is in the hospital with a badly bruised side and limbs, the result of being struck by a car Monday evening while walking from his home north of town to Martin Johnson’s at Coral City. Henry Olson was the driver of the auto.
Preparations are going forward for a variety entertainment to be given at the Village Hall next week Wednesday, under the auspices of the Women’s Civic Club. The program will include an sketch by a company of local people, directed by Miss Bjoland, introducing old-fashioned songs and dances.
Impressive ceremonies marked the formal removal of tolls for crossing the Winona wagon bridge last Saturday. Following a big free dinner at the Armory, where the out-of-town people were the guests of the city, a program was presented at the Opera House to a capacity crowd. Representatives citizens from Alma, Fountain City, Whitehall, Independence, Arcadia, Galesville and other adjacent towns were in attendance.
August Smieja was arraigned before Judge E.F. Hensel Tuesday, where he pleaded guilty to the unlawful possession of intoxicating liquor, and was fined $500 and costs.
The Auto Sales Co. unloaded a carload of Fords Monday. In the shipment was a Ford coach, a new model which is being manufactured in place of the two-door sedan. It is on display at the Auto Sales garage.
Stephen Nelson of Fuller Coulee was at Whitehall Wednesday with a load of oats, receiving 38 cents per bushel.
The antique stag curtain at the Opera House, which was well patronized by local business firms many years ago, is still in use. It reminds us of the many changes that have transpired in Whitehall in the past 10 years, as several of the whose names appear have long since gone out of business, and scarcely one-half the business places have the same proprietors as held forth at that time. Mr. Mayor, let’s have a new state curtain for the next show. And 10 years from the present, lets roll down the present one for the benefit of the old-timers.
Oliver Cummings has been employed at Independence the past few weeks, assisting with the carpenter work on the tobacco pool warehouse.
ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO
Thursday, December 1, 1898
The Thanksgiving ball given by the band boys was fairly well attended and the participants report an enjoyable time. An elegant supper was partaken of at the City hotel about midnight.
The doll contest for the best-written ad, offered by Bjerke, Berg and Wall, brought out 11 contestants. The first prize, the doll, was won by Miss Ethel Stevens, whose production appears in the advertising space this week. Many of the others were accepted and will be used, and a prize commensurate with their merits will be awarded. Miss Elsie Larson gets second award.
Sheriff Jensen and family departed for Galesville Monday. Mr. and Mrs. Jensen will be very much missed from social and society circles. They depart this early to escape the cold and disagreeable weather that is liable to come later in the month, and as an accommodation to Mr. Steig, who will at once ensconce himself in the county Bastille.
Deputy Sheriff Penny of Arcadia was here Tuesday with parties from that place who were being heard before Justice Scott concerning their knowledge of a violation of the statute with reference to the Sunday closing of saloons.
The carpenters have about finished their work in the interior of the American House, and everything is now in tip-top shape. Mine Host Best is as proud as a peacock and wears a smile a yard wide, and so does “Billy” Stallings.
Theodore Moe has completed the house he recently bought, thus adding another neat and tasty residence to those already on Blair Street. Mr. Moe’s neat cage ought to catch some pigeon on the wing before too many moons.
Skumlin Bros. of Pigeon report a very good season’s run at threshing, having threshed about 59,000 bushels of oats and barley, and 13,000 bushels of wheat and rye.
A jolly party was out sleigh riding last evening, driving to Independence and back. They were Misses Iva Cliff, Maggie Buchholz, Gunda Olson, Myrtle Whitney, Carrie Vold, Mable Congdon and Nina Stanley, and Messrs. Albert Wing, Nels Stalheim and Lewis Weeks.
Skating on the mill pond was enjoyed by a large crowd of young folks last Sunday afternoon. The boys played several interesting and exciting games of polo.