From The Early Files Nov. 25
25 YEARS AGO
Nov. 30, 1995
The Whitehall district board of education Monday night authorized the spending of up to $125,000 to purchase new computers and related equipment. The board voted unanimously to follow district administrator Jerry Freimark to spend the money, once the district has final estimates on the costs of the equipment.
A fire last week destroyed the household goods of a rural Whitehall family and seriously damaged the rented house in which they were living. The Whitehall Volunteer Fire Department was called to the Henry Sygulla farm on North River Road when Suzanne Strangstalien reported a fire in the farmhouse there. The Strangstaliens were renting the former Sygulla home while their new house is being built.
Two girl scouts from Pigeon Falls are hoping to help put Christmas gifts under the tree for needy children in Trempealeau County this year. Jenni Maudal and Annesa Semmingson, members of the Whitehall Senior Girl Scout Troop, are trying to encourage area residents to contribute to the Christmas gift campaign conducted annually by the county social services department.
The whole ritual of deer hunting is something which has brought families together for generations and the thrill of the hung has brought hunters to this are during the deer hunting season. One thing which has remained as constant as the ritual of hunting is the place where hunters have registered their trophy bucks for the past 45 years in Arcadia. Adolph and Alvin Rebhahn have been instrumental in registering deer for people in the area. Adolph founded Rebhahn Mobile Service Station in the early 1940s and started registering deer there.
The Arcadia school board passed a motion on Monday night which would allow the Steering Committee to implement a curriculum improvement plan. The evaluation will take place in a four-year time period and will include grades K-12.
The St. Joseph’s Auxiliary will be sponsoring the Love Light ceremony on Dec. 1 in front of the hospital.
If only they taught history the way Robyn Docken is recording it – it’s likely no one could get enough. Unfortunately, schools must teach history from a book. Docken collects sheet music – history with a beat. Both are printed forms, but there’s a big difference. The musician’s collection is spelled out in notes, sharps and flats, something between colorful – and often meaningful, and historical – covers.
Hold off drawing conclusions, Redmen fans. While the team is 1-2, following a non-conference win over Neillsville, it’s way too early to assess the Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau varsity boys basketball team, says new head coach Rick Schmidt. “We’re building, and they’re learning something different. They’re still in the leaning process.”
The town of Gale board came through with $1,000 contributions to the public library and swimming pool in Galesville and still managed to cut nearly $30,000 from its 1996 property tax levy.
Downtown Blair once again has a restaurant. The site of a former café is now home to a restaurant, CJ’s Café. The doors opened for business Tuesday morning of this week following a period of remodeling and redecorating.
The Norwegian heritage will be celebrated this Saturday at Blair’s fifth annual Norwegian Day.
50 YEARS AGO
Dec. 3, 1970
A 10-year-old Beloit boy killed in a one-car accident on Co. Hwy. H south of Strum is the eighth traffic fatality of the year on Trempealeau County roads.
Workers from the Green Thumb program for senior citizens have been clearing an area along the Trempealeau River in the city of Whitehall, which is being developed for park purposes.
Two rural Whitehall youths have been referred to juvenile authorities in connection with recent burglaries at the Whitehall-Pigeon Rod and Gun Club and Holtan’s Discount Store.
The Trempealeau River between Hixton and Blair will be open to fishing under liberal regulations through Jan. 15. The state Department of Natural Resources has been granted a permit to treat the river and some of its tributaries with poison to kill of undesirable fish species.
Fire that destroyed a barn on the Norval Bortle farm, three miles north of Centerville, Thanksgiving morning also killed 30 Holstein calves and damaged an adjoining silo.
An ordinance creating a municipal court for the city of Arcadia was adopted by the city council in special session last Tuesday night. A municipal justice will be elected at the April election for a two-year term.
The 1971 tax rate for the city of Arcadia has been set at $43.74 per thousand on assessed valuation, Warren Shankey, city clerk/treasurer, reported this week. This compares to $43.53 per thousand for 1970.
The Midget League Basketball season opened Saturday with eight teams formed from 67 youngsters.
Duane Lambert will show Alaskan movies at the Green Meadows on Friday.
75 YEARS AGO
Nov. 29, 1945
Dr. Richard Rogers of Newark, N.J., has been added to the staff of the MacCornack Clinic in Whitehall. He came directly from Army service, from which he was discharged Nov. 2. With the addition of Dr. Rogers, the clinic again has a staff of three physicians and surgeons, the other two being Drs. R.L. MacCornack and N.S. Simons.
The eagle which was on Whitehall’s first honor roll, later salvaged from the scrap metal pile and placed in the House of Memories, has been bronzed and put atop the rebuilt honor roll. The dates, 1917-18, now identify those listed as having served their country during World War I.
The deer hunting season is over, and at this time the total kill for Whitehall hunters is five bucks and one wolf. Clarence Halverson, John Halverson, Melvin Halverson, M.A. Engen and Bennie Nelson brought home venison, and John O. Gilbertson is reported to have made his hunt profitable by shooting a timber wolf.
A meeting of the Trempealeau County Teachers Association, branch of the Wisconsin Education Association, will be held at Independence High School Dec. 12.
The movie, “The House on 92nd Street,” shown at the Pix Theatre Sunday night was of special interest to Mrs. Harry Lillehammer of Whitehall. She is a former clerk at with the FBI in Washington, D.C., where some of the shots were taken, and recognized some of the FBI employees pictured.
Ben Gleason, widely known trapper from Buffalo County, stopped in Whitehall Thursday evening on his return from northern Wisconsin and displayed to local sportsmen a portion of his catch in Sawyer, Ashland and Iron counties. He had 72 wolf, including two of the timber species, and 39 bobcat pelts.
Alyn Larson scored a basket to tie the score, then made a free throw to give Whitehall High a 22 to 21 win over Taylor Tuesday night.
Bruce Wilberg of Whitehall has been chosen as All-Mississippi Valley Conference right end. Larry Johnson is the second-team all-conference fullback, and Robert Tomten, tackle, is an honorable mention.
Trempealeau County farmers will again be bale to sell logs at three centers. At Arcadia the Cooperative Oil Company will establish a yard and also a branch yard at Dodge and at Galesville the Federation Oil Cooperative will handle logs.
A $120,000 loss was sustained in a fire which destroyed the Earl Bockenhauser barn near Centerville Tuesday night. The cause of the fire isn’t known, but it all started in the hay and instantaneous combustion may have been possible.
The great film “Son of Lassie” is now being shown at the Century Theatre.
A large cock pheasant crashed into the door at the Variety Store of George Larson. He chased it out and it walked from store to store until caught and realsed on the edge of town.
Carol Sexe, discharged veteran, is employed as typist at Camp McCoy. He is the son of Carl Sexe, Blair.
100 YEARS AGO
Dec. 2, 1920
Miss Agnes Bill, public health nurse, submits the following report for November: Schools visited, 20; pupils enrolled, 321; pupils inspected, 108; pupils excluded, three; notices to parents, 97; talks to pupils, 22; talks to parents, six; parents attending, 38; hours spent in school, 63; pupils below grade, 46; pupils with defective teeth, 80; defective tonsils, 11; defective vision, 10; defective nasal breathing, eight.
The latest addition to the list of successful deer hunters was Dr. F.E. Van Sickle and Landlord Hundt of the American, the lawful quota each. C.B. Melby, Ed Erickson and F.D. Hopkins did not exceed the limit.
One of the most interesting, as well as one of the largest, school board conventions ever held in Trempealeau County was held at Whitehall Tuesday. In spite of threatening weather and very muddy roads, over 200 board members and teachers were in attendance.
A farewell service was held at the M.E. church Sunday evening in honor of Mr. and Mrs. M.E. Ladd, who are to leave shortly for California. Mr. Ladd, who has been a member and official of the church for 22 years, was presented with a gold-mounted Parker pen, and Mrs. Ladd was given a piece of Pyrex.
We are prepared for winter storage of batteries. Building equipped with furnace heat. Best of attention given to all batteries left in our care. Whitehall Battery Co.
A.J. Ringlien has recently completed an addition to his barn, 30 by 44 feet, 18 feet high, with full basement. He has also placed running water in the barn, piping it from a spring.
Pigeon Falls — Miss Emma Rognlien resumed teaching again Monday in District No. 4, having had an operation for appendicitis at the Lutheran hospital in Eau Claire. Miss Esther Mortenson of Whitehall taught in her place the past five weeks.
125 YEARS AGO
Nov. 28, 1895
The literary society Friday evening had its usual good attendance, and an excellent program was carried out. The debate was well prepared and conducted in an interesting manner by both sides. The question, “Resolved, that fashion is a greater evil than the tobacco habit,” was decided in the affirmative.
Rev. Sweet of the Baptist church and Rev. Bryan of the M.E. church are popular pastors. Since assuming their respective charges here, the congregations have been steadily growing larger and the interest in church work increasing. They preach excellent sermons, and Whitehall is certainly favored in having two such able ministers of the gospel.
Hank McGowan of Pigeon sold a pair of peacocks to Ed Schaefer, a neighbor, for $5. Hank is making quite a business of raising peacocks, ducks and geese.
C.E. Scott and Geo. Quackenbush returned from the deer hunt in Wood County Thursday. George brought back a fine buck weighing 300 pounds.
They have sleighing at Marshfield, La Crosse and Madison, while we have none. It’s our turn next.
Sheds are being built on the M.E. church lot.
The weather flags over the bank are now hoisted each day after the 3:10 p.m. train, instead of in the morning. Owing to the hard times or the democratic administration, the government does not consider itself able to forward the daily forecasts by telegraph to each display station, but instead sends them to a number of central stations throughout the state, from which they are mailed to surrounding places. So we not get our morning forecasts from Humbird in the afternoon.
Pigeon Falls — The poultry market at this place has been very active the past few days, most of it being shipped to West Superior and Duluth by our merchants.
