From Our Early Files July 26, 2023
25 YEARS AGO
July 30, 1998
Tri-County Memorial Hospital and Nursing Home has expanded its radiology department services with a new in-house computer tomography imaging system. Tri-County and American Diagnostic Medicine last week completed installation of the CT — better known as a CAT scanner – equipment. Joni Olson, radiology department director, noted that Tri-County has had a CT scanner for many years, but the equipment used previously was a mobile unit brought to the hospital on a regular schedule and parked next to the building.
The Whitehall district school board approved an increase in the basic lunch price by five cents and raised the charges for a la carte items by 25 percent. Parents won’t be thrilled with the higher lunch prices, which will now be $1.25 per meal for kids in fifth grade and under and $1.45 for sixth- through 12th-grade students.
Nancy Glodowski of rural Arcadia is the new Trempealeau County Fair Queen. First attendant is Dana Kampa of Independence; second attendant, Leah Girtman of Strum and Miss Congeniality, Kristine Glodowski of Arcadia.
Scott and Virginette Gamroth became the parents of triplets on July 10 when the couple welcomed Steven, Brian and Gina to their Independence home. The Gamroths have had to give each of the babies seven feedings a day and routinely change each baby an average of eight times a day. Virginette added that her mother, Clarice Bawek, gained five grandchildren in less than 10 days as her brother and his wife — Marcus and Debbie Haines — had a set of twins born recently.
The Arcadia High School baseball team overcame overwhelming odds to advance to the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association State Tournament last week. The Raiders narrowly defeated the Large Dairyland Conference Champion, West Salem, 4-3, in the regional final. Then they defeated Small DC Champion, Melrose-Mindoro, 4-2, in the sectional final before topping Lancaster, 12-5, to advance to the state tournament, played in Stevens Point.
A homecoming celebration for 1998 Miss Wisconsin Jill Patzner is scheduled to take place on Aug. 9. A homecoming parade will commence at 1 p.m. on Main St. A program is scheduled to take place at the Lions Pavilion in Memorial Park after the parade.
Eric Nohr, of rural Ettrick, spent a year and a half fixing an antique tractor and getting it tuned up for the Trempealeau County Fair. “This is the first tractor I know of at the county fair,” Nohr, who entered the tractor in the mechanical science division, said. His Award of Excellence-winning idea came when Nohr saw another tractor entered in the Eau Claire County Fair. “I thought it was a neat idea and I like to work on tractors,” he said.
The Galesville planning commission will hold a public hearing at the Galesville Public Library to consider several conditional use permits, including one allowing underground fuel tanks for a possible gas station. The commission will consider a conditional use permit to allow a convenience store with gas pumps at the former Ace Hardware site on North Main Street. Currently, underground fuel tanks are not allowed under an ordinance dealing with the new city well and zone around the well area.
Steve Peplinski, Galesville, has been selected to represent the United States in baseball in the Nike World Masters Games. He will be a member of the Northwest Victory team for the games played in the Portland, Ore. area.
50 YEARS AGO
Aug. 2, 1973
The Whitehall city council voted unanimously Monday night to grant a Class B combined beer and liquor license to Eugene McDevitt’s Geno’s Pub. McDevitt will be required to file an affidavit stating that more than 50 percent of the income from the Pub came from the sale of beer, as per the requirements of the state law that allows municipalities to issue combined licenses to the holders of beer-only permits. Reportedly, Art and Irene’s Bar, the only other beer-only licensee in Whitehall that is eligible under that law, will also apply for a liquor license.
Vilas Hanson, Arcadia, was installed as District Deputy of District 23, Knights of Columbus, at a Diocesan conference meeting and banquet of grand knights and district deputies in Tomah.
Todd Fetsch of Arcadia has been selected as one of the Outstanding Young Men of America for 1973, according to Doug Blankenship, Chairman of the Board of Advisors for the national awards publication. Criteria for inclusion are service to others, professional excellence, business advancement, charitable activities and civic and professional recognition.
Roy and Evelyn Poss have operated the food stand at the Trempealeau County Fair for 40 years. In 1933, hamburgers were 10 cents; hot dogs, five cents; cold drinks, five cents. Roy bought the Hammer-Enghagen Co. hamburger for 12 cents a pound and hot dogs for 20 cents a pound.
A severe wind and rain storm hit the Galesville area about 3:30 p.m. Sunday afternoon, doing damages to trees and property. Several of the city’s streets were blocked with fallen trees.
Great crowds converged on the Trempealeau County Fair in Galesville over the weekend. The Midway was jammed Friday and Saturday nights. You couldn’t move where you wanted to, you just had to let the crowd move you around. There wasn’t even room to pull your arm back to throw a baseball at the rag dolls or the milk bottles.
75 YEARS AGO
July 29, 1948
A circuit judge, the director of the Wisconsin Conservation Commission and a leading member of the State Legislature will headline the program at the picnic that will be held Aug. 8 in Whitehall under the sponsorship of the Trempealeau County Taxpayers Association.
Two new candidates filed for county office just before the closing date of July 27. They are Orin Hanson for county treasurer, and H.M. Johnson for county clerk. All candidates for nomination at the September primary in the county are Republicans, except two. Democrat candidates are Ralph Bautch of Arcadia for sheriff, and Albert Hess of Arcadia for member of the Assembly.
Whitehall has had two “little people” as visitors the past few days, Mr. and Mrs. Albert Anderson of San Francisco, Calif. The Andersons, who are midgets, are staying with Miss Cornella Enger, with whom Mrs. Anderson worked before her marriage.
Seven actions have been filed in Trempealeau County Circuit Court in the matter of the new common school district created in the Arcadia area. Petitions for review were filed by six former rural school districts and by Ed Hess as an Arcadia township taxpayer.
Hundreds of cars from points in Trempealeau County will head for Perrot State Park on the Mississippi River this Sunday, carrying people who will join in the old settlers’ picnic arranged as the fourth number in the county’s state centennial program.
Funeral services for two Independence boys who were killed in the European Theatre of World War II, Willis Cripps and Ralph Sluga, will be held in that city this week.
Milan Gunderson’s new root beer stand at Independence will have its grand opening tomorrow evening.
A crowd estimated at more than 1,000 people attended the annual Trempealeau County 4-H Club picnic, held Sunday at Riverside Park in Blair.
The members of the York-Northfield Sportsman’s Club, armed with .22s and spears, waged war on turtles Monday, when they let the water out of the mill pond there. They killed about 50 snappers.
M. J. Maloney & Sons announced a new service to the community in the form of a refrigerated chilling room to provide quick cooling of meat slaughtered by farmers or city people. A chill room of cement block construction will be built onto the present slaughter house to give them adequate and convenient cooling facilities.
Lloyd Fernholz of the A-G Creamery Co. recently returned from Beaver Dam where he attended a two-day Feeding Advisory Council sponsored by the Ralston Purina Co. and held at the Hotel Rogers. Fernholz was one of 23 men selected from Purina dealers’ stores in Wisconsin and Michigan for the intensive training course.
100 YEARS AGO
Aug. 2, 1923
Another automobile accident occurred near the Wm. Lowe place east of Whitehall on No. 11 early Sunday morning. Hartvig Peterson of Lakes Coulee, accompanied by Miss Gladys Peterson, who is employed at the depot at Blair, were returning home and attempting to pass another car going in the same direction. Mr. Peterson’s Overland Four collided with a Ford car driven by Chester Johnson, injuring Miss Peterson. The cost of repairing the cars will be considerable, but it is fortunate that not one was killed. The conditions surrounding the accident point to speedy driving as the cause of the wreck.
A get-together for the purpose of bidding Dr. and Mrs. E.A. MacCornack God speed, and showing appreciation for the good work the doctor and his capable wife have accomplished in the past eight years, resulted in a large demonstration at the Opera House in Whitehall last night.
Arthur Elstad, Arthur Hallingstad, Ernie Gilbertson, John and Leif Solsrud, Rudolph Hagen, Oscar Christianson and Lyman Tyvand left Monday for Camp Custer, Mich., for 30 days’ training in the Citizens Military Training School. The boys are under federal supervision, and have all expenses paid by the federal government.
The 32nd Military Police Company, consisting of 50 Arcadia men, entrained here for Camp Douglas where they will spend two weeks in training. A special coach and combination coach contained the company in which they were taken by regular train.
School district census revealed these figures: Number of children residing in the Arcadia district: 464; 370 of the children live in the village of Arcadia and 94 in the township; 182 attended parochial school.
Boys are tenting at various spots in Galesville. Norman Herberg, Clinton Johnson, Eugene Schlichenmaier and John Terpening are in camp along the lake on the east side. Ralph Witherbee, Wendall and Ralphy Myhre and Gile Ness are camped on an island across the lake. Clarence Espeland, Louie Sturdevant and John Kellman are enjoying an outing along the Upper Marinuka and Art Johnson, Lyle Nichols, Anve Esperland, Bill Sieves and Archie Trim are in a tepee close to the others for safety.
Galesville parks are beautiful and popular. Visitors from far and near, 300 names are on the books, some as far away as Chicago, Iowa, Ohio and Tacoma, Wash.
Galesville graduated 37. Banquet and ball followed.
Senior class at Gale College held their graduation exercises. Rev. Solberg, president of the Minneapolis Bible School, delivered the sermon at Zion Lutheran Church.
125 YEARS AGO
July 28, 1898
A number from here took the excursion train Tuesday for Arcadia and attended Robinson’s circus.
Joseph Wright of Pigeon is sick with nervous prostration, and under treatment of Dr. Parker.
The Wisconsin Telephone CO. put a new switchboard in their office in Scott’s store the past week, and engaged Miss Gunda Olson to take charge of it.
Among the other improvements rapidly going on in the rebuilding of the American House, was the putting down of a substantial sidewalk fronting the building on Main Street the past week.
Over 100 persons called at the home of Mrs. Rev. Sweet Tuesday to witness the lady’s night-blooming cereus in bloom. It began to open at 7 p.m., and was in full bloom from midnight to 2 a.m. When fully open it was the size of a saucer, and of almost indescribable beauty, emitting much fragrance.
L.S. Keith of Galesville was in Whitehall yesterday, looking after his political fences. He and Mr. Salt are Republican candidates for superintendent of schools.
Blair — The severe wind storm of July 19 was disastrous to the apple crop on the ridge in the southern part of this town. Charlie Knudtson, one of the most extensive growers, who has raised as much as 300 bushels in a season, lost heavily.
Independence — Atty. J. Kulig will shortly open a law office over H. Hanson’s store.
