From Our Early Files Aug. 16, 2023
25 YEARS AGO
August 20, 1998
When a Kenosha hunter killed a rare whitetail deer south of Whitehall nearly two years ago, many area residents felt deprived. But the white buck will nevertheless be seen by thousands in the years to come, thanks to the efforts of the Independence School District and a couple area conservation groups. Casper – as in the friendly ghost of the TV cartoon series – went on display in the lobby of the new Independence public school earlier this month.
A bid by a candidate for Trempealeau County sheriff to have his probation end early has been rejected for the second time in three months. Trempealeau County Circuit Court Judge John Damon on Friday denied a motion filed by Stephen Doerr to terminate the two-year probation he was placed on in June 1997. In his motion, Doerr stated that he had completed requirements of his probation and claimed that early termination of it was in the interest of the citizens of Trempealeau County “so as to allow voters and public a fair election.” Doerr pleaded no contest last year to disorderly conduct, and non-criminal citations for trespassing and possession of a loaded/uncased firearm in a motor vehicle. Some of those charges were amended from more serious offenses and a couple felony counts were dismissed.
The Whitehall city council got an earful last week from homeowners who earlier this summer got a basement-full. Of sewage, that is. Three people appeared at last week’s monthly council meeting to complain about problems caused by the heavy rains that hit Whitehall the last weekend in June. Hardest hit by the backup of sanitary sewers was Diane Waldera, whose Earle St. residence sustained extensive damage in the basement. She has filed a claim against the city for damages. Also present were Todd Bronkema and Fred Gardner, who also had sewer backups into the basements of their adjoining West St. homes.
The Arcadia city council accepted the resignation of city clerk Jeannine Davis. In a news release, it stated that Davis was resigning from her position after 24 years because she had an interest in pursuing various other opportunities and had a desire to spend additional time with her family and friends.
Chad and Gayle Chesebro are the new managers of the 38-year-old RKD Motel in Arcadia. The Chesebro’s manage the facility while Gayle’s parents, Dave and Jean Waraxa are the owners. The Waraxa’s also own the Pleasant Knoll Motel in Trempealeau.
The Trempealeau County Health Care Center will celebrate its 100th anniversary by hosting a centennial reunion and open house for the public on Aug. 25.
The village of Ettrick will have a little more than its annual Fun Days to celebrate this weekend. Ettrick will be celebrating its 50th anniversary in conjunction with this year’s festivities. Ettrick was incorporated into a village with the official paper work completed on Aug. 5, 1948. The original village board was comprised of I.J. Erickson, president; Helmer Christianson, clerk; Smith Beirne, treasurer; Ole Mustad, supervisor; T.P. Herried, assessor; Charles Hewitt, constable; Maurice Casey, justice of the peace and trustees Erna Olsen, Erick Remus, Pyrl Evenson, Erwin Walter, Walter Bourne and James Cantlon.
The 39th annual Galesville Garden Club Flower Show will be held Saturday, Aug. 22 at the Galesville Public Library Community Room. The show is open to everyone, club members and non-club members. Awards are given out in many flower and plant categories with seven champion awards given to Garden Club members.
Contestants for the 1998 Ettrick Fun Days Queen are Dana Berg, Colleen Cantlon, Joy Jacobs, Andrea Nelson, Margo Komperud, Stacy Johnson and Rachel Ystenes.
Dean Helstad will be holding the dual honor of this year’s Ettrick Fun Day’s Citizen of the Year and Lion of the Year.
50 YEARS AGO
August 23, 1973
Jane Matchey, who will be a senior at Whitehall High this year, was crowned Miss Whitehall Thursday night, to open the Beef and Dairy Days festival. Kay Clipper and Wendy Humphrey were chosen as first and second attendants, respectively, and Julie Thorson was named Miss Congeniality.
An attempt to unionize employees of the Trempealeau County Sheriff’s Department failed to get a majority of votes in an election held last week. The 12 employees of the department — five patrolmen, four radio operators, a chief deputy, a cook-matron and a chief deputy — split six to six in the vote.
Whitehall’s Keenan Ford got all the runs it would need on a Bruce Ausderau home run, and went on to beat Blair 7-2 in the championship of the Beef and Dairy Days softball tournament. Roger Melby later hit a solo homer for the winners.
Mrs. Iggy (Pat) Sonsalla holds the unique distinction of being the only one to have participated in all of the championships that women golfers have annually brought back to the Arcadia Country Club. The Arcadia ladies have won 12 straight now.
Almost all of Arcadia’s firefighting equipment and men were busy Monday night when calls were received to two separate major fires. The first major call was a barn fire on the Robert Neitzel farm located on Glencoe Ridge. Firefighters were there until 11:30 p.m. Lost in the blaze was a 100-foot barn, about 15,000 bales of hay, a 750-gallon bulk milk tank, milking machines, barn cleaner, stanchions and a new addition. At approximately 10:30 p.m. a second call was received, this time to the Russ Severson garage on West Main Street. Destroyed in that blaze was a 1962 Pontiac and the interior of the garage was gutted.
Three members of the Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau FFA Chapter exhibited swine at the State Fair on Aug. 9 and 10. Dave Anderson received one white and one pink; Steve Ravnum received one red and one blue and Roger Byom received four reds.
Four G-E-T students recently returned from a week at Lakeland College Music Camp. The students who attended where Sheryl Becker, clarinet; Jane Trim, French horn; Mike Rowlands, trombone and Lisa Steffes, trumpet.
Southern Trempealeau County Sportsmen’s Club released 1,150 pheasants last Sunday in local areas.
75 YEARS AGO
August 19, 1948
Whitehall High School will open for the 1948-49 term on Sept. 7, and will have a new superintendent, Conan Edwards, who comes here from Prairie du Sac. There will be two more teachers than last year, and all put one position has been filled. New teachers include New teachers are Glenn Olson, Whitehall, agriculture; Marjorie Harding, Bangor, social science, English and library; Mrs. Evelyn Suomi, Fish Creek, home economics; Marilyn Nyeggen, Baldwin, kindergarten; Miss Vernell Byom, La Crosse, fifth grade; and Miss Elsie Anaas, Whitehall, seventh grade. Teachers from last year who are not returning are Mrs. Willie Johnson, Miss Lois Cox, Norman Selness, Joyce Jacobson and Phyllis Johnson.
Larry, the nine-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Jennings Christianson of Whitehall, lies in critical condition at the Community Hospital with a basal skull fracture, as the result of a fall from a bicycle which occurred Friday evening. Larry was racing another boy on his bicycle when he apparently struck and impediment and was thrown to the ground. He was in an unconscious condition until Tuesday, but his condition is said to be improving.
Leonard Nelson, son of Mrs. Joseph Nelson of Whitehall, returned from four years’ service overseas. He married an Austrian girl, Ingeborg List, last year, and brought his foreign bride with him to make her future home in America.
Leslie Hestekin, whose home on Ellis Street was severely damaged by fire recently, has purchased the Robert Hartman residence in East Whitehall. Mr. Hestekin had thought of rebuilding, but decided to buy the Hartman home instead.
Marvin Conrad, 17, a town of Glencoe youth, was seriously injured in an accident which occurred Sunday night about 7:15 p.m. in Buffalo County. Marvin, riding a motor scooter, was rounding a corner, way over on the wrong side of the road, just as a car occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Helmer Anderson and son of Menomonie, was coming from the opposite direction.
Ernest Reck’s nine passenger DeSoto Suburban car is now equipped with a special cot for ambulance service. This cot, ordered months ago, arrived this week. Day and night ambulance service is offered by calling 215R3.
100 YEARS AGO
August 23, 1923
Prof. Guy Newcomer of Rochester, Minn., came Sunday and completed the arrangements for moving his family to Whitehall. Mr. Newcomer is the new principal of the high school, which will open for the new school year, in the new building, on Sept. 10. Mr. Newcomer will exert his best efforts to secure a large attendance of tuition students, and build up the school to as near capacity as possible.
The Pigeon Falls Chautauqua finished its four-day session Sunday evening. Committees in charge report nice profits, and the people were so well pleased that they signed up for Chautauqua for next year in sufficient numbers to assure financial success.
R.R. Langworthy is busy erecting Keystone silos, having completed same for S.F. Speerstra, Gabe Anderson and Tosten Lindem, and begun work on a silo for Joe Kulig of Maule Coulee. In order to save time, he moved his equipment from Pleasantville to Maule Coulee Monday night, and was a mile and a half from his stopping place when it began raining. His team took a side road and R.R. spent the remainder of the night enjoying a cool shower bath and learning just where he was.
Elmer Davidson returned home from California Saturday, where he had gone for the benefit of his health. Elmer was not at all satisfied with conditions in the western state, and decided he would rather weather the Wisconsin climate than to live in that section.
The Camp Fire Girls returned home Monday after a week’s outing at Hatfield. The girls were in the charge of Mrs. J.E. Rhode, who was assisted by Mrs. E.F. Hensel. Margaret Hensel, Margueritte Tyvand, Evangeline Vold, Ruth Anderson, Mary Kidder, Janet Larson, Gertrude Settingsgaard and Gladys Brennom were those who attended.
Arcadia Public Schools planned to open Sept. 3 for a nine-month term with nearly all of the previous year’s teaching staff returning.
Gasoline was selling for 18 cents per gallon in Arcadia. The reduction was in accordance with a general cut in price announced by a major oil company.
125 YEARS AGO
August 18, 1898
The heaviest rainfall of the season, two and a half inches, occurred Sunday night, accompanied by a terrific electric storm. Sometime during the progress of the storm, lightning struck a gable on the residence of W.J. Webb and followed the casing and the electric wires across the roof, leaving no trace of fire. Had fire ensued the elegant home would doubtless have been consumed, and neither Mr. nor Mrs. Webb was aware of their close call until morning.
Woodmen Hall will be the scene of a dance tomorrow evening. The event is mentioned as a war dance, but we presume it is to celebrate the dawn of peace, and a pleasant time is assured.
The managers of the Whitehall fair, unlike the political party leaders, believe in short campaigns. Notwithstanding the apparent lateness of the day, they announce a program for the 12th annual fair of the Trempealeau County Industrial, Agricultural and Driving Park Association, which will surely draw the largest crowds ever attending, and will make the four days, Aug. 30 and 31 and Sept.. 1 and 2, red-letter days in the county seat.
Blair — Whitehall’s bicycle fraternity was numerously represented in Blair last Sunday, and the good-looking and gay crowd made the Mayer Hotel headquarters while taking in the sights. The hotel register contained the following names of the parties forming the company: Mrs. E.C. Getts, Miss Lillie Anderson, Miss Carrie Vold, Miss May Becker, Miss Emma Solsrud, and Messrs. H.L. Ekern, E.E. Getts, Hilman Solsrud, Glen Alexander, Ed Everson, Ted Harnden, L.E. Weeks, L.N. Agneberg, Fred Sather, Albert Lowe, Odell Gilbertson and John Beck.
