From Our Early Files January 24, 2024
25 YEARS AGO
January 28, 1999
If experience in the business is any predictor of success, the new owners of Whitehall’s only motel should be able to make it a successful business. Steve Sendele, Linda Mossman and family have a total of more than 20 years experience in the hospitality industry. The former La Crosse residents assumed ownership of Oak Park Inn on Whitehall’s east side late last month.
Father James Trempe is the new pastor of St. John the Apostle Catholic Church in Whitehall and St. Ansgar in Blair.
A Blair resident will be among those recognized at the annual awards banquet of the Women’s Sports Advocates of Wisconsin next week. Angie McConnell will receive the WSAW Award of Excellence during a banquet on Feb. 6 in Waukesha. McConnell is a senior at Blair-Taylor High School. She has a 3.49 grade-point average and has lettered in basketball, cross country and track and field.
Ashley Furniture Industries has pledged a $150,000 contribution to the $1.25 million Arcadia Area Family Aquatic Center capital campaign, a catalyst which campaign leaders think will significantly propel the project forward.
The Arcadia Chamber of Commerce held its annual meeting last week. Awarded by the chamber was: Dave Oelkers, Community Service Award; Marcus and Alan Shepherd of Shepherd Oil, Business of the Year; Kevin Whalen, Educator of the Year and Ruth Schank, Cornerstone of Service Award.
Arcadia coaches Lynn Sonnentag and Richard Fredrickson have been named the Wisconsin Track Coaches Association District Three Coaches of the Year.
Lake Marinuka in Galesville looked like a tent city Sunday as hopefuls gathered to try their hands at catching whoppers through a small hole in the ice. Hundreds of fishing enthusiasts, young and old, attended the Galesville Volunteer Trout Project’s 30th contest.
The barn stood for 102 years. That fact alone was enough to make it important historically in Trempealeau County. As one of the last, if not the last, round barn in the county, the old dairy barn built by Isaac Arthur Dutton in 1896 collapsed in flames on Jan. 20. Located on the Harold Severson farm on Harris Road near Centerville, the barn was a landmark, as it was also known as the first round barn built in the county.
Beginning with the Class of 2003, students will be required to pass each of four subject area tests to receive a high school diploma. The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction announced students will be tested in English language arts, mathematics, science and social studies.
50 YEARS AGO
January 31, 1974
Legal counsel for the state Department of Public Instruction has ruled that the Whitehall school district’s practice of limiting school activities on Thursday evenings, in order to allow students to take part in church activities, is illegal. The legal opinion came in response to a complaint by district resident Louise Goodpaster, after her request for use of the Sunset Elementary gym on Thursdays for grade-school girls’ basketball practices was denied.
There will be contests for three of the four city council seats up for re-election this spring. Lambert Gronemus has filed to run against Mayor Lester Brennom, who has held that post since 1959. Second Ward Alderman Robert Guinn will be challenged by William Gardner and Esther McDonald, and Third Ward incumbent Goodwin Anderson is opposed by Richard Megrath and Earl Stendahl.
Tom Matchey of rural Whitehall placed first in three classes during the Whitehall Sno-Packers’ annual snowmobile races.
Ervin Erickson, assistant cashier at the State Bank of Arcadia until his retirement the first of the year, was honored at a recognition dinner. Retirement ended the banking career of more than 40 years for Ervin.
The Arcadia city council unanimously approved the issuance of $1.5 million in industrial development revenue bonds to finance the new A-G Creamery cheese plant and a warehouse yet to be constructed.
More than 150 fish, including 50 trout, were caught during the ice fishing contest Sunday on Sportsmen’s Lake in Cashen Park. Nathan Wolfe, secretary of the Arcadia Sportsmen’s Club, estimated total attendance at between 1,500 and 2,000.
Lyman and Evelyn Anderson are the new owners and operators of Sears Authorized Catalog Sales in Arcadia. They purchased the business from Al and Dorothy Sylla.
There may be conferences in this area this year with stronger basketball teams than the Coulee, but no local high school age event could be more evenly matched nor exceed the sheer hysteria that was generated here last Friday when Melrose-Mindoro barely outgunned Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau, 75-71, to secure sole possession of the league lead.
The G-E-T curling team placed first in the second event in the Wausau invitational bonspiel held last weekend.
Sixty-four strong, healthy and determined curlers walked into the Centerville Curling Club last weekend. Winners in the Junior Men’s Bonspiel were: First event winners, Ken Baran, David Olsen, Jerry Olsen and Steve Grover. Second event winners were Terry Seitz, Darrell Skelton, Greg Gallagher and Will France of Janesville. Third event winners were Pat Byrne, Dave Skaar, John Gamoke and Don Polzin. There were five teams from Galesville, six from Centerville, one from Medford, Winona, Pardeeville, Janesville and Portage.
75 YEARS AGO
January 27, 1949
The local Queen of the Ice will be chosen at the big ball to be held during the Ice Carnival Feb. 12, sponsored by the Whitehall Lions Club. Girls between the ages of 17 and 25 are eligible to enter.
B.C Platz, who came to Whitehall two years ago to be employed as a pharmacist in the R.A. Fortun drug store, has purchased the Alfred Erickson pharmacy at Independence, the former H.E. Abend establishment, and opened for business Saturday.
Sixty riders have filed entries for the Central U.S. Ski Association tournament to be held here this Sunday, according to Lester Brennom, secretary of Whitehall Winter Sports, Inc. Many more are expected to participate in the first tournament to be held at Viking Valley since 1942.
Four cities in Trempealeau County, including Whitehall, are on the eligible list for new post office buildings, according to a list compiled by U.S. Sen. Alexander Wiley.
The 1948 infantile paralysis epidemic marks the sixth straight year of unusually high incidence of the disease in the United States.
The annual meeting of the stockholders of the Pigeon Falls fire company was held Monday night. The following directors were elected: Orville Eid, Henry Sylla, Arthur Hammerstad, Henry J. Hanson, Palmer Hanson, Menick Ringlien and Thurman Fremstad. Thirteen fire calls have been made since the purchase of the fire truck last April. The company now has $8,100 worth of the very latest firefighting equipment.
Arcadia, for the first time this season, failed to top a conference foe on Jan. 21. Mondovi played host to Arcadia and blotted the league leaders’ unblemished record. The winners overcame and early Arcadia lead and went on to win handily, 35-27.
The meeting called by the State Department of Public Instruction and the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin on school district organization was well-attended by county committee members and county superintendents from all over the state. There were two objectives of the meeting — first to find out what the rural citizens of the state want for the education of their children, and second, what can be done to get those wants for the rural children.
The dairy farmers of the nation who swung their political strength to Harry S. Truman on Nov. 2, thus assuring his election, will be poorly repaid if repeal of all restrictions on yellow oleomargarine is foisted upon them, Representative August H. Anderson (R-Minn.) charged last week in the House of Representatives.
100 YEARS AGO
January 31, 1924
Lineman Chas. Schilke had his Ford car parked in front of the Farmers Telephone office a short time Monday evening, and when he went to take the car out of the garage he noticed a flat tire. The cause was a bright new tack pushed into the side of the casing, and on further examination he found a tack in every tire. It hardly seems that Charlie could be so unfortunate as to pick up tacks in all four tires on the same evening, and if it should be the work of some fanatic, we will give a little warning — don’t let Charlie catch you at it.
Mason and Scott opened the road to Pigeon Falls Tuesday with their large road grader. The warm sun yesterday made sleighing rather thin in places for heavy hauling, which perhaps will be an inconvenience for some, but the general use of motor cars driving the winter months will eventually demand open roads regardless of sleighing. The times are changing, and we will have to adjust ourselves to modern requirements.
Ski jumping is a popular sport with the Pigeon boys. A large gathering watched the boys in Fuller Coulee Sunday, where rewards were offered. Oliver Engen made the longest standing jump, 62 feet. In Tuff Coulee, the following jumps were made on the Engebretson hill: Hensel Fremstad, 77 feet; Helge Hjornevik, 75 feet; John A. Berge, 65 feet; Sigvald Stalheim, 56 feet; and Neulan Berge, 52 feet. This thrilling winter sport will be continued on the same hill next Sunday.
A total of $294.15 was collected in Arcadia for the relief of German children and forwarded to relief headquarters in Milwaukee.
L.K. Strand was elected president of the Tamarack Telephone Company. Others elected: Ole A. Olson, vice president; Jas. Brownlie, secretary; W.T. Luedke, treasurer; John Rucinski and Simon Sonsalla, trustees.
125 YEARS AGO
January 26, 1899
Ed Erickson has sold his restaurant business to Anton Skogen of Pigeon, who has taken possession.
T.E. Nelson of Hatton, N.D., departed from Whitehall Monday for home, after a visit to relatives in Pigeon. Mr. Nelson is the senior member of Nelson and Hegge, dealers in general merchandise at that point, and an ex-member of the North Dakota legislature.
W.E. Mueller of La Crosse will give a graphophone entertainment, consisting of songs stories and recitations, under the auspices of the Dorcas Society at the Baptist church Monday evening. The instrument will reproduce many of the late popular songs of the day and fine selections from famous bands and orchestras, and give many pleasant recitations.
County Clerk Johnson has received a communication from the state board of control stating that the application of the county board for leave to erect a county insane asylum has been granted by unanimous vote of that board.
Postmaster C.E. Scott opened up business for Uncle Sam in the new quarters in his brick post office building Monday morning. The quarters are steam-heated and the post office equipment and paraphernalia are new, modern, up-to-date and metropolitan in its completeness and convenience. Postmaster Scott is entitled to the thanks of the public for his effort in furnishing post office improvements in keeping with the general air of advancement and prosperity which permeates Whitehall from one end to another.
Marshal William Abbott is out again after a few weeks’ confinement with an affection of the lower limbs. Mr. Abbott has not much confidence in itinerant physicians, as he tried the last one that struck town and was made worse, instead of having his condition improved.
A camp of Royal Neighbors, an auxiliary of the Modern Woodmen, was organized here Monday evening, with 23 members.
