From Our Early Files June 21, 2023
25 YEARS AGO
June 25, 1998
The Whitehall School District will return to bidding out its lunch program milk contract locally. The district school board, in response to concerns expressed by an area dairy farmer, voted Monday night to advertise for bids separately from the Altoona and Eau Claire schools, which they contracted with last year. The contract was awarded to Kemps Dairy, the lower bidder, raising objections from Gary Everson of rural Whitehall last September. Everson was back again Monday arguing that the district should give every consideration to Foremost Farms. Many farmers in the district belong to and sell their milk through Foremost Farms. Board members agreed to at least bid the local contract separately, but district administrator Jerry Freimark said schools are bound by law to take the low bid.
In recognition of his musical abilities, Greg Van Sickle has been taking his horn on the road for a number of years. The 1998 Whitehall High School graduate earned a number of musical honors and was named to several honors bands during his high school year. The son of Steve and Barbara Van Sickle of Pigeon Falls was recently selected to play trumpet with the prestigious “Kids from Wisconsin” musical troupe.
West Central Mutual Insurance Co. will move into its new quarters in the renovated former Farmers Store building in downtown Whitehall sometime next month.
Gold’n Plump Poultry officials announced that they will be spending $14 million to construct 29 new breeder, layer and broiler barns in the Arcadia area. Part of the expansion will include innovative line technology at the processing plant that will provide enhanced processing capabilities.
Ashley Furniture Industries, Inc., officials announced last week that the company is currently constructing two expansion projects. The first project is taking place in the company’s Plant 4. A new 204,000 square foot extension at the plant will give the upholstery division needed room to continue to expand the division. The second expansion is a 15,000 square foot extension on Plant 1 at the Arcadia plant.
At a special meeting Monday night, the Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau school board said they were satisfied with the 1998-99 budget which includes a 3.25 percent increase in spending. According to Bruce Pertzch, who helped put the district’s budget together, the 3.25 percent increase will be countered with the same increases in revenues.
A group of Girl Scouts, parents and Galesville Elementary School teachers and friends began putting together a butterfly garden Monday night at the school. The garden is being built outside the first-grade classroom. The group plans on covering the whole front side of the school and will plant one-third of the garden this year, one-third next year and the last third the following year.
50 YEARS AGO
June 28, 1973
Nearly 70 years in business in Whitehall came to an end Monday, when Paulson Implement Co. held an auction and closed its doors for good. Owner Pete Paulson had operated a restaurant and a movie-show business before opening the implement business in 1925 at its present location, which will be the site for the new John O. Melby and Co. Bank.
A total of $1.1 million has been awarded to Trempealeau County by the federal Farmers Home Administration for the building of 68 apartment units, in Blair, Independence, Osseo and Trempealeau.
Dave Pientok had four hits as the Norsemen defeated Osseo-Fairchild 10-0 Thursday, two days after Alma Center Lincoln handed Whitehall its first loss of the season.
Several members of Arcadia Boy Scout Troop 64, Arcadia, and their leaders left at 8 a.m. Friday for an 18-day trip to Camp Philmont Scout Ranch at Cimarron, New Mexico. The scouts will spend 12 days at the 137,000-acre high adventure camp in the southwest. They planned to spend the first night camping at the state park in South Dakota. A highlight of their trip at Philmont will be a 60-mile backpacking expedition.
Twenty-one senior members of the Arcadia High School symphonic band, Gerald Gleason, band director, and two chaperones left early Wednesday morning for a three-day trip to St. Ignace, Mich. and the Mackinac Island area. Most of the time will be spent on historic tours and sightseeing trips.
The Bank of Galesville celebrates 90 years of banking this week. Customers and friends are invited to the bank for cake and coffee on Friday.
The Galesville Curling Club will again sponsor the big Fourth of July celebration for Galesville area residents. Along the many events listed is a softball tournament, which will be bigger and better than ever. There will be 16 fastpitch teams, eight slowpitch teams and some girls teams.
Larry Smith of Galesville will conduct a Hunter Safety Course for boys and girls age 12 and older. Those interested are asked to sign up at Smith Furniture Company.
75 YEARS AGO
June 2, 1948
The joint Trempealeau and Buffalo counties school committees have approved three school district reorganizations, according to Miss Dorris Sander, Trempealeau County superintendent of schools. A common school district has been created for the city and trade area of Arcadia, and an elementary district has been approved including parts of the towns of Albion, Chimney Rock, Hale and Unity. Another elementary district has been created in the Dodge area.
Clarence H. Johnson, former Trempealeau County clerk of court, made formal announcement this week that he will be a candidate for county sheriff on the Republican ticket. This brings to three the number of announced candidates for that office, the others being Charles Keilholtz of Whitehall and C.E. Heath of Osseo.
Joan Levy and Ruth Schroeder of Whitehall are the first- and second-place winners in the Americanism essay contest conducted by the county American Legion Auxiliary.
M.A. Engen decided to spend a few hours fishing in the Mississippi River last week while his wife was visiting relatives in La Crosse. The fisherman with whom he went out in a boat fell overboard while trying to cast standing up, overturning the boat, and both men lost all their fishing equipment.
Albert Engen and crew are removing a cell block in the city jail and building a fire-proof vault in its place. The vault is adjacent to the office in the City Hall and will provide protection for record’s in the City Clerk’s office.
Miss Dorris Sander, Trempealeau County Superintendent of Schools, announced that Jean Onsrud, eighth grader at Oak Ridge School last year, won first prize of $25 with her essay on Betsy Rose. She won first place in Wisconsin and her teacher was Miss Alice Everson.
100 YEARS AGO
June 28, 1923
Yesterday morning at 9 a.m., 14 cars carrying 53 loyal boosters of the town and the American Legion left Whitehall en route through Pigeon Falls, York, Northfield, Hixton, Taylor, Blair, Ettrick, Galesville, Arcadia and Independence. The spirit of the boosters was such that the whole territory was highly enthused, and from all reports we are certain that the whole of Trempealeau County is back of the Otis E. Hutchins post, and will make this the best Fourth of July celebration ever held at the county seat.
When Fair Oaks Dairy was supplying Whitehall with milk and cream under the management of F.W. Lowe, John W. was the faithful and punctual delivery boy, driving the buckskin horse with such regularity that lines were not a necessary part of the harness. John graduated from Whitehall High with honors in 1916 and attended the state university and its school of medicine for the following six years, graduating June 9. Applying the same interest, care and regularity to his chosen profession as was given his duties about the home farm and school work as a boy, we are confident that a successful future awaits him as a physician and surgeon.
The Mohawk Bus is a new passenger traffic motor line, making daily trips between La Crosse and Eau Claire, via No. 11 through here.
Even Hegge of Pigeon was at Whitehall Tuesday evening. Even is again shaking clover, having nine loads of the new crop in the barn. He reports the crop a little short, but with favorable weather looks for a large second cutting.
The first Breeders’ Livestock Sale held in Arcadia was a decided success. Every animal listed was sold and, on an average, prices paid were good.
Thirty-seven cans of trout fry were unloaded in Arcadia for the state fish car and placed into the feeding cribs at the Mineral Springs by members of the local Rod and Gun Club.
125 YEARS AGO
June 23, 1898
Largest and cheapest line of fireworks in town at Scott’s.
Contractors Wood and Stevens have completed the carpenter work on Hans Hammerstad’s new store building.
Attend the state semi-centennial at Milwaukee June 27 through July 2. Railroad fare one cent a mile in each direction.
B.A. Lake lost a valuable Durham cow, one of the best in his herd, and for which he had been offered $60, the animal dying of milch fever.
A change has been made in the firm of Scott Bros., C.E. succeeding W.S. Scott in the business. The firm will be hereafter known as C.E. Scott and Son.
Anderson and Ringstad are putting up the chimney to be used in connection with the steam heating plant for that hostelry. Like all their work, the job is a good one.
The Whitehall cornet band boys will have a dance at the Opera Hall on July 4. This will afford an opportunity to celebrate the Fourth at home, in part at least. Good music and an enjoyable time is promised to all who attend.
Vold and Everson unloaded and sent into the country a carload of Milwaukee binders and mowers. The agents marked the occasion with a little display, a band of music occupying a position on the advance load of the strong of wagons, and playing sweet strains as they filed out of town.
Frank Porter, who has charge of our electric light plant, has been busy the past few days wiring Ludwig Solsrud’s new residence, the addition to the American House, R.H. Engen’s new business building, and other places in the village. The cheapness of the light allows all parties to enjoy the benefits thereof. Since the deduction by the village board of the cost to 20 cents per month for 16 candlepower, many of the inhabitants have been asking for additional lights.
C.A. Sherwood has a fine field of cultivated strawberries, of some 20 varieties. They all look well, but the kind that eclipses all others is the “Whitehall, a variety he is paying particular attention to, and of which he is the originator, it being a cross between several of the old-timers.
