From Our Early Files Sept. 22, 2021

25 YEARS AGO
Sept. 26, 1996
The Trempealeau County Health Care Center farm operation could become a training ground for young farmers. The county board of supervisors, at its monthly meeting Monday night, approved a resolution in support of a yearlong study of turning the farm into a “young farmer incubator.” The resolution also authorizes the center to commit funding to pay for a study.
Enrollment in the Whitehall district schools is down slightly from the start of classes last month, but still higher than a year earlier. That was the word from district administrators who reported at Monday’s school board meeting on the official “third Friday” head count. Administrators reported 426 middle and high school students and 360 in kindergarten through grade five, 19 more total students than a year ago.
Jennifer and Tommy Waldera participate in rodeo events throughout the state. The children of Steve and Sue Waldera, Arcadia, have been involved in rodeos for four years. Jennifer said the family ahs approximately 10 or 11 horses at their residence.
Bernie Misch, 82, has been a fixture at the Arcadia Country Club for the past 20 years. Not for the reason you might think. He isn’t an avid golfer, but he has been the greenskeeper at the golf club since he retired as a mechanic over 20 years ago.
There’s a place in rural Wisconsin where fourth and fifth generation land owners work up and down the road from each other and where multi-generation families make up two-thirds or more of all the families. And that spot is just down the road from Galesville. It’s along Hwy. 54 East, in the Hardies Creek-Glasgow area. On Saturday, residents of that area will gather for their 80th anniversary community fair, corn show and class reunion.
Bill Gibson no doubt would be proud. The Centerville man who turned an agricultural seed and fertilizer business into a $750,000 legacy before his death wanted it all to benefit the community. He endowed a trust fund of about $400,000. The past 10 years, countless groups have received varying shares of some $350,000 in interest earned by the William H. Gibson Trust, says Arild Engelien, trust administrator. Gibson’s will stipulated that at the end of 10 years, the trust be dissolved and its proceeds distributed accordingly. The largest shares, of $40,609 each, or 10 percent, were awarded to the Methodist, Catholic and Lutheran churches in Trempealeau.
Margo Komperud first decided she wanted to play football when she was a little kid. Now she’s a ninth grader and a member of the freshman football team at Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau. She lines up as an end on defense and at tackle on offense. In a home game against Black River Falls last week, she says she had three tackles, including one unassisted. She said she likes defense because “you get to cream” the opposition.
As many as 11 boys and girls from Blair-Taylor got in trouble for egging several school buses parked at Cochrane-Fountain City school. Four of the teenagers were arrested by law enforcement officers and taken to the Buffalo County jail on possible charges of obstructing justice. Two or three carloads of high school students from B-T pelted the buses with eggs and tomatoes and then draped them with toilet tissue on Sept. 18.
The Blair-Taylor School District building referendum, scheduled for Nov. 5, has come to a screeching halt. The decision was made known at a special school board meeting held Thursday night. The legality of the motion, which was acted and voted on the previous Monday was questioned. It was found that, by taking the vote, the board unknowingly acted on something that was not posted on the agenda. “The whole referendum could have been challenged and thrown out (due to improper notice),” said superintendent Guy Leavitt. “Nobody intended for that to happen.”
Seniors Jeremy Tranberg and Patti Jo Hill reigned over the 1996 Blair-Taylor Homecoming festivities.
Grand View Care Center administrator Michael Kittleson has been named the Wisconsin Representatives of Activity Professionals Administrator of the Year.
50 YEARS AGO
Sept. 30, 1971
Men and equipment from the C.J. Woychik Construction Co. were removing the old swimming pool last week, preparatory to construction of the new Olympic-sized pool that will open on the same site next spring.
John Preston, a native of the Hixton area, is the new principal and sixth-grade teacher at Sunset Elementary School.
In a joint session of the Arcadia city council and public utilities commission, it was unanimously decided to accept the bid proposal of Cooper-Bessemer Company for a 3090 kilowatt electrical generating unit for the municipal power plant.
Trophies were awarded to both men’s and women’s golf association champions at the annual awards banquet at the Arcadia Country Club. Darrell Schultz was the first flight winner in the men’s association; Doris Killian, Fountain City, women’s club champion; Lucille Howard, second flight champion; Gay Fugina, first flight and handicap winner and Patrick Maloney was the men’s club champion.
Mr. and Mrs. Terry Wheeler are the new owners of the Midtown Café in Blair.
Five area congregations voted yes on realignments, meaning Fagernes, First and Zion will be served by two pastors and Faith and North Beaver Creek served by a single pastor.
75 YEARS AGO
Sept. 26, 1946
The dispute between the Whitehall local of American Federation of Labor and the Land O’ Lakes Dairy Co. at this place was settled Monday without a strike, according to Roy Huitfeldt, manager of the plant.
Blair will have its annual Egg Festival this year on Saturday, Oct. 5, with a calf show as an added attraction in place of the horse show featured in former years, according to County Agent T.C. Main.
Solveig Ambli of Whitehall won the first price of $5 at the rope-spinning contest held at the new Fall Theatre in Black River Falls Saturday. Mary Mattson won second price, and Susan Bensend won the prize as the best-dressed cowgirl.
Dr. R.L. MacCornack was the toastmaster at the banquet held at the Walgert Hotel Friday, which closed the season for the Men’s Golf Club.
Mr. and Mrs. Oluf Hagen of Pigeon have sold their 75-acre farm to Mr. and Mrs. Clifton Olson of Holmen. Mr. and Mrs. will move to the home they purchased from L.J. Schansberg on Hwy. 53 north of Whitehall.
Rain canceled the game at Melby Park Sunday between Whitehall and Bi-State League champions Independence, turning home what could have been the largest crowd of the season. Independence drew more than 1,000 spectators at its last championship game against Winona, and the Cubs drew 1,500 against Winona at Arcadia.
Willis Mueller, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Mueller, Montana Ridge, died instantly from electrocution in an accident, which occurred Saturday morning. The tragedy took place about 10 miles west of Arcadia at what is known as Bremer corner in the town of Glencoe. While moving equipment with Clarence Weiss, his leg came in contact with a live wire which had 7,200 volts of electricity in it.
Titus Sobotta suffered cuts and bruises when the car he was driving skidded off a 20-foot embankment on Highway 93 two miles north of Arcadia. Sobotta said that he had apparently fallen asleep. About $200 damage was done to the vehicle.
The 4th S. Urburg will be confirmed next Sunday as First Lutheran Church. The late Rev. S. Urburg was pastor of the church for 37 years. His sons Dr. S. Urburg and Rev. S. Urburg were confirmed in 1911 and 1927. Soren Urburg, grandson of the late Rev. S. Urburg will be confirmed Sunday.
100 YEARS AGO
Sept. 29, 1921
The courthouse lawn looks fine. The trees have been trimmed this week, and that adds much to the beauty of the grounds.
B.A. Severson of Blair, Hans Anderson and A.W. Mahlum of Ettrick purchased Delco Light plants from Mason and Olson last week.
Clare Van Sickle was the lucky holder of a raffle ticket at Trempealeau that drew a pony, cart, harness and saddle. He sold the outfit to Art Kins, who bought them for his little boy.
Mrs. Even Finstad of this village received from Mrs. Hans Lovlien of Silverton, Ore., last Monday, a large box of plums which had been raised on the Lovlien farm.
Mr. and Mrs. Peter Norland have returned from Norway, where they visited Mrs. Norland’s people. It is 15 years since Mrs. Norland was at her childhood home, and 33 since Mr. Norland was there.
A.M. Thompson of Hale received a check last week for $84 from the Woodmen Accident Co. of Lincoln, Neb., as full payment of his claim for injuries received July 6 in a runaway accident on his farm.
York — Hjalmer Sveum sold his garage business here to Theo Larson Saturday. The blacksmith, Mr. Nyseth, and his brother have rented the repair part and will commence work there Monday. Mr. Sveum has rented a garage at Black River Falls and expects to start business there immediately. We all wish him success.
Pleasantville — Schroeder and Dahl are hulling clover in this vicinity.
York — The York Power Co. is doing considerable work on the dam, filling in and fixing it in good order.
A large barn on the John Brownlie farm in Trout Run Valley was destroyed by fire.
John Heuser of Eagle Valley and Louis Zeller of Montana lost parts of their right hands in separate corn shredder accidents.
125 YEARS AGO
Sept. 24, 1896
A Democratic county convention and a Free Silver mass convention, two separate aggregations, are called to meet at Weir’s Hall, Independence, tomorrow to nominate county tickets. There will of course be a coalition at this meeting, as it is not reasonable to presume that they are called to meet at the same time and place by mere chance.
The Alfred Vivian elocutionary entertainment at Opera Hall Friday evening was good. The readings should have been more largely attended.
H.A. Anderson, who has spent several months in the West, returned Monday, looking hale and hearty and glad to get back from those arid regions.
The ladies of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union will give a white ribbon tea in the Methodist Episcopal Church parlors next Tuesday from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Supper, 15 cents. Everybody invited.
On the fourth page may be found the first installment of Sen. Nelson’s political speech delivered at Blair on Sept. 17. We are in hopes of giving our readers the rest of it next week. There is food for reflection in it. Preserve it.
Pigeon Falls — The mill is now in running order and feed can be ground a great deal more rapidly than with the old-fashioned burs. A grist will be ready a few minutes after being delivered.
Blair — Albert Halvorson, the veteran hay presser, has commenced the season’s work for H.E. Getts and Son of Whitehall. At present, however, he is laid up with a severe attack of pleurisy.
Pigeon Falls — General approval is expressed throughout this town with the selection of nominees for county officers, and Pigeon can be counted on for a good Republican majority this fall.
Ettrick — Sam Lequied, while hauling lumber for the new Hegg school house, fell from his load, the wheel running over his head and fracturing it in two places.