MENU100 Years Ago
Life in Viroqua from the Vernon County Censor:
SEPT. 29, 1926
How times have changed, that the sight of a prairie chicken in Viroqua should be the subject of news comment. Forty years ago prairie chicken were plentiful in Vernon county – now they have dwindled down to a couple of small flocks, occasionally seen and causing much comment.
One of Viroqua’s oldest and most historic buildings known as the Beehive – is going the way of all things physical. The structure, now owned by L.C. Boyle, has outlived its usefulness... This building was constructed before the Civil War, standing on the cite [sic] now occupied by Peterson’s black smith shop. It was used for educational purposes, being one of Viroqua’s first schools.
St. Louis and New York have spiked down the pennant in their respective base ball leagues... This is the first pennant which St. Louis has won since 1888...
Office of County Superintendent
A large amount of material from the schools has been coming into the office for the exhibit at the County Fair... The new school building in Salem district, town of Forest, is now almost completed.
Retreat, Sept. 27 – Jack frost spread well his white mantle over Nature’s green, Sunday morning... Quite a number of our citizens attended the LaCrosse fair and reported fair crowds considering the bad weather.
Another event in the booze business of the week is finding of four cans of booze hidden under a culvert between the city and Viola. Evidently some moonshiners expected to make it to Viola fair. The weather man, however, supplied so much moisture that no other kind was needed, and Sheriff Olson took the stuff found in charge – Richland Democrat.
SEPT. 22, 1926
There is rejoicing in the hearts of the tobacco farmers of Vernon County, for as the Censor goes to press ninety per cent of the crop is safely in the shed – and no frost in sight... Corn, too, is a prime crop. Practically all of it is now ready for the silo – and there is every prospect of plenty of hard corn. A week of warm dry weather would put practically the whole crop into the hard corn class.
The Florida hurricane swept communities [Miami area] facing a death list upwards of 400 persons... The Red Cross here sent $50 from the general fund and $100 more, which was voted by the City Council for the relief work in Florida.
The building activities on Viroqua’s Main Street this summer have surely resulted in a muchly improved business section.
The most important change in point of size is the fine structure being erected by Fred Eckhart & Co. and L.C. Boyle to take the place of the buildings destroyed by fire during the winter. The two buildings are uniform in appearance and most pleasing... The lower of the Eckhart building will be occupied by one of the chain of Schultz Bros’ stores of Chicago – a Dollar Store... F.M. Townsend will occupy the lower floor of the Boyle building.
Tailor Lund’s new building is near completion. It is a substantial one story brick building on the site of the old wooden store.
Kueber & Son have completed the lowering and repairing of their building, and the same is now being stuccoed. A one-story brick structure has been built to the south of it, with full basement under both buildings. They will rent the two-story building, and occupy the new building.
SEPT. 15, 1926
Wisconsin’s only out door fish nursery inaugurated at DeSoto on the Banks of the Mississippi river, this year will give up a harvest of from 10 to 14 carloads of fish distribution in the waters of the state.
The DeSoto slough covers about 31 acres and is 750 feet wide situated between the highway and the railroad track. The state has built a screen dam across the upper end of the slough to prevent the fish from returning to the river... The slough was chosen by the conservation commission as ideal for fish production. It is 6 ½ feet deep and fed by springs – DeSoto Argus.
The Viroqua High School stock judging team which competed in the stock judging contest at the state fair has been awarded the free trip to Sioux City... This makes the third trip in five years that a Viroqua team has won to Sioux City... They will represent the state of Wisconsin in the mid-west contest, competing against eleven other state championship teams of the middle west.
Contractors, who are to surface the new work on Highway 33 with crushed limestone, put in a blast of 1000 pounds of powder in the quarry on the Revels hill last week... The crushing of rock is now being carried on and crushed stone placed on the highway west from Revels hill. It is said that a layer of crushed rock three inches in the thickness will first be placed on the entire 15 miles of road to be surfaced. This will be followed by another layer three or four inches thick. - Hillsboro Sentry.
In spite of two bad breaks in machinery, the surfacing crew working between Coon Valley and Westby is making good progress. The road is now completed Coon Valley to the VonRuden corners, and another week will see the first course of gravel laid intro Westby.
SEPT. 8, 1926
In anticipation of the of the Vernon County Fair, which event is now only three weeks distant, the grounds are being put in tip-top shape and the buildings covered with a fresh coat of white paint, so they now loom up like a regular White City. The roadway between the two gates has also been covered with a coat of oil, which will be greatly appreciated by all fair patrons.
Viola, August 30 – Blacksmith N.S. Kellogg is taking an enforced vacation from his shop. He was shoeing a horse last week and got into a mixup with the animal with the result that Newt received a broken rib. He will soon be back at work again ready to tackle the shoeing business... Viola is now assured of a golf course, the likes of which cannot be found in this section of the country. Thirty-five acres of ground have been leased of E.R. Cushman just west of town and the club starts out with a charter membership of about twenty-five members. The lease for the ground was completed last week and men are now at work cleaning up the ground, mowing the grass and otherwise putting the course in shape for playing. Monday noon, Mr. M.E. Hall, who has had years of experience in playing the game and laying out grounds, came here and is assisting the boys to get the course laid out. He has planned a nice nine hole course with a total of 1748 yards of play with a par of twenty-nine.
Love bird powder puffs in all colors at OE. Davis’ Drug Store.
Nelson, Mullen & Nelson, of Minneapolis, have completed the grading work on the Westby-Coon Valley road... John Gunnison & Sons have this contract and are placing the fine crushed rock surface at a record pace... The average working force consisted of forty men and twenty-four teams.
SEPT. 1, 1926
Primary election falls on next Tuesday – and because this is the last issue before election, this week’s Censor is pretty well given over to the candidates... Regardless of whom you may vote for – no matter whether you agree with the editor or not – we urge all our readers to get out and vote.
The Dial intended to pay a little compliment last week to the Rusk Comedy Co., but unintentionally overlooked the matter. Mr. Rusk and his company played a week’s strand here previous to the fair, selling remedies and putting on a spicy vaudeville show at the same time. Their bi [sic] tent in North Side Park was filled every night. Everyone connected with the show has some place to fill and fills it well... Boscobel Dial.
Viola, August 25 – The rain of Friday caused such a surplus of water in the Kickapoo Valley that LaFarge dam went out, and we are now experiencing our annual flood. The roads leading to LaFarge, Manning and up Camp Creek are all under several feet of water and the usual inconveniences of high water are ours for the time being... So many large rattlesnakes have been killed in this vicinity this summer. In the hay fields, on roads, in wooded hills. They seem to be wandering about. But they are becoming less as many have been killed.
A great Super Western drama, “THE FLAMING FRONTIER”, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
Overalls and jackets, good weight in plain blue, all sizes, price $1.10 at Ellefson & Johnson, Masonic Bldg.