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Each week a small segment of Vernon County history is published in the county papers.
For the week of 3/1/2026
by Kristen Parrott, curator
The next meeting of the genealogy class will be Thursday, March 12, at 10AM, at the Vernon County Museum and History Center. The topic for the day will be finding Wisconsin genealogical information. Teacher Karen Sherry will lead the class in learning more about how to research Wisconsin ancestors.
New students are always welcome to join the class. Vernon County Historical Society members attend for free, and non-members are asked to pay $5 per class session. Classes are held in the first-floor, wheelchair-accessible conference room.
Our winter art show, “Good Earth – Deep Roots”, will be running from Saturday, March 14, through Thursday, March 26. The museum and history center will be open every day during that time period, from 11AM to 4PM. Art on exhibit from our collections will include several pieces by local artists including Mabel Treseder (later Mabel Gardner) of Viola, 1875-1934, and Dorothy Werth of Viroqua, 1924-2022. Guest curator Nathan Popp has chosen these works.
A silent auction of art created by local artists will also be part of this special event, as will a scavenger hunt of artistic elements found on objects around the museum. There will be a suggested donation of $10 for touring the art show and the museum exhibits together.
The history center is rarely open on weekends in the winter, so be sure to take advantage of these special hours during the art show. You are also welcome to come in to do research, or tour the regular exhibits, during this time period.
A new exhibit has just opened at the museum about the battleship USS Wisconsin (BB-64) and its connection to Vernon County and Viroqua. On display are artifacts donated by Viroqua resident Thor J. Thorson, who served on the ship. Learn about the history of the ship and about three area men who served on the ship during different decades. A special feature of this display is a video interview with Thor about his experiences on the USS Wisconsin. The exhibit is located on the third floor and is accessible by the elevator.
A new exhibit about the USS Wisconsin has just opened at the Vernon County Museum.
For the week of 2/22/2026
by Kristen Parrott, curator
The village of La Farge will be the subject of our next history program. La Farge historian Brad Steinmetz will be the speaker on Tuesday, March 3, at 7PM, at the Vernon County Museum and History Center.
Brad is the author of a two-volume set of books called La Farge: The Story of a Kickapoo River Town. Volume 1 covers “the beginnings until the early 1960’s”, and volume 2 covers “the early 1960’s to 2017”, which is when volume 2 was published. He is also the author of That Dam History: The Story of the La Farge Dam Project. And he writes a weekly history column for the La Farge Episcope newspaper.
Come learn about the village’s name, about its schools and churches, floods and dams, and much more. Everyone is welcome to attend. Programs are held in the first-floor, wheelchair-accessible conference room. To defray costs, we ask for a donation of $2.50 per person.
To complement the program, a small exhibit about La Farge is now on display in the conference room. On exhibit are a few La Farge High School objects, including a diploma from 1934, and several business promotional items, including a cloth bag from Andrew’s Market.
A colorful quilt made by Garnet Stout’s 4th-grade class in 1985 is also part of the display, each square featuring a different aspect of Wisconsin history. Mrs. Stout taught in La Farge for many years. Each child’s name is written on the square that they made.
A black velvet cape with (fake) fur trim rounds out the exhibit. It was worn by Laura Slagle of La Farge in the early 1900’s. She probably bought it at the Chase store in downtown La Farge.
You can learn more about La Farge from the information we have in our archives, including books and articles and photographs. The archives includes a file for every community in Vernon County. Stop by to do some research during our regular winter hours of Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, 11AM to 4PM.
Downtown La Farge on November 11, 1918, celebrating the end of World War I.
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