MENU100 Years Ago
Life in Viroqua from the Vernon County Censor:
AUG. 29, 1923
The city of Viroqua was thronged with teachers the largest crowd of instructors Viroqua has ever entertained. The occasion is the teachers institute...
The Vernon County Normal Training School will open the new year next Monday, September 3d. Out of 53 new students registered for this year, 50 are high school graduates. Last year only 25 of the new students were high school graduates , which proves that the standard of our County Normal is being raised rapidly.
The most dreaded thing to Vernon county farmers this time of year is hail and their worst fears were realized on Tuesday when two wide streaks of frozen water cut swaths through Vernon county. One streak started near Cashton and ended near La Farge. The other started near Springville, going west of Bud and south of Liberty Pole, ending we don’t know where. The hail was extremely severe in spots, the ground being white from it, and many tobacco crops are total loses. Some of the crops were insured. Coming right in the heart of the season, the storm is a blow to tobacco raisers in its path.
Work on the concrete pavement between Viroqua and Westby is nearing completion. Five more days of favorable weather will see the end of the job. The big crew is laying better than 500 feet of pavement every full working day, their record day’s laying being nearly 550 feet. The road is now open to the school house and will soon be opened to the first right hand road beyond that point.
De Soto – O.G. Lewis made a trip to Chicago last Monday to secure the location for the warehouse. The stock yards will be moved this week and the warehouse will be built on that location.
AUG. 22, 1923
The Readstown Carnival was a huge success from every point of view. The weather was ideal and people took advantage of it. There was about 3000 people participated in the festivities, about 300 cars being parked about town. The gross proceeds amounted to between $700 and $800. This was the biggest time we have ever had here... Everybody had a good time and spent their money freely.
Harry, Lou, and T.B. Potts drive home from the American Legion convention at Superior, Friday, making the 302 miles in twelve hours’ driving time that day which is going some for a Ford.
In the past six months’ period, January 1, 1923, to July 1, 1923, thirty people were killed on the highways and streets of Wisconsin in automobile accidents. There was a total of 408 accidents and the official reports show that about 70 per cent of them occurred on straight of way sections of the road, indicating that driver was speeding at the time.
At a recent meeting of the executive committee of the Vernon county fair association the subject of silver loving cup was brought up for consideration and passed upon. Several jewelers presented specimens of their goods and submitted bids for the 14 loving cups to be used in connection with the fair this fall... These cups are to be given for the grand champion winners in the various livestock classes... Mr. Swanson, jeweler of Westby, is to be congratulated for receiving this order of cups.
AUG. 15, 1923
The site of Viroqua’s new high school building is a scene of intense activity these days, the crew of fifty workingmen making things hum. The basement walls are completed and the division walls in the basement are practically up. Mr. Olson energetic contractor is pushing the work along as rapidly as possible, and with favorable weather up to the end of the year, hopes to have the building enclosed by that then. Bann & Fehlberg are having the two big 15-ton boilers moved over and they will be placed in position as soon as the footers are constructed.
Darning Stockings – When darning stockings use crochet cotton. This is much better and will not get hard and stiff in the wash.
The band boys are certainly doing fine with their new instruments and are making a fine appearance in their new uniforms. All that is lacking is to finish paying for the uniforms.
Record airplane speed is 201 miles an hour.
The pavement work north of Viroqua is going along splendidly. A large force of men are employed and with plenty of material on hand the crew is laying in the neighborhood of 500 feet a day. The pavement is now complete to the Peter Olson farm, and the road is now open to the left turn at Three Chimneys road. To all indications the work will be safely out of the way before the frost danger arrives.
Police officials have been instructed to take energetic steps to see that auto drivers obey the speed and auto laws. One man who was traveling better than 30 miles an hour through Main street was arrested, pled guilty and paid his fine.
AUG. 8, 1923
Fast driving, driving with only one headlight, and driving with only one license plate, are violations of law. Keep Smilin’ There when the officer gets you. CHIEF OF POLICE, Viroqua, Wis.
Much interest was aroused last week by the workmen repairing the leak in the sewer on Main street. They had to use everything but dynamite to cut through the pavement. This is the third leak at this point and it accounted for by the settling of the ground due to the fact that the cave from Court House Rock ends at this point underneath Main Street. A man hole was constructed so that future breaks can be taken care of with very little trouble.
The whole nation was inexpressibly shocked to learn of the passing of President Harding last Thursday... A public memorial service will be held at the Temple Theatre at three o’clock on Friday, the hour when all the nation mourns its departed President.
The following activities in highway work are going on in Vernon county: The right-of-way has been bought in the town of Franklin, to make a change in highway 27, from the Fargo cheese factory going south... An outfit just pulled into LaFarge to finish shaling from the bridge westward. A crew is working on Davis hill out of DeSoto, widening the road. A crew is on the Stoddard-LaCrosse road north of Stoddard, putting it on grade all the way through.
Supt. Sanford reports that H.E. Rogers of this city recently donated to the County Normal a number of volumes of valuable books and bound magazines... In all there were over fifty volumes... The county normal is gradually acquiring a collection of old and rare books, antiques and specimens of many varieties.
AUG. 1, 1923
The school Band fund is growing. During the two days of the Sogna Laget, the parents of the band boys had a stand erected on Main street where they sold ice cream and pop. A table was placed in the Park, also, on Thursday afternoon for the same purpose. The net profit from the sales was $75.
OFFICERS RAID A STILL
Information reached District Attorney Moon that moonshine was being manufactured by the wholesale in a certain place in Chipmunk Coulee near the Monroe line, and on Saturday afternoon Deputy Sheriff Martin Larsen, and Marshal Roy Aikins and W.E. Garrett of this city raided the Joe Wood home, finding three stills, 150 gallons of mash and all the trimmings in the moonshine industry, secreted in the woods nearby which was confiscated or destroyed. Mr. Wood was not at home and the officers have not been able to locate him since, but they inform the Censor that he was apprehended in Crawford county for the same offense and released on $500 bonds.
At the last meeting of the school board, the eight bids for the electrical part of the new high school were opened and it was found that our local electrical contractor, H.H. Seiler, had submitted the lowest bid... Work on the new building is progressing nicely. The concrete footers are in place and some of the basement wall has been poured.
The Viroqua School Board is in receipt of two fine instruments... One is a beautiful modern brass horn with the fine large gold bell facing the front... The other is a bass drum of latest pattern... It has a true tympane [sic] tone, soft and resonant.