MENU100 Years Ago
Life in Viroqua from the Vernon County Censor:
OCT. 31, 1923
Over seventy-five years ago the city of Viroqua had its origin... It was in the autumn of 1848 and soon after the first settlers had preempted homesteads in Vernon county, then known as Bad Ax county, that the Methodist Episcopal church – pioneer church of the county – was organized, the seventy-fifth anniversary of which was observed at the Methodist Episcopal church in this city on Sunday... The first class formed in the county was organized in a grove near the residence of James A. Cooke, who resided just east of the city of Viroqua by Rev. Jesse Pardunn in the autumn of 1848... The first class met at private houses, then the log school house near what is now Brookville and later in the log Court House, school and church building in Viroqua...
During the years 1853-54-55, the rush of emigration was so great to Bad Ax county and accession to the Methodist church were so numerous that it became difficult to find a house big enough to contain the attendants.
Rev. McIndoe, then in charge of the Viroqua circuit, started a subscription paper for the purpose of building a meeting house in Viroqua. The subscription paper was dated May 29, 1856...the following year a log church was erected in the village of Viroqua, used also as a school and Court House.
The present church was built in 1814 and one of the finest in the state. Thirty four ministers have been charge since the church organization in 1848 to the present time.
Gingersnaps 10¢, soda crackers 12 1/2¢, Fig bar cookies 15¢ per pound. Good brooms 60¢ at Henry’s Grocery.
Coffee with real cream. That’s the way we serve it at The National Café, under First National Bank.
OCT. 24, 1923
A.J. Best, custodian of the band uniform fund, is wearing a broad smile. He received a very substantial donation this week - $25.00 from F.P. McIntosh. It is the first donation since September 2, and he is hoping that this will jog the memories of those who have not as yet donated to the good cause.
The new school band has an enrollment of over forty, and still growing. Progress of the band is being held up by the lack of instruments. Anyone having old band instruments can easily find a sale for them at this time.
Fresh home baked pie, five different kinds, at the National Café, under First National bank.
Ben Brown has been showing some wonderful pictures at the Temple Theatre the past few days. Harold Lloyd came to town Thursday night in the screeching comedy, “Dr. Jack”...”Hunting Big Game in Africa,” appearing last night and this evening, is the biggest thing of its kind ever filmed in the history of the world. The wildest and rarest animal life of Africa is shown... The thrilling charge of the wild elephant herd is alone worth the price of the film.
Supt. Geo. E. Sanford tells us of a splendid automobile trip...”Seeing Vernon County First.”
Take state highway number 82 to LaFarge, M to town hall in the town of Whitestown go east until just across Billings Creek, then turn to the left up Billings Creek to state highway number 33, thence on 33 over Wildcat mountain to Ontario. Turn south on M to the corner below Ham Cowan’s home, take county trunk line P to Westby and state highway number 27 from there to Viroqua. This is a distance of about seventy miles.
OCT. 17, 1923
Chas A. Bahde, pipe organ expert, of Chicago, has been in Viroqua for the past four days, giving Manager Brown’s great pipe organ at the Temple Theatre a thorough revoicing, tuning and overhauling. The organ was hastily installed and has received no attention since... The traps have all been synchronized, and the variety of effects is beyond belief. It is not an organ – it is a one hundred piece orchestra...
Highway Commissioner Ristow and the county road and bridge committee spent part of last week in Grant county inspecting road construction in that county. They were especially interested in the small crushed lime stone roads that Grant is building. Hard limestone crushed to one inch or less, with a top dressing of tarvia, looks as if it were going to solve the road problem in places like Vernon county where gravel is not readily accessible.
The Kickapoo Valley league season closed Sunday... From all points of view the Kickapoo Valley League has been a success. Every team, it is believed, adhered to the rule that no player was to be hired or receive pay in any form. Financially, the league was a success, also... The league was organized this spring for ten years and from indications there is little doubt that all of the present teams and possibly some others will be ready for action in the spring.
A large number of baseball fans from Stoddard and Genoa gather each afternoon at the Curry store where they get the world’s series baseball news hot off Red Curry’s Radio. As the game progresses each play is announced not later than thirty seconds after being made.
OCT. 10, 1023
DESOTO – Frank Sallander narrowly escaped death last week when he was struck by a fragment and thrown several feet while running an ensilage cutter. A horseshoe accidently dropped into the machine caused the accident... The erection of the DeSoto warehouse is progressing nicely... Frank Carmack purchased the old building near the restaurant and is tearing it down to replace it with a new building in which he will conduct his second hand store...
READSTOWN – The first clinic held by the Child Welfare Special was held at Readstown Tuesday, October 2nd. Much interest was shown in this work as thirty-eight children were examined and six turned away... James Hall was quite severely hurt last Monday when he fell from a straw stack while assisting with threshing... P.J. Hays of Viroqua has opened up a barber shop in the Elmer Sime building.
The big crew of expert bricklayers are making things hum on the new high school building. Fifteen brick men are on the job, and the walls are now towering up to the second story and they will soon be ready for the next concrete slab. Then another story and the roof – and the crew are bending all efforts to accomplish this before cold weather clamps down, so the building can be enclosed and finish work carried on during the winter.
Work on the Bann & Fehlberg building is coming along good. The walls on sides and back are completed to the second story.
The Perfect Oil Co. is pushing the construction of their fine new service station west of the creamery with all possible haste and hope to have their grand opening day about October 20th.
OCT. 3, 1923
The Viroqua school band has been tendered a very special honor – an invitation to play at the State Teachers’ meeting which will be held in Milwaukee on November 8th. Needless to say, the invitation was accepted. The state will stand part of the expenses, and the rest will be made up by donations from our public spirited citizens and the boys themselves. Ours will be the only band there.
The new armory of the local unit of the National Guard, the 107th Engineers was opened last week, a public dance being given three nights of the fair... The boys of the guard expect to install a ventilation system immediately, decorate and improve as fast as funds can be provided and ultimately make this the finest dance hall in this section.
...for the third consecutive year, the weather smiled on Vernon’s fair. A time or two it looked threatening, and two little sprinkles occurred, but it was over in a jiffy and nothing marred the attendance or exhibit. Perfect weather, record attendance, speedy racing, good baseball, the best of free attractions, splendid music, a crowded midway, a crowded art hall, fine machinery exhibit – all these conspired to make this fair a tremendous success...over $1800 has been expended the past year in necessary improvements, and it is hoped that this can be paid and a balance left to apply on other improvements. There are two pressing needs... One is securing of more parking space for autos and opening of a second street to the grounds. The other is additional grand stand room... These improvements, however, cost money, and now that the society is out of debt they would like to keep it in the healthy condition.