MENU100 Years Ago
Life in Viroqua from the Vernon County Censor:
MARCH 31, 1926
Bush & Stout have purchased from Anderson & Sons the grocery department of their business, have moved their own stock into the Anderson building, combining the stocks, and are now doing business there. Anderson & Sons will confine their entire time and attention to the meat market.
As the Censor goes to press, the county is in the grip of a blizzard that for intensity rivals anything we have experienced during the winter... This section was deluged with about six inches, and the heavy gale from all points of the compass from straight east around to northwest has piled the cuts completely full. Moderately low temperatures accompanied the storm.
Next Sunday is Easter, coming unusually early this year, and if the present weather should continue the outlook for a beautiful Easter day is most dismal.
Get your dairy pails and cream cans here where you have a large assortment from which to select. Surenson & Thompson, The Farmer’s Store.
Genoa, March 29 – Clements Brothers caught a large amount of fish the past week. There is a great deal of sickness in our village at the present time.
Victory, March 29 – The ice is all out of the river and we can hear the hum of launches again.
Robins and bluebirds have been uncommonly late in arrival here this season. The birds were here in numbers by this time last year and even meadow larks were singing on March 11... As a rule the flight of ducks and geese antedates the arrival of spring birds, but so far this season few ducks have been seen. – Grant County Herald.
MARCH 24, 1926
Highway Commissioner Ristow and his crew are busy this week buying the right-of-way for the new paving job on No. 11 from Westby to the county line. The government specifications call for a road five rods in width and this, with the necessary relocations, calls for quite a little preliminary work in securing land. As soon as this is completed the contracts will be let, which will be in the early part of April. The city of Westby is planning on putting in its sewer system this year so that the pavement may be completed through its Main street, so No. 11 will probably be blocked most of the year. Traffic from this section will be detoured over old No. 11, now County Trunk B.
Dr. G.W. Minshall was in Madison and Milwaukee last week. At Madison he purchased from Dr.West a very fine trotter. At the sale of fancy horses in Milwaukee he bought a trotting horse. We rather suspicion that one of these animals is for Dad Minshall. F.M. hasn’t felt really settled since Old Vernon passed away.
The County Normal School Board hereby gives notice that bids to complete the painting of the interior of the Normal School are wanted...
NOTICE TO PUBLIC
On or after Saturday, March 27, our delivery service will be discontinued. This will enable us to give you more meat for your money, by carrying it yourself. H.E. ANDERSON & SONS.
Viola, March 24 – The Viola high school was closed on Friday to permit those who cared to, to attend the basket ball tournament at Soldiers Grove on Thursday and Friday... Our boys carried off honor... The roads in this vicinity are almost impassable and the village is quiet.
MARCH 17, 1926
I am now located in Readstown in the old stone blacksmith shop, across from the creamery, and am ready to do your horseshoeing and plow work and general blacksmithing. A first class job, and guaranteed to give satisfaction. Your patronage will be appreciated. INGEMAN HEDEGAARD.
SPRING REALLY HERE?
As the Censor goes to press it commences to look as if Sweet Spring had finally arrived. It has been a long and exasperating winter, and no one, except the coal dealers, will fail to give spring a warm welcome...with the mercury mounting, the snow shrinking rapidly, and high water in the valleys.
Stub Morrison and Bill Best were out Tuesday opening the pavement south of us and it is now in shape for car travel. The ridges are chopping up pretty badly today, while practically all snow is gone from the valley roadh [sic]... The patrolmen were ordered out Monday and are busy opening the drifts and draining roads.
Badax, March 13 – Well, March could be worse. We believe it could be better too. The ground hog is a poor prophet. Tom Oliver and Leonard Mueller delivered poultry to Victory for shipping Friday last... A wolf was seen near Romance. Better watch out this is dangerous country... The mail ought to be delivered correctly and in due time too, when roads are fit again... Many of the little folks have been out of school on account of bad colds this week.
All kinds of ice cream and soft drinks at our restaurant at all times. Assortment of brick ice cream always on hand. Your trade is appreciated. Geo. Pennell, Viroqua.
MARCH 10, 1926
The new lighting contract offered the city of Viroqua by Northern States Power Co. Gives the city better lighting service with a slight reduction in cost. The contract has been accepted. It provides that all of the lights at the corners on both Main and Decker streets be increased in candle power from 100 to 250.
The Three Chimney Ski Club held their first ski tourney Sunday, February 21, 1926. About one hundred spectators lined the hill to watch the fifteen promising young riders.
Specials at Seiler’s Electric Shop: Regular 45-volt B batteries at $1.89, 110 and 32 volt electric irons at $1.98.
Fire starting from an unknown cause in the forward part of F.M. Towner’s store at an early hour Thursday morning completely destroyed the Towner block and all its contents, seriously damaged the Bolyle building just north, and almost totally destroyed the equipment of the Noon Tide Café... The truck and department were on hand promptly, but could do nothing but hold down the fire a little and protect surrounding property. The heat was so intense that practically all the plate glass windows in the Dahl building and the Masonic Temple were cracked and wookwork [sic] scorched... In the upper story were office rooms of Attorney C.J. Smith, Attorney J.A. Moen, and Dr. Wm. Trowbridge. The contents of their offices were totally destroyed... This fire was one of the major conflagrations from which Viroqua has suffered, and the loss will run close to $75,000.
Just arrived – beautiful new creations in spring millinery. B.M. Ballsrud, Westby, in the Hagen Block, south side entrance.
MARCH 3, 1926
The annual meeting of the Viroqua Chrystal Ice Co. was held at the city hall Monday evening... In order to place the concern on a going basis, a new modern storage house, 30x56 and 20 feet high, has been constructed near the McIntosh warehouse, and two carloads of pine sawdust purchased. The cost of these improvements was about $1,500. The new ice house is now filled with slightly more than 600 tons of high quality ice, and it looks as if next year will commence to see the retirement of the debt on the plant.
Chas. S. Slack has leased the Paulson building in this city and will open an implement store, installing a complete line of agricultural implements.
This section has been accorded most all kinds of weather during the past week. Last Wednesday and Thursday eight inches of “the beautiful” fell, the heaviest snowfall of the winter... The heavy wind piled it up in spite of the weight of the snow, and very effectively blocked the ridge roads for automobile travel... The county snow plow started out Friday to clear the road from here to Westby. They made good progress until near the old Goodell farm, when the transmission on the heavy truck was broken... Sunday was a glorious spring day, with Old Sol raising cain with the snow, and the mercury around forty above... A strong northwest wind brought the mercury down to a degree or two below zero on Tuesday morning.
The Viroqua County Milling Company, who lost about $1,500 worth of clover seed nearly a year ago by having it stolen from their warehouse, have at last found where the seed went. The gang of thieves working out of Baraboo, five or whom were recently caught and are now held in jail at Baraboo and Portage...