100 Years Ago

Life in Viroqua from the Vernon County Censor:

JULY 27, 1921

Threshing season has commenced around Bud. Ole Tryggestad’s rig commenced at Albert Tryggestad’s on Monday.

Last Saturday Haugen & Smith sold their general store in Viroqua to Louis Seidel, a substantial young farmer of Chaseburg, taking in exchange his farm lying next to that village.

COON VALLEY JOURNALS – A new street which was laid out last spring is now being graded.

The Coon Valley baseball team played a hard game with Pleasant Ridge last Sunday, losing by a score of 6 to 5.

If the weather is favorable the Coon Valley Mills expect to repair their dam next week. So Coon Valley will be without current for a few days.

Coon valley - The community has been blessed with sufficient rain recently and the corn and tobacco crops are coming along nicely.

VIOLA NEWSLETS – A fine large electric sign hanging in front of the Dunbar & McCollough garage attracts the attention of all passers to their garage business. It is an elaborate sign in the shape of an automobile, illuminated in red, white and blue lights.

One of the best little stills ever seen in these parts was taken Friday last in a raid made in the home of W.C. Starkey of this city... The outfit was most complete, and the still was no small affair either, holding about five gallons. Besides finding the still they found bottles and mugs which bore evidence of having been used recently. Mr. Starkey was...taken into custody. – Richland Observer.

JULY 20, 1921

Some of the officials of the paving company arrived by car today from Illinois. The machinery is all headed this way and work will begin on North Main street in a few days.

Viroqua people will be glad to know that there is a car of oil at the depot ready to unl9oad, and another one on the way.

That Coon Valley is a prosperous and growing village is evident from the fact that during the past four months no less than ten families have been added to its population.

The Brush Hollow farmers now enjoy the convenience of having Viroqua for a central instead of Viola.

We are told that $2,000 is to be spent this summer on the Miner road this side of Bloomingdale. This isn’t saying that there will be $2,000 worth of improvements done by any means.

Sunday was another of those real sizzling days of which we have had so many this summer. Nearly everyone who was footloose headed for creeks and camping places around the city.

WHEATLAND – Central, July 16 – Although only a week had passed since we had rain, the intense heat m made the copious shower of Wednesday eve, very welcome. During the shower, three trees on Nat Henry’s farm and a telephone pole opposite the L.O. Cole residence, were struck by lightning.

Those who have any spare time, are going to the Father of Waters, and returning with a goodly number of the finny tribe.

Raspberries are quite scarce this year.

JULY 13, 1921

The installation of an electric elevator has just been completed at the Eckhart elevator and will prove a wonderful saving and convenience in the handling of grain and feed at that busy place. F.P. McIntosh is also converting his hand power elevator over to an electric.

...don’t waste any water in this hot weather. It is with the utmost difficulty that the head of water is being maintained in the standpipe with all the pumps working to full capacity. The slightest break in the machinery will cause the gravest situation, and all should do their part to conserve water. F.M. MARSHALL, Treasurer.

Decorator Paul Koeppe has a big job on his hands – that of redecorating the whole interior of the M.E. church.

Kenneth McMasters of Viola and his brother-in-law, J.W. Schmidt of Avoca have opened “The Viroqua Sanitary Bakery” in the Devlin building. Kenneth has had several years’ experience as a practical baker at Viola and Boscobel...

Rumors are in circulation to the effect that the ice manufactured at our plant is impure – That it contains ammonia and other harmful ingredients. It does not contain even a chemical trace of anything which is not contained in our city water. The white powder of which some have complained is pure lime, which is abundant in our water. VIROQUA CHRYSTAL ICE CO.

LOST – An 8-gallon milk can along the Bishop Branch road. Finder please notify Rev. Supplee.

JULY 6, 1921

Sam Lake tells of his trip to Yellowstone. The distance covered was 1612 miles and only two tire punctures. They visited Jerome Tower in Sioux Falls and Mrs. J.H. Drips – nee Bessie Anderson in Goean Valley.

Deaths: Hans J. Lium, Born April 5, 1855 in Feiring, Norway. Came to America in the fall of 1866, died June 12, 86 yrs. old.

Oscar Gald, son of Jacob Gald – 1899-1921.

Mrs. James Sands, Mrs. David Primmer, 77 years.

John C. Baglien born in Skabu, Nordrefron, Gulbrandsdalen, Norway on Feb. 2, 1846.

A nurse is engaged at the home of Tom Hoym in West Prairie to help take care of the sick children, whom after having the whooping cough, are afflicted with pleurisy and pneumonia.

Henry Suttle is home from California where he finished his Chemistry course in Leland Stanford University.

Oscar Peterson Grimsky will be ordained on July 24th as minister in the Viroqua Main Street church.

Adolph C. Brye, chairman of the town of Coon, was in from Coon Valley today.

We are in receipt of the report of the marriage of Paul Lunde and Miss Alma Gullard of Coon Valley on June 18th,

Miss Margaret Reed of Jefferson town has accepted a teaching position at the Panama Canel [sic] Zone.

June, 1921