MENU100 Years Ago
Life in Viroqua from the Vernon County Censor:
OCT. 25, 1922
Viroqua and vicinity entertained a most distinguished guest last Friday – Wisconsin’s favorite son and senior Senator, Robert M. LaFollette and the way people turned out to greet him left no doubt in the minds of anyone as to the unequalled position he occupies in the hearts of Vernon county people. Probably two thousand people thronged the city to hear Bob speak, and thousands were turned away...
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. George Pennell, Viroqua, Wis.
Bud, October 23 – Bud has not been heard from very often but is still booming. Lovely weather for all kinds of fall work. Corn shredders and clover hullers are heard in this vicinity.
A demonstration milk lunch was served to about one hundred children at the County Nurse’s Tent at the fair. The milk was served in paper sups [sic], and was sipped through soda straws. The children like to drink milk this way. A large box of excellent graham crackers...were served with the milk. A glass of milk and two of these crackers makes an ideal school lunch.
Sam Sauer should teach his tame squirrels to keep out of unusual places. On Tuesday, Plumber Frank Wintz was called to the residence of F.H. Rogers to find out why the sewer system in their home was not working properly, and he extracted there-from one of Sam’s pet squirrels that just naturally crawled in and drowned.
Today (Thursday) will witness the completion of the three miles of concrete pavement south of the city...
OCT. 18, 1922
Have you any good cows for sale? If you have, get in touch with Congressman J.D. Beck and list your cows with him. Our congressman is cooperating with the Farmer-Banker movement in supplying cows to the farmers of the south, and shipped a carload a few days ago. All cows must be exactly as represented, must be good cows, and tuberculin tested. Good cows are selling from $65 to $100. If you have any surplus cows that you want to sell, get in touch with Mr. Beck.
Last Friday evening about 7:30 the barn on the Ross Bankus farm near Readstown caught fire from an unknown cause and was completely destroyed. W.C. Phillips was renting the Bankus farm, and the fire was discovered in time to save his team, but he lost a quantity of grain, chickens and some machinery. It is a heavy loss for him as he carried no insurance.
The October session of the Circuit Court for Vernon county convenes at the Court House next Monday, October 23. The calendar is unusually long one, composed of sixteen criminal issues, 15 issues of fact for court, and 28 jury cases...
Friday the 13th was indeed an unlucky day for Wm. McCullough of Ross, about 11:30 a.m. sparks from the chimney set fire to the shingle roof of his house. The fire was first see [sic] from the Hobert Groves farm and all that neighbors could do in saving household goods and keeping the fire from spreading to other buildings was done. A part of the contents of the first floor and cellar were saved.
OCT. 11, 1922
The coming on of young winter weather heralds the death of the base ball season and loyal fans will probably appreciate an opportunity to witness one more contest before the mitts and bats have to be put down in moth balls awaiting the return of spring. Bloomingdale and Brush Hollow are scheduled to cross bats at Viroqua Fair Grounds next Sunday. Both teams are strengthening themselves for the contest and a good game is to be expected.
Springville, October 9 – Threshing is in earnest now and farmers are rushing their fall work.
Frank Primmer brought in from his farm east of the city, three big spuds and dumped them on the editorial desk. They weighed 2, 2 ¼, and 2 ½ pounds and the most remarkable thing about it is that these taters were all grown in one hill – and no others in the hill.
The beautiful weather has had a relapse into the arms of young winter, and hard frosts have some parts of the county the few nights – especially the valleys. However, practically everything was out of the way of the cold weather, and we are indeed to be congratulated over the beautiful fall we have enjoyed. Rare indeed is it that killing frosts do not visit us before the 8th of October.
The transformers to be used in lighting up the four silent policemen on the Main street business intersections are now on the road. Electrician Seiler has the cables installed, and as soon as the transformers arrive the lights will be installed. Besides giving proper warning to drivers at night, these lights will give a nice metropolitan touch to our street.
OCT. 4, 1922
Vernon’s 1922 fair has passed into history as the greatest agricultural exhibition ever held in the society’s history. It was a record from every angle. The weather was hand picked – warn and cloudless days, the most glorious autumn days that could be made... Exhibits in every department were gar larger than ever before... The attendance was equal or a little above the record crowd of last year...and the fair was moderately successful from a financial standpoint.
About twenty thousand dollars have been subscribed to date for a farmers’ tobacco ware house at Coon Valley.
DESOTO – October 2 – The tobacco ware house now is a certainty. The R.R. engineer having O.K’d the location by the depot. The building will be 44x160 ft. and will handle one million and a half pounds of tobacco a year. Work will start immediately so as to enable this year’s crop to be taken care of.
Just for curiosity, Jop Johnson took the traffic census on State Highway NO. 82, just west of the detour, on last Thursday – the big day of Viroqua’s fair. During twelve hours 600 automobiles, one motorcycle, 25 horse drawn vehicles and two bicycles passed this point.
We don’t remember a race meet in recent years that was as satisfactory as during the fair just passed. The races were well filled, and in many instances were featured by whirlwind finishes that brought the grandstand to its feet. If the hair on Jolly Bell’s nose had been a sixteenth of an inch shorter he would have lost one of the heats in Friday’s race, and many of the other heats were won by a neck.