MENU100 Years Ago
Life in Viroqua from the Vernon County Censor:
MAY 27, 1925
Two men from the Cheyenne country were arrested yesterday by Deputy Sheriff Robinson charged with dynamiting fish in the Kickapoo river. They were tried in county court and paid fines of $200 and costs each.
We suppose most of our people are aware that May has been the coldest month in the history of the weather bureau. It seems hardly necessary to mention that we have suffered frosts and actual freezes nearly every night for the past three weeks. The culmination of the distressing weather that has brought us much damage to fruit and crops came Sunday morning when a lively snowstorm set in.
The first shipment of pianos by airplane was recently made by the Braumbach Company of New York City to the Droop Co. of Washington, D.C. Both pianos were Baby Grands and one of them was set up and played immediately on arrival at the landing field. One of the pianos was sold to Mrs. Coolidge...
Officials of the Viroqua Cemetery Association have provided an improvement which will be both sightly and convenient. The old gate has been torn away and is being replaced by one built of beautiful Ableman sandstone. Four large square pillars are being erected – the gate pillars ten feet high, the gateway widened and closed with an iron gate, a walk on each side of the gate flanked by pillars eight feet high.
The Viroqua Ball Team, or rather its shadow, went to Tomah last Sunday and met a 14 to 7 defeat. Some of our boys were sick, some knocked out, some had car trouble and couldn’t get there, some away from home. The substitute lineup did their best...
MAY 20, 1925
Although the attention of the entire city is now centered upon the Band Tournament in June, it should be remembered that the committee for our Fourth of July celebration are quietly perfecting arrangements for still another big day which is only a month and a half away.
Memorial Day, Saturday, May 30th, will be observed in the usual manner. At 9:30 the parade will form at the Farmers Bank corner... Every ex-soldier is expected to be present in full uniform in time to march in a body to the cemetery.
On June 12th and 13th all roads in Wisconsin will lead to Viroqua...at that time thirty-six bands from all over the state will meet in their seventh annual tournament... W.E. Lawson, who is chairman of the commissary committee...reports the Congregational, Lutheran, Methodist and Christian churches have each agreed to serve meals for around two hundred. In addition to these Miss Latta, Mrs. Snearley, Mrs. Curtis and the Optima will take care of a hundred or more each. The price will be the same at all places – thirty-five cents a plate to all band boys.
The Viroqua Band will give a concert at the Readstown Opera House, Thursday evening, May 21st for the benefit of the Readstown band, which was recently organized. The admission will be 35 and 25 cents...
West Prairie, May 18 – The cheese factory opened several weeks ago with E. Nelson of Fennimore as cheesemaker. Not enough farmers patronized it to make it profitable to operate it this summer, so it was closed again.
MAY 13, 1925
The Cashton High School building was totally destroyed by fire of unknown origin last Wednesday evening. The structure was of brick erected a quarter of a century ago at the cost of about $40,000. Insurance of $22,000 was carried on the building. It is a heavy loss to the village of Cashton, as it is estimated that it will require $60,000 to replace it with a structure adequate for their needs.
The ladies’ gym class has discontinued its work until the fall season. Eight lessons have been taken – and thoroughly enjoyed by the ladies. The balance of the course, six lessons will be completed in the fall.
Several of our merchants have complained of having worthless checks passed upon them the past few months and in many cases we are convinced that the parties do not realize the gravity of the offense. The penalty under law is from one to seven years imprisonment – too high a price to pay for a few dollars dishonestly gotten.
Organization of the Viroqua ball team has been effected under the auspices of Co. A 107th Engineers with Carl Curtis as manager... The line-up certainly looks good, and Viroqua is assured of a team that should hold its own with high class teams in this part of the state.
A new farmer movement, The North American Farmers’ Federation, will have speakers in this vicinity on Saturday, May 16, to explain the move.
Last indoor band concert of the season next Tuesday night, May 19th, V.H.S. Auditorium, 8 o’clock sharp... Westby band will play several of their concert numbers at the concert... Tickets 25¢; school students 10¢.
MAY 6, 1925
Paul Dahl, chairman of the decorating committee for the band tournament, is now arranging for an outside decorator to come and doll up our little city on June 12th and 13th for the biggest and best party Viroqua has ever held.
The Inter-State Oil Co. has purchased from Larson Bros. the sightly corner across from the Seiler Electric Shop. Permission has been granted by the City Council for them to build thereon, and they will commence in a few days to erect thereon a modern filling station. The structure will be of pleasing appearance and an addition to our business district.
Readstown, May 4 – Paul Flanagan drove the Flanagan stock to Viroqua last week where they shipped them to their farm near Camp Douglas... The rural schools of the town of Kickapoo enjoyed a picnic on the grounds of the Readstown schools last Saturday.
Lower Weister, May 4 – The neighborhood was awakened Sunday morning about 4 o’clock, Enos Daines barn being on fire. Two horses and a hog were burned. The cause of the fire is unknown.
DeSoto, May 4 – Last Tuesday Mr. Peter Bolstad and James Moore narrowly escaped serious injury when they were thrown from a high seat on a wagon which was struck by a large car coming down hill around a curve on the Oak ridge hill. The front wheels and tongue were smashed and the horses were unable to run far... Mr. Moore who was thrown on one of the horses slipped to the ground uninjured, but Mr. Bolstad, who is 84 years old was thrown to the ground and was quite badly shaken up.