MENU100 Years Ago
Life in Viroqua from the Vernon County Censor:
MAY 23, 1923
The Band Fund to purchase uniforms is growing very slowly and we feel that there are a number of citizens whose intention is to contribute to this fund but have not done so through neglect. Let us make a united effort and put this across so our Band will have their uniforms for the big American Legion celebration on July 4th.
Sunday night is again commencing to assume its usual proportion with the coming of warm weather. Cars are parked on Main and far down every side street with the Temple Theatre as the mecca of most of the visitors, and many of them coming from points as far distant as Richland Center.
The event of the High School year took place last Friday evening when the “Junior Prom” was given at the Opera House... Evergreen and apple blossoms were used very effectively and flower trimmed, lattice work wall separated the main part of the hall from attractive little rooms at either end where those who did not dance played cards, and where refreshments were served...
Wanted – One hundred boarders at the Eat Shop.
You will help eliminate a large amount of work at Pool offices by being prompt in cashing check which you receive for tobacco.
VIROQUA – A welcome rain and considerable hail fell Saturday afternoon in and around this vicinity.
SEED POTATOES
Home grown Early Ohio, and Snow Flake late potatoes delivered anywhere in city at $1.00 per bushel. W.E. Nelson Phone 129.
Those doughy baseball warriors from the little hamlet of Bud defeated the Ontario ball team at Ontario last Sunday and re[main] at the head of the league – the only team in the league to win both games so far played.
MAY 16, 1923
Formal opening of the Anderson Met Market was held last Saturday... The furniture throughout is modern and pleasing to the eye while the two stores throughout are enameled in spotless white; also the front and new modern single entrance to the two stores.
Pleasant Ridge defeated Genoa by a score of 3 to 8. Hastings pitched a good game but had poor support. The game went good until the fifth inning. Then Pleasant made five scores.
On Friday evening the pupils of the eighth grade, with the Misses Rosalie Ganz and Edna Hanson, gave a class party at the high school from 7:30 to 10. Circle games were played. Also piano selections by the girls and singing, after which dainty refreshments were served.
READSTOWN – The telephone central office is soon to be moved from the rooms over Anderson & Groves store into rooms over Robert Ward’s restaurant... The Women’s Relief Corps are making preparations for their annual Memorial program and have secured Prof. C.L. Hill of the Viroqua Normal as speaker of the day and the Sugar Grove band has kindly consented to come and help furnish music for the day.
Pleasant Ridge School – May 10 – We are planning for a picnic on Saturday, May 12th, and hope the weatherman will send us nice weather... We look for better spring weather than we had last Tuesday. This day we had a regular blizzard.
We are now serving soft drinks and ice cream at our cream station on South Main street and will deliver ice cream in quart quantities anywhere in the city if given reasonable notice before hand. Geo. Griffin.
MAY 9, 1923
A good crowd of fans came out to see the opening game of the season, played on the Viroqua fair grounds between Viroqua and Bud, Sunday afternoon. They were rewarded with a good exhibition of ball considering that it was the first contest of the year Viroqua team annexed the long end of the score – 4 to 2.
We don’t believe anyone in this section will dispute our assertion that March had thirty-two days this year, for Tuesday was a real March day if we ever had one. Following a week of most beautiful spring weather, the elements turned loose in honest-to-gosh blizzard on Tuesday followed by freezing weather all night and this morning. Whether leaves and fruit buds are far enough advanced to suffer serious damage is hard to say.
We want to think that we were never so sorely tried by adverse weather before but F.M. Minshall on looking back in his diary finds that on May 10th, 1902, we experience a snow fall that lasted all day.
The City Council had the Wisconsin-Minnesota Light & Power Co. install a police light signal on the northwest corner of the First National Bank building. The alarm will be turned in at the Telephone Office.
H.E, Rogers apparently has no fear of the old adage about “glass houses” for he has built a nice office in his store and enclosed the same with glass.
Quite a lively blaze developed in the rear of the Censor printing office, but the Censor believes in preparedness and one of our large fire extinguishers put a quietus on the blaze without the help of the department.
MAY 2, 1923
WE NEED UNIFORMS. No band is a band without uniforms. Most town purchase uniforms as soon as they organize. We have made the band first; now help us to make a presentable appearance in public... We would be pleased to have all interested in the band and especially those who have enjoyed the many free concerts given in the Park and elsewhere to help so far as they are able.
Weather permitting, laying of the concrete pavement west of Viroqua city will commence tomorrow.
A good crowd attended the auction of the houses and small buildings on the block recently acquired by the school district and upon which will soon be erected our fine new school building. Sale was held Monday afternoon and the bidding was fairly lively... The total for all the buildings amounted to $1534.50.
The Wisconsin Highway Commission will take bids...for the construction of the road between the north end of the macadam [Viroqua] and the city of Westby... When this is laid, Vernon county will have ten miles of her heaviest traveled highway covered with pavement. We are informed that...bids will be received for the construction of a sewage system in the city of Westby, and due to this construction the pavement will only go to the city limits this year, and will be extended through Westby next year after the streets have had an opportunity to settle.
The patrolmen are all busy throughout the county and roads are slowly smoothing out. The drifts are all gone, but a few mud holes yet remain still necessitating the use of chains. However, auto travel is now going through on all roads.