MENU100 Years Ago
Life in Viroqua from the Vernon County Censor:
AUG. 30, 1922
Viroqua and community will entertain a distinguished visitor on Friday, when Governor John J. Blaine comes here.
The old familiar sound so dear (?) to the heart of all boys and girls, especially the boys, will be heard in Viroqua the morning of Monday, September 11th – school opening on that day.
Get your peaches at the Cash Store. $1.05 per crate.
Apparently the prayers of the righteous prevailed for last Thursday was an ideal day with the exception of rather excessive heat, and Masons and Stars and visitors from all points of the compass poured into Viroqua to help in the fitting dedication of the fine new Temple built by LaBelle lodge. Nearly 900 fraternal guests...sixty-five different lodges and thirteen states being represented... The big event of the day was the parade...in which nearly four hundred took part.
Vernon’s farmers are knee-deep in tobacco harvest. It is the busiest and most anxious period of the year.
If you want good wholesome bread, the kind that everybody enjoys, use Russell’s Best Flour, sold exclusively in Viroqua at the Farmers Store, Surenson & Thompson, Props.
T.B. Potts has been doing great things to his billiard parlor, the last few days. He has repaperd, revarnished and thoroughly renovated the same so that his cozy place ni [sic] the second story of the Dyson building has been made very attractive to devotees of pool and billiards.
AUG. 23, 1922
Everything is in readiness for the big Masonic Dedication tomorrow, and the only thing that intervenes between one of the big events in this city is the whim of the weather man.
Grand Opening Dance in Viroqua’s new dance hall (formerly the Viroqua Opera House) on Friday, September 1. Music by the Culver-Longworth 5-piece orchestra.
The Opera House has been completely remodeled and redecorated. The stage removed, leaving a clear floor space of 48x48 feet. Four big electric fans have been installed, which, with fourteen open windows, will make the new hall as cool as an open pavilion.
Good music and good order guaranteed. Admission: Gentlemen 85¢ including war tax. Ladies and spectators 25 cents. A check room will be provided at a nominal fee.
Viroqua and Viola teams played a royal game of ball at Viola fair last Thursday, Viola winning 2 to 1. A few unfortunate errors lost the game for the home boys, but no team need feel badly about losing by so close a score, especially against Big Benn.
It’s a great year for corn. Guy Suiter brought in a stalk from Congressman Beck’s farm that measures 13 feet in height. It is Minnesota silage corn, and Guy says that there are many other stalks just as tall.
Contractor Ahlman is well started on Billie Bickerdyke’s new residence on Maple Street. Billy is sure going to have a nice place. Maple street has been built up wonderfully in the past few years.
DeSoto, August 11 – Dr. G.F. Andrew recently moved into the former Carlyle residence now owned by Dave Joseph on the south side. The doctor still retains his office in the DeSoto house.
AUG. 16, 1922
WHEW, BUT IT IS HOT!!
This part of the country is sweltering under the most intense heat wave of the summer, and it certainly is a trying period for man and beast, but we should not complain for it is just the very thing that tobacco and corn most needs... Corn is going to be the greatest crop old Vernon has probably known, but the same cannot be said of tobacco. Every stage of growth from small spindling plants to the ripened weed is to be seen, and we understand that a few fields are ready for cutting.
It will indeed be good news to our people to know that the new city well is now in operation. City Engineer Brewer ran the fine new pumps for the first time last night, and in exactly 30 minutes they deposited 19 inches of clear sparkling water in the big reservoir - which is exactly the rated capacity, 600 gallons a minute. The head of water was not lowered.
New fall dresses, both silk and wool, on display at Suttle & Tate’s.
Co. A. 107th Combat Engineers returned from a two-weeks instruction camp at Camp Douglas last Monday... Notes of the Camp – Nineteen of the boys were afflicted with a kind of schumach [sic] poisoning. Major Butters presented the company with a freezer full of ice cream one Sunday... The shower baths were very popular with the boys and frequently patronized by them. Many regrets were expressed that Viroqua had no such accomodations... KP duty was not appreciated, especially by the recruits...
CHRISTIANA – Newry Ridge, August 15 – The threshing season is now at hand and there are many machines operating in this vicinity. Tobacco harvest is about ready to begin.
AUG. 9, 1922
The voters present to the number of considerably over a hundred did the right thing by authorizing the construction of a $150,000 high school... In the face of the congestion prevailing in our schools it was the only thing that could be done... Considerable discussion was indulged as the location of the new high school, but the meeting adjourned without taking any definite action on this point.
All committees appointed to take care of the dedication of Viroqua’s fine new Masonic temple on August 24th are working with a will, and no one doubts that it will be the biggest event in the history of La Belle Lodge.
You can get 1½ pound cans of corned beef at Tainter & Rogers for 25¢.
Big dance at Star Pavillion, two miles north of LaFarge on Rockton road. Dance every Saturday night. Good music.
Word comes to us from the Nash factory announcing substantial reductions in the price of all Nash models, ranging from $150 to $200 on the six cylinder cars, and $50 to 100 on the fours.
A fair audience assembled at the Eckhart park last Friday evening and were rewarded by enjoying one of the best concerts put on by the Viroqua band this season. The boys are to be highly congratulated on the marked progress they are making...
The town board of Franklin will meet on the road one mile southwest of Folsom in Jones Hollow on Saturday, August 19th, at two o’clock for the purpose of receiving bids for the construction of 112 rods of new road...WARREN FISH, chm.