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July 25: Years Ago…
Years Ago

‘Years Ago’ is a compilation of newsy tidbits as published in the Crawford County Independent & Kickapoo Scout on this week ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty or sixty years ago.

TEN YEARS AGO

JULY 23, 2009 – Ben Robel uses Boer and Kiko variety goats for his business, Vegetation Management Services. His herd of 15 goats can clear about one acre of land in about three weeks, depending on weather and thickness of brush… The Wisconsin Department of Justice reached settlements in environmental enforcement cases against Randall Cornford and his corporation, River Junction Mobile Home Services, LLC for various violations in Crawford and Grant Counties. According to the complaint filed, Cornford brought a number of mobile homes to a rural property in the county and burned them along with other miscellaneous debris. Samples of the debris showed evidence of asbestos. Cornford was ordered to pay $43,000 in costs, fees and clean up expenses.

TWENTY YEARS AGO

JULY 22, 1999 – Fanned by 30 mile-per-hour gusts and fueled by 60-year-old timbers, fire raced through the grandstand at the Crawford County Fairgrounds in Gays Mills last Wednesday afternoon, July 14, bringing the historic wooden structure crashing to the ground in less than 15 minutes. Workers at the Log Cabin Village next door spotted flames coming out of the center of the grandstand shortly after 1:30 p.m. THE Cause of the fire is suspected to be either a spark from a grinder or an electrical malfunction, according to Crawford County Sheriff Robert Ostrander. The Fairgrounds were purchased in 1926 and the grandstand was dedicated September 9, 1937.

THIRTY YEARS AGO

JULY 27, 1989 – Frank and Marie Maybee, lifelong area residents, celebrated their 70thwedding anniversary Saturday at the Church of Latter Day Saints in North Clayton. A highlight of the event was the ride from their house on County X to the church in the horse-drawn wagon with friends and relatives… Many youngsters followed Ben and Aaron Quamme carrying the sign for the Mt. Sterling Mini Mountaineers at the Mt. Sterling Mid-Summer Fest. Meanwhile, North Crawford Juvenile Twirlers, under the direction of Donna Hartley of Soldiers Grove, participated in the parade.

FORTY YEARS AGO

JULY 26, 1979 – The Gays Mills Tigers defeated the Soldiers Grove Cardinals 23-10 in an old timers game Saturday night in Soldiers Grove, where no one under 45 was allowed to play. Playing for the Gays Mills Tigers were Dick Bell, Gerald ‘Red’ Dobson, Chris Zales, Ralph ‘Stub’ Lomas, Jake Lomas, John Johnson, Ben Henderson, Frank Lomas and Clayton ‘Red’ Knoble. Playing for the Soldiers Grove Cardinals were Jerald Turben, Andy Thoftne, Gene Moran, Virgil Zajicek, Herb Helgerson, Bill Ryan, Jim O’Donnell, Carroll ‘Shorty’ Dull, Leo Murphy, Wayne Alexander, Ray Fleming, Don Larson, John Young, Dave Iverson and Adrian Hoffland.

FIFTY YEARS AGO

JULY 24, 1969– Three visitors from other countries were given an area tour this week by Virgil Butteris, university extension resource agent, who pointed out to them some of the work done in Crawford County in the realm of resource planning and development. They viewed the river cleaning project being undertaken by the Kickapoo Valley Association, saw the new marina at Lynxville, and inspected several beautification projects in the county. The group was Jecco Isabirve, Uganda; Janet Woghiren of Nigeria and Carlos Pezzali of Argentina.

SIXTY YEARS AGO

JULY 23, 1959 – 100 years ago, Father O’Connor came from Rising Sun to say Mass for the first time in the new log church at Rolling Ground, called St. Philip’s. Since then two more churches were built to provide ample needs for a growing congregation. Msgr. Brady’s grandfather, James Brady, offered his home for the celebration of Sunday Mass before the first log church was built a century ago. Father Wendelin Benard was pastor when a new frame church and small rectory were built to replace the first log church in 1872. The present beautiful church was dedicated in July, 1920 with Father Roman Kirin as the present pastor.