‘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
DECEMBER 2, 2010 -
Connor Murray is pictured wearing a cap similar to dozens found in Ryland Gibbs store in 1946. Could it be one of the originals? Gibbs sold them for $1 each that year, and the caps started a fad among the local Gays Mills boys, including Brian McKnight who wrote about the story in this week’s paper… Clason Construction recently donated a large supply of gloves to North Crawford Schools, a gift that will certainly come in handy in the coming months. Glove gifting has become an annual display of holiday sprit for Clason.
TWENTY YEARS AGO
NOVEMBER 30, 2000 – The Mississippi Valley Archaeology Center has announced a major archaeological discover in the Kickapoo River area - an ancient, deep cave filled with more than 100 rare drawings and carvings. According to the Center, it is the most comprehensive set of Native American paintings in the Upper Midwest. Radiocarbon dating has dated some of these drawings at 1,100 years old… Former North Crawford students Amanda and Alicia Lowe each won top awards at the recent Wisconsin Off-Road Series banquet held in Stevens Point. Amanda, a sophomore at Kickapoo High School took first place in the female age 13-16 group by participating in seven of the available off-road bicycle races and winning all seven. Alicia, a sixth grader at Kickapoo, took home second place in the female age 10-12 group. She won one race and finished second a number of times to secure her standing.
THIRTY YEARS AGO
DECEMBER 6, 1990 – Jacob Vedvik writes about the large number of Aardalers who settled in this area. Aardalers are Norwegians who live in, or emigrated from Aardal, Sogn, Norway. Aardal is a very rugged, mountainous region located near the east end of the Sognafjord and about 100 miles northeast of Bergen. Many Aardalers settled in Clayton Township in northern Crawford County and in Kickapoo and Franklin Townships in southern Vernon County. Some of the first to come, arriving in the early 1850’s were Christen Hooverson Nundahl, Endre Olson Hestetune, Sjur Throndson Nundahl, Anders Thompson Nundahl and Jacob Jacobson Hoffland.
FORTY YEARS AGO
DECEMBER 4, 1980 – The one-story brick building on Pine Street in Soldiers Grove, most recently occupied by B&C Auto Repair, was demolished last week. Soon to go up in its place is a four-plex apartment building. The property was acquired by Inez Larson for this purpose. The old building was built by Lawrence Peterson in 1948 for use as a garage for his Buick Agency. In later years, it was leased by the school district to accommodate the overflow of students in buildings across the street… Crawford County 4-H members will have an opportunity to attend a winter camp at Badger Camp south of Prairie du Chien. The staff will consist of Mike Stram, Bob Adsit, Bob Daentl, Jill Matthis, Marilyn Baske, Julie Alm and Ken Johnson.
FIFTY YEARS AGO
DECEMBER 2, 1970 – Nursing assistants at Pine Grove Nursing Home, Soldiers Grove, who took part in completion exercises for their nursing assistant pins at the Boscobel Manhattan Club were Audrey Sopher, Olivia May, Esther Zimpel, Verna Puckett, Ruth Olson, Gertrude Sagmoen, Nellie Murphy, Tolene Buroker, Karen George, Virginia Thoftne, Mable Nelson, Virginia Peterson and Andrea Sannes.
SIXTY YEARS AGO
DECEMBER 1, 1960 – New president of the Southwest Wisconsin Press Association is Ralph Goldsmith, publisher of the Boscobel Dial. Goldsmith was elected following an afternoon and evening session of the group at the offices of the Grant County Independent, Lancaster… La Verne Randles, 15, Rt. 1, Stoddard, was taken by private auto to Lutheran Hospital in La Crosse with cuts below and above his right eye and body bruises. La Verne and his brother, James, 14, were en route from visiting at the Arleigh Pfaff home to where they live a short distance away with their grandfather, Wesley Rice, when they reported they were jumped by what they think was a bobcat at about 7:10 p.m. The animal jumped off a bank along the road and landed on the handlebars of the bike being pedaled by La Verne. James rode behind him on the same bike. La Verne attempted to knock the cat off the handlebars. He was clawed while fighting it, the bike tipped, the animal fled when it was hit by the bike. The boys said the animal had green eyes and short ears.
