‘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
MARCH 17, 2011 – Dancing at Rolling Ground last Saturday in a pre-St. Patrick’s Day celebration seemed to agree with Courtney Geurts, grand niece of Jim Gorman, whose band was playing at the event. Courtney traveled to the party from Mequon with her older sister Caitlin and her parents… Craig Anderson will run for the position of Gays Mills Village President. Anderson indicated that if nothing more comes of his campaign, at least he would have given the voters a choice. He is running against long-time village president Larry McCarn, who has been President of the Village of Gays Mills for the past 17 years.
TWENTY YEARS AGO
MARCH 15, 2001 – North Crawford Youth Wrestlers placed second at Kickapoo. First place finishers were Nathan Eitsert, Cole George, Justin Sime, Tyler Sime, Domenick McCormick and Tyler Barr. Jed Lathrop finished second, Levi George and Cody Anderson finished third… Roger Slama was named Firefighter of the Year as a member of the Eastman Fire Department. He was presented with the plaque by Fire Chief Don Zabel.
THIRTY YEARS AGO
MARCH 14, 1991 – Two generations of Mickelsons are the new owners of the IGA grocery business in Gays Mills after purchasing it recently from Carl Zimpel. Pictured are Steve and Dori Mickelson and his mother and father, Lois and Sherman Mickelson. They are calling it Mickelson’s Market and Meats. Sherman has been in the meat business for 30 years most recently as co-owner of the Westby Locker, where his wife Lois helped out. Steve worked at Turk’s IGA in Soldiers Grove for 12 years and most recently has been working at Johnson’s One-Stop in Seneca. Lois and Dori will help out in the store, and Dori plans to remain in her position with Bentson Insurance in Viroqua.
FORTY YEARS AGO
MARCH 19, 1981 – A system installed at the Keller farm in Haney provides for transport of semi-liquid barn wastes from a manhole at the barn through a 30-inch pipe that runs under Haney Ridge Road and feeds into a manmade lagoon. There is also a manhole in one corner of the barnyard to accommodate additional wastes. The opening of that manhole wasn’t very large and they had 2x4’s laid across it. However, three of the Keller’s 600-pound steers fell into the hole and drowned, causing a blockage in the system. The barnyard manhole that caused the problem was the same excavation where Orville Coon escaped serious injury by being buried in a cave-in when the Keller system was being put in.
FIFTY YEARS AGO
MARCH 18, 1971 – With Prairie du Chien and other Mississippi River communities preparing for a flood that could reach or exceed the 1965 or 1969 disasters, Gays Mills area residents have been keeping a close watch on their own Kickapoo River. The Kickapoo, while running full, was not out of its banks Tuesday and if the normal snow melt continues no serious problems are anticipated. The drop in temperatures Monday slowed the thaw and should give the present water level a chance to recede… North Crawford students participated in the league forensic contest at DeSoto. Receiving A ratings were: Pam Byl, four-minute speech; Tim Kuzniar, public address; Carol Moran and Mike Pettit, extemporaneous speaking; Joanna Jameson, memorized declamation, and Sandra Larson, interpretative reading of prose.
SIXTY YEARS AGO
MARCH 15, 1961 – Mr. and Mrs. Francis E. Pinkham, Gays Mills, have bought a 280-acre farm near Eastman from Mrs. Anna Boland… Perry Hall, 71, Readstown, who formerly managed the Nuzum Lumber Company yards at Readstown for 20 years, died at his home in Readstown. After managing the lumberyard, Hall moved to Rockford, Illinois where he worked for five years as a watchman. He retired about three years ago and returned to Readstown. Mr. Hall was a veteran of World War I and had served in France and Germany. He was a charter member of the Readstown VFW.