‘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
SEPTEMBER 9, 2010 – Sarah Grainger of the Valley Stewardship Network is about to set out on a difficult journey to bring attention to the Kickapoo River and its watershed. Grainger, the VSN’s Water Quality Program Manger, intends to paddle a kayak the entire twisting 100-mile length of the Kickapoo River from Ontario to Wauzeka in eight days… John and Jan Sime, long time residents of Readstown, were named King and Queen of the Readstown Labor Day Parade… The Peter J. Pomerening farm at Brown Hollow Road in Wauzeka was honored at the 2010 Wisconsin State Fair for being a Century Farm… The North Crawford School District welcomed four new teachers this year: Judd Eastman, Physical Education; Abby Osterday, Grade 5; Crystal Buszmann, Speech; Kurt Meyer, Special Education Teacher.
TWENTY YEARS AGO
SEPTEMBER 7, 2000 – Levi Anderson and April Kester were the miniature king and queen of the Readstown Labor Day Parade... The Wauzeka-Steuben School District has three new staff members this year. Jennifer Eide, speech and language; Robin Fritche, music; and Peter Pomerening replaces the late Harold Pomerening as director of transportation… A surprise get-together was held to honor Lena Tainter on her 70thbirthday at the Tainter-Bankes farm on Old Gays Road, rural Gays Mills. It was hosted by her six children and their families. Folks came from far and near to help her celebrate.
THIRTY YEARS AGO
SEPTEMBER 13, 1990 – Fire of undetermined origin destroyed a large packing shed and an adjacent cooler and storage building at Frank Orchards Highway 171 Gays Mills. Damage was estimated at more than $2 million. The fire was discovered at 11:35 p.m. by a migrant worker who lived in a cabin near the packing shed. Five of the migrant workers’ cabins were evacuated. Two of the men were held overnight at Vernon Memorial Hospital in Viroqua for smoke inhalation... A lawsuit charging the United States and the Army Corps of Engineers with illegal cessation of the La Farge dam and Kickapoo River flood control project was dismissed by Federal Circuit Judge John Shabaz for failure to present a genuine issue for trial. The plaintiffs are Vernon County, Towns of Stark and Whitestown, Village of La Farge and the late Martha Driscoll of Fennimore. The $15.5 million project was authorized under the Flood Control Act of 1962. The project was halted in 1975 after over 90 percent of the dam had been constructed… Pearl Swiggum writes her column ‘News From Stump Ridge Farm’ from her home each week, which she has been doing for 32 years. The column appears in five Wisconsin newspapers including this newspaper and the Madison’s Wisconsin State Journal. Pearl shares details of her life with her readers. Some folks may remember that her mailbox was covered by a large bittersweet vine. And there was the telephone her son-in-law, Wayne Jurgense,n installed for her in a box on a tree, in her yard.
FORTY YEARS AGO
SEPTEMBER 11, 1980 – The North Crawford marching band earned a first place trophy in the Platteville Dairy Days parade… Elwyn J. Riley, 32 and Irene Riley 28, Rt. 1, Readstown narrowly escaped drowning in an accident at 1:16 a.m. when their car left a town road in Readstown and plunged into the Kickapoo River. The Rileys were clinging to tree branches along the swollen river when they were pulled to safety by Daniel Coppernoll of Readstown. Mr. and Mrs. Irvin Dregne heard their cries and summoned help.
FIFTY YEARS AGO
SEPTEMBER 9, 1970 – An oval-shaped ‘space house’ weighing 8,000 pounds, containing complete family living quarters, is open for display at Prairie Motel in Prairie du Chien. Made of fiberglass, the home can be delivered by helicopter… A meeting of the newly formed Quarterback Club for North Crawford athletes will be held at the junior high building, Soldiers Grove, Thursday night, September 10. All interested persons are invited to attend.
SIXTY YEARS AGO
SEPTEMBER 8, 1960 – Admitting that slacks are comfortable for travel, the AAA suggests that milady leave them at home if they are motoring ‘south of the border’ or in Europe. The local populace frowns upon slack-attired women… Wyoming put its women on a pedestal long before the other states. According to World Book Encyclopedia, Wyoming granted women full voting rights in 1869.
