June2008

In Review
First Week of June 1878-1998
Researched by Ruth Ann Montgomery

140 Years Ago (1868):   John Spencer, son of Henry G. Spencer, leaves this morning for California.
Dr. Quivey and family join him at New York next week, and proceed together for the Pacific coast.

130 Years Ago (1878): Citizens and others, who wish to celebrate the coming Fourth, are requested
to meet at the Town Hall at an early hour this evening, to make arrangements therefore.

120 Years Ago (1888): Irwin Libby has a laid a new floor and made other repairs to the woodwork of
the Millspaugh building while other repairs to the same in the line of painting and plastering are
going rapidly forward preparatory to the moving in of Mr. Quinn, the new jeweler.

110 Years Ago (1898): Forty high schools of Wisconsin and Michigan participated in the fourth
annual state interscholastic athletic meet in Madison, Saturday. Milwaukee Westside High School
won with 31 points to their credit; Milwaukee Eastside was second with 27 points, while Evansville did
remarkably well in taking third place with 12 points.

100 Years Ago (1908): Elaborate and extensive preparations are being made for the first annual
picnic and field day, under the auspices of the St. Paul’s society. It is expected that Senator La
Follette would be the principal speaker of the day, but duties elsewhere precluded, and
Congressman H. A. Cooper has been invited to take the place. Speaking will begin at 2 p.m. In the
morning there will be a ball game between teams from Footville and Oregon followed by foot races,
pole vaulting, tug of war, and an afternoon ball game between the Evansville high school team and
the winner of the morning game

90 Years Ago (1918):   Cyrus Montgomery writes his mother in this city that he has arrived in France
and is in good health. As nothing had been heard of the detachment he went with for some time it
was feared that he might be one of those who went down in the ship that was torpedoed in the
English Channel last week. Robert Collins also writes that he has landed on French soil and sends
greetings to all his Evansville friends through the Review.

80 Years Ago (1928): Earl B. Allen, who lives northwest of Evansville, died at Mercy Hospital,
Janesville, last Monday, after an illness lasting for many months. Earl was a son of Mr. and Mrs.
Ethan Allen and was born in Thomas County Kansas, December 18, 1888. While still a small child
he came with his parents to Wisconsin where he received his education and grew to manhood on his
father’s farm west of Evansville. On January 1912, he was united in marriage to Miss Barbara Elmer,
first settling on a farm north of this city and later moving to their present place four miles northwest of
this city. Mr. Allen is survived by his widow; six children, Elmer, Ruth, Kenneth, Arlene, Mildred and
Melvin; his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Ethan Allen, Evansville; two brothers, Loy, Brooklyn, and Ace,
Evansville. The funeral services were held at the home Wednesday afternoon with Rev. G. C.
Saunderson in charge. Interment was in Maple Hill Cemetery.

70 Years Ago (1938): Bernie Christensen, Dan Williams, Max Weaver, Glenn and Raymond Estes,
and Allie Peterson were in Janesville last week attending the 20th anniversary of Company M which
event included memorial services, parade, street dance, stag party, and a banquet at which more
than 500 war buddies and their families were served.

60 Years Ago (1948): Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Miller, Evansville, announce the approaching marriage
of their sister, Miss Joan Medler, to Howard Norby, son of Mr. and Mrs. Hans Norby, also of
Evansville. The wedding will be an event of Saturday, June 19.

50 Years Ago (1958): Rev. Arvid M. Romstad, pastor of St. John’s Lutheran church, announces
another historic occasion in the history of the congregation to be held at 8:30 a.m. Sunday, June 8.
The service will center around the laying of the cornerstone of the beautiful new church. Members of
the congregation and friends who may wish to attend will meet at the southwest entrance of the
church. Inside of the cornerstone, which is made of granite, will be placed a copper box containing
papers and documents of special significance. Groundbreaking ceremonies for the new church were
held last August 11. Construction began early in September. The church is constructed of Roman
brick inside and out, and with the overflow will seat about 650 people. The nave proper will seat 300
with an additional 40 in the choir.

40 Years Ago (1968): Miss Myrtle Jane Green, 85, Evansville, died at 9:30 a.m. Thursday of last
week at Caravilla where she had been the past four years. Daughter of Tom and Lydia Green, she
was born Jan. 9, 1883 at Palmyra, and came to Evansville to live when she was ten years old. She
completed her high school education in the Evansville Seminary and attended Teachers College at
Whitewater and the Milwaukee Teachers College. She taught schools in this area for 48 years, 43 of
which were in the Evansville elementary school. For part of that time she held the position of grade
school principal. She was a member of the Free Methodist Church here. Her only survivors are
nephews, nieces and cousins, among whom are Ben T. Green, Evansville. Private funeral services
were held at 2 p.m. last week Saturday in the Roderick-Ward funeral Home with the Rev. Thomas
Wolff officiating. Burial was in Maple Hill Cemetery.

30 Years Ago (1978):   The Evansville High School Building Construction Trades held their second
annual open house, Saturday, May 27 and Sunday, May 28 from 1 to 4 p.m. Students from the class
showed 500 people through the house and explained its features. This two story house contains
2,046 sq. ft. and is fully carpeted. The following are the members of the Building Construction trades
Advisory Committee who assisted the students: Mr. Alvin Golz, Laufenberg Lumber Co.; Mr. Everett
Propst, Mr. Roland Propst, Propst Builders; Mr. Ronald Buttchen, electrical; Mr. Robert Petterson,
plumbing; Mr. Norman Oates, masonry and Mr. Norman Thompson, Thompson sand and gravel.

20 Years Ago (1988): After serving St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Evansville the past 11 years, Fr.
Thomas Lourim will be bidding goodbye to his parishioners and many friends, as he plans for his
retirement. A native of Beloit, he graduated in 1934 from Beloit College with a degree in Sociology.
During the Depression, in 1938-39, he was employed with the Rock County Public Welfare Dept. Fr.
Lourium graduated from St. Francis Seminary in Milwaukee and was ordained at St. Raphael’s
Cathedral in Madison in 1948.

10 years ago (1998): Headlining the eighth annual scholarship night held at the high school was the
announcement of the four initial Heffel Memorial Scholarship recipients. Erica Brewer, Jessica Jakes,
Tim Kruser and Aaron Wallisch each received a $3,330 scholarship provided by Evansville High
School alumnus, Jack Heffel of Rockport, Texas. A trust established by Mr. Heffel will provide four
scholarships annually.

In Review
Second Week of June 1878-1998

140 Years Ago (1868): The adjourned school meeting Saturday night resulted in a vote to build a
school house costing $10,000--$3,000 by direct tax and $7,000 loan of five annual payments. The
vote on the loan carried almost unanimously, 132 to 2. The site nor the plans are yet agreed upon.
Measures will immediately be entered upon for the erection of a school house to be completed in
season for winter school.

130 Years Ago (1878): Mr. I. M. Bennett left for Colorado Saturday morning last. He goes west to
see his mountain ranch, and attend to marketing the products of his herds and fields. He expects to
be absent some four or five weeks. Mrs. Bennett, and their daughter, Annie, have been there for
several months, indeed, nearly the whole winter, and are expected to return at the same time. Mr.
Bennett having had the estate of the late C. W. Hines to attend to, and with his own affairs, has kept
him pretty busy, and had to leave on Saturday morning to make the best use of his time.

120 Years Ago (1888): Byron Andrews, of the Washington (D.C.) Republican, made an overnight
call at the old homestead at the head of Church street, Friday.

110 Years Ago (1898): Married at the Free Baptist parsonage on Saturday, June 4, 1898, at 2 o’
clock p.m. by Rev. M. C. Miner, Mr. Louis Algrim and Miss Anna Louisa Pepple, both of West
Magnolia.

100 Years Ago (1908): W. J. Kennedy and Rose A. Ryan of Footville, were united in marriage by
Father Fitzgerald. After the ceremony the couple partook of a wedding dinner at the home of the
bride’s parents, thence a wedding trip to Chicago.

90 Years Ago (1918): Frank B. Green & Sons have secured a tent of the Madison Tent and Awning
Co. for the Tri-County sale of pure bred Holsteins to be held at the Evansville Fair Grounds on June
19. This sale promises to be a great event and breeders from all over the country will be in
attendance. Some of the very best blood of the Holstein breed will be put up at this sale. The
catalogue of the sale is now on the press and will soon be ready for distribution.

80 Years Ago (1928): Notice has been published in this paper for several weeks that the fair
grounds will be sold at public auction, next Saturday at 1:00 p.m. to the highest bidder. There is no
question but what this property should belong to the city, as the time is near when it will be needed
for an aviation landing field, and once the property gets into the hands of private parties or
speculators it will cost the city much more when it becomes a necessity than it can be bought for
now. It is unfortunate that the matter came up after the City Council had arranged their 1928
budget, so that this year they have no money with which to purchase property.

70 Years Ago (1938): Three outstanding members of the 1938 graduating class were awarded
medals at the annual commencement exercises. Donald Rosen, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ray Rosen,
received the school honor medal awarded on the merits of scholarship, extra curricular activities and
attitude toward teachers and studies. The American Legion honor medal awarded on the basis of
participation in athletic activities went to Theodore Thompson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ray Thompson.
Mary Franklin, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. C. S. Franklin, was awarded the American Legion Auxiliary
medal given on the merits of scholarship, athletics, companionship, attitude and extra curricular
activities.

60 Years Ago (1948): Miss Anna Noyes will quietly observe her 85th birthday Friday at her home
here on West Main Street, where she and her brother and sister-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. George Noyes
reside. Miss Noyes came here with her parents and brother and sister, the late Miss Katie Noyes
from Sun Prairie more than 50 years ago. She taught in rural districts in this locality and in the
Brooklyn public schools for several years. Miss Noyes is a member of the Methodist church. She is
active for her age and takes a keen interest in affairs of her family and friends.

50 Years Ago (1958): Recent confirmands at St. John’s Lutheran Church, the last class to be
confirmed in the old church on South First street, are Jane Roberts, Robert Natz, Karen Meiers,
Karen Hermanson, Ronald Busch, Sandra Neal, Joseph Persons, Gerald Natz, Gordon Starks,
Thomas Hatlen, Gordon Klitzman, Roy Spersrud, Kathleen Kazda, Alice Klug, Thorfin Olson, Janet
Davis, David Nelson, Kathryn Haakenson and Alan Ovre.

40 Years Ago (1968): The Rev. Joseph Brechtl is arriving in Evansville to assume his duties as
pastor of St. Paul Catholic Church succeeding the Rev. James Kramer; who is moving to Madison.
The Rev. Mr. Brechtl will be in the pulpit on Sunday, June 16. He has been pastor of St. Andrew’s
Catholic Church in Verona the past 14 years and also served St. William’s Mission at Paoli. He is a
native of Plain, Wisconsin.

30 Years Ago (1978): Dave Goodspeed, former EHS wrestler, currently a member of University of
Wisconsin’s wrestling team, placed first in the 136 pound class of the Junior World Division of the A.A.
U. National Freestyle wrestling tournament.

20 Years Ago (1988): Rev. Robert A. Garbrecht, pastor of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Evansville,
will be retiring and an open house will be held in his honor on Sunday, June 26. Pastor Garbrecht’s
final sermon will be June 26th and marks 35 years of active ministry. The Garbrecht’s will remain in
Evansville and he will do special ministry assignments in the area.

10 years ago (1998): Monday night at the Evansville School District Board meeting, Principal Bob
Scott announced his resignation. Scott accepted an offer from Oregon on Friday, where he will be
principal of the high school.

In Review
Third Week of June 1878-1998

140 Years Ago (1868): The storm of Sunday night was one of the greatest severity and longest in
duration of any we have experienced since eight years ago, the 5th inst. The rain fell in torrents
during the entire night. At the same time the artillery of heaven was uttering its hoarser sounds in
terrific grandeur, while the vivid flashes of lightning revealed a perfect looseness of the aqueous
elements. Creeks were swollen, mill-dams carried away, embankments washed, so that our regular
trains were some two hours or more behind their regular time, waiting for temporary repairs. Some
twenty feet of Mr. Prentice’s mill dam washed away, and in several places the railroad was so much
injured as to temporarily obstruct the trains. No freights have yet reached us. Monday afternoon
another storm of similar force but of less duration came up. The damage to advanced grain must be
considerable, that of more backward growth escaped with a severe beating down. We have rain
enough now to last us several months, if that should be the pleasure of heaven. [Note: Harvey
Prentice owned the grist mill at the east end of Mill Street. The mill was destroyed in a fire in 1930.]

130 Years Ago (1878): A. S. Baker & Co. are putting up a building to be used solely as a foundry;
40 by 50 feet; 16 ft. posted. Their former room will be used as store room and wood shop.

120 Years Ago (1888): Union news: A tree near Mr. Gillies’ house was struck by lightening last
Wednesday morning, several panes of glass were broken in a window but fortunately the family felt
no disagreeable effects from the shock.

110 Years Ago (1898): Elijah D. Sholts, aged 77 years died at his home three miles north of
Brooklyn on Monday June 13, 1898. The deceased was one of the earliest settlers in this country,
coming from Ohio to Milton Junction, Wis. in 1846.

100 Years Ago (1908): Before an appreciative audience of relatives and friends, the graduating
class of the seminary, assembled in the chapel of that institution Sunday afternoon, to listen to the
baccalaureate address given by Professor E. G. Burritt of Greenville College. The class exercises
proper were opened Monday evening when the Phoenix Literary Society entertained. The
recitations by the Misses Maude Combs and Mae V. Sansom were exceptionally good. The senior
charge was given by Mabel Kidney and the junior reply by Florence Lewis. The quartet singing of
“Lead Kindly Light,” showed a strong harmony of voices. The graduating exercises on Tuesday
evening, marked the Omega of class life for ’08 in the Seminary. [Note: Others, in the class were
Wesley Gewehr, Harry Gillett, Jessie McMurray, Mildred Parmley, Walter Pflaum, and Mabel Tullis.]

90 Years Ago (1918): The sad news reached this city last Friday that Evansville had been called on
to furnish her quota to the awful needs of war and that Private Harry McKinney had been instantly
killed while fighting on the front in France. Private McKinney was a son of Mr. and Mrs. Dell
McKinney, of Evansville, and enlisted in Company M April 7, 1917 and went with his Division first to
Camp Douglas, then to Waco, Texas, Camp Merritt, and then to France, where he served with credit
to himself and country until his death, May 21. After his enlistment Private McKinney was married to
Miss Hattie Burroughs, of this city and to this union one child has been born. He also leaves two
brothers and one sister to mourn his loss. The whole city was depressed when the news came of his
death and more than ever has our city realized that we are indeed in the throes of an awful war that
is likely at any moment to reach into any of the ninety-five Evansville and locality families who have
given sons to the war and exact its awful toll of life or limb.

80 Years Ago (1928): At a special meeting Tuesday evening, the City Council accepted the
resignation of C. C. Broughton, as Chief of Police and appointed Mr. Frank West to fill the position.
In answer to a petition of 163 signers it was decided to continue the position of Traffic Police which
Mr. West will fill in connection with his duties as Chief of Police. Mr. Broughton will continue in office
as day police.

70 Years Ago (1938): Two WPA crews comprising about 35 men working on a 100 hour per month
schedule are completing two improvement projects in the city, one at Leonard park which has been
the center of WPA activity for the past three years, and the other on Garfield avenue where sanitary
sewer and water mains are being laid. The park crew, according to R. J. Antes, local WPA
administrator, is this week filing in the low areas in the Burr Jones recreation center, east of the lake.
In completing this area, the Works Progress Administration has been furnishing the labor and a part
of the material. The balance of the expenditure was taken from the $500 legacy donated to the park
by the late Burr Jones.

60 Years Ago (1948): The Evansville Veterans of Foreign Wars organization has purchased a lot on
Park Road of Howard Bruce and plans to build a V. F. W. home there at some future date. It is
expected that a basement will be completed before fall which will be used as a meeting place until
finances will allow erecting a building.

50 Years Ago (1958): The Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce that the City Council of
the City of Evansville by formal action has made family season tickets available to anyone desiring to
use Veterans memorial Swimming Pool to purchase such tickets at the regular price of $12.50.

40 Years Ago (1968): Sandra Kay Hatlevig, daughter of Vernon Hatlevig 325 E Main St., Evansville
and Mrs. DeLoris Hatlevig, 490 E. Main St., Evansville and Robert John Schuh, son of Mr. and Mrs.
George Schuh, Rte. 1, Evansville were married in St. Paul Catholic Church at 1 p.m. Saturday, June
15 by the Rev. James G. Kramer. The bride is employed at Union Bank and Trust Co. and the
groom is serving an apprenticeship with the Cenco Corp., Janesville.

30 Years Ago (1978): A piano recital was given by the students of Mrs. Marsha Dobbs on June 4,
1978 at the Methodist Church. Those performing were: Gretchyn Lauke, Dena Schuh, Becky
Dobbs, Amy Patterson, Bill Westbrook, Danielle Meredith, Gale Yoerger, Lisa Kerkenbush, Kim
Rhoda, John Lauke, Jane Deininger, Mary Rhoda, Nathan Knuckles and Carl Gitchel. Each student
played two solos and a duet. The duets were assisted by either the student’s mother, father, sister
of friend.

20 Years Ago (1988): At the last regular meeting of Evansville 4-H, Nancy Jeans was chosen
Evansville’s 4-H Queen. The daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Roland Jeans, graduated from Evansville
High School this June. She is a 9th year member of the Evansville 4-H Club. She has held offices as
club president; secretary, and junior council representatives. Nancy has been in Dairy for the past
eight years, exhibiting registered Holstein cattle at district shows, county and state fairs. She has
won the Rock County Herdsmanship Award; Evansville 4-H Dairy Herdsman Award; served as Rock
County Dairy Princess; and has been a State Fair exhibitor for six years.

10 years ago (1998): Duane Updike, head basketball coach, Wyatt Fellows, star player, and Ron
Grovesteen, assistant coach, are preparing for the forthcoming All-Star Basketball game on June 20
at the Kohl Center in Madison.