Compiled by Joseph Back

This week as we come up on a year of the fully expanded historical section, let it be hoped that another anniversary of the Pierce County Journal and this section will see COVID well on the path to being under control though due cooperation of all and that life may return to what it was once, or at least a semblance of it. For now, the effects continue to ripple out.

Just Under 10 Years Ago PRESCOTT JOURNAL January 13, 2011

Visiting the Prescott Journal (photo) Prescott Boy Scout Troop #133 visited the Prescott Journal offices Tuesday, Jan. 4 with their parents and troop leader, Lacey Marcum. The troop learned what it takes to operate a community-based news publication. Photo by Kimberly Adams.

Proposed senior community center in the works Senior gathering council holds discussion with Prescott planning commission by Kimberly Adams A concept plan for the Triangle Park Project, a 15-19 condominium proposal to include a new St. Croix Neighborhood Senior Community Center, was approved by the Prescott Planning Commission during its regular meeting Tuesday, Jan. 4 The St. Croix Neighborhood Senior Community Center will be located in the lower level of a proposed condominium complex located at 445 Court St. North in the former Croixdale Hospital Building. The senior center concept plan calls for a kitchen to be included. The existing, half-circle parking area would be made into a landscaped triangular-shaped park. The building is owned by Mary T., Incorporated.

A city-wide survey was conducted lasty summer and distributed to Prescott residents via the city utility bill. According to the 80 surveys returned for the senior housing portion, 62 indicated an interest for a senior center… Highway expansion special meeting planned Four corridor alternatives proposed for Prescott by Kimberly Adams The Prescott City Council pans to meet jointly with the city planning commission at 7 p.m. Tuesday, January 18 at City Hall to discuss the Wisconsin Department of Transportation proposal to expand Highways 29/35 and Highway 10…

25 Years Ago PIERCE COUNTY HERALD December 18, 1995

Crowded field seeking state supreme court seat MADISON—A crowded field that includes a lawyer and six judges is vying for the state Supreme Court seat that will be left vacant by the retirement of Chief Justice Roland B. Day.

The seven candidates all met last week’s filing deadline. They were certified Tuesday, after the station Elections Board handled any challenges of petition signatures and received official word that candidates have filed required stated with the state Ethics Board.

Milwaukee business addresses going on-line MILWAUKEE—Ameritech says it will include both business electronic-mail addresses and the location of companies World Wide Web sites in tis 1996 telephone book business listings here.

Milwaukee is to be the second city in the five-state Ameritech region to feature electronic mail addresses when the 1996-97 Yellow Pages come out next summer. Ameritech will also provide e-mail listings in next year’s business white pages, which are due out in November 1996.

A one-line entry in the Yellow Pages costs $11.75 per month, and adding the new line will cost another $9.70 per month. There are no current plans to include electronic mail addresses for residential numbers in next year’s phone books, said Lynn Rutkiewicz, market relations and development manager for Ameritech in Milwaukee.

Clinton proposal would cut $5 billion from farm programs Fewer acres eligible for subsidies WASHINGTON—The new balanced budget proposal by President Clinton would cut $5 billion from farm programs over seven years, primarily by decreasing the amount of acreage eligible for subsidies…Clinton vetoed the larger budget reconciliation legislation that included the Republican farm bill and its $12.3 billion in costs, saying the measure would eliminate the safety net now protecting farmers from disasters and wild fluctuations in prices.

Rep. Steve Gunderson, R-Wis., said in a telephone interview last Thursday that the stage is now set for another round of talks on farm policy changes that could still be passed this year…but he acknowledged the move to change dairy policies faced tough opposition from other regions of the country, especially the Northeast.

45 Years Ago PIERCE COUNTY HERALD December 25, 1975

Jesus is born, in Excelsis Glo-ri-a!

(illustration with the Virgin Mary, Jesus, lilies, and cherubs) Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David (Bethlehem) a saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peach, good will toward men. (Taken from Luke) CHRISTMAS CHEER We’re sending old-fashioned greetings to all our good friends…may you have the merriest holidays!

Langer OK Hardware, Judy and Cal Langer – E. Ellsworth.

Happy Holidays We wish to extend to you our best wishes for a healthy, happy Christmas Season and a Joyous New Year.

Halvorson Town Shop, River Falls, Wis.

55 Years Ago PRESCOTT JOURNAL December 9, 1965

Dear Santa, Hi! This year would you please bring me a sled, (a television), a zany operation game, and a mother hen target…There will be a snack waiting for you.

Love, Patty Huber.

Dear Santa, I have been a good boy. I hope you will stop here Santa. I try to be good by emptying trash. I hope to get Secret Sam & Rockem Socken Robots & a watch. That is about all.

Love, John Krause Dear Santa, I have tried to be a good girl this year. I would like some new penny Bright clothes for my doll (but I already have her skating outfit). And I would like some new tights for Christmas, and I would like a new hair net for Christmas.

Love, Ruth Hanken Dear Santa, I am 7 years old. I want a Booby trap game and a snow cone machine.

My little sister Patti is 3. She wants a penny Brite doll.

We are trying to be good girls.

Love, Karen Killian Businessman’s Club Northern States Power to Sponsor Lighting Contest Plans for a 1965 residential outdoor Christmas lighting contest, sponsored by the Prescott Businessmen’s club and Northern States Power Co. (Xcel Energy) were announced today by Fred Simones, contest chairman. Fred said the contest would be open to all residents whose homes were located within the city limits of Prescott, with a total of six cash prizes to be awarded to winners.

Anyone interested in the Christmas lighting contest may receive a booklet of lighting tips titled “Reddy Kilowatt’s Christmas Lighting Guide’ by asking for same at the Northern States Power Company office. Fred stated that the Prescott Businessmen’s club was promoting the contest again in 1965 to brighten the Christmas season in Prescott by means of outside home decorations. Decorations will be judged on originality, artistic merit, ingenuity, and lighting techniques. The cost of the display will not be a factor in selecting the winners.

Prizes to be awarded to this place $30.00; second place $25.00; year’s winners will include: first third place $15.00. There will also be three honorable mention awards of $10.00 each.

December 2, 1965

BANK OF ELLSWORTH TO USE COMPUTERS ON ALL SAVINGS ACCOUNT ITEMS On Thursday, December 9, the Bank of Ellsworth and its branches will institute a new bookkeeping system in its savings department. All saving items will be processed by computers at the Northwestern Computer Center in Minneapolis.

“This is another step in our efforts to provide our customers with the most efficient service possible in banking today,” said Robert Magee, vice president. “Under this new system, interest will be compounded quarterly. Our customers will also receive a detailed statement of their account quarterly.”

In mid-December, the bank will begin to process their Savings Certificates on computers. At that time, all customer deposit accounts will be processed under a fully automated bookkeeping system.

70 Years Ago RIVER FALLS JOURNAL December 14, 1950

Santa Stuffs Students’ Stocking; Auditorium Gets Organ, Curtains Skeptical students may be more convinced that there is a Santa Claus when they drop in at the auditorium in North Hall following their return from Christmas vacation.

According to present plans, St. Nick (of Myra) is going to leave presents there large enough to fill the students’ collective sock.

Santa Claus Letters Dear Santa, I am a little boy of 4 yrs. old and I’ve been a good boy all year. I would like a ferris wheel for Christmas if you have one.

Thank you for bringing us candy and nuts the other day.

from Sparky Berkseth.

Dear Santa, I am a big girl. I have tried to be a good girl. Will you please bring me a doll buggy? I am seven years old.

Jean Thompson, River Falls, Wis., Dec. 6, 1950 Dear Santa Claus, Please bring me a tractor, a barn, and a tool set. Please bring little brother a little rubber John Deere tractor.

Thank you, Richie Wolf.

P. S. Some Dear Santa, Please bring me a doll buggy and some block. I would like some candy and nuts too.

Love, Patricia Tyler Dear Santa, Would you please try and bring me a small doghouse for my play farm? I also would like some cows for my farm. I want some candy and nuts too.

Your Friend,

85 Years Ago ELLSWORTH RECORD December 12, 1935

Crash Fatal To Red Wing Boy Murray Van Duesen, 18, Dies at Local Hospital Friday Night of Injuries Received When Truck Strikes Abutment.

Born July 2, 1917 at Red Wing, graduated from Red Wing High School in 1934, entire life spent in Red Wing except four years at Minneapolis, employed by Kelly and Engstrom of Red Wing, on his way back from Menomonie struck a bridge abutment on Highway 63 just south of the Lawton creamery at 5:30 p.m. Thursday. Funeral from St. John’s Lutheran Church in Red Wing. Survived by mother, two sisters, and four brothers.

Icy Coating on Streets Slows Up Traffic A rain which fell Thursday night and froze as it came down made traffic on the highways a very hazardous undertaking last Friday and Saturday. While there were numerous minor accidents, none is reported as serious.

All day Friday the highways in this section were coated with a glazy ice and very few cars were to be seen on the streets. The morning bus did not go out until noon because of orders received here from the Minneapolis office of the company.

Wm. Mason of Ellsworth township slipped and fell as he came out of his home Friday morning, breaking his leg above the ankle.

125 Years Ago THE WEEKLY PRESS Maiden Rock, Wis.

December 18, 1895 PLUM CITY Locals M. Kaminietz visited St. Paul the first of last week.

Herman Barnsdorf has returned from the pineries, unable to find work.

Mrs. Ross, of Indiana, is visiting her mother, Mrs. Dowling, and other relatives at this place.

Born—To Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Moos, Dec. 7, a son.

Rev. Redding, of Eau Galle, held services at the Catholic Church last Saturday.

LOCAL AND OTHERWISE Give us your job printing.

Paper napkins at this office.

For legal advice call on A. Cook.

Henry Kaye left last week for the pineries.

The Spring Valley Sun is three years old (later to merge with the Elmwood Argus).

139 Years Ago PIERCE COUNTY PLAINDEALER November 7, 1879

The latest dodge of the fertile-minded school boy is to keep his teacher’s desk regularly supplied with green (unripe) fruit, hoping thereby to secure an accidental holiday.

In China mothers are unwilling to allow the arms of their daughters to be scratched with the lancet for vaccination, because unless a Chinese girl has a few marks on her face giving evidence that she has passed through small pos, she is considered as lacking one of the chief qualifications of a marriageable maiden.

160 Years Ago PRESCOTT TRANSCRIPT December 1, 1860 FOR THE RECORD.

Annual Meeting of the County Board.

First Day.

Supervisor’s Room Nov. 18th, 1860, 10 o’ clock a.m.

Supervisors met; present Sup’s C. P. Barnard, L. R. Smith} Prescott.; W. H. Moore—River Falls; H. Felt—Trimbelle; Jacob Youngman—Perry (Ellsworth); Thomas Hurley—El Pas0; C. F. Hoyt—Diamond Bluff; James Akers—Trenton; A. C. Morton— Isabelle; A. Chapman—Pleasant Valley; Otis C. Whitney—Hartland; J. Iverson—Martell.

The Board was called to order by the Clerk.

On motion of sup. Moore the Board proceeded to an informal ballot for Chairman, resulting as follows:—James Akers received twelve votes. On motion of sup. Barnard, James Akers was then declared the unanimous choice of the board for Chairman.

On motion of sup. Hoyt, The Board adjourned, till 9 o’clock A.M. tomorrow.

SECOND DAY Wednesday, November 14, 1860.

The Board met pursuant to adjournment…