As we patiently await the reopening of the UW-River Falls Archive room where most of this historical section is sourced from, we would like to bring attention to several microfilmed newspapers from Pierce County which are currently awaiting a kind soul or else souls to undertake digitization efforts for inclusion at BadgerLink; namely The Pierce County Herald; The Maiden Rock News; The Elmwood Argus; The Spring Valley Sun; The Beldenville Reporter; The River Falls Journal; The Pierce County Plaindealer; The River Falls Advance; and The Prescott Paraclete/Transcript/Journal/Clarion/Pierce County Plaindealer/Prescott Tribune/Journal (the last one has gone by many names), to list just a few. Not included by name in UW-River Falls microfilm records but mentioned recently in an old lookback as connected to the Elmwood Argus would be the Plum City News. Perhaps there are still more treasure troves of history just waiting to be discovered with the click of a mouse?

10 Years Ago PRESCOTT JOURNAL May 13, 2010

Prescott High School Students witness history Governor Doyle signs Indian logo bill Wisconsin became the first state in the country to pass legislation that may lead to the elimination of race based nicknames, logos, and mascots in public schools. Signed into law by Governor Doyle on Wednesday, May 5th five Prescott High School attended the signing ceremony at the state capitol in Madison.

It was an unbelievable experience,” said junior Jackie Cutler. “There have been so many people in this state that have worked so hard on this issue and to see it finally become law was really, really great.”… The five students, Zach Simones, Brenna Ryan, Jackie Cutler, Zach Lewis, and Maddie Smith were officially invited early last week by the State Senate and the Office of the Governor to the private signing ceremony at the capitol… QUOTE OF THE WEEK “Anyone who says that young people can’t make a difference certainly haven’t met the young people from Prescott High School.”

—State Senator Bob Jauch complimenting the students from P.H.S. on helping to create the elimination of race based mascots in public schools.

25 Years Ago PRESCOTT JOURNAL January 5, 1995

Compassion comes with heavy hand To the Editor: In response to the reply to my letter of December 15, Ms… .is…incredibly wrong. To think that severe punishment does not prevent additional wrong doing is wholly inaccurate.

People have to have the courage to put the red hot iron to the wound to prevent bleeding to death. It is not the lack of compassion that we must do this, but the reverse. One must have compassion to do that which must be done in order to save lives…Humiliation is the worst thing that can happen to anyone. Think back to childhood when a mother or father punished you. Was it worst when it was done in private or in front of your friends?

Ms…has to come to grips with the fact that not everyone finds juvenile detention unpleasant or for that matter prison… (Prisons have become like hotels)…As I stated above in my earlier letter, Punishment MUST be so bad that similar acts are not repeated. Compassion comes with a heavy hand not a tickle of a feather.

Sincerely, Name Archived.

(word root fact: compassion” derives from the Latin “compassio,” which means “to suffer” (passio) “with” (cum), the latter part being modified with one vowel when assimilated to the beginning of “passio”).

PRESCOTT JOURNAL February 21, 1980

CLASSIFIED ADS sure to get results MISCELLANEOUS: Storage Problems? To meet your needs, whether small or large, call STOR-A-WAY, Hastings Industrial Park. Hrs. 10-5, 437-****.

FOR SALE: Typing paper, 20 lb. bond-writing or typing, 8 ½” x 11, one Ream (500 sheets). $3.50. Prescott Journal. 262-****.

FOR SALE: 1978 Caprice Classic, loaded, 33M act., like new, half price. 262-****.

WANTED TO BUY: Old baseball and football cards and plastic statues. Box #, Sturgeon Bay, Wi, 54235. 414-743**** or 414-847-****.

61 Years Ago PRESCOTT JOURNAL February 11, 1960

Our Common Market We have heard much of the common market concept which is being developed by six Western European nations (which is now known as the European Union). Under this concept, tariffs and other obstacles to trade will be gradually reduced and eliminated.

In effect, a common market has been the normal environment for some 15 years for the farm equipment industry of North America.

This unusual point has been made by the president of one of the leading farm equipment companies*. In 1944, the last tariff restrictions on farm equipment movements between Canada and the United States were removed, and the border no longer has any commercial significance for the industry. The result has been a high and salutary degree of inter-dependence between the two countries… Wisconsin Health State Health Officer Carl N. Neubert, M. D.

The most common disease of children is not measles, chicken pox, or any similar contagious infection. It is instead an ailment to which almost all of us are susceptible—tooth decay… Eating the right foods helps build sound teeth for your children as well as keeping them healthy. Candy and other sweets should be limited to mealtime…

80 Years Ago PRESCOTT JOURNAL January 18, 1940

RIVER FALLS CAFÉ BURNS/ Monday morning at six o’clock the Lasher Café at River Falls was gutted by fire and apartments above it were badly damaged. The fire was due to the explosion of a gasoline stove in the kitchen of the café.

The Lasher restaurant fixtures were practically a total loss.

The damaged section will be remodeled as soon as insurance adjustments can be made, it is reported.// An alarm of fire was sounded last evening. The fire was at the Catholic parsonage. A stick of wood had in some manner gotten into the hot air pipes and smoked up the house. It was some little time before the trouble was located. The damage consisted in smoking up the furnishings.

1939 Statistics/ During the year of 1939 there were 363 births, 222 deaths and 115 marriages filed for record in our office, as compared with 350 births, 202 deaths and 138 marriages filed for record in the year 1938 says John L. Swanson.

Just over 110 Years Ago THE PIERCE COUNTY HERALD VOL. 43, NO. 8

Thursday, March 3, 1910 With the Little Folks./ This week the HERALD presents a new feature which to our knowledge has never been tried in a country newspaper before. We believe everyone enjoys seeing the little folks and therefore have decided to publish each week a picture of some youngster living in Ellsworth or vicinity. We have a number of photos on hand but want more. If you have a good, clear photo of your little folks let us have it. (photo) This week we have a good likeness of Frederick Lord, youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. Fred D. Lord of this city. This healthy looking little chap is one year and three months old and is master of the house on south Chestnut Street. (Fun name fact: “Frederick” is related to the German “Freidrich” and means “peaceful ruler,” based on name components).

115 Years Ago THE RIVER FALLS JOURNAL April 20, 1905

To the Young Farmers of Pierce County./ I am impressed that there is a refreshing number of live young farmers in Pierce County. The farmer is in “a new heaven and a new earth.” Science is turning her search light to the soil, and there is no field of life-work that opens a wider door for mental activity and mental development, or promises more sure reward to industry and thrift, whether in happiness or accumulation of property, than agriculture. Floods of light are pouring in upon those that invite it, and success is to crown the efforts of those, and those alone, that follow it… Jury List.

List of jurors drawn to serve at the next term of the circuit court, commencing May 8: W. E. Cornman, Village Ellsworth; Fred Magee, Village Spring Valley; Jay Miller, Village Ellsworth; Emil Hjerquist, Maiden Rock; Ed Bergholtz, Union; Wm. Irvine, Trenton; Nels Vinum, Gilman; Peter Kjelson, Martell; F. D. Ensign, City River Falls… The faculty of the University of Wisconsin is doing much to popularize that institution—to make its work tell to the advantage of the people at large. The Experiment Station work is almost exclusively in the interest of agriculturists, and the results are given publicity. Every farmer knows, or may know, what advantages accrue to him from the work of the Agricultural College. Bulletins of the results of these experiments are published and distributed free and recently much literature is being sent to the local press for publication. We shall publish the gist of these communications as we have room, giving preference to such facts as seem of application to this immediate vicinity. The method of treating seed oats for the prevention of smut has been published so often that all the farmers know how to act in the emergency. The same is true also of the treatment of seed potatoes to prevent scab. In this treatment farmers have largely benefited. In the matter of commercial stock foods the Stations is doing good work in determining adulteration and working for such purity of such foods as the law contemplates. The first work of the University in examining the foods found much adulteration and persistent efforts along this line with resultant prosecutions of the guilty parties has had the effect of improving the constitution of these commercial foods.

121 Years Six Months Ago THE ELLSWORTH GLEANER.

December 22, 1898

Motto: A Representative Independent Journal Abreast with the Times.

Vol. 5, No. 18…Ellsworth, Wisconsin AD: Try the New Hardware Store for bargains.

We have opened a New Store in East Ellsworth in the Foley? Building and respectfully invite the public to call and inspect our stock. It is all new and up to date and will be sold…cheaper than any other store in the county. Call and… get prices. I will…We are always pleased to show…Serve, Nelson Bros., East Ellsworth, Wisconsin

145 Years Ago THE PRESCOTT CLARION April 24, 1875

Vol. II, No. 4. M. B. Kimball, Proprietor.

Motto: “Be just and fear not.”

ACTS OF GENERAL INTEREST [Published March 23, 1875] Chapter 281.

AN ACT to provide for notice to the occupants of lands mortgaged to the State of the sale thereof, and for the redemption of lands sold on such sales in certain cases.

The people of the State of Wisconsin, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows: SECTION 1. In all cases of the sale of lands mortgaged to the State, which at the time of such sales are actually occupied or in the possession of anyone, it shall be the duty of the purchaser at such sale to deliver a notice in writing of the fact of such sale, and the date thereof, and the price for which such land, describing the same, has been sold…

160 Years Ago THE PRESCOTT TRANSCRIPT April 28, 1860

MORE ABOUT SHADE TREES.—The proposal to cover the public square with shade trees was not carried out. Individuals, however, have taken the hint and set out several hundred on their own property which is good so far. We hope to see a regular mania in that direction; and in less than ten years the trees (added) now will add more to the value of the real estate here than there cost multiplied by one hundred.

THE OCCULTATION of the moon and Venus on Tuesday evening was one of the most beautiful phenomena which nature ever gives us a sight of. Venus disappeared behind the moon about seven in the evening and appeared again in twenty minutes. An eclipse of Jupiter by the moon occurred on Thursday night.

Compiled by Joseph Back