Days Gone By

Talk about it

In local business news, Dick Rinehart, owner of Dick’s IGA, has bought the Tom Thumb store located next door and planned to move a gasoline, convenience and liquor store to that location.

People walking around the UW campus will soon have a new route to follow with the construction of a multi-modal trails system. The nearly one-mile blacktopped trail, connecting to existing trails, will offer a safer way for students living on the south end of town to reach campus.

In the real estate section a story-and-a-half home located on 1.25 acres with frontage on the Kinnickinnic River at 1004 Quarry Road, was offered for $199,000. The River Falls Antique Mall located on Main Street with 4,600-square feet was priced at $179,900.

Workmen toiled nonstop Thursday morning pouring the base to the 750,000-gallon water reservoir being constructed on top of Mound Park.

Long-time Main Street groceryman Iner Isaacson, 78, passed away last week.

Some winners at the Pierce County Fair were the gentle giants, Belgian draft horses Dick and Dan, owned by Ralph Nelson of Beldenville taking first place in the open obstacle class; Bud Rud and his horse Tommy for the draft horse open cart class, Sandra Rohl for her reserve grand champion dairy steer; and Alice Lasar and Kari Rasmussen for the talent show.

30 YEARS AGO, AUG. 10, 1978

Sandy Schultz and Jim Filkins won the firemen’s golf tournament.

Michael Peterson of River Falls was invited to present two papers at a cartography conference on his specialty of computer cartography.

A new Aspen station wagon was selling for $4,695 at Cronin Chrysler Dodge.

Jennifer Charpentier was one of 12 Girl Scouts chosen to take part in a project to develop guide books to historic sites in the St. Croix Valley area.

Minimum wages were increased in Wisconsin from $2.40 to $2.55 an hour for adults.

Cathy Monson, Mari Early, Fred Marnach, Randy Baar and Paul Cudd enjoyed a week of specialized activities at Camp Mishawak at Red Cedar Lake. The girls were attending cheerleading sessions while the boys were being coached in wrestling.

James C. Palmquist, M.D., was to join the staff of the medical clinic here.

On the hottest day of the year, swimmers were unable to enjoy Glen Park Pool due to vandalism the night before.

Maralee McLaughlin was third place winner in the Hammond Rodeo queen contest. She was the only Wisconsin girl to place.

Dr. C. G. Stratton was honored for 40 years of weather observing in this city.

Grocery specials included grape juice at 25 cents for a 24-oz. bottle, chicken at 89 cents each, and a dozen ears of corn for 29 cents.

The centennial celebration got off to a successful start with a religious festival Sunday evening, doll buggy and wagon parade, horse and buggy parade, windows on Main Street decorated with old time displays, and the governor’s appearance marking the beginning of the week’s festivities.

Gordon Condit took a 600-mile canoe trip down the Mississippi River, which took about 18 days.

Don Shackelford took over the Standard Oil service station in this city.

Falls Chevrolet Co., 125 N. Main St., offered: Horses, tractors and automobiles. The horses were guaranteed against death by sleeping sickness or any other disease for one year.

G. W. Haat’s potatoes were featured in the July edition of Successful Farming magazine. Mr. Haat raised them from potato ball seed planted in 1922 in a garden across the street from the Journal office. There are now two varieties and those shown in a picture measured about eight inches in length.

With the help of Mr. Evenson, owner of a farm in Kinnickinnic, just a short distance from River Falls, three stills were found in a barn rented to a couple of St. Paul men, who were arrested and taken to the Hudson jail. The raw material was brought down from St. Paul and the entire product taken back there. It is thought that the plant was producing about a hundred gallons of moonshine a day.

Submitted photos are always welcome for this column. Black and white or color photographs will be scanned and returned in original condition. Call Pat Hunter, 425-1561, for more information or e-mail your photos to phunter@rivertowns.net.