Events
Oregon Area Historical Society
Events
2024 Events
National Night Out – Tuesday, August 6
National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live.
Recent Blog
Greetings Oregon Area Historical Society followers! My name is Heather Young. I am the publicity coordinator for the OAHS and museum. I also update the website and Facebook and a Tuesday volunteer.
Here’s another installment of “Walk Back in History: Did You Know” written by Florice Paulson for the Observer from 1987-1991. Many of these articles were made into a book that you can purchase at the museum (or get for free for becoming a member). If anyone knew Oregon history, it was Florice.
Oregon Observer
Thursday, July 12, 1990
By Florice Paulson
The arrival of the railroad in 1864 and the chinch-bug about the same time brought about a change in farming practices of our area.
The first settlers in Rome has been wheat farmers. It had been necessary to haul their grain to Milwaukee to be shipped out East via Lake Michigan. They received $0.25 a bushel. After buying supplies for themselves and others, the money in their pocket upon arrival back home was minimal.
The arrival of the railroad in McFarland had given the farmers a closer market and shipping point for their wheat, but now Oregon’s railroad was to become a huge shipping station.
The area farmers also found it necessary, because of the chinch bug that had invaded Wisconsin and was wreaking havoc with the wheat crops, to diversify their farming operation and crop rotation. (Corn gradually became the principal crop).
A southern crop was introduced by the Kiser family, who had arrived from Virginia — tobacco.
Along with the wheat crop, the main source of income prior to 1871, enough corn, oats, barley and clover were grown to feed the horses and oxen.
About 1915 alfalfa made its appearance as an important hay crop.
Following the chinch-bug epidemic and wheat could no longer be used for income, cattle began to be introduced. Joe Kiser began raising shorthorns as a hobby and was the first pure-bread breeder in the community. The Kiser brothers, John and George, on their farm on W. Netherwood Road, became well known for their continued shorthorn breeding. Poland-China hogs were also introduced in the area by Mr. Kiser.
In 1900, W.L. Ames, started the breeding of a milk type shorthorn–soon other types of dairy cattle began appearing and the creameries sprang up. Hogs also began making a more general appearance. Sheep were not too plentiful and were not of the famous Shrops earlier raised by A.O. Fox on the present site of the State Prison Farm.
There were many horses, of course, especially of the heavy draft breed. The settlers had slowly gotten away from the fine Morgans and Hamiltonians that were used for riding and carriage and buggy service and were forced to need the heavier breeds for farm work.
As is very evident, we who have been around for a “few” years, and even long before we saw the light of day, so many changes in farming operation have taken place that a book would be needed to record them all.
This Month in History
75 Years Ago – July 1949
Local News
Mrs. Fred Culp, Iona and Bob, Mrs. Elsie Clark and Maxine Gooch returned recently from a two-week trip to the Badlands, Black Hills, Yellowstone National Park, Glacier National Park and Lake Louise, Canada. They traveled through South Dakota, Minnesota, North Dakota, Idaho and Canada. They stopped at Superior and spent some time in Minneapolis. They called on Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Lalor and daughter at Webster, also Clinton Lalor who lives at Webster.
Jas Denton, P.H. Dvergedal, Wm. Gorman, Dr. J. Topham and F.E Madsen left last Thursday for South Dakota and Wyoming where they are attending rodeos.
Mr. and Mrs. A.M. Anderson were guests of Mr. and Mrs. Ed Ellis of Brooklyn at a dinner in honor of the first birthday of their granddaughter, Patricia Anderson.
Village Incorporated Sixty Six Years Ago
On August 7, 1949, the village of Oregon will have been incorporated 66 years. The coming of the first white settlers, Mr. and Mrs. Bartlett Runey, who built the Runey Tavern in 1841 about three miles south of the village, also were the first whites in what later became known as the township of Oregon. The present community or village of Oregon was the largest group of people in the township up to the time of the incorporation. It was necessary for the voting population of the township to indicate their desire at this special election, and when the votes were counted, there were found to be 101 votes for the incorporation and 20 voted against it.
Salvation Army to Conduct Annual Financial Drive
Announcement was made today by Chairman F.E. Madsen that the Salvation Army would conduct its annual financial campaign in Oregon for local and regional welfare needs. Special letters will be mailed to local citizens requesting contributions to be mailed to the treasurer.
On completion of the campaign a portion of the money raised will be left with the local committee for a program of health, welfare, and cultural activities. Such needs as clothing for school children, dental, optical and medical assistance and family welfare needs of all kind will come within the scope of the local program.
There will be no restrictions on the use of the funds, and the local committee can render service at the point of need to the limit of their funds.
The remainder of the amount raised will be used to provide maintenance of maternity hospital for unmarried mothers, fresh-air camp benefits for mothers and children, services to veterans, and other regional services, including a reserve fund for emergencies and disasters. The regional program is available to Oregon whenever the need arises.
Random Shots
The mechanical lie detector cannot always be relied upon. Which reminds us that the first lie-detector was made out of the rib of a man, and there’s been no improvement since the original. If you do not believe it ask any husband who has at some time or other attempted to deceive his wife.
An editor should be able to sympathize with a minister better than most anyone else. Every editor knows that there are times when thoughts just don’t seem to come, and work as he will, his column is dull and uninteresting A minister has his low days too.
Household Hint
Here is today’s household hint: You can pretty up the top of a cake by sprinkling powdered sugar over it through a lace or paper doily. When you remove the doily, you’ll be pleased with the lacy pattern the sugar has made.
50 Years Ago: July 1974
Village News
The popular Neighborhood Float Contest gained interest this year with four entries from the village and surrounding area as colorful additions to the Summer Fest parade. The Waterman-South Oak Street float won first place honors; with Hayler Court taking second place, Wooded Retreat placed third and Oregon Heights took fourth place.
The Methodist, Lutheran, and Presbyterian churches are jointly planning and sharing the responsibilities for a cooperative youth program for junior and senior high school students. Encounter ’74 will provide a variety of activities, including an overnight campout, a bike hike and group rallies with singing.
The Optimist Club of Oregon is making plans to host an open forum-type town meeting for the Oregon community and surrounding area to meet Governor Lucey on an informal basis and ask questions regarding current policies. The meeting will be held at the Stable Restaurant at noon on July 25th.
Schools
Patty Schultz, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Schultz, is the AFS Representative for this summer. She will be living with the Dehbozorgis family in Shiraz, the third largest city in Iran. The family consists of five daughters and three sons. They are planning a summer vacation to Isfahan, the old capital of Iran. Patty will return on August 28th to start her senior year at OHS.
Meanwhile, after almost a year in the United States, Osamu Amono, AFS exchange student from Osaka will be returning to his home in Japan. While in Oregon, Sam lived with Atty and Mrs. Tom Brown and their children Tom Jr and Peggy.
The Oregon High School Band, which is becoming more famous with each contest and exhibition, successfully defended its championship title which they won a year ago at the Flags for Freedom contest held at Sun Prairie. Taking the grand championship, Oregon placed second in concert competition and first in parade and field competition. On Sunday, July 14, the band traveled to Waupaca, where they competed in a parade and field show. Oregon again came out champions and was awarded $400 in prize money, plus a trophy and championship flag.
Businesses
Progress is being made on the construction of a new Bank of Oregon Motor Bank. It is located on Jefferson Street behind the present bank building. It will feature three covered drive-up lanes. One of the lanes will feature a drawer-type window and the other two will be serviced by pneumatic tubes and a two-way communications system between the driver and the bank employee. It is scheduled to be completed by September, at which time a grand opening and open house will be held along with a celebration of the bank’s 75th anniversary.
Just in time for vacation driving, Jerry’s Midland is offering wheel alignment and shocks alignment for $6.95 with the purchase of two shock absorbers.
Fahey True Value Hardware advertises the Koehn Drive-Thru Electric Gate. It allows walking through as well as being able to drive any vehicle through without harm, yet it holds all livestock like an electric fence. Models range from $48 to $50.
John Bertelson is the new pharmacist and store manager at Roeber Rexall Pharmacy.
Earl Wheeler, who started banking in April 1928 and with the Bank of Oregon since January 1941, retired as an active officer of the Bank of Oregon as of June 30, 1974. In January 1941, the bank had a work force of three people. Mr. Wheeler was elected assistant cashier in 1942 and became a director of the bank in 1950. He was elected Cashier in 1955 and has held that position since that time. He will continue as a director and active representative of the bank.
Sports
The Quad-City annual Street-Rod Meet was held at Davenport, Iowa on June 29th and 30th. The Meet was attended by Richard Heller of Brooklyn and Larry Neath of Oregon in their 1936 Plymouth Coupe. They were awarded the trophy for having the best paint job in the meet. The car owners are members of the Hog-House Hot Rodders Club.
Shelby Humberg, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ray Humberg took part in the Wisconsin High School Rodeo at Richland Center. She entered the break-away roping, goat tying, and barrel racing events as well as the Queen contest. She was voted Miss Congeniality by all the girls participating in the rodeo.
Participating in the All-Stars Game in Blanchardville are Home Talent Team members which include Larry Amdion (pitcher), Denny Johnson (first base), Jack Ricker (second base), Lowell Hanson (third base), Nick Brashi (outfield) and Tom Olson (catcher).
Social
Tracy Erway and her bicycle took a train to Post Falls, Idaho, where she met up with a friend, Carol Farver. Together they went to Expo ’74 and bicycled in the Spokane area. After a train ride to the coast, they bicycled down the west coast from the State of Washington to San Luis Obispo, California, camping out and sightseeing. In Barview, Oregon, a mix-up with a pickup truck sent Tracy by ambulance to the hospital where she ended up with 5 stitches in her chin and also a new bicycle, both courtesy of the insurance company. Besides the gorgeous coastal scenery, they visited the California Redwoods State Park and toured the Hearst Castle at San Simeon.
The 20-30 Club spent five days on a very picturesque, exciting and enjoyable tour with their favorite tour guide, Joe Foley, who showed them Northern Wisconsin, colorful Duluth, Thunder Bay Canada, and Sault Ste Marie Canada. Excursion rides were made through the locks with a grand finale of going to Mackinac Island and staying at the beautiful Grand Hotel where dancing, dining, swimming, golfing and touring the island were the pleasures of the group. The group started a 500-card club 30 years ago. They meet once every month and have two parties a year. Enjoying the trip were members: Mr. and Mrs. William Sholts, Jay and Ann Bossingham, Bernard and Dorothy Freitag, William and Lucile Ace, Ray and Marcella Ellis, Norm and Pauline Champion, Bill and Orpha Steinhauer, Erwin and Rosie Lawry, Orrill and Marlene Ferguson, and Wayne and Eleanor Albertson.
Mary Kohlman, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Kohlman, entered her dog Margot, a Hungarian Vizsla mix, in the dog obedience event at the Stoughton Far. In the novice class, Mary and Margot received an outstanding 199 out of 200 possible points, the highest of any dog in the show. This was Mary and Margot’s first show since beginning their training session in April. Mary received a blue ribbon and two trophies. At the Dane County Fair, Mary and Margo received another blue ribbon and trophy.
25 Years Ago: July 1999
Local News
OHS students visit German Families
From June 8th -30th ten German language students from Oregon High School were accompanied by their teacher, Tony Voss, on a student exchange trip to Langen in Hesse, Germany. The students stayed with host families in Langen and Egelsbach and attended Dreieich-Gymnasium, the local high school, with their host brothers and sisters and Langen English teacher Holger Windmoeller. The two schools have continued a student exchange program since 1990, sharing cultures and friendships of Hess and Wisconsin.
The ten students also went on six trips with their teacher and were accompanied by their host brothers and sisters on two of the trips. Students visited the German cities of Wuerzburg, Wiesbaden, Cologne and Weimar, where they also toured the camp Buchenwald. They also took a boat tour down the Rhine River from Rudesheim. In Wuerzburg, the students toured one of the most important castles in Europe, Residenz Wuerzburg. Students visited Basel, Switzerland, and Strasbourg, France, as well.
Students gained a new appreciation for the cultures of Europe and had opportunity to practice the German language with their families.
Letter to the Editor
I was lucky to meet all of you
To the People of the Oregon Brooklyn School District.
With the end of the past school term, I have decided after teaching for 45 consecutive years to retire. I have had the pleasure of teaching in Brooklyn, the old Oregon Junior High, and the present Oregon Middle School for 40 years. I have been very fortunate to have a job that I loved and dreamed about growing up. And so, it is finally time for me to graduate from eighth grade after all these years.
I am very thankful for all the wonderful young people that were students in my classes. I was lucky to meet all of you. And I am very thankful for all the fine colleagues that have worked with me these many years. Also, I had the support of many different administrators and members of the board of education. Many thanks to all of these groups that were part of my school family for these 45 years.
It would please me a great deal if former students would take some time and drop me a note telling me all about their life after seventh and eighth grade. I would enjoy hearing about your lives, and I am quite sure I will remember each one of you. I will throw away my red pen and read all the notes fondly and happily and not worry a thing about style, etc. My address is W3967 Skyline Road, Belleville, Wi 53508.
A very special thanks to all the parents and the cooperation they gave in my efforts to educate each student. I am very grateful for your support and help. And another big thanks to the parent volunteer group that put on those wonderful meals for us during our night parent conferences. They were a great help to make a long day and night of work so much better.
Thanks to all of you that made my career successful and helped make those years fly past faster than the speed of sound.
Yours truly,
Robert Hoffman, teacher
Street Talk
What’s the best book you have read in the last three months?
Jesse Schwartz Dunn – Freshman – Probably “The Hobbit”
Judy Collison – Oregon Madison Urban Ministry- Anne Lamott’s “Traveling Mercies.”
Jim Lehnherr – Oregon Semi retired – Probably “Hunting Lost Bird.” It’s the story of Indian twins who were taken from their Navajo parents. One was adopted by a Jewish couple in New York and didn’t know she was Indian until later in life.
Fonda Kernen – Oregon Teacher – “Breath Eyes Memory.”
Brett Gustrowsky – Brooklyn 5th grade – I read “Goose Bumps #13.” I don’t know what it was called, but it was pretty good.
Tim Kenneally – Oregon 5th grade – It was a Choose Your Own Adventure –“The Empire Strikes Back”.
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