Oregon Area Historical Society & Museum

June 1951

Polio Quarantines Section of Oregon 

A local 11-year-old girl was taken to the Wisconsin General Hospital last Wednesday where tests prove her ailment to be polio. The girl’s home is on State Street  and the quarantined area includes that lying between Janesville and South Main streets, including those streets.  All children that are under 18 years of age must stay in their own yards and not play with other children. The children who have been at the swimming pool with the child are to be kept at home and their health watched for at least a week. The swimming pool has been drained.  A warning is being sent out for all parents to keep a close watch on their children and to assist in the prevention of the spread of the disease. 

Official Announcement

Dr. Kellogg has asked that everyone cooperate and follow the following recommendations in order to prevent a major outbreak of polio here in Oregon. 

1. Polio cases and all members of the family and immediate contacts under 18 years of age are to be quarantined for two (2) weeks.
2. Quarantined people and all members of the family should not work with milk and food products or teach school.
3. Chlorine will kill the polio virus, and the swimming pool can be reopened; however, strenuous exercise and exhaustion should be avoided because it may contribute to the seriousness of the illness
4. Follow strict personal cleanliness during the summer months.

These suggestions have been approved by the State Board of Health

Charles Adrian Kellor

Charles Adrian Kellor (better known to all as “Add,” a name given him by his companions when a youth, passed away at his home at Lake View (Oregon Road) Tuesday afternoon, July 3rd after a long illness.  He had been confined to his bed since October 1950. 

He was born March 8, 1870, in Oregon, Wisconsin to Charles and Eleanor Pledger Kellor.  On Oct. 25, 1911, he was married to Caroline Slinde at Madison, Wis., by Rev. O.G.U. Siljan.  While living in Oregon he was a stonemason with his father as partner; later he operated a garage, filling station, farm equipment shop together with D.L. Criddle.  When Mr. Criddle’s health became poor, Add took over the business for himself.  After a few years he sold his business and bought a farm at Lake View.  When he became ill several years ago, he sold part of his farm to his son Carroll.

Surviving are his wife, a son, Carroll, at Lake View; a daughter, Mrs. Gail Kellor, St. Paul; a brother, Ivan, St. Paul; two sisters, Mrs. Bert Short, Humbird, Wis., and Mrs. Edward Trow, Stoughton, Wis., and 10 grandchildren.

Funeral services were held Friday afternoon from the Booth Funeral Home, with Rev. Leonard Benson, pastor of Bethel Church, Madison, officiating and burial was at Prairie Mound cemetery.  Music was by Mrs. Arthur Ames and Don McGill.  Bearers were Frederick Kivlin, Leo Buchner, Wm. White, Jr., Norman Plath, Leslie Hanson and Earl Hanson.

How Motoring has Changed

Most of the old-timers remember how about 25 years ago you could drive for miles on any highway and seldom see a motor truck.

Things sure have changed. Now practically any road and in any state, you spend a good part of your vacation running two to five miles per hour behind these overgrown highway freight cars, laughingly referred to as trucks. Just let one of these babies hit a slight grade hardly noticeable in your passenger car and they slow down to a walk.  Why are overloaded trucks permitted to spoil the highways for the motoring public year after year?

Fire Destroys Barn, Cow and Three Calves

The Oregon fire department was called to the Herman Anthony farm operated by Carl Bryant, in the town of Rutland on Friday to fight a barn fire.  When the company arrived at the scene the barn was a mass of flames.  The structure was entirely consumed together with one cow and three calves. Two silos were also badly damaged.  An undetermined amount of fodder, milking machine and equipment were also lost.

To further add to his misfortune Mr. Bryant was quite badly injured that evening when an electric light pole in the yard, which had rotted at the bottom toppled over and fell on him as he was bending over to do some work.  He was taken to a Madison hospital where an X-ray picture showed that a vertebra had been fractured.  He was able to return home Sunday, but it will be some time before he can do heavy work. 

The Playground Corner

The most important event of the week, of course, was the opening of the swimming pool.  Despite cool weather and cold water, the turnout at the pool has been excellent. Among the younger girls, Patty Brown, Donna Mae Flint, Marlene Wild and Sharon and Shirley Wild have been in the swimming pool daily.  Some of the more shapely lassies in swimming pool have been Ramona Otteson, Carol Dupont and Lois Winch. There have been many others, but I’ll keep the boys guessing so they’ll come over and find out for themselves. 

Random Shots

More than one woman has started out playing with fire and ended up cooking over it. 

Some of these days most of the people of this fair country are going to get good and tired of having someone sitting in a swivel chair warming the seat of his pants in Washington, thinking up schemes to make more useless paperwork for them, and will dump the whole lot of them into the nearby Potomac River and start over with a clean slate. 

The law of the land is one thing and the judicial interpretation of it is another.

June 1976 

Village News:

Monson is New Oregon Postmaster

Mr. Robert Monson has been appointed Postmaster at the Oregon Post Office as of June 5. Mr. Monson’s wife, Charlyne, is secretary for Dane County Social Services in Madison. 

Monson, 44, a Madison native, attended the University of Wisconsin for two years and was a veteran of four years’ U.S. Navy service from 1951 to 1955. He entered the U.S. Postal Service in February of 1958 and has served for 18 ½ years. He started at the Main Post Office in Madison as a clerk, then became foreman and on to superintendent of station and branch operations at the East Side station, Madison.

He is now serving in his new post at Oregon and stated that he and his family will be moving to Oregon in the future as housing becomes available.

Oregon School District

Stratman Retires After 35 Years; Fourteen in Oregon

The Middle School Band on May 6th presented Joseph Stratman, director, with a plaque which stated: “To Mr. Stratman in appreciation of your years of musical service – Middle School 74-76”. The concert was Mr. Stratman’s final appearance with the Oregon School system. He will retire at the close of the summer session after fourteen years here, and 35 years in all. He initiated the string program in Oregon. The orchestra showed their appreciation for his efforts by presenting Mrs. Stratman with a beautiful bouquet at the concert. A surprise to the Stratman’s was a bouquet of nine pink roses by the five grandchildren – one for each member of their family. 

The performance was a combined effort of the vocal and instrumental departments. Miss Marge Becker, who is also leaving the system this year, and Mr. Stratman were given a standing ovation by the enthusiastic crowd at the conclusion of the concert. 

Oregon Area News

Girls School Closing a Disaster (Oregon Observer Issue – June 5, 1976)

Despite protests from taxpayers, local elected officials, school employees, and the young people who are housed there, the state is proceeding with plans to convert the Wisconsin School for Girls into a 100-bed minimum security prison camp for adult males. Forty-four inmates at the Union Grove prison farm, slated to be closed soon, will be transferred here after June 12. Nels Flones will be the supervisor of the Oregon facility which will be renamed the Oakwood Correctional Facility. 

Youngsters at the School are being placed as quickly as possible in private correctional institutes and foster homes, but 25 girls cannot be placed in the already full alternative facilities.  These girls will continue to live on the 450-acre grounds until they can be placed, even after the adult male inmates arrive there. All of the boys at the school will be gone by June 1; some of them are being released, others are being sent back to Wales School for Boys.  

Due to the elimination of the Oregon facility, Wales is currently overcrowded with more than 488 residents, more than 100 over capacity, and officials there say that even with the normal releases that occur at the end of the school year, the institution will continue to operate under these crowded conditions.

State Senator Dale McKenna, after a surprise visit to the Boys School said, “As we get closer to Oregon’s July 1 closing date, it is becoming more apparent that the game plan of those who proposed a phase-out of the institution is a disaster. They have closed one of the best institutions of its kind in the country at a time when the need for it is at an all-time high.”  “The situation will get even worse in September when commitments from the courts again swell the school’s case load, “McKenna said. “Oregon’s 100-plus beds and its quality programs won’t be there when we need them. We will be in the ludicrous situation of seeing one of the finest institutions in the country go out of existence when overcrowding destroys another.”

First Inmates Arrive at Oakwood Camp (Oregon Observer Issue June 24, 1976)

Oakwood Camp, formerly Wisconsin School for Girls received its first adult male inmates on Wednesday, June 23rd.  Approximately 30 males from Union Grove Camp are the first to arrive at the newly named Oakwood Camp.  Union Grove and WSG will officially close on June 30th because of legislative action.

The remaining girls at the facility will be moved to Goodland Hall, portions of which are used to house Huber Law clients.  Between 15 to 20 girls remain to be moved from WSG to Goodland Hall.

Only certain buildings in Oakwood will be used at this time according to current plans.  The new dorms, a new building complex built in 1971, will be used for the first time.  Also used from the older buildings will be the first floor of the school itself, the gymnasium, the administration building, and the powerhouse.  Ten older cottages, the new security cottage, and one new three-story building that housed Social Services are not scheduled for use at the present time. 

Serving as superintendent at the facility will be Nels Flones, who served in a similar capacity at Union Grove.  At the present time he has three assistants: Ken Morgan, Richard Schmidt and Bernard Brickner who held similar positions at WSG.  

The day the school closes is the day all employees of WSG who were not transferred by the state will be laid off.   This includes any employees over 55 years old because of the state’s dangerous occupation provision.  Some over age 55 persons will remain at Oakwood but they will be in non-security positions and will not have “officer” classification. 

Editorial on Girls School Closing (published in Oregon Observer – June 5th)

By Linda Thompson –   Fitchburg Star

Even at this late date, we again wish to go on record indicating that closing the Wisconsin School for Girls is a costly mistake undertaken to cover the bungling ineptitude of Wisconsin officials who foolishly sold the Oxford Prison facility in Adams County to the federal government.

The school itself was intended to serve as a correctional rehabilitation for juvenile offenders whom the courts have determined need careful supervision. The welfare of the youngsters currently housed there is obviously quite low on the list of priorities, while juggling state monies to cover past financial blunders under the guise of saving money is an item of considerable importance.  

The detrimental effects on human lives of hastily shuffling juvenile (and adult) offenders from one institution to another in this changeover apparently was not felt to be significant in Governor Lucey’s and other officials’ planning.  These young people, who enjoy few privileges and who have little ability to control their own destinies as it is, are quite helplessly caught in the middle of these political machinations and many politicians do not seem to be concerned about their futures.

  It is unfortunate that Wisconsin’s elected officials are turning a deaf ear to the countless protests that have been voiced by juveniles, local elected officials, Fitchburg and Oregon residents, Wisconsin taxpayers in every community and people in every level of corrections work about eliminating this exceptional institution.  

Clubs, Churches and Organizations

Oregon SummerFest 

Oregon’s annual commemoration to the sun, fun and good times of summer is this weekend as the Oregon Chamber of Commerce presents its eleventh annual big summer festival–Summer Fest!

What undoubtedly will be the biggest Summer Fest in history gets underway at 5:00 p.m. Friday evening with a big outdoor fish fry.  All you can eat for only $1.75.  Dinner will be served until 8:00 p.m.  Starting Friday evening and running all three days, a gigantic midway with Rainbow Valley rides will be operating.  A beer garden will be in operation every day with live music at all times.  

On Saturday retail merchants of Oregon will hold their annual Maxwell Street sidewalk sales in the downtown area all day.  In conjunction with this, merchants are sponsoring a big flea market running 11 hours from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Many local people have prepared stands full of items for sale for the Summer Fest celebrators.  In addition, Bicentennial silver dollars will be given away every half hour to all participants, as well as other door prizes in the individual business establishments. 

Helicopter rides start on Saturday and Sunday at noon. At 1 p.m. on Saturday, the carnival will have a “Kiddie Matinee” – the price for all rides will be reduced.   On Sunday, the Oregon-Brooklyn Jaycees chicken barbecue starts at 11 a.m. followed by the big “Parade of Bands”. 

Parade Plans for Summer Fest

 Reverend Immanuel Peterson, who is the official Chamber of Commerce greeter for newcomers to Oregon will be the Parade Grand Marshal. Also participating in the parade will be “Uncle Sam”.  Mr. W.E. Leppien is widely known around the southern part of the state for his portrayal of Uncle Sam, the symbol of the United States.  

The Ames family will represent the D.A.R., whose membership necessitates a direct descendant in the Revolutionary War.  Nathaniel Ames fought as a young boy in the war and is now buried in Prairie Mound Cemetery in Oregon.    

  The big feature of the parade will be the big “Parade of Bands” competition, consisting of six champion high school bands from throughout the Midwest, including the Panthers of OHS.  This year’s bands participating in the competition here will be Verona, Dakota of Illinois, Rock Falls of Illinois, J.B. Conant, and Two Rivers-Washington.  And of course, the champion Oregon High School band.    Sunday evening at 8:00 the bands will compete in field competition.  The field show will be held on the football field at Oregon High School.  Each band will perform for 15 minutes on the field in the same order as they marched in the parade earlier in the day.  Awards will be presented at 9:30 on Sunday evening following the performances.  

There will be over 30 floats entered in the parade which are being constructed by local groups and organizations.  These floats will also be judged and awarded a prize by the Chamber.  

A regular feature of the Summer Fest Parade will be neighborhood floats.  Four neighborhood floats have entered the competition for the traveling trophy which is presented each year to the winner. They are the Fahey Heights, Waterman-South Oak, Oregon Heights and Hayler Court neighborhoods. The custom started with Hayler Court about seven years ago.  In order to encourage other neighborhoods to participate, Hayler purchased a trophy to be presented for the best neighborhood float.  If you are interested, let Sara Orvick or Dick Haynes know and they will assign you a parade number.  Meanwhile, the trophy can be seen at the Bank of Oregon.  

All the usual and popular Zor Shrine, KC, and horse units will be in the parade.  This year the Nomads will hold a pre-parade show along the parade route which will start at 1:15 p.m.  The parade is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Sunday, June 27th.  

Gerry Booth will be recognized for his 10 years as president of the Dane County Fire Fighters Association.  Dr. Sara Orvick and Dick Haynes are co-chairing the 1976 parade.

Bicentennial – America’s 200th Anniversary

Lamont, DNR and WARC Push 

Town of Oregon Bi-Cen Park to Reality

Dallas Lamont, a resident of Washington D.C., who was born in the house immediately adjacent to the future Town of Oregon Bicentennial Park, and his wife, Polly, recently contributed $10,000 to the fund-raising drive for the park.  That, along with a $10,000 grant from the Department of Natural Resources, and a $3,000 federal matching fund grant through the Wisconsin American Revolution Bicentennial Commission, added enough funds to the local contributions to purchase 30 acres of land for a natural area.

The park site is located on County MM between Oregon and Brooklyn, just south of and across the road from Fahey Heights   In commemoration of our nation’s 200th anniversary, a dedication ceremony will be held on Sunday, July 18th, 1976, at the park site.  Awards and certificates of donations will be given at that time.   The Town of Oregon Bicentennial Committee expressed deep gratitude to the many people whose interest and donations made this project a reality.  

Dunn Bicentennial Festival

Residents of the Town of Dunn celebrated the Bicentennial year of the nation’s birth on Sunday, May 23rd at a picnic festival held at Goodland Park in the Town of Dunn. Many activities took place with the main attraction being the bus tour of old homes and interesting places in the township.  

The oldest Town of Dunn resident present at the event was 98-year-old Stener Lawton, who attended with his daughter, Sadie Janes and family.   The youngest resident present at award time was Christopher Gray, 1 ½ year old son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Gray.  

A display of old crafts complete with a large fireplace and hearth was featured.  Dressed as early-day settlers, Sue Minihan demonstrated wool carding and her sister spun wool into yarn on the spinning wheel.   Ed Minihan tended the live sheep which the children enjoyed petting and feeding.

A large quilt was on display quilted (tied) by members of the Lakeview Larks 4-H Club and members of the Happy Hustlers 4-H Club made ice cream using an old-fashioned ice cream maker that required turning the crank continuously until the mixture became firm. The ice cream was served by club members to festival-goers.

Dinner of ham, baked beans, potatoes, hot dogs and chips was served at 4 pm.  Jim Bossingham did the cooking. Dunn residents assisted with serving.  

Pony rides were a highlight for the children.   Games for all ages were held in the afternoon with numerous prizes awarded. Gunny-sack races, a frog jumping contest, and a rolling pin throwing contest were among the games featured. Music was provided during the afternoon and evening by the Drexler Bavarian Band.

Providing a study in contrast, Marian Berman donned a typical Martha Washington dress, while Margaret Lalor was dressed in a modern-day pant suit. Together they managed the “Country Porch” where homemade cake and coffee were available to hungry visitors all afternoon during the festival. 

June 2001

Dr. Norris Breitbach has been practicing in Oregon for 40 years.

Breitbach Chiropractic has been one of the few constants in the Oregon business community over the last 40 years.    “Wisco was here when I came, but I think that’s about it,” Dr. Norris Breitbach said of his place among the village’s business hierarchy.

Breitbach brought his practice to Oregon in 1961.  “We looked around the area and thought Oregon was a good place,” he said of the decision to begin his practice here.  “We had 1700 people in Oregon when I came.”

He initially set up shop and residence in a house on North Main St., a location presently occupied by the DJ’s Steakhouse building.  It only took two years for Breitbach’s practice to outgrow its walls. It was an empty building, and we thought that it would make a good office,” Breitbach said. It made a good enough office that he settled in for the long haul and hasn’t looked back.

He says helping the people who come to see him is where he derives his pleasure.   “It’s just fun to take care of the people,” he said.  “That’s the main thing, is to help people.” 

“It doesn’t seem like that long, “Breitbach said. “Time flies, but it’s been great.”

“My wife has been the biggest supporter and helper. All the success I’ve had over the years has been due to my family, my wife and all the help I’ve had at the office.”

Among those who have played a role in his success, Breitbach credits June Ross, who worked as his assistant for 18 years, and Marilyn Bomkamp and Cheryl Swensen, who have been working for him for 20 and 12 years respectively.

“We’ve always been very appreciative of the way people here have supported us,” Breitbach said. ” “It’s been a great place to raise a family.”

Lussier Center Opens in E-Way

An exciting chapter began for Dane County as the Lussier Family Heritage Center officially opened to honor the individuals and organizations that have supported efforts to build this unique cultural, environmental and recreational facility in the Nine Springs E-Way.  A project of Dane County Parks, the newly constructed center is located in Lake Farm County Park just a mile and a half south of the Beltline from South Towne.

The center will serve as a multipurpose facility with the primary goal of bringing people together who are interested in outdoor recreation, environmental education and cultural activities.  It will provide opportunities for youth and adult learning, volunteerism, recreation and special events.  In the future, the Heritage Center will house important archaeological exhibits and interpretive displays depicting the area’s early settlement, rich cultural history and diverse resources of the region. 

The Lussier Family Heritage Center is a project of Dane County Parks, a system of 36 parks, open space and natural resource areas all providing recreation and volunteer opportunities for citizens of and visitors to Dane County.

Farrar’s Eye Retirement After 30 Years of Care

The bad news is that Drs. Dennis and Lynda Farrar are retiring from their optometry practice; the good news is that they will continue to live in Oregon, where they raised their family and are actively involved in the community. 

The Farrars do not appear to be typical candidates for retirement.  They seem much too young, and they seem too enthusiastic about the profession they have practiced together for more than 30 years.  Nevertheless, as of Aug 1 they will turn over their practice to their long-time business partner, Dr. David James, and his new associate, Dr. Callie Enyart.

Dr. Dennis was born in Miami, Fla. He recalls that when he was growing up his parents owned a beauty salon, and there was an optometrist next door to their business. He was interested in science and “mechanical-type things” and considered both dentistry and optometry.  By the time he was a junior in high school however, he had decided upon the latter and he’s certain that he made the right choice.

Dr. Lynda was born in Reedsburg, Wis. She thought she might like to become a geometry teacher, since her father was a teacher.  Citing the pay scale as a factor, her father discouraged her from pursuing a career in education, so she tuned her sights to the healthcare field.  She considered becoming an obstetrician but decided that optometry would allow more time to raise a family of her own.  She too is happy with her choice. 

The Farrars’ decision to retire at this time was influenced by several factors. Lynda is quick to note that they are healthy and their youngest child completed college this past year.  Dennis comments that many of their friends and neighbors have recently retired and there are a number of things they would like to do. 

Conditions Difficult for Local Farmers

The weather has been anything but typical this growing season.  Spring was unusually wet, but summer has been so hot and dry that Governor Scott McCallum last week declared a statewide state of emergency. 

The declared state of emergency allows the State’s Department of Natural Resources to expedite the application process for farmers wishing to take water from lakes and streams for irrigation.  Unfortunately, the high cost of irrigation equipment, and the fact that most Oregon area farmers don’t live near useable bodies of water, make the declaration less than effective in solving the area’s agricultural problems.   Pumping water from lakes and streams just isn’t economically feasible for most area farmers. 

John Pribek, McCallum’s press secretary, said, “No one is under the illusion that the emergency declaration will help everybody.”