Oregon History Timeline for April 2020
Compiled by Jerry Neath of the Oregon Area Historical Society
100 years ago (1920)
Chas. West has purchased the Ole Dale farm in Rutland and Mrs. West has sold her residence in town to Mr. Dale. Mr. and Mrs. West and family will move the first of next week. Mr. Dale will go onto the Elias Waterman farm.
Eighteen boys of Danish parentage were enlisted from this community in World War I. Photographs of the eighteen were secured and were placed in one large frame and hung in the Lutheran Church. The unveiling of this group took place in the church. The Rev P. C. Paul gave an appropriate address.
Kiser Bros. have sold their farm of 320 acres to John Sholts. The deal also included the livestock and machinery. Possession will be given at once.
A loaded moving van from Madison tipped over Monday near the Gertie Chappel home. Help from Madison was procured and after considerable difficulty the van was righted and able to move on.
The Oregon Fire Department gave a dance at the opera house. Clifford & Habermann’s harp orchestra of five pieces was engaged for the event. A prize waltz was the special feature of the evening. Dance tickets were $1.00 and spectators 25 cents.
Prichard & Cusick were advertising their new Multi-Motor portable gas powered washer. The Maytag gas powered washer works anywhere, including out of doors. The washing machine is started by flipping the simple starting wheel with your foot.
A spring election day dinner! The Ladies of the Presbyterian Church will serve a dinner from 11:30 a.m. until all are served. The dinner will be held at the M. W. A. Hall. Everyone was invited to come. The menu will included veal roast, brown gravy, mashed potatoes, scalloped tomatoes, fruit salad, cabbage salad, bread, butter, jelly, pickles, pie, and coffee.
Robbers enter garage: “Saturday night robbers entered the A. E. Hanson Auto Garage and made away with one Racine and five Kelly-Springfield tires. Entrance was gained by cutting out a window in the rear of the garage. Tracks in the soft ground showed where the tires were loaded and the wheel tracks of the vehicle were easily identified. Mr. Hanson has offered a reward of $225 for information that will lead to the recovery of the tires and the arrest and conviction of the parties who committed the robbery.”
50 years ago (1970)
In the spring election the Village had five candidates running for election to fill two three year terms: incumbents Marvin Jensen and Earl Lawson and three new candidates, Norris Breitbach, David Winch, and Gehard Lundey. Winners of the two three year terms were Norris Breitbach (471 votes) and Marvin Jensen (498 votes).
Mr. Rodney Chritton, a realtor from Stoughton opens an office in Oregon at 106 North Main Street. The Oregon office will be managed by Shirley Johnson.
About 40 youngsters took part in a Easter egg hunt. The youngster finding the most eggs got a prize. Also a special treat was to be found in two eggs each containing a Kennedy half-dollar.
A reception was held for retiring village clerk, Ivan Christensen. Janet Forman will be taking over the position.
The Annual Rotary Club banquet was held. The award wining athletics included Ron (Shorty) Johnson (football and wrestling); Jim Outhouse (football and most valuable wrestier); Russ Bentley (football most valuable, track and wrestling captain); Art Sandridge (football captain) Robert Navis (cross country captain); Hans Plummer (cross country, most valuable runner in track); Steve Blahnik (basketball and most valuable, football); Phil Wackman (football, basketball and track)); Kurt Ibach (basketball captain).
The Village Board granted the request of Edward Owen for the Boy Scout troop to rejuvenate the old water tower building; with the only cost to village being the materials.
Segebrecht Plumbing held a Grand Opening at their newly remodeled store located at 115 North Main Street. Roger and Carol Segebrecht are owners of the business.
The A & W Root Beer Stand opens for the season. April’s special is one free gallon of root beer with the purchase of ten regular hamburgers. The owners are Ken and Donna Dary.
The Squire Clothing Street is celebrating its Grand Opening of the Ladies’ Department and the 1st Anniversary of the store. The new store manager is Flora Brickner.
The BON-DON Shop advertises that on the third day of each week they will feature a $12.50 permanent special,
Laurie Kennan was crowned “Miss Oregon for 1970’”. A special “Miss Congeniality” award was won by Connie Ringen. For the second year in a row Thom McCan, WKOW radio and TV announcer, emceed the program.
Winners of high honors at the State Forensics Contest were Many Ann Johnson (“A” in Declamation Speech); Bob Navis, (“B” in 4 minute Speech); and Chris DeBoer (“A” Interpretation of poetry).
The Oregon School District named Gerald Zibell Brooklyn Elementary School Principal.
25 years ago (1995)
Two Oregon School District referendums failed: A $10.3 million plan to upgrade the high school and a $4.6 million project to improve three elementary school were turned down The unofficial vote count showed 2,220 “no votes” to 1904 “yes votes” on the high school project and 2,087 “no votes” to 2,045 “yes votes” on the elementary school improvements.
The Village of Oregon and City of Fitchburg reached an agreement to hire Rust Engineering to study the feasibility for a business park just across the village limits in Fitchburg along County Trunk Hwy.CC.
The Oregon Chamber of Commerce publishes a membership/handbook.
Fifty-year Masonic membership pins were presented to Perry Outhouse, George Outhouse, and Merle Richardson by Jim Groenier, Master of the Lodge.
Kristin Woodworth, a senior at OHS, and member of the Panther POM Squad, was recently honored at the 1995 Target National Cheer and Dance Championships held in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Kristin received recognition as the runner-up for the Award of Excellence.
School Bus Driver Appreciation Week was observed April 16-22. Bus drivers were Wanda Ace, Wayne Ace, Dan Butts, Lois Bavery, Russ Bavery, Bruce Carl, Neil Denton, Ione Gustrowsky, Ken Hagemann, Lois Hagemann, Charlie Hagstrom, Jim Hagstrom, Jerry Jensen, Ron Knipsel, John Lappley, Dave Lehman, Al Marshall, Casey Neath, Sandy Olson, Karen Parsons, Ken Schewe, Jeff Schmidt, Dick Sheil, Maria Traino, Dorothy Wendt, Wilfred Wendt, Alan Weidel, and Judy Wiedel.
Ginger’s School of Dance celebrated its 25th Anniversary. The teachers and students performed a 25th dance recital entitled “Tropical Paradise”.
Main Street Quarters announce the Grand Opening of their six room CBRF addition.
Mary Markam was honored at her retirement from WISO Industries. She started working there in November of 1973.
10 years ago (2010)
In the attempt to bring back the bluebirds, volunteers have erected bluebird houses on Bergamont’s Golf Course Oregon residents, Steve Fallon and Al Stock, have installed the first of 25 houses.
Twenty-seven exchange students from Wisconsin’s sister-state of Hessen Germany arrived in Oregon. The students are from Dreieich (Three Oaks) School in Langen, a small city 10 miles south of Frankfurt. This year marks their 20th year of the partnership. Next year the Oregon High School will send 17 students to Germany.
Local custodians kept the pressure on the Oregon School District to reverse a decision to subcontract out janitorial work.
Alton Erickson was honored for 50 years of service with the Brooklyn Volunteer Fire Department.
Seventy students, third and fourth graders, from Netherwood Knoll Elementary School presented performances of the musical, “Beauty and the Beast”.
Oregon hockey players, Paul Byrne, Tyler Stensaas, Austin Janssen, Ben Scherschel and Andy Behrend represented Oregon at the National Hockey Tournaments in West Chester, Pa.
Two graduating seniors, Abby Busler and Jason Hinz were named Oregon High School’s 2010 WIAA Scholar Athletics.
Winners of 3 year terms to the Oregon School Board were Lynda Farrar and Pam Hughes.
The Oregon Straw Hat Players presented a production of “Still Life with Iris”.
Don Forkner, WISCO’s vice-president of sales and marketing, retires after nearly 41 years with the company; having stared there in 1969.
Dan Kissling was named head football coach. Bob Prahl, the Panther’s head coach for the past 27 seasons, resigned his position in January.
The Village Board reverses its decision of April 6th and votes not to issue a liquor license to Walgreens.
Erika and Mike Weidler, owners of the Firefly Coffeehouse at the time, plan to double its size and increase the menu and staff.
Lynn Buyarski, OHS teacher, was honored at a state conference for her service and contributions to the FHA (Future Homemakers of America) and her work with Family Career and Community Leaders of America.
The OHS automotive team took top place at the Annual MATC competition. Members of the team were Ronnie Osborne, Cody Casper, Kevin Sommers, Brandon Markham, Tyler Ellingson, Louis Hardin, Andrew Walter, and Dan Sears.