100 YEARS AGO
AUGUST 1922
- The Flint school house, in the town of Rutland, was struck by lightning Tuesday evening and burned to the ground. The school will be rebuilt at once.
- Harold Ace returned home from Shullsburg where he enjoyed a month with his uncle.
- Among those who attended the American Legion convention at Beloit last week were Mrs. A.F. Cline, Miss Christie Johnson, Anton Therkelsen and William Minch
- Mrs. Arthur Paulson entertained 20 little folks on Monday afternoon in honor of the fifth birthday of her daughter Florice. The little tots had a big time at games which was followed by a luncheon.
- Eleven gold star mothers registered Sunday in the governor’s reception room at Madison on the book of “supreme sacrifices” and among the number was the name of Mrs. O. J. Johnson for Ben J. Johnson, Co M 128 infantry.
- Miss Anna Nelson, who has conducted a restaurant in the Rasmussen block for the past 19 years closed the doors last Saturday and has discontinued the business. She took this step rather than submit to an increase in submit to an increase in rent for the building.
A Ford ad from 100 years ago
50 YEARS AGO
AUGUST 1972
- Chefs at the big annual Oregon Fireman’s Picnic Sunday labor over the succulent roast pig which, together with barbecued chicken provided all those in attendance with an abundance of food, in addition to refreshments games and fun for all. Left to right, standing is Donny Doyle, the local gourmet whose skills in this field are in heavy demand at many activities. Pete Nichols, Marv Jensen and Neal Denton. Kneeling in front are Lloyd Bavery and Johnny Marks.
- Attorney Jack McManus, accompanied by his son Tom, recently spent a week in the Cayman Islands combining business with a vacation trip.
- Sgt. Alan Gransee, son of Mr. and Mrs. Earl Gransee, Oregon, has recently been transferred and is now stationed in Naples. His wife Mary Jane and two year old daughter Susan are currently living in Madison and will join him as soon as possible.
- Supt. And Mrs. Phillip Helgesen entertained the Principals and wives of Oregon Consolidated Schools at a buffet for dinner last Wednesday evening. Comprising the guest list were Messers. and Mmmes. Karl Aherns, Edward Guzlewski, Roland Cross, Cal Callaway, Henry Appel, Gerald Zibell and James Clark.
- Mrs. LaVerne Stordock and son, Daniel, just returned from spending a week visiting with her brother, Robert Brandson and family at the summer home in St. Germain. Dan and Mrs. Stordock also spent four days at their summer place at Ojibwa.
AUGUST 1997
25 YEARS AGO
- The Adventures in Early Childhood and Play to Learn classes enjoyed a visit from a local folk singer. The students actively participated through singing and dancing. The classes also visited the fire station and library, had a visit from a well-trained dog and a zoo keeper with zoo animals.
- A space needs study commissioned by the Village of Oregon said the village needed to expand its administrative offices and department offices to adequately serve the residents of the village. Architects unveiled their draft Space Needs Study offering three expansion options. Each option included moving the Oregon Police Department out of the Oregon Village Hall.
- Wisconsin Power and Light presented checks to two UW-Madison graduate students for creating a redevelopment strategy for downtown Oregon. The project was sponsored by the Village Economic Development Commission with additional funding provided by the WP&L Foundation, Oregon Chamber of Commerce and other private donors.
- For the fifth year in a row, Washington, D.C. was the destination for some of the eighth graders after the school was over. 50 students and five teachers spent four days in Jamestown and Williamsburg, VA as well as Washington, D.C. One of the first stops was the American History Museum at the Smithsonian where they got to see the original flag that flew over Ft. McHenry, MD, the night that the Star Spangled Banner was written.
- Oregon eighth graders at the nation’s capitol.
- It looked like a major crime scene, people standing around, police cars lined up with lights flashing and crowds of people stood around watching. However, it was the complete opposite. It was America’s Night Out Against Crime and Oregon’s National Night Out was a big success.
- The population signs on the outskirts of Oregon with their 1990 population figure conceal the fact that Oregon is really the third fastest growing village in Dane County and that it’s increased in size by one-third in only seven years. The Department of Revenue released the latest population estimate for the village at 6,158 as of January 1, 1997. The new figure reflects the addition of 1,639 people to the village since 1990 and represents a 36.2 percent increase in the population.
AUGUST 2012
10 YEARS AGO
- Local police are investigating two burglaries in the Bergamont neighborhood last month. Both burglaries took place on Riveria Street. Police Lt. Karey Clark stated authorities have identified a suspect but declined to comment further.
- Bergey Jewelry celebrates 40 years. Jeff Bergey was just 20 years old when he took over the jewelry store from previous owner Earl Reeves. The jewelry business is in is blood. His parents opened the first Bergey Jewelry in Mt. Horeb in 1951.
- If you think you read a lot, you have nothing on Jim Cox. In the comfort of his duplex on Orchard Drive, Cox often plows through 2 books a day – one fiction and one non-fiction before writing short reviews about each. It’s a “dream job” he’s held since 1976 as founder and editor-in-chief-of Midwest Book Review. The books that Cox reads represent a fraction of the estimated 700-800 books a month reviewed by a cadre of nearly 80 volunteers under his watch.
- Chamber of Commerce Director Brett Frazier sent an email to village administrator Mike Gracz in May proposing a “conceptual discussion” about sharing space and managing OCA Media on a contract basis. His saw this as a way to reduce OCA Media’s expenses and secure its future. However, OCA Media did not seem so excited about the concept. They said until last week’s meeting they did not know Frazier was interest in possibly managing the operation or the staff. And since they are under budget and have had a surplus for the last two years, they do not believe they need to be rescued.
- Volunteers spent nearly a decade restoring the historic Rutland Center Church, one of the last remnants of a town that preceded he Town of Rutland just south of Oregon on highway 14. Mark Hanson and Myron Bacon are among a group of volunteers that used grant money, donated labor and sweat to restore one of the state’s oldest churches. “it’s the last surviving building of the little town of Rutland Center” Mark Hanson stated, adding that the town once had a hotel, school, two taverns and seven houses.