Our timeline has been on hiatus since December as we figure out how to move forward with it. With a new year comes a new format that we think is a little more fun. We hope you like it.
January 2024 Timeline
75 Years Ago - January 1949
Local News
- Mrs. P. H. Dvergedal and Mrs. Scott Miller entertained at a miscellaneous shower and luncheon at the former’s home Saturday afternoon in honor of Mrs. Leo Crapp, (formerly Carol Johnson). Twenty-four guests were present and entertained at Bunco.
- Earl Frye, who has been attending the university, will receive his Bachelor of Science degree at the end of the semester.
- Mr. And Mrs. Wm Sholts entertained a number of friends at a card party Saturday evening. Honors at cards were won by Mrs. Wm. Steinhauer, Norman Champion, Mrs. Erwin Lawry and Wm. Steinhauer. The traveling prize was won by Ray Ellis.
- Mr. and Mrs. Ray Lawry have rented the John Sholts farm and will move into it March 1st. Mrs. Lawry has resigned her position with the Farmers Mutual Insurance Co.
- Mr. and Mrs. George Peterson attended the Wisco convention of Monday of last week and on Tuesday Alton Custer and George attended. Today, Wednesday, both George and Alton are attending a Frigidaire school at the Lorraine Hotel.
Events
The Oregon Fire Department is making elaborate plans for the annual banquet and program to be held on Tuesday evening of next week. The meeting will start promptly at 7:00 when the annual business meeting and election of officers will take place. At 7:30 dinner will be served by the Lutheran Ladies Aid Society. At 8:15 the program is scheduled to begin with G.L. Booth as Toastmaster. The feature of the program will be the presentation to the group as a class A rural Fire Department engineer for the Wisconsin Fire Insurance.
Berman – Johnson Wedding
The marriage of Miss Lucille Berman to Robert Johnson took place at 2 o’clock Saturday afternoon at the Rectory of the Catholic Church, the Rev. Jerome Hastrich, officiating. The couple was attended by Mr. and Mrs. James Bossingham. The bride wore an aqua suit dress with grey accessories and carried a prayer book. The matron of honor wore a gray dress with wine accessories. Both girls wore corsages. Both bride and grooms mothers, Mrs. Berman and Mrs. Johnson wore gowns in gray with colorful corsages. Following the ceremony at 4:00 supper was served at the home of the brides’ parents and in the evening a wedding dance was held at Club Barber. The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Casper Berman of Blooming Grove, formerly of Oregon. She is employed in the office of the Borst & Struck Co. in Oregon. The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Matt Johnson of Stoughton and is employed by Oregon Creamery. The couple will make their home in Oregon.
Household Hints
Left over egg yolks can be kept uncooked if you cover them with cold water or a spoonful of salad. Old, tired watercress, egg plant or cauliflower can be perked up again by soaking them head down in cold salted water for an hour before cooking.
Business news
One of the larger groups of hogs marketed in one day from one farm at Oscar Mayer and Company’s market at Madison came from the farm operated by Richardson and Taylor west of Oregon. On January 11th Richarson and Taylor sold to the Mayer market 106 hogs of the butcher type that averaged 223 pounds. These hogs were of good quality, very even in size, and were only 6 months old.
Note from the Observer
Because of the nature of our business, we are unable to close our shop on Thursday afternoons like the rest of the businessmen. Therefore, we feel we are entitled to take a few days off and tentative plans are to take a number of days in February. Those anticipating printing needs during the month are urged to bring it in as soon as possible and we will try to get it out before we go.
50 Years Ago: January 1974
Local News
- Mr. and Mrs. Robert Killerlain of Rt. 1, Oregon, flew to New York City on January 4, 1974 and then on to Lisbon, Portugal on January 6th. Along with 400 other Firestone salesmen and their wives, they will enjoy a week of fun while staying at the Lisbon-Sheraton Hotel – recently named “best hotel of the year in Portugal” . Robert won this trip as a reward for top achievement in a recent Firestone sales contest. He recently completed 32 years of service with Firestone.
- After almost 41 years in the Lutheran ministry, Pastor Immanuel Peterson is retiring from full-time service. Pastor Peterson was born in Kenmore, North Dakota and received his formal education in schools at Kenmore ND, Buffalo, WY, and Hutchinson, MN. He attended Dana College in Blair, Nebraska for three years and St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN where he graduated. His seminary education was received at Trinity Seminary in Blair where he graduated and was ordained in 1933. In 1958 he received and accepted a call from St. John’s Lutheran Church in Oregon. Mrs. Peterson ably assisted her husband as organist, choir director, leader, teacher and confidante, encouraging and supporting his work.
- The Oregon Sno-Blazers and Brooklyn Sno-Hornets held a membership dance at the Stable Supper Club. A great time was had by all with music provided by the Caravans. The two clubs held the dance to celebrate the completion of a new snowmobile bridge across the Sugar River at Dayton.
- Oregon’s wrestling team ran away with the Jefferson Invitational, outdistancing second place Milton by 39 points. The championship was Oregon’s second in a row and was truly a team victory as Oregon scored points at every weight.
Business
- In January 1974, local grocery stores ran the following ads:
- Jerry’s IGA: Sirloin Tip Steak at $1.29 lb.; ice cream at $1.39 gallon; oranges at 69 cents for a 5 lb. bag
- Paul’s Supermarket and Beverage Mart: Jonathan apples at 59 cents for a 3 lb. Bag; Duncan Hines Brownie mix (23-oz) at 62 cents; 12-oz cans of Old Style Beer at 12 for $1.99
- WISCO Manufacturing Co recently installed a new electric neon illuminated sign manufactured by Kennan Signs, one of Oregon’s new industries. Last summer, the new store front of Gamble’s was the first to install this type of sign. Dr. Kenneth “Doc” Coffman, the ‘smallest sign shop operator in Wisconsin’ is going into his third year as a country sign shop. The new WISCO sign shows the versatility of this custom sign method for any trademark, signature or type of lettering for any business – large or small.
School
- Several preliminary sketches showing ways of expanding the present high school were presented by Phil Helgeson, who said no decision was made on any of the drawings for the elementary school at this time. When asked if the board had any preference as to the type of layout the administration favored, Roland Cross answered that the administration favored an open concept similar to that now employed in the Middle School.
- The school lunch menu for the last week of January was: Monday – barbeques, hot dogs, buttered whole kernel corn, relishes, peach sauce, milk. Tuesday – oven fried chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, cabbage salad, cranberries, ice cream dixie cup, milk. Wednesday – Big bologna sandwiches, cheese logs, cream of tomato soup, crackers, relishes, fresh fruit, milk. Thursday – Ground beef-macaroni casserole, lettuce salad, fruit, frosted cinnamon bread and butter, fruit sauce, milk. Friday – No school- in service day
Village
Representatives of the highway department met with the village board in special session and informed the Village that no traffic lights at the downtown intersection could be granted. The reasons given were that official counts show that the traffic on the highway which goes through Oregon’s Main Street is not much over half of what it would have to be to warrant traffic signals, according to the highway code that representatives claim is followed very closely. We are in no way to argue; but we do know that it is certainly a mess, especially during the hours when people are going to and from work in Madison.
Brooklyn
A new innovation in Brooklyn – in the form of an unusual new sign on the Brooklyn State Bank building was erected. The attractive new electronic sign is now giving ultra-accurate time and temperature readings every four seconds from 6 a.m. to midnight every day of the year for the convenience of the public.
25 Years Ago: January 1999
Village
- Deadly carbon monoxide disaster averted:
- Seven people from a downtown building are lucky to be alive, said Oregon’s Fire Chief Randy Sellnow of how a near-tragedy was averted. A crack in a plastic direct-vent furnace pipe had formed and was spewing deadly carbon monoxide throughout the 100 year old block of buildings which houses Broux Nellies, Pizza Pit, an attorney’s office upstairs and four apartments at 101, 105 and 109 S Main St. After the carbon monoxide alarm went off, the fire department was called. The fire department instruments registered the carbon monoxide at 273ppm. Their instruments go off when the ppm reaches 30.
- The Oregon Village Board agreed unanimously to contribute approximately $30,000 for its share in a $980,000 purchase of the former Union Pacific rail line between Madison and Evansville. According to the Fitchburg Economic Development Coordinator Michael Zimmerman, the DOT has provided a grant of nearly $800,000 through the Wisconsin River Rail Transit Commission to cover 100 percent of the cost of the land in the rail corridor, and 80 percent of the rail line itself. Fitchburg and Oregon will each contribute $30,000. This purchase will also allow the development of a hopefully lucrative 230-acre business park that would straddle both sides of County MM from the Oregon village limits to highway 14. Discussions about the park’s creation have been underway for months and now they plan on moving ahead so that at least one business can break ground later this year.
Business
Maria’s marks a milestone: Maria’s Pizza 134 S Main St., is celebrating 20 years in business. The restaurant is owned and run by John Indelicato and his wife Joanne. His three daughters, Josie, Agnese and Alesandra also work at Maria’s.