95 Years Ago – April 3, 1930
Exhibits and illustrated lectures stressing the importance of alfalfa and sweet clover in Wisconsin will be given at Owen on Friday, April 11 in the Soo Line Exhibit Cars. The program will be given by the Soo Line Agricultural Department assisted by George Briggs, nationally known as “Soy Bean” Briggs of the Agronomy Department of the State Agricultural College.
The Idle Hour Theatre of Owen opened its first talking picture last Thursday and the popular playhouse has been filled to capacity each night since.
85 Years Ago – April 4, 1940
Friday night at about midnight a red pick-up truck whose driver apparently forgot his ways and means of operation and directions drove into the Legault Hospital building. Although the damage done was of minor extent and of little cost for replacement the crash made a great deal of noise and disturbed many of the patients confined within the building.
75 Years Ago – April 6, 1950
Officials of the Soo Line Railway were informed during the week that their passenger train No. 1 will be pulling two extra cars on Sunday, April 9, when the train passes through here at 12:03 p.m. Riding in the special cars will be the Duke and Duchess of Windsor and their aides.
65 Years Ago – April 7, 1960
Safety practices pertaining to the railroads and their properties is being taught this week, and next, to the Owen-Withee Public Schools and also at the Holy Rosary parochial school, Owen.
A second meeting of the Curtiss School District was held on Tuesday evening, March 29. The school board and principal of the Abbotsford School were present to speak on the district’s attachment to their district.
55 Years Ago – April 2, 1970
Mr. and Mrs. Ray “Slim” Graham and family drove their daughter Kathleen to the Twin Cities airport Monday where she enplaned for a flight to London, England. Within the month Miss Graham will be married to Kenneth Leo who she met and became engaged to while studying in England last summer.
45 Years Ago – April 3, 1980
A city of Owen pickup was destroyed by fire on Wednesday morning, March 19, 1980 at the site of the Owen sewage treatment plant. According to Owen mayor Tauno Ranta and O-W Fire Chief, Tom Gehrke, the accidental fire occurred when Owen city worker, Gary Smith was using a propane torch. He was carrying the lighted torch, and apparently tripped on the torch hose, and pulled over the propane tank, blowing fire all over the pickup truck parked nearby.
Three male persons, armed with a BB air rifle, a sealed cartridge BB pistol, and a sealed pellet gun, went on a shooting spree which took them all over northern Clark County, north of Highway 29, and into southern Taylor County, Sunday afternoon, March 30, 1980. For approximately a three hour period, local police officers from Taylor and Clark counties as well as village and city police officers from Owen, Withee, and Thorp responded to calls from residents, who complained of windows being shot out by the three, who were traveling about in a red vehicle.
35 Years Ago – April 5, 1990
Members of the Owen-Withee business community gathered at Meadowview Golf Course, Monday evening, March 26 for their second annual yearly get together. Virginia Barager gave a talk about her life in business and her plans on her retirement.
25 Years Ago – April 5, 2000
The entrance to the newly remodeled Clark County Courthouse in Neillsville, was dedicated, Sunday, April 2. Visitors toured the $8.3 million facility before and after the dedication ceremony.
The new water tower is up in Withee. Be watching and you will maybe catch Bud Stratton up there painting it soon. Supposedly, it will be light blue with dark blue lettering.
15 Years Ago – April 7, 2010
On March 25, 2010, the White House announced President Obama’s nomination of Dallas S. Neville to serve as U.S. Marshal for the Western District of Wisconsin. He was with the Clark County Sheriff’s Department for 14 years with six years as elected sheriff and also served as U.S. Marshal for the Western District of Wisconsin from 1994 to 2002.