95 Years Ago – April 23, 1931
At a meeting of the city council held Tuesday evening Henry Reigel was appointed chief of police and will enter upon his new duties May 1.
The special train bearing the King and Queen of Siam stopped for a few minutes here Monday evening. Several spectators were at the depot to get a glimpse of the royal party.
Theo. Alberts will open a hardware store in the former Pedersen Vulcanizing Shop at Withee. He is receiving large shipments of goods daily and will have his opening next Monday when coffee and sandwiches will be served free all day.
A one cent drop in the price of gasoline went into effect here Saturday at the various filling and service stations. This brings the retail price of low test gas to 12.4¢, which with the 4¢ gasoline tax added makes 16.4¢, with high test and ethyl gas cents higher.
85 Years Ago – April 24, 1941
With a heavy percentage of their student body coming from the rural district the Withee school system was forced to discontinue school all last week because of the impossibility of getting their students to school due to the conditions of the rural roads. The two school buses were unable to complete their routes and even with the reopening of school Monday of this week the buses could only make part of their routes.
75 Years Ago – April 25, 1951
William P. Hilt, Owen’s oldest businessman from the standpoint of years of being in business Monday sold his jewelry business to Mr. Donald C. Rinehart of Medford.
65 Years Ago – April 27, 1961
Meeting at the Meadowview Country Club Monday night 40 electors attended the annual meeting at which time the major issue was the endorsement of plans calling for the construction of a new clubhouse. Tentative plans being studied by the directors pertaining to the proposed clubhouse provides for 2,800 square foot of floor space including locker rooms for both the men and women, showers, kitchen, large dining room and bar.
Unless a written objection is filed with the Public Service Commission within 20 days of the 21st of April the Soo Line Railway will retire and remove the depot building at the non-agency station in Withee. Service by the railway from this terminal was discontinued.
The Clark County and Taylor County school committees granted a petition for attachment of the Longwood School to the Owen-Withee system on Tuesday, April 25. That same evening a portion of the Longwood area was ordered attached to the Greenwood system.
55 Years Ago – April 29, 1971
The U.S. Geological Survey says it has found undesirable concentrations of arsenic in Lake Winnebago and in western Wisconsin’s Black River.
The Owen A&W Root Beer Stand has been purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Tom Strey of Greenwood. They will soon be moving to Owen with their mobile home which will be located in the trailer court.
45 Years Ago – April 23, 1981
One of the changes proposed by new Owen mayor Richard Hughes involves the number of meetings the council will hold in a month. Hughes said that for the next couple of months, he would like to convene the council twice a month instead of once a month.
Mr. and Mrs. James Tanner, formerly of Withee, announce the engagement of their daughter, Lori K. Tanner, to Scott L. Fritz, son of Mr. and Mrs. Larry Fritz, Rt. 2, Owen. A September 11 wedding is being planned.
35 Years Ago – April 25, 1991
Owen-Withee Band Director Jim Scheuer has been named to the staff of the Wisconsin School Music Association’s 1991 State Honors Band. Mr. Scheuer will serve as the percussion section leader for this year’s honors group.
25 Years Ago – April 25, 2001
Joyce and Don Rinehart celebrated the rare distinction of 50 years of being in business last Friday with an open house and refreshments.
Ed Gelhaus, a junior at Owen-Withee and the son of Dr. Tom and Mary Gelhaus, has auditioned and been accepted into the 2001 Wisconsin State Honors Vocal Jazz Ensemble.
15 Years Ago – April 27, 2011
What was supposed to be a routine Common Council Organizational Meeting on Tuesday, April 19, at city hall brought an unexpected development. Mayor Tim Swiggum, who was elected earlier in April for a sixth two-year term, declined to take the oath of office. Stephen Heggemeier, president of the Owen Common Council, then stepped in and took the oath of office and became mayor.