Early Whitehall
The vicinity of Whitehall has a history dating back to 1855, when the first settlers arrived in this vicinity. The railroad came through late in 1873, and at that time the future site of the village was yielding a rich harvest of wheat. Up and down the Trempealeau Valley, and spreading into the tributary cooleys and valleys, many a prosperous farm could be found.
A mile up Pigeon Creek was located Old Whitehall, platted on May 23, 1862, by Alex. A. Arnold for Benjamin F. Wing. Another mile further up that creek was Coral City, platted May 28, 1868, by George Hodgkin for Phineas Wright. Both of these hamlets were flourishing trading points.
For a time it appeared that the railroad was to go westward from Blair to Arcadia, without following the northern loop of the river, but the present route was finally decided upon, and a village near this point assured.
The tracks were laid through the wheat field that is now Whitehall, on Sept. 2, 1873. Charles Adams, now a leading Whitehall merchant, was one of the crew. Where the courthouse now stands, the harvesters were gathering wheat.
In November, 1873, Theodore H. Earle arrived and selected the site for a dwelling. He was the son-in-law of Henry Ketchum, for several years president of the railroad, and his purpose was to establish a town in the interests of Mr. Ketchum and C. M. Kelley, a Green Bay grain capitalist and one of the backers of the Green Bay road.
On New Year's Day, 1874, the first passenger train passed Whitehall on regular schedule. That same day the lumber was unloaded for the first depot, and a section crew in charge of Charles Adams started putting in the sidetrack and switch. Jan. 4, C. J. Lambert purchased the first load of wheat at $1.00 a bushel. Jan. 6, Daniel C. Camp arrived as station agent and grain buyer for Elmore & Kelley. Jan. 20, the village was platted by T. H. Earle, C. M. Kelly and Henry Ketchum.
During the winter two grain houses went up, one owned by Elmore & Kelley, of Green Bay, and one by T. H. Earle and C. J. Lambert, who came here to make their homes. Mr. Earle's interest was soon acquired by H. E. Getts.
The first residence started was that of T. H. Earle, the second that of George Olds.
During the spring and summer of 1874, the village presented a scene of busy activity. Hotels, business houses and residences went up here and there, and before fall a flourishing hamlet had been established.
The first hotel was the Empire House, erected by Henry Stratton. The Alexander Hotel, owned by S. L. Alexander, and the Whitehall House, moved in part from Coral City by M. V. Allen, soon followed.
H. E. Getts built the first store. August Cook and Nelson Comstock started hardware stores, but before they could open the tornado demolished their buildings, and they never opened for business. The general store of L. H. Whitney was also swept by the tornado, but he at once rebuilt, and put in a stock of goods.
D. L. Camp put up a double block, and opened a general store in one side, while T. C. McDermott opened a hardware store in the other. C. E. Scott put up a building and opened a general store. Benjamin F. Wing, the original proprietor of Old Whitehall, moved in and erected a general store. John Rogerson and C. H. Warner opened a hardware store and Melby & Johnson a tailor shop.
The first carpenters to locate permanently in the new village were William Blodgett, Joseph Augustine, A. J. Roscoe and James Hiner. A year or two later came William Scott, also a carpenter, and Alonzo Tucker. a mason.
The first physician was Dr. R. G. Floyd.
Charles Adams thus describes the village in the late fall of 1874 :
South of the track and east of the street was the store of B. F. Wing.
North of the track and east of the street on the present site of the Model Store was the Alexander Hotel. North of what is now the John O. Melby & Co. Bank was the store of H. E. Getts, the building being still standing. D. L. Camp and T. C. McDermott were on the present site of the Solsrud Mercantile Co., Camp occupying the side farthest north.
East of the present site of the Solsrud building was the tailor shop of Melby & Johnson. East of this was L. H. Whitney, east of this were the foundations of the stores of August Cook and Nelson Comstock.
North of the track and west of the street north of the present location of the Huleatt Mercantile Company was the home of George Olds, the second residence in the village. North of this was the Rogerson & Warner store. On the northeast corner of the block was the store of C. E. Scott. The building is still standing. In this block, the first term of Circuit Court in Whitehall was held.
The Empire Hotel was on the present site of the American House. The Whitehall House, now called Hotel Allen, is still standing and is operated by Mrs. M. V. Allen.
The Earle House was a block east of the present site of the Model.
Various other residences were scattered about the plat.
The Trempealeau Messenger had already been started, Bert E. Clark having purchased the Galesville Journal and Recorder from George S. Luce and moved the material here.
A schoolhouse had been moved from its location a half mile east, and a new building, still standing but not now in use, had been built west of what is now the O. P. Larson residence.
The wisdom of the establishment of the village was shown by the fact that during the year there were shipped from Whitehall 225,000 bushels of wheat in addition to quantities of oats, barley and corn.
The village was now well established, the various lines of industry were satisfactorily represented, and during the next two years there were but few new business houses erected, though there were many additions to the number of residences. The schoolhouse was completed in 1875, and the Baptist and Methodist churches erected. In that and the succeeding year the new business houses were the grocery store of A. J. Cady, the tailor shop of M. C. Olson, the harness shop of Edward Romander, the general store of Decker & Lawton, the general store of Melvin Johnson, the lumberyards of A. S. Trow & Co. and T. H. Earle Company, and the liveries of Eugene Webster and J. R. King.
(from HISTORY OF TREMPEALEAU COUNTY WISCONSIN
Compiled by Franklyn Curtiss-Wedge
Edited by Eben Douglas Pierce, M.D.
H. C. Cooper, Jr., & Co.
Chicago and Winona 1917)
A mile up Pigeon Creek was located Old Whitehall, platted on May 23, 1862, by Alex. A. Arnold for Benjamin F. Wing. Another mile further up that creek was Coral City, platted May 28, 1868, by George Hodgkin for Phineas Wright. Both of these hamlets were flourishing trading points.
For a time it appeared that the railroad was to go westward from Blair to Arcadia, without following the northern loop of the river, but the present route was finally decided upon, and a village near this point assured.
The tracks were laid through the wheat field that is now Whitehall, on Sept. 2, 1873. Charles Adams, now a leading Whitehall merchant, was one of the crew. Where the courthouse now stands, the harvesters were gathering wheat.
In November, 1873, Theodore H. Earle arrived and selected the site for a dwelling. He was the son-in-law of Henry Ketchum, for several years president of the railroad, and his purpose was to establish a town in the interests of Mr. Ketchum and C. M. Kelley, a Green Bay grain capitalist and one of the backers of the Green Bay road.
On New Year's Day, 1874, the first passenger train passed Whitehall on regular schedule. That same day the lumber was unloaded for the first depot, and a section crew in charge of Charles Adams started putting in the sidetrack and switch. Jan. 4, C. J. Lambert purchased the first load of wheat at $1.00 a bushel. Jan. 6, Daniel C. Camp arrived as station agent and grain buyer for Elmore & Kelley. Jan. 20, the village was platted by T. H. Earle, C. M. Kelly and Henry Ketchum.
During the winter two grain houses went up, one owned by Elmore & Kelley, of Green Bay, and one by T. H. Earle and C. J. Lambert, who came here to make their homes. Mr. Earle's interest was soon acquired by H. E. Getts.
The first residence started was that of T. H. Earle, the second that of George Olds.
During the spring and summer of 1874, the village presented a scene of busy activity. Hotels, business houses and residences went up here and there, and before fall a flourishing hamlet had been established.
The first hotel was the Empire House, erected by Henry Stratton. The Alexander Hotel, owned by S. L. Alexander, and the Whitehall House, moved in part from Coral City by M. V. Allen, soon followed.
H. E. Getts built the first store. August Cook and Nelson Comstock started hardware stores, but before they could open the tornado demolished their buildings, and they never opened for business. The general store of L. H. Whitney was also swept by the tornado, but he at once rebuilt, and put in a stock of goods.
D. L. Camp put up a double block, and opened a general store in one side, while T. C. McDermott opened a hardware store in the other. C. E. Scott put up a building and opened a general store. Benjamin F. Wing, the original proprietor of Old Whitehall, moved in and erected a general store. John Rogerson and C. H. Warner opened a hardware store and Melby & Johnson a tailor shop.
The first carpenters to locate permanently in the new village were William Blodgett, Joseph Augustine, A. J. Roscoe and James Hiner. A year or two later came William Scott, also a carpenter, and Alonzo Tucker. a mason.
The first physician was Dr. R. G. Floyd.
Charles Adams thus describes the village in the late fall of 1874 :
South of the track and east of the street was the store of B. F. Wing.
North of the track and east of the street on the present site of the Model Store was the Alexander Hotel. North of what is now the John O. Melby & Co. Bank was the store of H. E. Getts, the building being still standing. D. L. Camp and T. C. McDermott were on the present site of the Solsrud Mercantile Co., Camp occupying the side farthest north.
East of the present site of the Solsrud building was the tailor shop of Melby & Johnson. East of this was L. H. Whitney, east of this were the foundations of the stores of August Cook and Nelson Comstock.
North of the track and west of the street north of the present location of the Huleatt Mercantile Company was the home of George Olds, the second residence in the village. North of this was the Rogerson & Warner store. On the northeast corner of the block was the store of C. E. Scott. The building is still standing. In this block, the first term of Circuit Court in Whitehall was held.
The Empire Hotel was on the present site of the American House. The Whitehall House, now called Hotel Allen, is still standing and is operated by Mrs. M. V. Allen.
The Earle House was a block east of the present site of the Model.
Various other residences were scattered about the plat.
The Trempealeau Messenger had already been started, Bert E. Clark having purchased the Galesville Journal and Recorder from George S. Luce and moved the material here.
A schoolhouse had been moved from its location a half mile east, and a new building, still standing but not now in use, had been built west of what is now the O. P. Larson residence.
The wisdom of the establishment of the village was shown by the fact that during the year there were shipped from Whitehall 225,000 bushels of wheat in addition to quantities of oats, barley and corn.
The village was now well established, the various lines of industry were satisfactorily represented, and during the next two years there were but few new business houses erected, though there were many additions to the number of residences. The schoolhouse was completed in 1875, and the Baptist and Methodist churches erected. In that and the succeeding year the new business houses were the grocery store of A. J. Cady, the tailor shop of M. C. Olson, the harness shop of Edward Romander, the general store of Decker & Lawton, the general store of Melvin Johnson, the lumberyards of A. S. Trow & Co. and T. H. Earle Company, and the liveries of Eugene Webster and J. R. King.
(from HISTORY OF TREMPEALEAU COUNTY WISCONSIN
Compiled by Franklyn Curtiss-Wedge
Edited by Eben Douglas Pierce, M.D.
H. C. Cooper, Jr., & Co.
Chicago and Winona 1917)