Whitehall
The village of Whitehall was laid out and platted January 20, 1874, under the supervision of Theodore H. Earle, by Henry Ketchum and D. M. Kelly, two of the principal promotors of the G.B. & W. R. R. Neither of them furnished much, if any, of the capital that went into the building of the railroad.
John Insley Blair, after whom Blair is named, furnished most of the money, but Ketchum, I know, furnished a generous amount of “wind” to fan the enthusiasm of the voters along the line to bond several towns to help get the road through. For this he was roundly “cussed” afterwards, for there are always a number of people who will argue: “The road will be built anyway, whether we contribute or not.”
But there are still hundreds of communities in our country without railroad facilities such as they desire.
Earle was Ketchum’s son-in-law and for some years at least, was “Boss” of the village. He came here in November, 1873. He built and occupied a house — since enlarged — where Thomas H. Gage now lives, until he moved to Darlington, Wis. Earle was a big man physically, and mentally as well. He was breezy, impulsive, had a hair-trigger temper and a tongue that cut like a rapier. When angry he poured forth a flood of expletives that are still barred from appearing in standard dictionaries, with his friends he was a social genial, full of wit and humor. He was generous, almost to a fault, in the support of men and measures that he approved, and equally liberal in opposing things he did not like. Always public spirited, he spared no effort in forwarding the interests of Whitehall. I think it was at one time generally conceded that Whitehall would not have become the County seat had it not been for his push and tact. Being a democrat accounts for the fact that his name is not in the Wisconsin Blue Book. He was one of the first real friends I found in Whitehall. This may tend to blind me as to his faults and mistakes, but I feel that his virtues far out-balanced his errors. Even his copious vocabulary he found often inadequate to express his contempt for hypocrisy and meanness. I remember him with gratitude. Whitehall should not forget him.
The first passenger train that passed through Whitehall was on Dec. 18, 1873, and Earle being first on the ground, established his place of business near the depot where Nelson and Larson are now located.
He dealt in grain, lumber and machinery. He was agent for the last, and probably the most popular, reaper ever sold in this country — the Perry Royce. Then came the Marsh Harvester, soon to be followed by self-binders.
The second man on main street was George Olds. He came here Feb. l, 1874. Though he lacked the force and fluency of Earle, he was as much of a “character” as Mr. Earle, only different. He established his office and residence where Isaac Nelson now holds forth. From the time a post-office was given to the village in 1874, he was postmaster under Republican and Democratic administrations for 15 years. Notwithstanding that during all these years, in season and out of season, he advocated prohibition. Arguments was part of his daily diet. Samuel S. Miller, our first real lawyer used to say of him that he was the hardest man to get the best of in discussing politics that he ever encountered. He was a master in the use of sarcasm, irony and ridicule. His words came not like a torrent as they did from his neighbor up the street; they came rather like lances of lightning, shredding and splintering the arguments of his opponents.
They at times burned like acids and sometimes left wounds. But his earnestness and integrity was so generally acknowledged that wounds healed rapidly and men returned again and again to receive his vitriolic arrows. His hospitality and “good table” was as well known4as his argumentive inclinations, and being a consistent follower of John Wesley, his place was usually the first and last rendezvous for all the wandering M. E. preachers who came to town. During my youth and young man-hood I learned many things from him, and knew him as a constant friend. Too bad he could not have lived to see the 18th Amendment adopted.
The next man on Main Street was H. E. Getts, who in March 1874, began a mercantile business in the building now owned and occupied by Theo. B. Olson. Getts was strictly a business man; quiet, unassuming and a heroic worker. He did a large business for years. But most of the sales were made on time, often to people just settled, whose character and means were unknown. The result was loss, disappointment, broken health and spirits. It is pathetic to think of anyone, who after a life-time of worry and work, has to quit with nothing, but especially sad to recall in memory a friend or neighbor who, struggled to the farthest point of endurance and lived temperately and frugally as did Mr. Getts, and then to fail in attaining a reasonable reward at the end of his work.
Every village has one street and some villages have more. The first street usually becomes the Main Street, but does not always bear that name.
In Whitehall, the Main street is also “Main Street”. This street is now in fair condition; perhaps, I ought to say, good condition.
The approaches to it from North and South are not where they ought to be. A considerable number of people, especially transients, have noticed this and wondered why. Some say that the reason Main Street was not laid out in line with the road entering the village from the south, is that the depot was located before the village was platted, hence the street was pushed east to make room for depot grounds. This glaring error will never be remedied. The roundabout entrance to Main Street from the North is accounted for by the fact that those who had charge of the financial affairs of the town of Lincoln at the time the village was laid out, found the place where the bridge across the Trempealeau River is located the cheapest place to build a bridge, and money was scarce in those days, just after the “Crime of 1873” had been committed. So we have still that awkward and unesthetic entrance to our beautiful village. This ought to be remedied and undoubtedly will be within a few years.
H. A. Anderson
(From the files of Judge H. A. Anderson, House of Memories, Whitehall
Copy courtesy Trempealeau county Historical Society)
John Insley Blair, after whom Blair is named, furnished most of the money, but Ketchum, I know, furnished a generous amount of “wind” to fan the enthusiasm of the voters along the line to bond several towns to help get the road through. For this he was roundly “cussed” afterwards, for there are always a number of people who will argue: “The road will be built anyway, whether we contribute or not.”
But there are still hundreds of communities in our country without railroad facilities such as they desire.
Earle was Ketchum’s son-in-law and for some years at least, was “Boss” of the village. He came here in November, 1873. He built and occupied a house — since enlarged — where Thomas H. Gage now lives, until he moved to Darlington, Wis. Earle was a big man physically, and mentally as well. He was breezy, impulsive, had a hair-trigger temper and a tongue that cut like a rapier. When angry he poured forth a flood of expletives that are still barred from appearing in standard dictionaries, with his friends he was a social genial, full of wit and humor. He was generous, almost to a fault, in the support of men and measures that he approved, and equally liberal in opposing things he did not like. Always public spirited, he spared no effort in forwarding the interests of Whitehall. I think it was at one time generally conceded that Whitehall would not have become the County seat had it not been for his push and tact. Being a democrat accounts for the fact that his name is not in the Wisconsin Blue Book. He was one of the first real friends I found in Whitehall. This may tend to blind me as to his faults and mistakes, but I feel that his virtues far out-balanced his errors. Even his copious vocabulary he found often inadequate to express his contempt for hypocrisy and meanness. I remember him with gratitude. Whitehall should not forget him.
The first passenger train that passed through Whitehall was on Dec. 18, 1873, and Earle being first on the ground, established his place of business near the depot where Nelson and Larson are now located.
He dealt in grain, lumber and machinery. He was agent for the last, and probably the most popular, reaper ever sold in this country — the Perry Royce. Then came the Marsh Harvester, soon to be followed by self-binders.
The second man on main street was George Olds. He came here Feb. l, 1874. Though he lacked the force and fluency of Earle, he was as much of a “character” as Mr. Earle, only different. He established his office and residence where Isaac Nelson now holds forth. From the time a post-office was given to the village in 1874, he was postmaster under Republican and Democratic administrations for 15 years. Notwithstanding that during all these years, in season and out of season, he advocated prohibition. Arguments was part of his daily diet. Samuel S. Miller, our first real lawyer used to say of him that he was the hardest man to get the best of in discussing politics that he ever encountered. He was a master in the use of sarcasm, irony and ridicule. His words came not like a torrent as they did from his neighbor up the street; they came rather like lances of lightning, shredding and splintering the arguments of his opponents.
They at times burned like acids and sometimes left wounds. But his earnestness and integrity was so generally acknowledged that wounds healed rapidly and men returned again and again to receive his vitriolic arrows. His hospitality and “good table” was as well known4as his argumentive inclinations, and being a consistent follower of John Wesley, his place was usually the first and last rendezvous for all the wandering M. E. preachers who came to town. During my youth and young man-hood I learned many things from him, and knew him as a constant friend. Too bad he could not have lived to see the 18th Amendment adopted.
The next man on Main Street was H. E. Getts, who in March 1874, began a mercantile business in the building now owned and occupied by Theo. B. Olson. Getts was strictly a business man; quiet, unassuming and a heroic worker. He did a large business for years. But most of the sales were made on time, often to people just settled, whose character and means were unknown. The result was loss, disappointment, broken health and spirits. It is pathetic to think of anyone, who after a life-time of worry and work, has to quit with nothing, but especially sad to recall in memory a friend or neighbor who, struggled to the farthest point of endurance and lived temperately and frugally as did Mr. Getts, and then to fail in attaining a reasonable reward at the end of his work.
Every village has one street and some villages have more. The first street usually becomes the Main Street, but does not always bear that name.
In Whitehall, the Main street is also “Main Street”. This street is now in fair condition; perhaps, I ought to say, good condition.
The approaches to it from North and South are not where they ought to be. A considerable number of people, especially transients, have noticed this and wondered why. Some say that the reason Main Street was not laid out in line with the road entering the village from the south, is that the depot was located before the village was platted, hence the street was pushed east to make room for depot grounds. This glaring error will never be remedied. The roundabout entrance to Main Street from the North is accounted for by the fact that those who had charge of the financial affairs of the town of Lincoln at the time the village was laid out, found the place where the bridge across the Trempealeau River is located the cheapest place to build a bridge, and money was scarce in those days, just after the “Crime of 1873” had been committed. So we have still that awkward and unesthetic entrance to our beautiful village. This ought to be remedied and undoubtedly will be within a few years.
H. A. Anderson
(From the files of Judge H. A. Anderson, House of Memories, Whitehall
Copy courtesy Trempealeau county Historical Society)