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Alphabetical Listing WESTBY'S SYTTENDE MAI ROMMEGROT Westby Area Historical Society
Country Coon Prairie Church
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History of Westby Stabbur ~ Nisse ~ Norwegian History ~ Genealogy ~ County Coon Prairie ~ Round Barns ~ Newspaper Articles ~ 100 Plus Years ~ Recipes Don't forget to check out the Area History section at our local library!
In Norway, the Stabbur is used as a storehouse. Traditionally this is the place where courtships began..... Evelyn Larson:
Nisse: The American/Norwegian Nisse is the happy go lucky type and not a gloomy gus. To learn more click here!
This area was populated with the Sac, Fox, and especially the Winnebago tribes. However, the Winnebago population started to decrease in this area after the Black Hawk War of 1832 in western Vernon County. On November 1, 1837, the Winnebago ceded all land east of the Mississippi to the United States.
Norwegian immigrants
settled in the area in 1848. In 1867, Ole T. Westby built a general store
here. Ole also served the Union in the Civil War. When the Chicago,
Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad
completed its line from Sparta to Viroqua,
it made Westby a station, and named it after Ole T. Westby. The village was
incorporated in
For more information on Norwegian History, go to: Vesterheim-Norwegian History in Decorah, Iowa http://www.library.byu.edu/nrdh/eurodocs/norway.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Norway Are you looking for Norwegian Heritage? Try:
www.Ancestry.com
"Committee’s Forward: Coon Prairie congregation in 1925 elected a committee to prepare a congregational history for its 75th anniversary which will be held the 14th-21st of August 1927...." Excerpt taken from Coon Prairie Churches by Hjalmar R. Holand
Click here for the full story! Click here to view and search Cemetery listings
Local interest in the round barns of Vernon County began with a phone call from Fulton County, Indiana, the self-proclaimed "round barn capital of the world.: June Zalewskei, who was at the time president of the Vernon County Historical Society, took the call. The caller said that a visitor to the Fulton County Museum had remarked, "I think Vernon County, Wisconsin has more round barns than you do," and wanted to verify whether this statement might be correct. Click here for the full story! Westby, a city of between 1500 and 1600 persons, is situated upon a prairie in the north central part of Vernon County. Through Westby’s Main Street pass U.S. Highways 14, 27 and 61. Click here for the full story!
Remember Westby in 1910? – Some do By Margaret Gulsvig on 10-28-93 This aging post card, belonging to Raymond Rude, is a 1910 view of Westby’s Main Street, looking south. Click here for the full story! Thoreson House "Theodore and Katherine Thoreson built the Thoreson House in 1892. In 1881 Theodore had brought his family to Westby, a new Norwegian settlement, growing rapidly due to the presence of the railroad lines. He and his father, Ole, started a lumber business. One recognizes their trade when seeing the beautiful use of wood in the interior, especially downstairs. Bird's eye maple and oak are used throughout the house. Wooden pocket doors between the living and dining rooms are in their original condition. Now owned by the Westby Area Historical Society, it serves as a central site for local history and lore. Membership is open to all interested in preserving Westby area history." (Taken from the 2001 Westby Area Historical Society Calendar) Westby Co-op Creamery On October 31, 1903,
Articles of Incorporation were drawn and 300 Vernon County Ben Logan Mill 1905 The CARGILL era - The Construction of the Grain Elevator. The Cargill family completed
construction of the La Crosse & Southeastern Railroad (see
Norskedalen Heritage Center
If your building or business has celebrated a 100 year anniversary, the Westby Area Chamber of Commerce would like to extend a hand of thank you for your community support and development! Please click here to email us your story with pictures! |
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County Coon
Prairie - Norwegian
History -
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The site
was originally a police station. Once the police station moved downtown, the
first responders of Westby moved in that site. During their time, the original
building burned down. The land was vacant for several years while the City of
Westby moved on. Then one day the Stabbur was found on Monroe Johnson’s (of
Cashton) farm. Monroe had traveled to Norway and, seeing this unique shape, came
back and built one for himself. The City of Westby, wanting the building as
their tourism site, sent Elaine Lund to investigate. Monroe agreed to allow
it. 
Evelyn began painting
on mirrors and selling them in 1951.There is one in a show case at the
Snowflake building in Timber Coulee. It is now 55 years old. Mirror painting
turned into sign lettering in 1954, along with lettering trucks and store
windows. There were three barns with a design and lettering, one remains
south of town. The Old Town Ranch with a horse design, done 48 years ago,
1958. From 1956 to 1960 there were 58 trucks and 423 signs lettered.
In 1996, Vernon County, Wisconsin has 15 round barns
built in the early decades of the twentieth century. With one exception, the
barns are located in the eastern part of the county near Ontario, Mt. Tabor
and Trippville. Therefore, we organized this booklet as a circle tour
beginning at Viroqua traveling west to the one barn located in that part of
the county, then returning to Viroqua and driving east to the locations of
the other 14 barns. 
farmers each purchased a $10 capital stock certificate to form the
Westby Cooperative Creamery. By pooling their money, resources and
product, they hoped to build a future for themselves and their families.
They did not know they would be forming a business entity that would
become the anchor of their community, and continue to be a part of their
great great great great great grandchildren's lives. They just thought
they would make butter. And they have...for 100 years.
Railroad
page for complete details on this very short lived but extremely
interesting railroad) which ran from La Crosse to Viroqua, going through
5 Vernon County villages. The Cargill family, then as now, were
heavily invested in the agri-business of grain trading so besides
building the railroad they built a grain elevator in each of the 5
villages, including the one at the corner of Second and Bekkedal in
Westby. Above you see a postcard with a photo which shows that
the tracks and the grain elevator had been completed.
Unfortunately the elevator was torn down in the 1970's. The 50 ft x 28
ft mill warehouse that was built on the east side of the Cargill grain
elevator, probably not built until about 1910, still
stand today at the corner of Bekkedal & Second. It has stood the test of
time, withstanding storms
which destroyed several neighboring buildings! 
If
you're a history buff or really like historic buildings, you may also visit
Norskedalen's Skumsrud Heritage Farm located 3 1/2 miles from the main
center. This site features a dozen restored historic buildings each
representing a different architectural style and floor plan. Buildings
include the 1853 Skumsrud
cabin on the National Register of Historic Places; the one-room Erickson
School; the Heiren-Wold house complete with faux painting on floors and
walls; and much more. This site also has a gift shop and is such a
picturesque rural setting.
Norskedalen
Nature and Heritage Center is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to
preserve, interpret and educate the area¹s cultural and natural history to
visitors, school children, and group tours alike. Norskedalen is a special
blend of history, culture, nature, and everyday life. If you need a
refreshing, rejuvenating hiatus Norskedalen will provide a special break for
you, and your family.