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Early History of Westby 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. The first settlers arrived on the prairie here shortly before mid-point of the last century. An early history must include Even Olson Gullord, who walked here from Galena, Illinois to become Coon Prairie’s pathfinder and trail blazer for those who would follow. Before the arrival of the first white settler the land had been the hunting grounds of the Winnebago Indians, who gave up title to the territory in the treaty in 1837 with the United States government. Many of the Indians continued to live in the vicinity, keeping a watchful eye on the whites as they built their homes and established farms. The influx of settlers about mid-century consisted largely of Norwegian immigrants who perhaps were struck by the similarity of the hilly countryside with their native land. The land upon which the future village and city was to be situated was purchased from the government by a number of Norwegian pioneers whose farms joined at this point. These first settlers included Hans Ramsrud, Ole Syverson, Joseph Bergum, Joseph Odegaarden Peterson and Nels Hanson Neprud. The settlement was first platted in 1879 when the Milwaukee Railroad came through and it remained under the rule of the Town of Christiana until it was incorporated as a village in 1896. It was to be named after Ole Westby, who built the first store here in 1869 with lumber hauled from Black River Falls. He built a larger store in 1874. The arrival of the railroad in 1879 brought with it a crew of 70 workers who boarded in the community, resulting in a building boom of three stores, two grain stores, warehouses, a lumber yard, blacksmith shop and several dwellings. Early merchants in addition to Ole Westby included Christian Hanson Ballsrud and Johan Michelet. Emily Westby opened a private school in 1880. A school district was formed in 1883, and a plain two-story school was erected. Westby-Coon Prairie Lutheran Parish was organized in 1852, and Rev. H.A. Stub, the first resident pastor in 1855, also helped build the first church. A Methodist Parish was established in 1852 by Rev. O.P. Peterson. Our Savior’s Lutheran Church was organized in 1888 and its first edifice was built a year later. Westby, which was incorporated as a village in 1896, became a city in July of 1920.
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