THE TIME MACHINE

From past files of The Star News

10 YEARS AGO

June 17, 2010

When it comes to rebuilding roads near lakes in central Taylor County, $3 million doesn’t go very far.

Taylor County wants to upgrade 9.3 miles of CTH M from near Richter Lake to the intersection with CTH G near Miller Dam (Chequamegon Waters Flowage). The county has a commitment for $2.4 million from the Federal Lands Highway Project and initially, the plan was for the county to contribute $600,000 to the project. However, that amount from the federal program is fixed and the engineering estimates are putting the total cost of the 9.3 miles at closer to $4 million.

Highway commissioner Jess Sackmann told members of the Taylor County Highway Commission Tuesday that the two mile section near Anderson Lake will cost about $1 million by itself.

25 YEARS AGO

June 21, 1995

After months of wrestling with the issue, the Medford Area School Board voted 6-3 last week to create a boundary line on and south of CTH O in order to ensure that there will be enough students attending Stetsonville Elementary School (SES) to create a two-track system.

Voting against the proposal were board member Greg Knight, Brian Hallgren and Mark Hoffman.

Included in the boundary area is Hwy 64 west of CTH O and Willow Drive east of CTH O.

The boundary line takes effect beginning with the 1995-96 school year for new and/or kindergarten students.

50 YEARS AGO

June 18, 1970

A rough draft of a science building on the Medford branch campus of Wisconsin State University has been reviewed and approved by the higher education committee of the Taylor county board of supervisors.

Basically a square, one-story building, the structure will be about 120-feet square and will house more than 11,000 square feet of usable space. To be constructed on a concrete base, the building exterior will be of brick and metal trim. It will be located about 300 feet south of the present building and will face Donald street. Brush and small trees have been cleared from the area which will also include a parking lot.

75 YEARS AGO

June 14, 1945

The annual picnic of the Taylor County Farmers Union will be held Sunday, June 17 at the Medford city park. The public is invited to spend all day and evening at the picnic.

Contests will be held in the afternoon such as men’s tug of war, east side vs. west side; men’s pie eating contest; men’s beer drinking through nipple; women’s nail driving contest; boys’ and girls’ cracker eating contest; children’s potato race; sack race; and wheel-barrow race.

A dance will be held in the afternoon and evening with music by Ted Wirth and his band of Stanley.

100 YEARS AGO

June 16, 1920

Guernsey Picnic

To be held June 22nd, 1920, at the grove or large barn of Peter Peterson, 3 1-2 miles north and 1-2 mile east of Medford.

Bring your wife and family, dinner basket filled with eatables. Ice cream, Guernsey milk, and coffee will be served. Come early. Make a day of it.

We cordially invited all breeders of livestock, be they Holstein, Jersey, Brown Swiss, Guernsey, or some other breed.

We are extending our invitation to the business men and families of Taylor County, to follow the humble path to the breezy, flowering knoll, in the shade of the lofty trees, where the birds will beckon you on.

125 YEARS AGO

June 22, 1895

Green Bay, Wis., June 17.—Sunday’s flight of carrier pigeons was the most successful the Fox River Homing club has ever had. Ninety-five birds were released at Atlanta, Ill., a distance of 308 miles, at 5 a.m. The first to arrive was a bird belonging to J. M. Francens, which reached its loft at 12:56 and was followed directly after by eleven others of Mr. Francen’s birds. At 12:56 a bird belonging to Frank Duchateau reached its loft and at 12:59 one belonging to Fred Sphuler was caught. At 1:45 twenty- three birds had been caught. All are last year’s birds and lack the strength of old birds. A strong west wind was also against rapid time. Four birds are missing.