THE TIME MACHINE

From past files of The Star News 10 Years Ago November 6, 2014 Walker, Gilman win in election

Crowds turn out to vote for federal, state, county and school referendum races.

Wisconsin became a little more red this week with Republicans making gains in the legislature and retaining control of the governor’s mansion.

However, with margins of victory ranging from only 5 percent between the winner and losers in the statewide election, Wisconsin voters remain evenly divided. Locally, interest was high in the election.

25 Years Ago November 10, 1999 Mayor says he will not seek re-election

Medford Mayor Fred Schroeder will step down at the end of this term of office. The two-term mayor told aldermen at the November 2 City Council meeting that he would not seek re-election this Spring.

“I made my mind up a number of weeks ago. Hopefully, we will have people interested in running for Mayor,” Schroeder said.

50 Years Ago November 7, 1974 Lato Takes Assembly Race, Sheriff Palmer Reelected

Stanley Lato, 49, Democrat, rural Gilman, received a comfortable margin Tuesday in winning the 34th assembly district election over Republican Richard Sargent, 35, Ladysmith, Rusk county. Incumbent sheriff, Alfred Palmer, 46, Republican soundly defeated Norman E. Jorgensen, 48, independent, town of Maplehurst by a four to one margin.

Outside of the sheriff race, Taylor county voters followed the state in a Democratic sweep of constitutional offices and congressional and assembly battles for office. Seven county officers were reelected to their posts, including four other Republicans and three Democrats, county voters freely crossing party lines in voting on the grassroots level.

75 Years Ago

November 10, 1949 1500 Dairy People Attend Six Meetings

An estimated 1500 dairy farmers of the county attended the six educational meetings held this week for the purpose of expelling the new dairy regulation order that will go into effect Tuesday, Nov. 15.

The meetings were held Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday at Gilman, Jump River, Rib Lake, Stetsonville, Westboro, and Medford. The largest meeting was at Gilman where an estimated 500 persons attended.

100 Years Ago November 6, 1924 Count Ballots All night at Medford Town Hall

Election officials for the Town of Medford counted ballots all night Tuesday night. Their job was not completed until 3:30 Wednesday morning.

The Town of Medford polls the largest vote of any single precinct in Taylor County; the city of Medford totals more votes by quite a margin but the city is divided into three wards and each ward has an election board of its own to do the counting.

There was a greater proportion of scratched state and county ballots, also, in the Town of Medford than in any other precinct. Some of the scratching caused the election officials to stray all over the ballots after the names of candidates voted for. There were only 79 straight Republican ballots.

125 Years Ago

November 4, 1899 Halloween Night

Of course the young people of Medford could not “pass up” Halloween night without a proper and due observance. Be it said to the credit of our youngsters that the sports and pranks of the evening were confined to reasonable limits this year, and not one complaint of damage has been made by any of our residents.