The Temperance Hall and the Temperance Society

The Temperance Hall and the Temperance Society

written by Palmer (Polly) Rude

From the early history of Coon Prairie, we learn much about the hardships and difficult conditions encountered by the early settlers. The Civil War hung heavy over their heads, prices for their farm products were extremely low and so money was in short supply for their bare necessities. Sickness, malnutrition and a bleak outlook for the future caused some settlers to start drinking. The diversion of their scarce money for such purposes was a matter of much concern among church members. Pastor Halvorson wanted very much to reach out to these settlers with consolation, encouragement and prayers for the future. The Pastor considered many things to do such as starting a Temperance Society.

Westby Temperance Hall

After consulting with interested members of the congregation, Pastor Halvorson decided to organize a Temperance Society on Coon Prairie. He prepared a constitution, written in Norwegian, and then called a meeting on August 17, 1886, to formally organize a Temperance Society. After an agreement to organize, 19 interested persons followed Halvorson’s lead and signed their names to the necessary papers. The proposed constitution was then read and adopted. This constitution was written in Norwegian asking each member to pledge to abstain from drinking liquor, beer or wine and to avoid all places where these were sold. Then a committee was selected to check on the cost of building an adequate building for their meetings and programs. At a later meeting on June 4, 1888, the committee reported that a building about the size and shape of a country schoolhouse could be built for $350. Volunteers were then asked for to get money and pledges for the building. At the meeting in September it was reported that $25 had already been subscribed. With this information a decision was made to start building that some fall. A parcel of land was bought from Christian Ballsrud for $55 but Mrs. Ballsrud donated $5 so that net cost was $50. 

Mrs. Christine Schreiner reported that she had solicited south of Westby as far as the Three Chimneys. She pulled her one year old daughter Hildur along in a child's wagon and stopped at every place along the way. She said it was tiresome but rewarding. She got donations from every one and some generously.

When the building was completed it became the pride and joy of the Temperance Society. It became known as the Temperance Hall. Norwegians called it Avholds Forstue. Although the building was not large and elaborate it was adequate for their purpose. This was a place of their own where they held their regular meetings followed often by programs and a social hour. The youngsters would have some games and the adults would visit with others and discuss each other’s problems on the farm and make plans for the future.

As time went on the members kept increasing so available room was quite crowded, so in 1893 the society bought a 10 foot strip of land along the north side from Our Savior’s Church for future expansion. At the March 1893 meeting, it was decided to offer membership to the young people eight years or older who had their parents consent. They would have no voting rights but they were required to make the same abstinence pledge the adults did. This was probably the beginning of the Cold Water Army, which I joined about 1913. After the building was enlarged it became popular as a meeting place for many groups, such as school class room and the public library. The library with Mrs. Ole Frederickson as librarian, was there until it was moved into new quarters upstairs over the newly built Westby fire station on West State Street. Places for meeting were scarce at that time so the Temperance Hall was used for many other groups.

The Temperance Hall and the Temperance Society

written by Lillian Leum

The Temperance Society was called “Coon Prairie Afholdsforening” and had a Constitution which was written in Norwegian. The purpose of the Society was to avoid and shun all places where liquor was sold, and its member were not to taste liquor or to give liquor to others. They were to be temperance. 

The building itself was about the size of a country school house about 14’ x 18’. It had a kitchen for serving lunch. It had a pot-bellied stove for heat. For many years there was a pump outdoors for water. A railing was built outdoors on the north side where the horses could be tied and covered with blankets when the weather was was cold. 

In 1892 the Society asked Our Savior’s to buy some of their land on the south side of the church to enlarge the Temperance Hall. In 1893 the church sold them a 10’ strip of land. At this time there was not a street between the two buildings.

The white building with two windows visible located between

Our Savior’s and Westby Coon Prairies Lutheran Churches

was the Temperance Hall in this 1921 photo

The Temperance Hall was used for many meetings of the Our Savior’s church. When the Ladies Aid was first organized, and the membership was too large to continue meeting in the homes, they met at the Temperance Hall. The Lutheran Brotherhood Society held its meetings there. Since this building had tables and chairs, dishes and a kitchen with a stove for cooking coffee, it was a very special place for meetings.

Although the Hall was built for the Temperance Society, it was used for many other things. At one time it was used for the Westby Library, the public school used it to remedy overcrowding before the new school was built and for Manual Training classes after the new high school was built.

The Temperance Society was a very active group. Delegates from the Westby Society would even walk to Brush Creek, which is between Cashton and Ontario, to attend their meetings. They even sent delegates to Racine, Wisconsin to a National Temperance meeting. At their meetings they had elected officers to lead the meetings and had speakers. After the meeting, the tables and chairs would be moved aside for the youth to play games. They especially enjoyed the Grand March. In 1905 there were 52 adults and 9 youth members who met each month. At one meeting there was a basket social in which baskets of lunch were auctioned off to the highest bidder. The youth group was probably called “The Cold Water Society”. In 1907 delegates were sent to Eau Claire to a meeting. In 1908 the total value of the building, wood shed, lot, dishes, and such was $1,220.85. In 1909 the building was moved a few feet in order that a vestibule could be built onto the building again as it was too small to hold all the people who came there for various functions. A basement was built and by this time the village of Westby had a public water supply so water was put into the basement, and electric lights were installed. There were four lights put in the basement, three lights on each side of the main part of the building, one light in the kitchen and one in the vestibule. They also bought a cook stove for the basement and heater for the main room upstairs. After the church split with the Coon Prairie congregation, church services were held in the Temperance Hall. If they had night meetings, they were held in the Hall because of the electric lights. This was continued until the new church was completed in 1922.

After the new church was completed they still continued to use the hall for Ladies Aid, Scouts and other group meetings. Many other groups and worthwhile organizations continued to use the building. Then more meeting and entertainment places became available in Westby. As the years went on and travel conditions improved, new events were started so the interest in the use of the Temperance hall deceased and attendance at meetings dropped. After this lack of interest the building was sold to Bennnie and Josie Johnson for $1,250 on May 15, 1922. A stipulation of the sale was that the property was never to be used for liquor, dance, pool hall, or for public games. So Bennie tore down the building and used the lumber to build the house that now stands on the corner lot. After the sale, the Temperance Society gave $500 to each of the three churches in Westby. They continued their meeting until September 1929. After the society discontinued, the $64.42 in the treasury was given to church and missions.