Westby — 1921

Built in 1900, the old stand pipe (water tower) was the location for the photos taken below in 1921.
The Stubbur, Tourist Center is located at this location today.

If a single picture is worth a thousand words,

these photos must be worth a novel.  

Vernon Street, nothing more than a dirt path is visible at the extreme left. East State Street, also a dirt road, but more traveled as it was then the road to Bloomingdale, has concrete sidewalks on both sides of the street. By 1920, Westby had a citywide sewer system but many still used the trusty outhouse out back. Many of these are visible in these photos. Right of center is the backside of the Methodist Church. In only a few months the old Our Savior’s Lutheran Church will be moved to the vacant lot southwest of the Methodist Church on the south side of State Street.

On the right are the numerous building owned by the Thoreson Lumber Company. 

The Chicago, Milwaukee, Saint Paul & Pacific railroad (Milwaukee Road) is located directly east of the current VFW and at the time the photo was taken is probably backing up to pick up the row of freight cars located at the Milwaukee Depot a few blocks south. Soon the fully loaded train will head towards Sparta. Located directly south of the train is the backside of Dahl Ford’s new showroom (white building with three windows).
Across the street is the Coleman Lumber Company that became
Taylor Lumber Company and more recently Nuzum’s Building Supply. The buildings at the left of the photo and alongside of the railroad tracks and continuing south are nine of Bekkedal tobacco warehouses. The newer Coon Prairie Lutheran church, top, and the soon to be moved Our Savior’s Lutheran church with the Temperance Hall located between them are located on South Main in the photo. 

On the hill, slightly hidden behind the train smoke is the Westby Grade School built in 1910. Brothen Brothers Blacksmith shop is the darker building bottom center. 

Alma Skundberg the woman standing on the sidewalk at the bottom of the photo

is in front of her house. When this photo was taken Ramsland was the main street coming into town from the north and would be for many more years.

Ramsland Street is the street going north and south one block west of where

Main Street is today. On the far left going up the hill is Melby Street, one of the first streets to have sidewalks on both sides of the street. Notice the row of privies located where Central Court would be located 40 years later.

Looking almost directly west you can see where
Davidson Park and woods is located today.

Behind the pickets on top of the water tower is the Milwaukee Road railroad tracks on the east side of the future Main Street that linked Viroqua with Sparta. On the west side of the street are the tracks for the La Crosse and Southeaster Railway that ran from Viroqua to La Crosse. The dark house with the light trim is the current house of Elaine Lund. There are many interesting bits of interest that can be found as you search the old streets of Westby.
With a magnifying glass there are even more surprises to be found.