Ben Roloff, a member of the Kendall High School class of 1959, compiled the following tidbits of Kendall’s early history for an all-class reunion years ago. It is reprinted here in its sixth and final installment.
Kendall Fun Fest, scheduled for Labor Day weekend, will serve in part as a postponed celebration of the village’s 125th anniversary. The Covid-19 pandemic caused the village to defer any activities associated with its anniversary, which rolled around last year. Technically, the village is now 126 and will turn 127 in October, but the Community Club of Kendall, the celebration sponsor, will mark the 125th milestone this year.
A schedule of Kendall Fun Fest events is on page 3 of this week’s e-Edition.
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The following information was extracted from microfilm of the Kendall Keystone as recorded and preserved by the Wisconsin Historical Society. (P72-4734) Notes cover a six-year period of Kendall’s history from July 1910 until August 1925.
• The Keystone noted that a prominent East Coast clergyman had predicted the end of the world on Friday. He was incorrect.
• High school students could earn exemptions from taking tests for nine weeks by having both excellent grades and attendance.
• F. & M. Bank was looking for new customers, and encouraged people to open a savings account. The minimum opening deposit was $1.00 for new customers.
• Miss Mazelle Wildes, the last operator of The Terrace Movie Theater in Kendall, closed the theater until further notice to study the situation of small-town movies.
• Mrs. Ed Bunk was reported still bedridden, suffering from grippe.
• Russell Zimmerman, son of Paul Zimmerman, died as a result of running into a slow-moving car. Zimmerman had been sledding on an icy Kendall street.
• The Kendall Opera House was packed to the rafters for the annual junior class play. Eight high school girls performed a black-face vaudeville routine between acts and led a raucous sing-along.
• Clem Walter was notified he had been named Kendall Post Master to replace Mr. Hollister. Clem qualified as a World War veteran. Walter donated a leg to the war effort and left it in France.
• Kendall led all communities of similar size in Wisconsin in sale of Easter Seals for two consecutive years. As a result, residents were given a free chest clinic by the Tuberculosis Society. Locals were disappointed, as only one doctor and student nurse were sent to conduct exams, and many stood in line but were not seen by the doctor.
• John E. Jirschle, besides offering shoe repair, offered to oil harness by hand.
• Many complaints were filed with the village board about speeding and unsafe driving on Kendall Streets. Several frequent drivers were notified they were under observation.
• Kendall was talking about a new community church to take the place of the vacant Baptist and Methodist-Episcopal churches.
• Lloyd Breye sold his half of the Kendall milk delivery business to his partner Nordal Veum. Many Kendall people had milk delivered right to their door.
• J. D. Keyes offered to hang paper for 40 cents/hour.
• Clem Walters announced a postal hike to two cents for a stamp or post card.
• Doms & Zimmerman expanded their business interests in Kendall. First they bought the Holmes garage on the west end of Kendall for storing salt, and then the barn of O. R. Richardson on Kendall’s north side for raising chickens.
• Floyd Pollard announced he no longer used ice for cooling. He had a new Frigidaire machine for use at the Model Restaurant.
• The Ku Klux Klan visited Kendall in 1925 and burned a cross on the Harris property. Later in the year, the KKK held a large rally on a farm just south of Kendall, which belonged to a local woman, Mrs. E. Badgley. Between 300–400 people showed up for the rally, and many new members filled out applications.
• William Marshall, formerly of Kendall, was apprehended for forging a check for $7.00 on the account of William Sheridan. Marshall, it was reported, was addicted to rolling those dice and needed the money to cover his debts.
• Mike Collins represented Kendall on the Monroe County Board of Supervisors.
• William P. Sheridan was announced as the successor to J. P. Sheridan and Son, Lumber and Coal Dealer.
• Basketball was deemed too expensive, so it was no longer offered as a sport at Kendall High School.
• George Harris died. He had farmed just outside of Kendall since 1865.
• Monroe County’s Sheriff visited Kendall and confiscated slot machines and punch boards.
• The Village Board donated $600 to be used to construct a grandstand at Glenwood Park that would seat 400 for baseball. The money would be recovered by charging five cents per ticket for the bleacher fund.
• Monroe County banks offered a $500 reward for anyone killing a bank robber.
• Ferdinand Friske was examined by a naturalization judge and found to know the answers to the history and government questions. When asked if he had ever been arrested, he said, “Yes! I was arrested 30 years ago for swimming without a suit.”
The judge grinned and granted citizenship.
I hope you have enjoyed looking over this copy of my personal notes on Kendall history. No representation is made as to their historical accuracy, as I believe Editors Dodge & McClenaghan took some liberty with fact in their newspaper accounts of the events of their day. Then, of course, I could not resist a comment or two of my own. With that said, I hope you enjoyed your little trip down Kendall’s memory lane as much as I did. — Ben Roloff K.H.S. Class of ‘59
