It was a big graduating class for 1907

More than 100 years ago, La Crosse High School awarded 38 diplomas to its class of 1907.  The commencement was held at the La Crosse Theater. 

Even though it was the start of summer in 1907, a few people were already thinking about fall.  One local newspaper advertised the La Crosse Interstate Fair well before the planned date of September.  Why?  Fair organizers wanted the best household products entered and on exhibition.  An advertisement said “Give the ladies a chance to show their fancy work and cooking.”  For many years, the Interstate Fair was held on the east side of La Crosse, on the current site of UW-L, before moving to West Salem.

The headline “Folly” described the tale of two boys who could face prison time for an act of revenge after being fired by the John Gund Brewery.  The young men went downtown, bought clothes, and had the store charge the brewery for the bill.  The two pled guilty before Judge Fruit in Sparta, but instead of prison, they were sentenced to six months in the county jail.  That was in 1907, yesterday in La Crosse.