Yesterday in La Crosse

First local Christmas for K-Mart, 54 years ago

Published

4 years ago

December 13, 2019

K-Mart had just opened in La Crosse, a few months before Christmas of 1965. The big box store at Losey Boulevard and State Road had ‘giftarama’ discounts, advertising the new Beatles album ‘Rubber Soul’ and closeouts on toys related to the ‘Man from UNCLE’ TV show. Bell Discount on the Causeway had a ‘fantabulous’ outerwear sale.

The AM radio stations in La Crosse all featured special programs for Christmas weekend. Besides the holiday programs, WKBH aired the AFL championship game, where the Buffalo Bills shut out San Diego. The Packers won the NFL championship that holiday season, in a title game over the Cleveland Browns at Lambeau Field. It was the last pro football season in America without a Super Bowl. The big game between the competing leagues made its debut at the end of the ’66 season.

On Christmas night of ’65, the cast of ‘Hogan’s Heroes’ escaped from Stalag 13 and ended up on ABC’s ‘Hollywood Palace,’ hosted that week by Bing Crosby, the producer of ‘Hogan’s Heroes.’ A highlight of the variety show was a performance of ‘Silent Night’ in the original German, sung by Werner Klemperer and John Banner, alias Colonel Klink and Sergeant Schultz.

Related Topics:Hollywood Palace K-Mart packers

Brad Williams

A native of Prairie du Chien, Brad graduated from UW - La Crosse and has worked in radio news for more than 30 years, mostly in the La Crosse area. He regularly covers local courts and city and county government. Brad produces the features "Yesterday in La Crosse" and "What's Buried on Brad's Desk." He also writes the website "Triviazoids," which finds odd connections between events that happen on a certain date, and he writes and performs with the local comedy group Heart of La Crosse. Brad been featured on several national TV programs because of his memory skills.