President's Message
Dear Friends and Members of WAHS,
There is so much to tell you! So far in 2023, to celebrate the 100-year anniversary of the Snowflake Ski Club, we were invited to display 100 years of their history. We filled a cabin with so much information, photos, artifacts, and even video for visitors to watch. Members of the Snowflake Board of Directors came to visit and gave resounding approval for our efforts! It was great fun and we had hundreds of visitors!
Syttende Mai, on May 20 & 21, proved to be a big success for WAHS! Grandfather of the Year Dan Kotek, more than 100 visitors to the Thoreson Museum Open House, our annual lefse/pølse sale, and a new sign in front of the museum made it all very special. Thank you to every who came!
We have already had one Cemetery Stone Cleaning Workshop and will have museum Open House Saturdays from Noon until 3:00 pm during June, July, and August. We hope you are able to join us to see all the great displays we have at the museum!
This year, Sweet Rides & Sweet Pies on Saturday, July 29th from 10 am - 3 pm included more than 245 cars, 70 pies with ice cream, a swap meet, vendors, and a new activity – the Uff Da Challenge! This sanctioned United States Strongman competition brought a lot of fun to our Saturday, July 29th event! To see photos from the event, go to our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/sweetridessweetpies.
Thank you for your continued support of the Westby Area Historical Society. If you would like a tour of the museum or need help with your genealogy research, please contact us. We have so much to offer to our friends and members! Be sure to check out our Facebook page for the latest news and updates!
Blaine Hedberg
WAHS President
Photos:
Top: History display at the 2023 Snowflake Ski Jumping Tournament
Middle: one of the Sweet Rides & Sweet Pies cars
Bottom left: Uff Da Challenge winner's medallion
Bottom right: Thoreson House porch where pies were sold
ABOUT US
SOCIETY PROFILE
SOCIETY PROFILE
Westby has a rich heritage steeped
in Norwegian culture. The first
immigrants came to this area from
Biri, Norway in 1848. Letters sent home
to Norway described rich farmland,
prosperity and freedom that
encouraged many families to follow.
Founded in 1989, the Westby
Area Historical Society is an
educational organization dedicated
to the history, heritage and
culture of our area.
SOCIETY PROFILE
SOCIETY PROFILE
SOCIETY PROFILE
Send mail to:
P. O. Box 42
Westby, WI 54667
The Thoreson House Museum is open
by appointment.
Please call to visit!
If you were hoping to get a tour of the museum and we are closed, please call John at
608-575-2500. He just might be able to help!
Email:
Leave a message at: 608.634.4478
Find us on Facebook at:
www.facebook.com/westbywihistory
GENEALOGY CENTER
ACTIVITIES, EVENTS and SERVICES
ACTIVITIES, EVENTS and SERVICES
Our main floor library is
available for genealogy research
where we have family history
collections and original records
for births, marriages and
deaths in Westby.
Photographs, scrapbooks, a
collection of the WESTBY TIMES
newspapers, business records
and minutes from community
organizations have been donated
and are available for
research purposes.
ACTIVITIES, EVENTS and SERVICES
ACTIVITIES, EVENTS and SERVICES
ACTIVITIES, EVENTS and SERVICES
WAHS provides many services and programs. The following are just a few of our activities and events:
- Sweet Rides & Sweet Pies
- Centennial Circle Program
- Tours of the 1892 Thoreson House Museum
- Grandparent of the Year Award
- Outreach programs to local schools and organizations
- Syttende Mai activities
- Quarterly "History Keepers" newsletter
- Lecture series
- Volunteer of the Year Award