Westby Area Historical Society

Westby Area Historical Society Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Westby Area Historical Society, 111 N. Bekkedal Avenue ; Mail to: PO Box 42, Westby, WI.

Our hearts go out to the family of Dan Kotek on his passing. He was an extraordinary person, committed to his family bey...
04/27/2026

Our hearts go out to the family of Dan Kotek on his passing. He was an extraordinary person, committed to his family beyond measure and very active in our community. Gone too soon but never forgotten. "Well done, my good and faithful servant." 💔

Westby Syttende Mai is just 3 weeks away, and WAHS is always excited to participate in this fabulous Westby celebration ...
04/26/2026

Westby Syttende Mai is just 3 weeks away, and WAHS is always excited to participate in this fabulous Westby celebration with a full schedule of events and activities! Once again, we will be doing presentations at the Westby Elementary Schools, sponsoring our Grandparent of the Year contest, having an Open House at the Museum, participating in the Kiddie Parade and the Big Parade, and, of course, selling lefse/pølse. We hope you are planning to come!

WAHS is proud to say Garland is an important member of our organization. He works very hard to be sure Sweet Rides & Swe...
04/25/2026

WAHS is proud to say Garland is an important member of our organization. He works very hard to be sure Sweet Rides & Sweet Pies is successful, so we can continue our mission to preserve the history and heritage of Westby.

While recently sorting through the funeral records in our genealogy collection, one of our board members noticed a parti...
04/22/2026

While recently sorting through the funeral records in our genealogy collection, one of our board members noticed a particular entry that named her great-grandfather. In May of 1909, Peder Jothen was 43, and his wife, Maria, was 39. They already had 8 children – the youngest would be 3 in September, but our board member had never heard the story of a stillborn child. The huge WAHS collection of birth, baptism, confirmation, marriage, death, and funeral records can tell you a lot about your family history!

The C**n Prairie Church Easter fire of 1909 is famous in this area, but we bet you don't know about the North C**n Prai...
04/19/2026

The C**n Prairie Church Easter fire of 1909 is famous in this area, but we bet you don't know about the North C**n Prairie Church fire in Newry that happened on Sunday, April 18, 1948 – 3 weeks after Easter that year. The Newry Church roof was extensively damaged when it was struck by lightning, and it took 2 fire departments more than 7 hours to put out the fire.

Today's Cemetery Stone Cleaning Workshop has been rescheduled to Saturday, June 6, at 10:00 a.m. We guess the heavy rain...
04/18/2026

Today's Cemetery Stone Cleaning Workshop has been rescheduled to Saturday, June 6, at 10:00 a.m. We guess the heavy rain and hail of the past week make true the saying "Every cloud has a silver lining" because we will be able to celebrate the 175th anniversary of the Westby C**n Prairie congregation much closer to their celebration weekend!

*** Second Notice *** We are very sorry, but due to the terrible storm on Tuesday and the severe weather expected tonig...
04/17/2026

*** Second Notice *** We are very sorry, but due to the terrible storm on Tuesday and the severe weather expected tonight, we are cancelling our Cemetery Stone Cleaning Workshop scheduled for tomorrow, April 18. We apologize for the inconvenience and will post the rescheduled date as soon as possible.

We are very sorry, but due to the terrible storm on Tuesday and the severe weather expected on Friday evening, we are ca...
04/16/2026

We are very sorry, but due to the terrible storm on Tuesday and the severe weather expected on Friday evening, we are cancelling our Cemetery Stone Cleaning Workshop scheduled for Saturday, April 18. We apologize for the inconvenience and will post the rescheduled date as soon as possible.

WAHS is the tender of the Westby Sons Of Norway Solvang 457 archives. Today, we celebrate their 110th birthday with note...
04/16/2026

WAHS is the tender of the Westby Sons Of Norway Solvang 457 archives. Today, we celebrate their 110th birthday with notes taken from a history written by Lillian Leum: Solvang Lodge 58, Daughters of Norway, was organized in Westby, WI, on April 16, 1916. Twenty-three women were charter members who met in their homes. Until 1956, only Norwegian was spoken at meetings. Thora Lunde and Myrtle Hovde were delegates to the 1950 national convention in June of 1950, when the Daughters of Norway decided to merge with Sons of Norway. A new charter was issued, and the group became the Solvang Lodge 457. Although Solvang had become part of Sons of Norway, it was not until October 1971 that men
were allowed to join! The Solvang Singers are pictured in the photo below at the lodge’s 80th anniversary in April 1986. Do you see your mom or grandma in the picture?

Wonderful Kaffegruppe on the porch on this beautiful afternoon!
04/14/2026

Wonderful Kaffegruppe on the porch on this beautiful afternoon!

Welcome to our latest member of the WAHS Centennial Circle! Marty sent us documentation that his grandparents and great-...
04/14/2026

Welcome to our latest member of the WAHS Centennial Circle! Marty sent us documentation that his grandparents and great-grandparents were in the Westby area more than 100 years ago. You can become a member, too! Click on this link, https://westbywihistory.com/circle, to get information on how to join.

On Saturday, April 18, we will help the Westby C**n Prairie Church congregation celebrate its 175th anniversary. We have...
04/12/2026

On Saturday, April 18, we will help the Westby C**n Prairie Church congregation celebrate its 175th anniversary. We have permission from the cemetery board to hold our Spring Cemetery Stone Cleaning Workshop in their cemetery and use a marker that is very important to their history. Join us at 10:00 am to learn how to clean your family markers and get a mini history lesson. Wear clothes that you would garden in!

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111 N. Bekkedal Avenue ; Mail To: PO Box 42
Westby, WI
54667

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