Histories:  Trempealeau County Historical Accounts:

"History of Trempealeau County Wisconsin, 1917":

Chapter 11:


Trempealeau County has eight incorporated villages.  Trempealeau, Galesville, Osseo and Eleva were started on their present sites with their present names before they were supplied with railroads.  Before Arcadia was started, Old Arcadia, a mile away, was a thriving village, at that time the third in importance in the county.  Before Whitehall was stared, Old Whitehall, a mile away, was a thriving hamlet.  Before Blair was stared, there was a store and a postoffice not far away.

Trempealeau was platted April 21, 22 and 23, 1852 (as Montoville, April 7, 1852), was incorporated nearly two decades later and reincorporated March 10, 1900.  Galesville was platted April 22, 1854, and incorporated June 13, 1887.  Arcadia was platted Jan. 27, 1874, and incorporated Dec. 17, 1878. Whitehall was platted Jan. 20, 1874, and incorporated June 14, 1887.  Eleva was platted Sept 10, 1877 and incorporated Jan. 14, 1902.  Osseo was platted Sept. 22, 1857, and incorporated Sept. 4, 1893.  Independence was platted May 13, 1876, and was incorporated Dec. 16, 1885.  Blair was platted April 16, 1877 (as Porterville, Sept. 2 and 3, 1873), and was incorporated Sept. 6, 1894.

The census of 1910 shows the population of the villages as follows:  Arcadia, 1,212; Galesville, 873; Whitehall, 703; Independence, 664; Trempealeau, 535; Osseo, 548; Blair, 486; Eleva, 319.

The census of 1900 shows this population:  Arcadia, 1,273; Galesville, 862; Trempealeau, 609; Independence, 630; Whitehall, 600; Blair, 438.

The census of 1890 shows this population:  Arcadia, 659; Galesville, 537; Independence, 382; Whitehall, 304.

The census of 1880 shows this population:  Arcadia, 720; Galesville, 410; Independence, 365; Whitehall, 267.

Dodge, Pigeon Falls, Ettrick and Strum are thriving places of between 150 and 300 population each.  Dodge was platted Feb. 20, 1874; Ettrick, June 30, 1877; Pigeon Falls, May 30, 1894; and Strum, Sept. 26, 1898.  Pleasant Valley is a trading center platted Feb. 16, 17, 19, 1877.  Caledonia, platted on May 28, 1864, there is a mill, a mill dam and a number of houses.  At Old Whitehall, platted May 23, 1862, there are two or three houses and a cemetery.  East Arcadia, platted April 23 and 24, 1874, and West Arcadia, platted Aug. 15, 1874, adjoin the village of Arcadia.  West Prairie is a community center, with a cemetery, a church, a band stand, a mill and a schoolhouse.  Other places, such as Elk Creek, Tamarack, Centerville, Frenchville, Hegg, Iduna, Norden, Pine Creek, and Russell, are community or trading centers.