Histories:  Trempealeau County Historical Accounts:

"History of Trempealeau County Wisconsin, 1917":

Chapter 11:


Strum is a busy trading center in the Beef River valley on the Mondovi line of the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Railway.  Like many of the villages in Trempealeau county the village is located at a natural center of traffic and stores were in existence here long before the coming of the railroad.

The pioneer merchant was Thomas E. Holden, who came here about 1884 and erected a small store north of the river, and just west of where the road turns east toward Osseo.  About 1885 came Ole Kittleson.  He opened a store north of the river a few rods east of Holden's store.  Situated as he was in the western part of the Unity township, he received considerable trade from that town and from Albion as well.  In connection with his store business he bought home-made butter, and in 1888 he and the farmers organized the Strum Creamery Association.

In 1887 the railroad reached Osseo, and plans were made for continuing the line west to Mondovi through Strum.  A switch was laid at Strum in 1889.  The depot was not built until 1892.  An elevator and lumber yard were built near the depot.

Mr. Kittleson then moved his store to the street leading from the depot to the river, and thus established the location for the future business of the village, all the stores now being located along this street.  The mill was also built on the river bank near the same street.

The growth of the village has since been steady and satisfactory.  The original mill, erected by Samuel Hogue, has been replaced with a large structure several rods east of the depot.  The original creamery has become the flourishing Unity Co-operative Creamery, located on the railroad right-of-way.  Two sightly churches have been built, a bank with a most satisfactory amount of deposits is well house, and the Woodman Hall furnishes an adequate place for public meetings and theatrical entertainments.

The fire of Christmas, 1915, which swept the east side of the principal street, did not retard the growth of the village, but rather gave it new life, for a number of larger and substantial business houses soon replaced those destroyed.

Although Strum is one of the youngest villages in the county, none of the first settlers are now here, and in the neighborhood there are but few of the pioneers of the county.  But the newcomers have brought prosperity, and with the constantly increasing improvement of the farms, and the gradual development of the county highway system, the hamlet is designed to be a point of still greater importance.