Judge on horseback, 67 years ago

Lincoln Neprud became a circuit judge 67 years ago, in 1952. Neprud was a Vernon County judge appointed by the governor to succeed Leonard Roraff as a judge for La Crosse, Vernon, Monroe, and Trempealeau Counties. Vernon County District Attorney Martin Gulbrandsen was named to take Neprud’s place, and Wayne Schlintz was appointed D.A. Judge Neprud often rode a horse in area parades until his retirement in the early 70’s.

La Crosse’s Courthouse was on the south side of Vine Street in ’52, and within 15 years, it would be torn down and replaced with a Montgomery Ward store. But Wards was on 5th Avenue in the 50’s, where it was selling bike tires for $1.67.

Newspaper ads announced that Cyd Charisse goes for ‘better baked’ Sunbeam Bread. Charisse was a popular star of movie musicals in the 50’s, and her movie ‘The Wild North’ was about to play at the Rivoli in La Crosse that spring…the same year she appeared in the classic musical ‘Singin’ in the Rain,’ yesterday in La Crosse.