TO ME, NOTHING IS MORE INTERESTING THAN THE HISTORY OF THE TOWN WHERE A PERSON GREW UP. FOR THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF MY TOWN, WITH HELP FROM SEVERAL RESIDENTS WHO WROTE THEIR FAMILY HISTORIES, PLUS MANY WHO WROTE ARTICLES ABOUT THE EARLY TIMES, I GATHERED EVERYTHING TOGETHER INTO A "HISTORY OF AMBERG, THE FIRST HUNDRED YEARS". OUR FIRST ORDER WAS FOR 500 COPIES, WHICH WERE SCOOPED UP SO FAST WE HAD TO IMMEDIATELY ORDER ANOTHER 300.

      MY GRANDMOTHER WAS INVOLVED - WITH 2 OF HER 3 HUSBANDS - IN OPERATING SOME OF THE TRADING POSTS FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE LOCAL INDIANS. ONE WAS ON WAUBEE LAKE, THE LAKE BEING NAMED AFTER ONE OF THE TRIBAL CHIEFS, WAUBESKIBINAS.

      ONE DAY WHILE GRANDMA WAS WASHING SOME CLOTHES BY HAND SOME OF THE FEMALE INDIANS LIVING ACROSS THE LAKE BEGAN SHOUTING, "SHKODE, SHKODE" MEANING "FIRE". THE ROOF OF GRANDMA'S HOUSE WAS ON FIRE, THEY HAD SEEN IT AND CAME RUNNING AROUND THE LAKE TO HELP PUT THE FIRE OUT.

      GRANDMA USED NEWSPAPERS TO COVER THE LOG WALLS AND ONE DAY AS THE INDIAN WOMEN WERE STANDING AND LOOKING AT THE PICTURES IN THE PAPERS, THEY BEGAN YELLING AND SHAKING THEIR FISTS. THEY KEPT SHOUTING "EYAH, EYAH, WINNEBAGOS, WINNEBAGOS" THE TWO TRIBES DID NOT GET ALONG, AND THEY RECOGNIZED BY THEIR SLIPPERS THAT THEY WERE WINNABAGOS.

      HER SECOND HUSBAND WAS WINFIELD HALE, WHO HAD SEVERAL TRADING POSTS AROUND THE AREA.

      IN 2005, ATHELSTANE HAD THEIR CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION, AND IN THEIR BOOK IS A RUNDOWN OF WINFIELD HALES' TRADING POSTS. HE PAID 5 CENTS A POUND FOR VENISON AND SOLD IT FOR 25 CENTS A POUND.HE SOLD MENS TROUSERS FOR $6 A PAIR, HAVING PAID $1.25 FOR THEM. CALICO SOLD FOR 12 TO 15 CENTS A YARD, FOR WHICH HE HAD PAID 3 CENTS. ALCOHOL HE SOLD WAS HALF WATER, BUT HE MADE THE INDIANS THINK HE WAS GIVING THEM THE BEST OF THE DEAL.

      THANK GOODNESS, THIS MAN WAS NO BLOOD RELATION OF MINE, AS THE COUPLE HAD NO CHILDREN..... ........HE WAS ACTUALLY A CROOK, AND THE LEAST SAID ABOUT A PERSON LIKE THAT, THE BETTER.