The Trempealeau County courthouse on June 3, 2018
Trempealeau County was founded in 1854 and organized in 1855. The new county was created from parts of Buffalo, Chippewa, Jackson and La Crosse counties. The name comes from the Trempealeau River. Apparently at the spot where the Trempealeau River flows into the Mississippi is a bluff, and French fur traders gave it the name which translates into “mountain steeped in water.” This was corrupted over time into Trempealeau; and the name was applied to the bluff (Trempealeau Mountain) and the river and eventually to the county.
Whitehall is the county seat. It was named after White Hall Illinois, which in turn was named after Whitehall New York. That’s about all I know about Whitehall, other than the first post office was established in 1861.
The Trempealeau County courthouse is located at 36245 Main Street in Whitehall. The courthouse was built in 1956, and two additions were constructed in 1966 and 1976. The courthouse was renovated in 1996. Behind the courthouse is the Whitehall City Hall. Whitehall is a pretty small town, but it seems very nice.
I don’t have very many memories of Trempealeau County at all. About all I can really say about it is that Interstate 94 cuts though the northeastern corner of the county so I often see the area around Osseo when going to Eau Claire or the Twin Cities. However, that is significant, because one of the best bakeries in Wisconsin is located in Osseo: the Norske Nook. It’s always worth stopping here for lunch, especially if you have pie for dessert. There are several other locations of the Norkse Nook; the one in Dane County opened in the fall of 2015 and I always enjoy eating there.