Family: Albert M EKUM / Brita Eriksdatter (Bertha Malina) ØREN

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The Cozy Cabins

Albert and Bertha ran a general store with tourist cabins called the cozy cabins at a location a few miles south of Viroqua. Their son, Ernest Ekum, in the Vernon County 150 years book, wrote:
“In the year of 1920, Albert Ekum bought two acres of land from Mr. Ole B. Fortney to build a grocery store and living quarters combined. They moved to the store from Liberty Pole on October 31, 1920. Behind the store on the north side were hitching posts for the customers’ horses. They sold groceries and later added clothing such as jackets, shirts, gloves, shoes, etc. There was no electricity then so they used two aladdin lamps to light their store. For a time, they bought fresh cream from the farmers around for Swift & Co. who came and picked it up. Later, when people started buying cars and there were better roads, the Ekums tore the porch off the front and put in gasoline pumps. They also tore out the hitching posts and built a place to drain oil from cars. The Ekums then built a few tourist cabins which was a good business. In 1946, the Ekums sold their store to Mr. and Mrs. Rodney Olson of Madison and they then moved to the city of Viroqua. The store was then run by the Olsons until the roads got better and the people were shopping more elsewhere. Later the state road was rerouted from the store location and the Olsons closed their store and business.”

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