Valentines

February 7, 1908, Menasha Record

This particular Valentines Day fell right in the middle of what was termed the "golden age of postcards."  The Universal Postal Congress decreed that government-issued postcards in the United States could contain messages on the address side beginning March 1, 1907. In line with these changes, the United States Congress passed an act which extended this to privately produced cards, thereby ushering in the "divided back" era of postcards, which lasted until World War I. On these cards, the back is divided into two sections: the left section is used for the message and the right for the address. Before that, the illustration had largely been marred by the sender's message, for there was no other place to write it.

Found

February 6, 1964, Twin City News-Record

Now here's a strange case, to say the least.  Imagine finding something alien like that as you swim.  I'm sure the robbers thought the register would be a part of the river for a long, long time to come.  

Erudition

 January 19, 1889, Saturday Evening Press

Let's start the week with some groaning humor, 1889 style.  Of course, this wouldn't fly today.  And today's "influencers" wouldn't even know what a trip to the woodshed meant.  (Oh, there I go again, sounding like the proverbial "old man" telling the kids to get off his lawn, lol.)  

Hey Pal!

January 27, 1931, Appleton Post-Crescent

Interesting list of pooch names.  With the popularity of motion pictures, I'm surprised there wasn't a Rin Tin Tin in the bunch.  Or even a Petey, the dog with the ring around his eye from the Little Rascals.  (And you wondered where the Target dog got its inspiration, lol.)  Toto wouldn't appear until 1939.  And as for Lassie, she wouldn't come along until the mid-1940's.  

Libraries Three

January 14, 1899, Oshkosh Northwestern

Menasha was in good company with Appleton and Oshkosh in the public library sweepstakes.  As fitting for the times, the buildings were classic and built to last, monuments to their respective towns and the envy of outliers.  One wonders what Neenah felt like without a similar edifice.

What's In a Name

January 13, 1899, Appleton Post-Crescent

Interesting thought.  But I am surprised the idea wasn't "Neenasha" or "Meenah."  Of course, the simplest thing would have been to suggest "Neenah-Menasha" as a compromise.  Hey, it works for Winston-Salem, North Carolina.  

Plucky Politicians

 

January 24, 1947, Appleton Post-Crescent

For a couple of local politicians who, by this time, must have been used to the "rubber chicken circuit," these two seemed to do an admirable job at plucking their own dinners.  The two mayors proved themselves to be a couple of good eggs.  (Sorry, I couldn't resist.)

Saturday Special

January 11, 1957, Appleton Post-Crescent

Good morning!  I hope you all had a great weekend, to include dining out, if that was to your liking.  Hopefully, you had a great "Saturday Special", although I'm sure you couldn't beat the 1957 prices as shown above, to include a "Big Beer" later.  Ah, the good ol' days.

Bundled Up Against the Cold

 

January 26, 1983, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

I can remember wearing that safety patrol belt and how cold it could be out there letting kids cross Racine Street.  Many thanks to all those dedicated kids (and adults) who did this necessary and often thankless chore.

Menasha's Music Man

May 23, 1965, Appleton Post-Crescent

The blog post from a few days ago with the formation of the Menasha High School band, led me to this article.  If you recall, that post contained an article listing another person as the bandmaster for the MHS band, a Mr. Mumm.  A bit of research down the rabbit hole revealed Mr. Kraft as the true founder of the band.  No reasons given for the original attributions to Mr. Mumm.

Unexpected Expectorating

December 17, 1913, Menasha Record

Yes, Menasha, a little more decorum here.  Granted, this IS the golden age of chewing tobacco, cigars, and smoking of all kinds, but please!  There are ladies present.  Save it for the nearest spittoon.  And, don't forget to tip your hat, as well.

Band

 

January 28, 1927,Menasha Record

If students had to wait until high school to pick up their instruments for the first time, one wonders what a challenge Mr. Mumm faced in putting together a high school band.  When I went to school in the '60s, kids were starting band in fifth grade.  Granted, this was forty years prior to my time and maybe this was the norm then. But I still wonder how good they could have sounded with such little time under their belts.

These Happy People....

January 11, 1957, Appleton Post-Crescent

I know getting ready for the next Christmas might be the furthest thing from people's minds on January 11th, but the old story of the ant and the grasshopper comes to mind.  It's never too early to plan ahead.  

Back to Prosperity

January 25, 1933, Menasha Record

I like how this retailer tied the Depression, the local paper mills, and its own business all together in this ad, giving its customers some hope for a better 1933.  What better incentive to buy this product than knowing it was produced in the ol' home town, and by entities that cared about keeping its employees working?   The Menasha Dry Goods Company was located at 219 Main Street in the Tuchscherer's block, across the street from Grove's Clothiers. 

Try One of Our Colorful Ties

 

January 17, 1933, Menasha Record

We should all feel so lucky to feel better each morning by just donning a colorful tie, but then, what else is a clothier supposed to say?  Finding joy in the little things of life, that's the key.  We've come across Grade's Pantorium before back in 2015, 2017, and 2021.  Just do a search on "Grade's" to see some of their wonderful ads.

Horizon

January 28, 1983, Neenah-Menasha Daily Norhwestern

Except for the absence of the water tower, this view of Menasha from the Little Lake Butte des Morts bridge is much the same some forty years later.  

Gone to the Dogs (and Bunnies)

January 30, 1970, Twin City News-Record

Well, winter is here and something has to be done with the snow.  So, why not have a little fun with it?  Besides, who couldn't use a little pick-me-up with a humorous creation to adorn the drab surroundings?

Harrison Reed

 

January 2, 1962, Twin City News-Record

While on the surface this appears to be strictly Neenah-based, it is relevant to any discussion of the Menasha story.  Without the competition between the two factions, we might have become one municipality.  And as you can see, Mr. Reed did have a life beyond the scope of the Twin Cities.

Toothless

January 19, 1966, Twin City News-Record

Let's finish the first week of 2024 on a humorous note.  Who knows what led to this "find" and I doubt we'll ever know.  We'll just have to file this under the "Truth is Stranger than Fiction" section of the blog.  Have a great weekend!

Personal

 

January 11, 1940, Menasha Record

One wonders if anyone answered Box B, care of the Menasha Record.  Was this a true lonelyhearts request, or was the writer of said ad looking for a meal ticket?  Or just being prudent that he would not be taken advantage of?  From my research, the ad ran three consecutive days, from the 10th through the 12th of January.  I saw no other similar ads for the remainder of 1940 nor for 1941.  We at the blog, hope this ended positively for our correspondent.

Odd Stories

January 4, 1950, Oshkosh Northwestern

When was the last time you heard of a skeleton key being used for anything, much less the commission of a crime?  Most people walking around today probably do not even know what that is.  And young Mr. Ciske must have had no feeling in his feet to have missed something as big as a silver dollar in his sock.  Trust me, I wouldn't have missed it

New Year's Greetings

 

December 31, 1943, Menasha Record

New Year's greetings from local businesses of days gone by.  We were still in the middle of World War II; some of the businesses talked of hopes for the end of the war sooner than later, but it'd be 1945 before that dream came true.   Until then, Menasha held up its part of the bargain, supporting its deployed brothers and sisters with best wishes for their safety and urgent return.

Happy New Year!

December 29, 1969, Neenah-Menasha Northwestern

If it's a Menasha New Year's soiree, it must be time for dinner at the smorgasbord and dancing in the Red Bird Room.  I'm still not sure why the "live" entertainment is in quotes, as if it really isn't live, but whatever.  A guaranteed good time for all.  I'm sure a good portion of those in attendance weren't aware of the entertainment as it were, as midnight approached.