The Stockings Were Hung by the Chimney With Care....

December 16, 1954, Appleton Post-Crescent

I've heard it said that this is a typical division of labor- Sandy does the heavy lifting, as it were, while dreamy-eyed Gary ponders the existence of Santa, and, having satisfied that requirement, checks on his progress. In the post-World War II decade of plenty, this slice-of-life makes a fine tableau of what those service members were fighting for less than ten years before- home and hearth and a consumerism to counter the lean years leading up to the war.  I am nothing, if not all things Christmas.  You're welcome.

Let's All Chip In For Mother

December 23, 1937, Menasha Record

This clipping contains a multitude of riches for aficionados of Menasha's businesses of the mid-20th century.  From the famous Loescher's Hardware to the Clothes Shop to Walter Bros. Brewing, they had us covered.  I've said it before, but I love how the brewery's phone number was "2!"  If memory serves me, the Hotel Menasha was "1." 

Toyland for Girls and Boys

November 26, 1964, Twin City News-Record

Our look back at 1964 concludes.  I remember so many of these toys.  Who didn't play with an Etch A Sketch or have a spirited game of Monopoly?  I was just disappointed there were no GI Joes, as this was the breakout year for the popular action figure.  

Mass in English?

November 27, 1964, Twin City News-Record

So far, this week has been all about 1964.  Gee there was a lot going on that year.  Among other things- Gulf of Tonkin, Johnson elected, a little thing called The Beatles...Vatican II dictated that celebrants would now incorporate English into the Mass.  Not so surprising for we students at area Catholic schools- we'd been hearing about it for awhile, but I cannot imagine the shock and dismay that regular parishioners must have felt when first encountering this strange intrusion into the traditional Latin Mass.  

Christmas Tree Lane

November 26, 1964, Twin City News-Record

Sure it's Neenah...but we all went there anyway!  And being a grand old man of eight years old in 1964, Colonel Caboose was my guy, and I would have gone anywhere to see him.  We first encountered the Colonel in 2012, shortly after the advent of this blog in conjunction with a little trifle known as the fizz-nik:  https://menashabook.blogspot.com/2012/08/fizz-nik-party-with-colonel-caboose.html.  (Read the linked blog post if you don't know what I'm talking about!)

Parking Utopia

November 27, 1964, Twin City News-Record

Here's a rarely seen view of a part of a Menasha downtown that is barely recognizable now.  This is roughly pictured from the current location of Mihm's, looking east towards a parking lot that might be the one next to the current Riverview Plaza building.  The wholescale rerouting of Chute Street and the revamp of Curtis Reed Square project made this photo just a historical footnote to a moment in time, to be sure.

First Grade Pride

November 25, 1964, Twin City News-Record

We're all about Thanksgiving leftovers here at the blog, so it is no surprise that I would bring forward this gem from our file of days gone by.  These kids were more or less contemporaries of mine, maybe a year behind me in school age, so I recognize the clothes and the poses of accomplishment for a job well done.  I don't know if the history lesson stuck with the kids but the turkey might have gotten the job done.  If nothing else, they can thank the ol' blogmaster for resurrecting an art/history hybrid from some fifty-five years ago they can now share with their grandchildren.