Loescher's Hardware

From the Semi-Centennial Souvenir Edition of the Menasha Press, June 1898:

In 1895, after ten years of experience as salesman in the hardware business, Mr. Geo. A. Loescher embarked in business for himself, opening a hardware store in the Clovis building on the south side of Upper Main street. His extended acquaintanceship with all the varied details of the business came into good play, for it enabled him not only to buy just the sort of a stock that the wants of the people called for, but to sell at figures that would induce buyers to repeat their visits. Mr. Loescher's venture prospered from the very outset, and today he carries one of the best stocks in the two cities, made up of hardware, tinware, stoves, ranges, sporting goods, mill supplies and bicycle sundries. He also does a large jobbing and contracting business, and employs a force of ten operatives most of the time.   This article would not be complete without at least an allusion to the attractive and unique displays Mr. Loescher always has in his show windows. A permanent feature is the large aquarium in the west window in which odd specimens of the finny tribe may be seen at any time.  Mr. Loescher was born and reared in this city, being a son of the late Frederick Loescher, Sr., and in 1891 was married to Miss Barbara Landgraf, of this city. Mr. and Mrs. Loescher live in tastefully furnished rooms over the hardware store.

Pictured above, the building at Main and Racine Streets. 

A Circle of Beauty

In this 1910 photo, Main Street has just been paved in anticipation of the convention of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.  Previously, Main Street was paved with cedar blocks; a thin layer of dirt on top provided an extra cushion, but made the road muddy when it rained and dusty when the weather was dry.  In the summer, a wagon would sprinkle the streets to keep the dust down.  However, for the convention, the city wanted to put its best foot forward.  Compare this photo with the cover of the upcoming book and you will see many similarities as that photo was taken during the Elks convention.

The news article dates from May 13, 1910. Regarding the prominent circle in the photo, depending upon the prevailing political climate, at certain times there was an upraised triangular flower bed, then the next administration would remove it, having a better idea.  Sometimes years went by and there was nothing in the "triangle" area.  Finally a circle became the norm and later, a flagpole was added.    I think we all remember that growing up.

Tip Top

In doing some research on the subject of Prospector Days, I came across these ads from the July 18, 1962 Appleton Post-Crescent.  Third and Racine Streets was still a viable shopping area in those days; we examined some photos in the blog from that area in the late 1920s some days ago.  A bit of personal trivia...I was in Tip Top the night President Nixon announced his resignation in 1974 and saw it all on one of Tip Top's color TVs.  I guess you DO remember where you were during major historic events. 

Memorial Day

The Isle of Valor is located adjacent to Smith Park and honors those service members from Menasha who exhibited bravery or valor in military or civilian circumstances.  Pictured here are Elmer J. Burr and Ken Stumpf who received the Congressional Medal of Honor, the highest award for valor in action bestowed on any U.S. soldier.

Elmer J. Burr Jr. was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for service during World War II in New Guinea as a member of Company I, 3rd battalion, 127th Infantry, 32nd Division, Wisconsin National Guard.   On December 24, 1942 he covered a grenade with his body to save the lives of his comrades.  Though he died of his wounds the following day, he was awarded the Medal of Honor on October 11, 1943.

On April 25, 1967 as a Specialist Four in Company C, 1st Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division in Vietnam, Ken Stumpf rescued three wounded comrades despite heavy fire and single-handedly disabled an enemy bunker. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the battle.  He served 29 years with the US Army before retiring in 1994. 

This being Memorial Day, let’s take a moment to reflect upon the many individuals who answered the call to arms for a higher purpose- to preserve liberty, justice, equality, and the right to live in a world free of oppression.  Let us thank them for their service and never forget their sacrifice. 

Have a Happy and Safe Memorial Day Weekend

We’ve seen this logo before…it was used in Menasha’s 1953 centennial celebration and announced to the world that Menasha is THE Paper City of Wisconsin.  I don’t know the circumstances surrounding this photo but it never fails to give me a smile.  (Notice the boy in the center…can kids nowadays even carry around toy guns anymore?!)   Nevertheless, with a three day weekend in sight, here’s hoping you, the faithful reader, have as much joy in your life as these little ones did back then.

Monday is Memorial Day.  Please remember our military veterans and have a safe holiday.

Third and Racine Streets

These views of the intersection of Third and Racine Streets in late fall or spring date from the late 1920s.  By this time, the streetcar service has been discontinued, though you can see evidence of the old tracks in the street. Notice the sign attached to the telephone pole at the left of the photo which designates Racine Street as US 41.  US 41 went through Menasha until about 1937.  At that time, the former route of US 41 from Green Bay Road west of Neenah through the city and into Menasha became an extension of WIS 114, while the former route from Menasha to the corner of Richmond Street & Wisconsin Avenue in Appleton became an extension of WIS 47.

If you zoom in on the traffic signal you can see that it’s reversed from what we are used to today.  The green light is at the top, as evidenced by the “GO” etched into the lens.  Lutzow’s Cash Grocery is affiliated with the IGA network of food stores, which still exists today.  Many of us remember the Cities Services gas stations as we grew up; they later morphed into the Citgo brand we see today.  And don't miss that bubbler on the corner!

Batter Up!

This photo from the mid 1920s is indicative of small-town baseball at its zenith.  Every town had a team, perhaps some had several.  But as the famed baseball writer, W. P, Kinsella said in his novel, Shoeless Joe, “Any game becomes important when you know and love the players.”  While still at the beginning of yet another spring, let’s pause for a moment and harken back to a simpler time and remember Menasha’s boys of summer. 

Back row, standing left to right:  manager: Harold Landgraf; 2^nd base: Brady; pitcher: Melzer; centerfield: Beik; shortstop: Joe Muench; general manager: Wally Pierce.

Front row, seated, left to right: pitcher and coach: Harry Rush; 1^st base: Harry Leopold; 3^rd base: Zelinski; leftfield: “Piggy Warden”; catcher: Delmore; rightfield: Cissa; batboy and mascot: Norbert Smith.

Butter Tubs

By the 1920s, bulk packaging in industry had turned to corrugated boxes as a primary means of distribution.  But realizing that butter was one of the few products that continued to be sold primarily in wooden packaging, Menasha Wooden Ware formed a subsidiary in Tacoma, Washington, called Northwestern Wooden Ware Company, to make staves from Sitka spruce, which were then made into butter tubs for local markets. Menasha's Sitka spruce tubs kept butter fresh for up to a year, versus most other tubs made of ashwood that caused the butter to become moldy within six months. Menasha Wooden Ware quickly became the number one butter tub manufacturer in the nation.

Jefferson School/Jefferson Park

Jefferson Park was built in 1932 and 1933 as a project of the Works Project Administration.  Jefferson Elementary School, at the intersection of Second and Ice Streets, is adjacent to the park in the background of this photograph.  Completed in 1931 at a cost of $125,000, it had been built at the behest of the City Council in order to provide local employment during the Great Depression.  Its unusual styling is categorized as Tudor/Elizabethan revival.

Hotel Menasha

As we saw in yesterday's travelogue from 1879, the National Hotel, which had been built by R. M. Scott in 1869,  was considered by that traveler, to be the city's premier lodging.   After the National Hotel burned down in October 1901, Scott’s widow announced that she would not rebuild it.  Eventually, plans for a new hotel were developed by city fathers and local manufacturers Christ Walter (brewing), Charles Smith (Menasha Wooden Ware), and Charles Howard (paper) resourced the project.  Much of the citizenry turned out for the laying of the cornerstone of the new Hotel Menasha in 1905.  A parade and a carnival-like atmosphere greeted the onlookers.  The new hotel cost $35,000 and became such a hit, it required additions in 1911 and 1916.  In the photo, the T. D. Phillips Furniture Company's wagon leads and you can see the large painted sign on the side of Tuchscherer's Shoe Store which for years announced, "This Is the Place for Shoes."  Zooming in on the photo reveals a large display of what purports to be the "Largest Snake Den in the World."  Carnival-like, indeed.

"A Picturesque Town"

From The Golden Northwest by James Maitland, Chicago: The Rollins Publishing Company, 1879.

Menasha is a picturesque town which is situated at the foot of Lake Winnebago, where it finds its outlet through the Fox River. The charming little body of water known as Lake Butte des Morts, just southwest washes the confines of the place. Between the beauties and advantages of these lakes and the river, the visitor has opportunities of the best sort to indulge his taste for fishing, hunting, boating or sailing, to his heart's content. 

The accommodations furnished by the National Hotel are all that could be desired. This house has long enjoyed a well deserved reputation for the excellence of its cuisine, and for the perfect preparations it makes every year for the comfort of summer boarders and tourists. Boats of all kinds, bait, tackle and guides, are furnished at reasonable rates, and vehicles of all kinds are to be found at the stables of the hotel, for the convenience of sportsmen and the many guests who yearly enjoy the beautiful drives of the locality. Menasha is largely patronized by visitors from the western and southern states who find at the National Hotel the comforts of a home, moderate charges and the perfection of attention. The hotel is a handsome three story brick building, situated on the river bank in immediate proximity to the business centre of the city and the various mills and factories. Menasha, Neenah, Appleton, Manitowoc, Two Rivers and other points of which we shall treat are situated on the line of the Wisconsin Central Railroad the claims of which great thoroughfare have already been dwelt upon.

Pictured above, The National Hotel, precursor to the Hotel Menasha

Fox River House

The Fox River House at 230 Main was a farmers’ hotel run by the Maurer family.  Located on the north side of Main and just west of Racine Street, this hotel catered to farmers coming to town to mill their wheat.  This particular photo doesn’t show it but other photos of this hotel revealed a sign above the door which labeled the inn as a German Gasthaus.  The German influence was very evident in the late 19^th century with the great influx of immigrants to America.  Notice the Walters Brothers beer signs and the banner announcing “sample rooms,” which was a euphemism of the time for a drinking establishment. 

St. Mary's

 

St. Mary's Catholic Church has helped define Menasha's skyline for well over 125 years.  In 1867, the German-speaking Catholics of Menasha separated from St. Charles Borromeo  (now St. Patrick's) and organized a parish of their own- St. Mary’s.  On Ash Wednesday, 1883, fire destroyed the first St. Mary church, devastating the parish.  But somehow, within three days, their pastor rallied his parishioners to provide $14,000 towards a new church, and in November of the same year, a new church was dedicated.  This church is a classic example of German Gothic architecture.  It seats 1000 and its spire rises to nearly 200 feet.  St. Mary's was the first and only Catholic school in the Diocese of Green Bay when it was built in 1868.  In 1928, a Catholic high school was built that serves the Twin Cities to this day. 

Brighton Beach

Brighton Beach was located at the end of Third Street.  A hotel was built in 1899 and it became even more popular then for picnics, band concerts, and other outdoor activities.  In spite of two renovations, the property was sold off around 1927 and the hotel torn down after years of trying to compete with Waverly Beach’s amusements which even included a roller coaster.   A private home was constructed on the grounds and in later years, the property was sold to a religious order of sisters for use as a retirement facility.  The ad dates from 1917 and was featured in the back of the Menasha High School annual of that year. 

1931 Marchers

 

This is a 1931 photo of the Menasha High School band marching down Main Street, approaching the Hotel Menasha.  According to the caption on the photo, they’d won first place in a Wisconsin State Marching Contest.  It seemed like everyone in town turned out to see the victorious band, filling every doorway, crowding onto the street...even hanging out of the hotel's windows to get a good glimpse.  You really get a sense of enthusiasm and civic pride from this shot. 

Henry Hewitt

We first met Mr. Hewitt yesterday, the founder of the Bank of Menasha.  Today, we learn a bit more about the man.  Henry Hewitt, who was born in England in 1814, came to America in 1842 and settled first in Racine County.  He then moved to Menasha in 1856, as a contractor, overseeing the excavation of the enlarged canal in Menasha in 1856-57, built the crib work in the front of the dam, and built the original wooden bridge at Tayco Street.  He initially went into banking in Neenah in 1865.   He died in Menasha March  22, 1897. 

From P.V. Lawson's History of Winnebago County, Wisconsin: Its Cities, Towns, Resources, People, (1908), we have this testimony to the man's greatness:

In 1870 he founded the present Bank of Menasha under the name of the National Bank of Menasha, and from that time until his death he was attached to it as few men are attached to any business.  Every day, rain or shine, his familiar face, ruddy and gathering with the rare good health that comes from careful living, could be seen near the fireplace, and not until approaching death forced him to the confinement of his home did he retreat from the post which he long and faithfully occupied.  He was a tower of strength in the world of finance, and it will be many years before the name of Henry Hewitt, Sr., is forgotten among those who live in these parts. 

Bank of Menasha

This is the old Bank of Menasha corner.  If you zoom in enough, you can see the name of the bank above the door on the right side of the building.  Notice the wood plank sidewalks and the almost unobstructed view all the way back to Little Lake Butte des Morts.  This photograph dates between 1870, when the bank was founded by Mr. Henry Hewitt under the name of the National Bank of Menasha and 1885, when City Hall was built and which would then be visible in the photo. 

More about Mr. Hewitt tomorrow.

Walter Brothers Brewery

                          

Christ Walter was the owner of Walter Brothers Brewing Company, brewer of Gold Label and Gem beers.  While not as celebrated as the Busch (Budweiser), Uehlein (Schlitz), or Pabst families, in the 1950s, the extended Walter family were the largest brewers in America, operating breweries in Menasha, Eau Claire, Appleton, and West Bend, Wisconsin as well as in Pueblo and Trinidad, Colorado.  Unable to match the marketing and sales budgets of the big national breweries, the Walter breweries closed one after another  in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. The last one to survive was Walter Brewing in Eau Claire which lasted until 1989.  While Christ Walter’s brewery was the first to shutter its operations in 1956, he maintained a separate political career in Menasha, becoming the Third Ward representative in the City Council and later, president of the Board of Aldermen.

Lawson Canal

From 1999’s Memories of Doty Island : A Link Between Two Cities, Caryl Chandler Herziger and Pawlowski, Winifred Anderson Pawlowski, editors

There is a body of water out of the north branch of the Fox River just west of Riverway in Menasha. It runs behind the Banta Company and on south to the Gilbert Paper Company. This is the Lawson Canal which was constructed in 1882. It was to be "about 2,000 feet long and 200 feet wide and of the uniform depth of four feet below the bottom of the river to the north." The purpose of the project was to add eighteen new power sites. In 1886 William Gilbert built a new paper mill on the canal. At that time there was a paper mill located north of Banta- closer to the dam. It was the first paper mill in Menasha and had changed hands many times. Lawson was one of the owners, thus the name of the canal.  In the late 1920's and early '30's, the piece of land which jutted into the river on the northeast side of the Lawson Canal, east of the bridge, was covered with trees, brush, and wild flowers. Most people were unaware of this area and never gave much thought as to its owner. But no one was positively told that it should not be explored. There were no NO TRESPASSING signs visible.

Mill Street Bridge

The Mill Street bridge was, in various forms, in service from approximately 1856 through 1951.  The version pictured here dates from about 1900, since the Smith Library appears to be recently completed.  This riveted iron bridge was built by a Milwaukee company and cost $14,500.  On Saturday, August 25, 1951, the new Racine Street bridge was dedicated to pioneer Curtis Reed and shortly thereafter the Mill Street bridge was demolished completely.  Notice the old Menasha High School rising in the distance behind the library and how St. Mary's dominates the skyline.

Tayco Street Bridge




This is a view of the Tayco Street bridge, looking south toward Doty Island.  In the distance, at the left, you can see St. Patrick's Parish.  Prominently featured in this photo is the Menasha Woolen Mill.  It was first set up in Neenah in 1847 by Daniel Priest and was the first woolen mill in Winnebago County.  In time, he moved the operation to Menasha.  From 1859-1886, a wooden swing bridge operated on this site. In 1886, the structure collapsed as a large herd of cattle was crossing. A new iron swing bridge was then constructed for $7,500. The bridge pictured here lasted until 1928 when the familiar bridge with a stone tower at each of its four corners was built.

 



Menasha Wooden Ware Fire

On July 17, 1964, a  railroad employee, using an acetylene torch to repair the track on a wooden trestle next to Menasha's box plant, inadvertently set fire to the trestle. The blaze was brought under control, but when the glowing embers were struck with a stiff breeze, the fire engulfed the building, destroying it.  Two weeks after the fire, the company’s Board of Directors announced that a new 185,000 square foot corrugated box plant would be constructed in an industrial park three miles south of Neenah.   New corporate offices, to be adjacent to the new plant, were planned as well and the office staff left Menasha the next year.  In 1966, the new plant was completed.