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!