Early Map

This portion of an 1872 map of Menasha, besides highlighting the location of the Wisconsin Central Railroad shops, shows some oddities, to include the first passenger (non-railroad) bridge spanning Little Lake Butte des Morts and the "fanciful" (for lack of a better term) Lake Street which never really existed.  With the map having been published by H.B. Stranahan of Philadelphia, one might be a little forgiving, especially if there had been a plan for such a street at some point.  But I have yet to find any reference. 

We first encountered the mysterious Lake Street in the blog last April when we discussed plans as early as 1856 to rename LLBDM as Peepeek Lake: http://menashabook.blogspot.com/2014/04/peepeek-lake.html

CNW Station 1969

Passenger service with the Chicago and NorthWestern was still in operation when this photo was taken in 1969. It looks like a train just came in, from the activity on the platform.  Interesting composition of this photo...no train shown, the looming bricks on the right, the telephone pole obliterating the name sign.  My guess is that this was just one of a series of photos meant to highlight the station property per se.  I have no other context to explain this.

Governor Pulleys

from about 1920 or so, as featured in a dairy farming journal

 

As if you haven't had our fill of pulleys by now, comes this ad for specialized pulleys designed for the dairy industry.  We first encountered US Tractor last January 28th when we spoke of Menasha's brief flirtation with car manufacturing:
http://menashabook.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-harris-six.html . 

Old Pulley Company Pix

Last Thursday's post about the Old Wood Split Pulley Factory led some of our readers to wonder how the area looked before the apartments were built on the site.  I remembered that I had these old photos in my collection, obtained from the Historical Society about the time I did research for the book.  They were undated but I think they are from the 1960's/early 1970s.  I'm not sure when the apartments were built, but this is the way I remember it from my childhood.

Red Bird

April 27, 1961

 

We first encountered the Red Bird statue at High Cliff on the blog in September 2012.  http://menashabook.blogspot.com/2012/09/red-bird-at-high-cliff-state-park.html 

 

Here's a photo of the crew responsible for installing it there.  Top:  Roland Kippenhan, Pres., P.G. Miron Construction Company.; Herman Lind, P.G. Miron Construction Company; William Dorschner, crane operator; Bob Ulrich Company.  Bottom:  J.H. Wilterding, President, George Banta Company; Robert Lilly, Manager, Appleton Erecting Company; Henry Radtke, Foreman, P.G. Miron Construction Company; James Petersen, Appleton Erecting Company.

Hey, Look Me Over

 

from the Wisconsin Central Railroad Centennial celebration booklet of 1971

 

George Banta, Jr. and Robert E. Anderson, sales manager for the Soo Line in Menasha, look over a caboose stove which was donated to the Stonefield Museum in Cassville.

Wood Split Pulley

Another aspect of Menasha's manufacturing legacy is shown here in this "real photo post card," circa 1910.  The photo shows the relative size of one of the split pulleys produced by P.V. Lawson's Wood Split Pulley Company off Sixth Street near Little Lake Butte des Morts.  We first encountered the Pulley Company back in 2012:  http://menashabook.blogspot.com/2012/06/menasha-wood-split-pulley-company.html and again in 2013:  http://menashabook.blogspot.com/2013/04/menasha-split-pulley-company-revisited.html.  Olde Pulley Lane and the namesake apartments on that street reflect the legacy of the old pulley factory. 

Gilbert House

 from the American Architect, January 12, 1921

 

The story goes that Mr. Gilbert's house on East Wisconsin Avenue in Neenah had a thatched roof initially, which made it look somewhat like a fairy tale cottage from the storybooks.  However, the harsh Wisconsin weather was not kind to his roof so he had wooden shingles manufactured to continue the look.  Genuine or not, the design was distinctive enough to get coverage in this national publication.

Hunting Scene

Purportedly a hunting scene near Brighton Beach, this postcard helped to perpetuate the idea of the Menasha area as a vacation wonderland with beaches, hunting, and the like.  Of course, with no landmarks present, this scene might have been repeated a thousandfold throughout the US with any of a number of communities listed.  Just fill in the blank. 

Passenger Station

The Wisconsin Central passenger station, built in 1872 and later enlarged, was a very busy place during the early years of the WC.  Pictured to the left rear is the engine house which was in operation for many years. To the right is the silhouette of St. Mary's Catholic Church. As described in this blog in past posts, the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie, also known as the Soo Line, acquired majority ownership of the capital stock of the Wisconsin Central in 1908.  By 1909, the Soo Line took control of all WC property and the Soo Line became the chief railroad presence in Menasha. 

As Low as 20c Per Day

January 14, 1967 NM Northwestern

 

Back in the days of the Mom and Pop one-stop appliance store (every town had one), we were blessed with Druck's on Main Street.  Gilbert Drucks began his business in Menasha in the early 1930s and with its blue and white neon sign, the store was a familiar sight at the intersection of Racine and Main Streets for decades. 

Winter View

St. Mary's towers over the surrounding neighborhood on a crisp, clear random winter day

Beautiful Furniture with a Future

February 20, 1968 N-M Northwestern

 

As we've featured in the blog and seen periodically in the Northwestern, here is one of the lengthy articles devoted to local businesses.  This time, the focus is on a furniture store in the Town of Menasha.  I like that they surrounded this feature with ads from other Town businesses as well.

A Healthful Drink

From, of all places, the 1917 Menasha High School yearbook, comes this ad for Walter Bros. Gold Label beer, touting its "health" properties.  Written in the style of the best patent medicine ads of the day, the only thing lacking is a litany of the ailments to be cured by consuming it.  I'm just disappointed we don't learn exactly why these "leading physicians"  of the day recommend its use.

Tranquil Scene

from The Booming City of Menasha, Wisconsin, 1887

This tranquil artwork was featured as an illustration in the aforementioned text. We've discussed this booklet before; it was used as a public relations vehicle to publicize and generate interest in Menasha for outside merchants and industries to relocate to our fair town. 

CORRECTION:  In the blog post of January 8th, I mistakenly listed Tip Top's former address as 113 Main.  In reality, it should have read 216 Main.  I had looked at the wrong city directory which had a listing for another business named "Tip Top" with no other identifying information.  I regret the error.

A Study in Brick

The familiar square chimney of the George A. Whiting Paper Company provides a stark contrast against the sky on a crisp, cold day.  The weathered bricks do not belie the history of this stalwart employer, in continuous operation since 1882. Despite being one of the smallest and oldest mills in Wisconsin, it was managed under five generations of family ownership until January, 2014 when it was sold to its current CEO.  After over 130 years, Whiting continues.

Service is the Heart of Their Business

Picture is the side entrance to Tip Top Radio and TV at the corner of Third and Racine, circa 1980.  Tip Top began life downtown at 216 Main Street and we encountered it more extensively in a past post: http://menashabook.blogspot.com/2012/05/tip-top.html

photo courtesy, Menasha Public Library

Letter to the Editor

October 21, 1948 Milwaukee Journal

 

Today we feature a letter published in the afternoon Milwaukee newspaper.  An irate Menasha resident takes the editors of The Milwaukee Journal to task, and rightly so.  Like the comedian Rodney Dangerfield, Menasha gets no respect.

Pleasant Under Glass

This view of the Valley Fair parking lot, as shown here in 1963, speaks volumes about winter weather and northeastern Wisconsin.  With the coming Arctic blast, as promised by the meteorologists on TV, today's residents could forgive this pun and surely go for an environment that's "pleasant under glass."   (And speaking of which, is that reference even relevant anymore?  To my childhood ears, pheasant under glass sounded like the epitome of elegant dining, but I'd bet if you asked a hundred people under the age of 30 today, you'd get at least 99 stares.)

Two-Way Radios in Every Truck

 February 11, 1961 Appleton Post-Crescent

 

Who didn't remember these trucks tooling around town while growing up?  I particularly remember that van at the bottom. 

Landgraf Tokens

 

from 1903-1904

from 1905-1921

These tokens for the Landgraf Hotel are examples of an often common substitute for currency in the late 19th and early 20th century. The era of 1870 through 1920 marked the highest use of "trade tokens" in the United States, spurred by the proliferation of small stores in rural areas. Thousands of small general stores and merchandise stores were to be found all over the United States, and many of them used trade tokens to promote trade and extend credit to customers.

For more about the Landgraf Hotel, please follow this link: http://menashabook.blogspot.com/2012/06/landgrafs-hotel.html

Happy New Year!

 

December 31, 1964 NM Northwestern

Let's go back in time to wish you a happy 1965 along with the many other familiar merchants of the Fox Valley we grew up with.

Happy New Year, and may 2015 be your best year ever!