All Saints

November 1, 1960, Appleton Post-Crescent

 

With Halloween upon us tomorrow, I thought I'd feature this photo from the Post-Crescent, 55 years ago.  To say the least, such a pageant was not unusual for those of us who attended Catholic schools in the area. 

One Time Only!

28 October 1960, Appleton Post-Crescent

 

I have a vague recollection of going to this event, even though I would have been four years old at the time.  But then, it might have been the Harlem Magicians, a competing act that had toured the country since 1953, until Mr. Saperstein brought a lawsuit against them for copyright infringement. 

Paper Mills

Some more turn-of-the-century paper mill photography, from the History of Neenah, of all places.  Readers, please correct me if I'm wrong, but I think, from top to bottom, they are: Howard Paper (later known as Island Paper), John Strange, and Whiting. 

Treats!

October 27, 1972 N-M Northwestern

Just in time for Halloween, the Menasha Sweet Shop comes to the rescue!  Sign me up for the rubber Halloween ears! 

Polish Catholic Church

 

 

From roughly 1909, comes a cousin's request that Miss Olga Trilling come visit, via the Northwestern railroad.  By this time, this version of St. John's church was about nine years old.

St. Patricks 1909

 

A lovely scene on Nicolet Boulevard, or 'The Avenue" as it was called until the 1906 dedication of the Nicolet Monument in Smith Park.   That same year, The Avenue received a new name.  Even though the card publisher got the location wrong, we still know this as the Menasha side. 

Wimpy the Clown

October 27, 1972 N-M Northwestern

 

A special event at an elementary school...what could be finer?!  It reminds me of the thrill I'd always get when the A-V cart was rolled into class...finally, something different.  Even if it was a film strip (remember those?!), anything to break up the monotony of a school day was always welcome.  But a clown?  They hit the jackpot that day. 

Band Tournament 1931

We first encountered this major event for the city back in a 2012 blog post: http://menashabook.blogspot.com/2012/05/1931-marchers.html.  At that time we featured Menasha High's band coming down Main Street.  Here is a photo of another unidentified band.  Still, one gets a sense of excitement that must have permeated the crowd.

Hunters Policy

October 19, 1959 Appleton Post-Crescent

I spotted these ads yesterday while doing the football story and I didn't want to pass up the opportunity to present them to you.  While not exactly the norm for every community but with so many hunters in the area, it was most likely a necessity.

Rite of Autumn

October 19, 1959 Appleton Post-Crescent

 

From 56 years ago today, the Post-Crescent highlights football activities, as sponsored by the Menasha Recreation Department.  In this case, the younger set- fifth and sixth graders, engage in the touch football league, populated with teams with some familiar sounding names.  I'm sure all the kids wanted to be on the Packers.

Gilbert 1958

Gilbert Paper's physical plant on Ahnaip Street, ca. 1958.

 

We've talked at length about Gilbert Paper Company on this blog, to include this post:   

http://menashabook.blogspot.com/2012/07/gilbert-paper-company.html where there's a lot of good back and forth commentary.  In that post, the readers were quite informative about some of the products Gilbert produced, to include special papers for currency and Social Security Cards.  You should check it out. 

Scene at Waverly Beach

Here's another circa 1909 view of Waverly Beach, as attributed to Appleton.

Across the River

Looking across the north branch of the Fox River, toward the Menasha Wooden Ware Company.  As we know, the company was started in 1849 and purchased by Elisha D. Smith in 1852.  Beginning as a pail factory, it later expanded into the production of other wood products and container products and became the largest manufacturer of its kind in the world.

 

photo courtesy, Menasha Public Library

All Sets Have Been Checked Out...

August 11, 1959, Appleton Post-Crescent

 

When a new television could cost upwards of $400, a used TV at a bargain price would always be welcome.  Here are some other average facts and figures from 1959:  car: $2,200, gasoline: 30 cents/gallon, house: $18,500, bread: 20 cents/loaf, milk: $1.01/gallon, postage stamp: 4 cents, average annual salary: $5,500, minimum wage: $1.00 per hour.

St. Mary's 1906

 

Hopefully cousin Beatrice located our traveler's medication and there were no ill effects for her.  The best to you this weekend in all your travels! 

Woolen Mills

from the Semi-centennial edition of the Menasha Press: historical, biographical, descriptive. commemorative of Wisconsin's 50th year of statehood, June 1898: 

"This institution was originally established by Daniel Priest in 1857. In 1865 the older portion of the present woolen mill, was built, and one year later the firm of Chapman & Hewitt, consisting of the late John Chapman and W. P. Hewitt, the present proprietor of the mills, took possession. This partnership existed for fifteen years, Mr. Chapman retiring in 1882, and the firm name changing to W. P. Hewitt & Co., which it remains to this day. The product of these widely-known mills consists of skirtings, shirtings, ladies' dress goods, sackings and frockings, and goes to almost every state in the union except in the extreme South, where woolen goods are an unknown quantity. The Menasha flannels have a country-wide reputation, and in hundreds of cities and towns throughout the North people call for them and will have none other. The capacity of the mills is about 1,200 yards per day, and a force of about sixty operatives, two-thirds of whom are girls-is given employment. The superintendent of the mills is Thomas H. Robinson, than whom no man in the Northwest more thoroughly understands the thousand and one details of cloth making. Win. Taylor is the foreman of the spinning room; Daniel Fallain, of the weaving room; John Murtaugh of the carding room, and Joseph Guyett is boss finisher. The mill is equipped with eighteen looms-thirteen broad and fiber narrow, and all of the latest improved make; and its carding machines and spinning jacks are the best that can be bought at any market."

 

The mill was located at 400 S. Tayco and closed by the 1920s.

Export Beer

This handsome label features this fine line drawing of the Walter Brothers facility on Nicolet Boulevard.  This same drawing was used in the company letterhead for its receipts as we first learned in a 2013 blog post:  http://menashabook.blogspot.com/2013/10/walter-brothers-brewing-receipt.html.  Export Beer was only one offering in a product line that included Walter's Gold Label and the most familiar of all, Gem beer. 

The tourist in search of rest and recreation....

From the Rand-McNally Official Railway Guide and Hand Book, dated 1902, comes these entries, an advertisement for Gilbert Paper and the other touting the industrial and recreational capabilities of the Twin Cities.  I have featured other so-called guidebooks on this blog, usually authored by the various railroads which ran through here, describing Menasha's good qualities for newcomers.  But this one, from the seemingly "neutral" Rand McNally seems as cheerleaderish as the actual railroad versions, with florid language bordering on arrogance.  No doubt the town reveled in seeing itself portrayed that way, and really, where was the harm?

Wintry Tableau

It won't be long before conditions like this prevail.  The distinctive outline of Doty Island is evident here in this wintry photo taken from above.  Despite the frozen Lake Winnebago and snow evident everywhere else, one can still see distinctive markings of roads, to include Nicolet Boulevard, Ahnaip Street, and Old Plank Road.  This photo was extracted from A History of Neenah (1958), by S.F. Shattuck et al. 

Banta

The Ahnaip Street plant of the George Banta Company, ca. 1958

 

From 1910 until its purchase by R.R. Donnelley & Sons in 2006, the George Banta Company was resident in this location on Doty Island.  Donnelley closed this facility in 2011, though work continues at what was formerly known as the "Midway plant" at 800 Midway Road.  

It Requires No Prophet to Foretell...

June 28, 1871 Janesville Gazette

 

Good information is provided here about the state of the Twin Cities in mid-1871, especially industry facts and figures.  While some of this most likely should be taken with a grain of salt (considering the ulterior motives of the Wisconsin Central to get more visitors and businesses to the area, and therefore more business for it), it is still a fascinating look at an up-and-coming area of Wisconsin.  And this is dated years before the two cities were incorporated in 1873 (Neenah) and 1874 (Menasha.)