Getting Ready

October 27, 1979, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

Can that certain holiday be far behind with efforts like this afoot?  Creativity takes a front seat for these Halloween revelers.  Here's hoping your Halloween is a spooktacular affair.

Halloween Reading

October 29, 1971, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

I always loved how the librarians could create a themed display of books that were applicable to a certain holiday.  Halloween was no exception, as depicted here. And I remember this happening at my own elementary school as well as at the public library.  There was no monopoly on that concept.

Along the Lawson

October 16, 1966, Appleton Post-Crescent

We close this week with a nice view of the Lawson Canal as we look past Banta Publishing towards Gilbert Paper Company.  We first encountered it in 2012 but have revisited it many times in the blog:  https://menashabook.blogspot.com/2012/05/lawson-canal.html.

That Time of Year

October 3, 1979, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

One can almost expect to find Charlie Brown's friend Linus in this pumpkin patch, awaiting the Great Pumpkin's annual apppearance.  As we near the fabled holiday, many of us will be going to patches like this, perhaps introducing kids or grandkids to the holiday for the first time.  Another rite of Autumn comes to pass, as the year winds to a close.

Ghostly Safety

October 13, 1961, Oshkosh Daily Northwestern

With October traditionally Fire Prevention Month and also Halloween, why not be innovative and combine the two to grab the attention of young people to get the message across?  Kudos to our educators for a job well done.

Herb's Food Town Closes

October 21, 1978, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

I first mentioned this store in 2012, featuring a 1962 article when Herb retired and turned over the store to his son John:  https://menashabook.blogspot.com/2012/10/herbs-food-town.html.  I was quite familiar with this store growing up, as it was only a block from my house.  In that post, I lamented the demise of this corner grocery from Menasha, where, at one time, it seemed every neighborhood had one.  But now, after the rise of the big box retailers mostly built away from town centers, many neighborhoods are virtual food deserts.  If one doesn't have transportation, the only alternative is shopping at convenience marts and pharmacies.  And usually, it's difficult to find real food at those places. 

Pulaski Portrait

October 21, 1978, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

Namesake for the village near Green Bay, Polish nobleman Casimir Pulaski became the "father of the American cavalry" during the American Revolution and was a war hero to Polish-Americans everywhere.  Is it any wonder that a portrait of him with General Washington would hang in the Polish Falcons hall for oh, so many years? 

Just Marching Along

October 6, 1958, Appleton Post-Crescent

Growing up around St. Mary's, it didn't seem like a normal week if the high school marching band didn't come by the house and give us a free concert, of sorts.   I've mentioned this in past blog postings: https://menashabook.blogspot.com/2013/08/st-marys-marching-band.html and https://menashabook.blogspot.com/2015/08/front-porch-parade.html. 

New In Town

October 18, 1967, Appleton Post-Crescent

I recall this store only too well, as it was the first ShopKo in the area.  And despite what the article says, it was located on Hwy 47, not 41 obviously.  (Guess the proofreader was asleep this day).  This store eventually became the current Goodwill store after ShopKo closed in early 1975.  At the time, the local branch of the Retail Store Employees Union accused ShopKo of closing because that store's employees had wanted to organize.  But the National Labor Relations Board later found in ShopKo's favor that the store had decided to close before the organizing action ever arose.  ShopKo remained out of the Menasha market for several years before coming back with another ShopKo built a bit farther south on 47 in 1981. 

Autumn Idyll

October 26, 1986, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

Wednesday finds us with an image from the river as iconic as a picture postcard.  Despite the industrial cacophony within the mills and plants lining the river, our two subjects are worlds away, bringing pause to our mid-week frenzy and soothing our tired soul, if only momentarily.   

A Look Back- A New Grist Mill

Reprinted in the October 17, 1968, Appleton Post-Crescent

From the archives, 149 years before in 1868 and printed in the Appleton Crescent before its merger with the Post, comes this news item about the new splendid grist mill just constructed in Menasha.   It lasted only until 1885 when the US Government bought him out to extend the dam across the river.  We first discussed the Symes mill in 2012:
http://menashabook.blogspot.com/2012/09/symes-flour-mill.html

Electro Measure

October 17, 1965, Appleton Post-Crescent

So much of the Fox Valley's business news revolved around the paper and printing industries over the years, but here was a unique application.  Computer automation comes to the Fox Valley in a system designed to give management positive cash and quality control and to eliminate spillage in a food service/restaurant environment.  While not totally doing away with bartenders, the system provided a more accurate drink every time and took the guesswork out of it.

Friday the 13th

October 13, 1967, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

Instead of the usual black cats and frightening type of Friday the 13th references, we feature this, a happier coincidence.  Having a 13th birthday on Friday the 13th seems to have been typical schtick in the Fox Valley as I've seen many instances of this type of story over the years reported by the Northwestern.

In Transit

October 14, 1971, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

The donated Soo Line caboose made its final trek to Smith Park some 46 years ago.  Symbolic of Menasha's rail heritage, the caboose was donated by the Soo Line during the 100th anniversary celebration of the founding of the Wisconsin Central Railroad.  We first talked about the caboose back in 2013: https://menashabook.blogspot.com/2013/11/caboose.html.

Energy Circus

October 17, 1990, Twin City News-Record

I'd have liked to have been in the audience for this talk, if only to see how safety with electricity was integrated into a circus type presentation.  Plus, I like circuses.  Judging from all the accoutrements, this guy must have made the "circuit," going from school to school and town to town throughout Wisconsin.  (Go ahead, groan with me.)

Fire Prevention Week

October 9, 1965, Appleton Post-Crescent

Looks like bad karma weighs heavily in today's collection of news articles.  Both the bowling alley fire during fire prevention week and the Milwaukee woman's loss of her diamond ring while littering display a bit of irony.  Nevertheless, I'm sure the Banta School students enjoyed their fire marshal status, even though the boys looked a bit wary.  I figured it was either a) all the attention they were getting, or b) realizing that the girls had cooties.  My money's on "b."

Good Old Town and School of Mine

February 22, 1937, Appleton Post-Crescent

The new Menasha high school was over a year away from opening after the disastrous fire of 1936 had claimed the old facility.  Nostalgia paired with hopes for the days to come led to a song for this new era.  The band director even worked in the Wisconsin state motto of "Forward" to let the listener know that we weren't satisfied with the past but were forging ahead towards a prosperous future.

Exuberant Fans

October 18, 1958, Appleton Post-Crescent

As if the relief at the end of any hard-fought game wasn't enough to put these expressions on fans' faces, the fact that it was a victory over arch-rival Neenah really put these Menasha fans over the top.  And as the article below shows- it wasn't just any Menasha-Neenah game--Menasha hadn't beat Neenah in 5 years and this victory stopped Neenah's streak of 24 games without a loss.  Neenah hadn't lost in three years.  Wow!  No wonder Menasha fans were so excited.

 

Backyard Concert

October 29, 1969, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

A slice of life from another time.  Music melts away the doldrums of repetitive, mind-numbing work, and who wouldn't welcome a respite from leaf raking when a travelling minstrel happens by.

Bound for Glory

July 8, 1938, Appleton Post-Crescent

This seems a rather elaborate way of ensuring the library's books get back "home."  One would think a simple stamp with the library's name on the cover or some other such imprint would have sufficed.  I know some libraries today stamp their books on the end papers or even the edges of the collected pages.  Perhaps others saw it the same way and that is why this was termed an "experiment."  Still, the next time I'm in the library, I'd be curious to see such an example, if indeed, one still resides in its collections.  Dear readers, have you memories of seeing such books? 

Kid Speak

October 15, 1969, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

Sometimes I wonder about a lot of the things I feature in this blog, to include whether or not the schools still do historical tours of the city or how much history school kids get at all, for that matter.  While I realize it's a different world than it was some 48 years ago when this photo was taken, I believe that some things still stay the same- that an appreciation of what came before is necessary to chart a logical and sane course for the future.  It's like that old quotation- those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it. 

To expect third graders to embrace this concept is, perhaps. farfetched, but if one can spark that glimmer of interest within a student, he or she will be richly rewarded throughout their lives.  An appreciation of history is fundamental to a sense of identity and cultural heritage.  Moreover, in studying other peoples, a child can develop a greater sense of empathy and understanding which leads to social awareness, compassion, and tolerance.  Everyone wins. 

Going Strong

September 17, 1982, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

Logic tells me the 150th anniversary should have occurred in 2007, though I couldn't find any record of it by perusing the newspapers from that year.  Still, there is some good history in this article commemorating the church's 125th.  From the earliest days of Menasha, this church was a prominent player in the fabric of city culture and development.