Take Advantage of These Values

January 16, 1962, Appleton Post-Crescent

Perhaps not as well-known or remembered as much as Tuchscherer's on Main Street, but this little shoe store on the opposite side of Main Street at least had that expansive parking lot that faced Broad Street. 

Attentive Audience

February 1, 1964, Appleton Post-Crescent

These kids are quite attentive, save for the kid in the foreground.  Either it's their age, their generation, or they are just in awe of the strange apparatus being shown to them to climb trees or telephone poles.

Men and Their Shovels

January 27, 1978, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

As if to illustrate that even the mightiest of machines are no match for Mother Nature, this photo makes the case.  It requires the simplest form of work- men and their shovels-  to clear the way for this diesel behemoth to safely do its task.

A Lost Art

January 5, 1965, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

September 19, 1963, Green Bay Press-Gazette

I was intrigued when I saw the above photo and then, with a little more searching, arrived at this full blown article from Green Bay.  If his broom-making was a lost art over fifty years ago, imagine what they'd say now.  From time to time, it's fun to feature one of the interesting people we had in Menasha growing up.

Social Items

January 9, 1928, Appleton Post-Crescent

For your reading pleasure, a series of social items for Menasha residents to ponder over, courtesy of the Post-Crescent.  It certainly WAS another era when the condition of ice cut from Lake Winnebago was considered a newsworthy item.  And where did the Menasha hockey team play and practice locally?  Past editions of the Post-Crescent refer to the team using the "Menasha High School rink."  I am assuming that was adjacent to the high school which then resided on today's public library site.  Remembering the ice rink at what later became known as Racine Street Park at the same location (before the present library was built), I'm sure it must have been there.

Drifty

January 16, 1920, Appleton Post-Crescent

January 19, 1920, Appleton Post-Crescent

We take for granted the infrastructure we have now that provides for clearing the streets and ensuring passable roads, save for an inconvenience of a day or two during extreme weather.  But this must have been some storm to have created this kind of announcement.  Or, was this meant as sarcasm?  Further research did not indicate if the "shovelers' brigade" ever was formed.  The article from the 16th makes the case that the snow WAS rather heavy, so perhaps this was just impatience and an attempt at humor from the desk of the editor.

Brewery Days

January 14, 1977, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

A short history of brewing in Menasha.  The Winz property on Manitowoc Street eventually became Winz Park.  We first encountered the Winz brewery in this blog in 2012: https://menashabook.blogspot.com/2012/06/winz-brewery.html and discussed Feiner beer in 2015: https://menashabook.blogspot.com/2015/03/a-finer-brew.html.  The Walter Bros. Brewing Company is mentioned about twenty different times in this blog.  Just do a search on "Walter."

Saved

January 26, 1972, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

Here's a feel-good story to start your week. Who can frown at adding another feathered friend to the population at the Gilbert duck pond?  And with all the turmoils in the world, simple kindnesses are, sometimes, the most meaningful.

Buckets

January 7, 1972, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

And just in the nick of time, too.  I'm sure the fire department was getting a bit tired of removing these decorations all those years. (Ha ha.)  The implication is that the decorations were kept up until after January 6, though I doubt it.  My Mom always had a beef with folks who didn't wait until Epiphany, or "Little Christmas" as she called it, was over.

Special Guest

January 19, 1972, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

I'm sure there's an interesting story about the presence of this individual at the city council meeting.  But needless to say, his reluctance in provoking any controversy was undoubtedly appreciated.

False Alarm?

January 6, 1981, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

Having graduated only six years before, I can relate.  I would have liked to have had a break like this, though I only remember scheduled fire drills.  Look at the students just milling around with nothing to do, with no phones to look at.  Why it's positively primitive!

A Big Oops!

January 31, 1967, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

Well, this'll ruin a guy's day, though he doesn't seem the worse for wear.  I can imagine there's colorful language going on in his head, or maybe he's just desirous of a good steaming cup of coffee.  Or, perhaps something a bit more substantial to take the edge off.

All Around the World

January 31, 1959, Appleton Post-Crescent

It's better than a trip to EPCOT at Walt Disney World!  Better than an Olympics opening parade!  All the nations in one classroom!  A tip of the proverbial hat to the moms who more than likely had a hand in dressing these kids at St. John's. Too bad the other kids didn't make the cut for the photo op; the readers missed seeing the costumes of some key countries whose ancestors made Menasha what it is.

Brr-r-r!

January 24, 1959, Appleton Post-Crescent

When the temperature is 6 degrees and the wind chill makes it feel like -10, you take your beauty and pleasure where you find it.  Sometimes it's a warm drink in front of a roaring fire, sometimes it's a pretty winter scene outside an industrial plant.  Beauty is where ever you find it and however you see it.  I won't quote the staid quotation we all know, but you get the picture.

Radio

January 10, 1929, Appleton Post-Crescent

In the same newspaper edition as the movie listings of yesterday, comes this story about the mayor appearing on Milwaukee radio to tout the benefits of Menasha life.  Radio was just getting started as a mass medium in the 1920's, so it must have been quite the innovation to even suggest such a broadcast.  I wonder how many folks in the Fox Valley even heard the broadcast and if it brought any new business or residents to the city..

Let's All Go to the Movies

January 10, 1929, Appleton Post-Crescent

Here is a smattering of movie titles for your viewing enjoyment in 1929.  The Brin had just opened on Christmas Day, 1928, so it was still being billed as the "new" Brin Theatre in advertisements.  Notice that Leonard K. Brin, who had named his theater in Menasha after himself, also owned the Appleton Theatre.

Valley Coffee

January 27, 1959, Appleton Post-Crescent

This is a nice interior shot of the coffee shop that graced Main Street for so many years.  It may have changed ownership several times over the years, but it was situated next to Schultz's variety store at the traffic light where Mill Street intersected.  You couldn't have asked for a more centralized downtown location than that.  Notice the ashtrays on the counter; that's something you'll never see again.

Ice Carnival

January 25, 1971, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

Winter fun was in the air at Hart Park; the skaters tried their best on a frosty Sunday.  Looking back on this now, I see those striped pants on the lead skater and remember that I had a few pairs like that in my closet at the time.  And I was, as they say, quite the dresser.  For 1971.  Today, I just shake my head with the thought, "what were we thinking?"

Vacation Guide

May 24, 1965, Appleton Post-Crescent

This is your basic frivolous blog post in the middle of a bitter winter.  For years, this illustration graced the back want-ad pages of the Post-Crescent and was flanked by ads for vacation spots around the state- motels, inns, resorts, etc.  It was the illustration for your "Northeastern Wisconsin Vacation Guide."  Those days seem distant now, but if nothing else, the anticipation of the warmth and lure of the inevitable summer may help steel yourself to get through the remainder of the cold season.

Typewriter Confusion

December 30, 1927, Oshkosh Daily Northwestern

Here's a charming paean to the virtues of honesty and, at the same time, an indictment of the "big city" life.  This could be the plot or a variation of any 60's sitcom- replace the name Menasha with Mayberry or some other famous TV small town.  The end result is Sheriff Taylor explaining to Opie at the end of the show the values of integrity and doing the right thing. 

Schultz's Closes

December 22, 1985, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

Those doggone creaky floors.  I'll always remember those floors and they always creaked so much in front of the toy counters on the left side of the store as you walked in.  I'll never forget that.  Buying caps, water pistols, marbles.  A ritual every summer was to buy a balsa wood glider that would last just until it smashed nose first into one of the trees in my back yard!  Until I discovered comic books and Rudy's Magazine Rack, Schultz's was where I spent whatever money I was able to scrounge up. 

Frigid Swim

January 2, 1987, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

I guess every place has one, a group of intrepid daredevils who venture into the frigid cold, despite freezing temperatures.  More power to them, but as for me, I'd rather be in charge of the post-swim celebration at the Broad Street establishments. 

Happy New Year!

January 3, 1939, Oshkosh Daily Northwestern

Apparently, 1939 arrived in Menasha in the quietest of manners.  Was this the calm before the storm as World War II loomed in the near future?  Here's hoping YOUR New Year's celebration was enjoyable with a sincere wish for a terrific year ahead!  Happy 2018!