Thank You!

Before I take this week off from the blog to regroup, let me acknowledge those of you who came out to see me at the Menasha Public Library on Sunday.  We enjoyed some vintage postcards, had a few laughs, and I met the nicest folks from the area.  Your interest in local history keeps me going, so I give you my heartiest of thanks!

My book, Neenah and Menasha: Twin Cities of the Fox Valley, is available locally at Lemon Loves Lime, the Menasha Historical Society, and in Appleton at The Frame Workshop.  More retailers are forthcoming.  Or, you can always get it at http://arcadiapublishing.com.

I'll return to the blog next Monday, May 7th.  See you then!

Repurpose

I've featured this dramatic photo before- a traditional symbol- of government, of banking, of strength.  This Corinthian column is one of four that once decorated the old First National Bank at 175 Main Street, as seen in the photo postcard below. 

And now, the columns gain new life, put at the end of Mill Street near the waterfront to create a small park that will soon accommodate small civic events and serve as a gathering area for downtown employees, residents and visitors.  Located less than a block from where they originally were, the columns not only acknowledge the history of the First National Bank, but also pay homage to other architectural aspects of Menasha's past.

And a reminder to come see me Sunday at the Menasha Public Library, or if you can't, I'll be at Your Daily Grind on Saturday from 10 am-1 pm.

Old City Hall Revisited

 

What with my attention drawn to postcards with the release of the book this week. I thought I'd feature this post from four years ago.  I've always like this card, with this circa 1908 view of the old city hall.  It still had its bell tower and was a city landmark and a source of civic pride.

 

This postcard of the old city hall/fire station predates the expansion of city government and the necessity for more office space.  By 1917, the old city hall had become cramped and the city purchased the old First National Bank building.  This was not the stately columned ediface, but rather the original bank to the west.  The next year, the police department moved out of city hall to a property just west of the Menasha City hall.  After these moves, the old city hall was used by the Fire Department and the Common Council until 1963.  In that year, the First National Bank building constructed in 1917 (the columned one) was purchased by the city and merged with the older building next door, as the bank was building its new facility across Main Street from the Bank of Menasha.  Combined, the two buildings now housed city offices and the council chambers.  The old city hall remained in use by the Fire Department until the 1970s and eventually was demolished in the 1980s. 

Trolley Map

from Badger Traction, 1969, by Central Electric Railfans' Association, Chicago, IL

The blue line shows the Neenah-Menasha trolley line that joined the Twin Cities and also offered service beyond to Appleton to the north and Oshkosh and Fond du Lac to the south.  Beyond the city limits, the lines were known as interurbans.  The book states that, "When the trolley fever reached the area, it was natural that promoters of the city systems would also reach out to build links with other cities along the Fox waterway.  By early 1904, it was possible to go from Fond du Lac, at the south end of Lake Winnebago, to Green Bay by trolley, but the trip involved changing cars at Oshkosh, Neenah, and Kaukauna."

And for the geographically challenged, the map of Omro was just put on this page to save space in the book. 

Starting Year Seven

Wow!  It's an exciting two days here at the blog.  First, yesterday brought the release of my new book and now today marks my sixth anniversary here.  I started this blog in 2012 to promote my book, Menasha, which was coming out in June of that year, by featuring photos and stories that were not represented in the book. Over time, the blog took on a life of its own and now features over 1450 blog posts over those years.  We've covered everything from the historic to the frivolous and some things that were just caught in-between.  On this anniversary day, I thank you wholeheartedly for your interest and support over the years.  Your interactions, requests, and commentary have helped me keep this a joy to work on every day.

A Big Day! (For Me)

Today is the official release day of my second book, Neenah and Menasha: Twin Cities of the Fox Valley.  This book uses picture postcards from my personal collection to examine the history of the Twin Cities as they were represented during the "Golden Age" of postcards.  I am giving a talk at the Menasha Public Library on Sunday afternoon, April 29th at 2 pm and I will have books for sale afterwards.  Please see the flyer reproduced below.

Please feel free to bring in your own postcards if you like.  My book is available now for order at the web site below, or come out to see me on April 29th. The book will also be available at local retailers in the Fox Valley yet to be determined.  I hope to see you there!

https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/Products/9781467128261

Resists Moisture!

This is a 1942 advertisement for wax paper manufactured by Menasha Products Co, a division of Marathon.  David C. Everest, the head of the firm in its most expansive years, stated frequently that “people will quit the eatin' habit last.”  Evidently this fueled his pick of his company's products, to insure its success throughout the years.  While not a resident of Menasha, he nevertheless had significant impact upon the city via his association with Marathon from his headquarters in Wausau.  You can read more about him at this site:  https://www.paperdiscoverycenter.org/inductees/dc-everest/

Circus Animals

It's late in the work week and I just felt like featuring some cute kids today.  How can anybody resist the enthusiasm of these Kindergarteners?  In a few short years, I'd be attending Kindergarten in the same school and, probably, doing the same shenanigans. 

Geometric Vandalism

April 29, 1971, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

This definitely got people's attention.  Newspaper exposure is nothing to sneeze at.  But if this was meant as a veiled threat, the perpetrators ruined it with the sign.  Still, their technique was terrific, nevertheless. 

Buoy Markers

April 26, 1978, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

This is a way of spending time I would have given more than a second glance at, especially when it gives all appearances of being some school-sanctioned, adult-supervised activity.  Not sure the circumstances of the students standing there watching it all, but sign me up!

Steamboats A -Comin'!

April 21, 1952, Appleton Post-Crescent

Reading this article, I found it fascinating how many boats that had plied their trade along Lakes Winnebago and Little Lake Butte des Morts ended up in service along the Mississippi River. Equally surprising was how these boats found new life, broken down to create more manageable craft along narrow waters, like the "Menasha" which was just too big for its own good.

History Rally

April 2018, Fox Cities Magazine

Just a reminder that I have a new book coming out April 23 that will feature history of Neenah and Menasha as seen though picture postcards.  As the article above states, I will have a public event at the Menasha Public Library on April 29. 

But this Saturday, April 14th, I will appear, via Skype, at the Menasha history rally to discuss this book.  I hope you can all attend. 

More information about the rally is at this Facebook link:

https://www.facebook.com/events/211146616115121/

The Menasha History Rally presentation line-up will be at Your Daily Grind, located at 204 Main Street, from 10:00am through 4:00pm. The presentation schedule:

10:00 am - Stan Sevenich - Walter Brothers Brewery
11:00 am - Jason Weber - Menasha Lock
  1:00 pm - Steve Krueger - History of Menasha Bridges
  2:00 pm - Dave Galassie via Skype
  3:00 pm - John Ranes from The Frame Workshop

Hope to see you there!

Strange Days

September 3, 1954, Appleton Post-Crescent

Here's an industrial ad from an edition of the Post-Crescent touting the Fox Valley's business growth throughout the past year.  We looked further into John Strange's life and career in a 2012 post:  https://menashabook.blogspot.com/2012/06/john-strange.html
and in 2014:  https://menashabook.blogspot.com/2014/07/john-stranges-birthday-party.html. The building now bears the name "Sonoco" but I'll always know to it as John Strange.

Suds A' Plenty

September 3, 1954, Appleton Post-Crescent

It was said in a very famous ad campaign that Schlitz was the beer that made Milwaukee famous, but for this moment in time, it looked like the Fox Valley was the beer kingpin, at least in this article.  And the Walters family, in various incarnations, would be that catalyst.  Of course, we know the sad truth, that Menasha's brewery closed down a few years later while the George Walter Brewery, maker of Adler Brau continued on into the early '70s.  But for this moment in time, celebrate along with me Menasha's brewing legacy in these grainy photographs.

Civil War Diaries Read

April 7, 1962, Appleton Post-Crescent

This had to have been an intense presentation, considering the letters Mr. Moon held contained such an emotional impact about the horrors of war.  All the rhetoric of politicians and other leaders tends to go by the wayside when you consider the first-hand accounts from the soldiers that truly were there in the trenches.  Any jingoistic pretense of the goodness of war must be tempered with accounts such as these, in any fight.

Pulley Ad

 

September 3, 1954, Appleton Post-Crescent

The Menasha Wood Split Pulley Company was founded in 1888 by P.V. Lawson, Jr., attorney, author, politician, orator, and mayor of Menasha.   His factory on Little Lake Butte des Morts at the foot of Sixth Street made wood split pulleys which were exported all over the world. The plant consisted of a main factory building, power house, machine shop, bolt factory, warehouse, dry kilns, paint shop, office, and extensive lumber yards.  The factory employed 100 employees when in full operation and reportedly made 150 pulleys daily, besides other wood specialized goods to include hand truck, cogs, spools, picker sticks for woolen mills, cloth boards, paper mill trucks, elevators, trunk slats, and screen doors.  Lawson was mayor from 1886-1889 and would serve additional terms in 1893 and 1896.

The residences on Olde Pulley Lane approximate the location of the old factory.

Spring Cleaning

April 12, 1952, Appleton Post-Crescent

When is the last time you saw a basket like the one in the top photo?  Is that a bushel basket? That's what we called it in my family, even if it didn't hold a true bushel. Perhaps some of us who do enough gardening or yard work have familiarity with such a thing, but for this city dweller who is decades removed from seeing one everyday, it reminds me of my grandparents who were master gardeners in my young eyes.  It was such a common thing that you didn't even give it a second thought.  Their shed had lots of them piled up.  And are those barrels in the lower photo?  So fitting for a town that, in that era, still had a factory turning out barrels and pails.  Today, it's be a plastic barrel for cleaning or a cherry picker to bring the shades down.  These photos look like the old days.

It's A Hit!

April 18, 1952, Appleton Post-Crescent

It's been a while since we featured an ad from the Walter Bros. Brewing Company. This ad is a pleasant marriage of baseball and beer (a tale as old as the sport itself) and is tailor-made for this time of year.

Spring Cleaning Values

April 13, 1960, Appleton Post-Crescent

Drucks provides another great savings opportunity to help with spring cleaning.  And in my house, we actually had one of those canister vacuums advertised at the top of the ad.  It was white and yellow and it seemed to tip over a lot and I recall that the swivel action wasn't so great either.  In reality though, I probably subconsciously sabotaged things because I didn't want to participate in house cleaning!

The Sky's the Limit

April 12, 1958, Appleton Post-Crescent

I remember this car lot very well.  To me, it's reminiscent of the used car lot in the movie American Graffiti.  But aside from that, just look at those great old cars, sitting there under the lights. Who knew at the time that so many of these models would become beloved icons of that simpler time?

Modelers

March 29, 1954, Appleton Post-Crescent

For the time period, these three students most likely had honed their model-building skills on kits of airplane, hot rods, and naval vessels and creating a town to represent American colonial life was likely a breeze.  Do kids even make model kits anymore?  For myself, for the longest time in the '60s, I was entranced with military airplane kits, perhaps due to my brother being in the Air Force, despite having NOTHING to do with the aviation aspect of that service. Still, it was greatly satisfying.  The kits advertised in the comic books I read were always so inviting.