June 29, 1960, Appleton Post-Crescent
My friend Steve Krueger poses an interesting question on the Menasha, WI Forum group on Facebook. Although it is generally accepted that Governor Doty lived in Neenah, Steve has compiled several incidences which indicate otherwise, that his residence was Menasha. In attempts to help, it seems I've only muddied the water even more by the addition of the above 1960 news article which states, again, that Doty lived in Menasha. I even searched the Post-Crescent for the months after the publication of this article, thinking there might be an irate letter to the editor refuting this fact, but none was ever found.
You can't believe everything you read in the newspaper. Doty's homestead was located very near its present location, just closer to the river and upstream a bit, which is in Neenah. To see a copy of the first picture of it from 1855, see: https://www.flickr.com/photos/144588813@N02/27283021164/in/photolist-JtQK1w-Joejjn-HyUdTV-Jm5hGA-ZxpEJk-HAHzb8-HAHoxe-HAHyQt-JtQK9s-HyUCc9-JAKJwH-JtQLkf-HyUBEC-Jv1SFp-JoenKR-Jm5iF9-D93Ntv-21GQRAh-D93Niv-D93Nov-21QZKmA-21QZKfd-ZxpEND-ZxpEL4-21QZK4G-ZLBr1q-21ipoZr-21ipoyg-PHosaf-Pv3mvm-Pv3mpE-NZJSoG-ZxpEEx-21QZJJd-PFxToR-PAoXz4-Pn8zbW-Po9uQc-NZKPSC-PkwgpQ-Po8r2H-Po8qVF-Pv3mhL-NZJSEJ-Po8qKR-NZJSz3-Po8qAn-Po8qot-NZJSg7
ReplyDeleteReality is both. Doty received a large land grant the included all of Neenah and Menasha. Save the land he saved for himself which appears to be Doty Island, he sold mainland Menasha to 4 investors and mainland Neenah to 4 others. In fact it's generally accepted that the start of the intense rivalry between the cities originated with a dispute between the sides on how to pay their levies to Doty, the Neenah investors refusing to pay. An inspection of land titles in Menasha reveals as much. I used to own 123 1st Street and the 1st listed owner on the abstract was Doty. So it'd be safe to say he owned property (all) in both N & M but likely lived on the island when not off politicing.
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