Come to Shop and Enjoy the Courtesy of Our Friendly City....

December 2, 1952, Appleton Post-Crescent

All of these retailers pledged to help you out for Christmas, 1952 with extended hours and service.  As businesses go, some were lifelong affairs, others came and went with measured frequency.  I can recall fifteen or so of these stores and I was born four years after this ad.  How many do you remember?

Bock II

December 5, 1952, Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune

It's been several years since we featured Gem's own Bock Beer for the holidays.  Nice to see that the beer made its way to other parts of the state and wasn't just confined to the Twin Cities.

Paper Drive

December 15, 1941, Appleton Post-Crescent

In the first of what proved to be many more opportunities, local Boy Scouts do their part for National Defense.  In years to come, these drives would escalate to include aluminum, silk, cooking fat, rubber tires, scrap metal, and others, to provide raw materials to be fashioned into whatever the military needed- be it bullets, rifles, airplanes, etc.  Americans really pitched in as it was a national effort, and the Twin Cities were no strangers to taking part.

How Much Time is Left?

December 14, 1956, Twin City News-Record

A rather mundane feature but a valuable one if you tend to shop during Christmas like I do.   If nothing else, it allowed the local shopper to know the differences between the two cities, in order to maximize one's time.  I guess I had thought both towns had the same late evening hours but this calendar proves me wrong. Interesting side note...2018 is one of those years when the 1956 calendar can be used for the present day.  So recycle those old calendars if you have them!

Find Me Something Good

 

December 3, 1979, Twin City News-Record

Ah, a sight to warm the heart of any book lover, the annual library sale.  Such a great idea- making money for library programs while giving second life to books in a new home library, as it were. 

Spelling It Out

November 28, 1957, Appleton Post-Crescent

Before I take a week's hiatus to coincide with Thanksgiving, please let me wish you the best of holidays with your families.  I'll be back to the blog on Monday, November 26th.  See you then!

It's That Time of year

November 27, 1957, Twin City News-Record

It's that time of year when we squeeze in the joys of Thanksgiving and Christmas in such a short period of time that the advertising world is agog with seasonal overlap.  This is one such example from the News-Record.  And recall that this is 1957, long before the frenzied Black Friday countdowns and crazy deals meant to lure customers into their stores at ungodly hours.  I'd like to believe it was a simpler time.

Train Excursion

November 1, 1939, Appleton Post-Crescent

I ran across this in the sports pages and, recalling the bus trips I took to Milwaukee's County Stadium in the 1970's to see Brewers games, I wonder what sort of decorum there was on the train going and coming from the game.  All I know from this era is what I remember from movies and newsreels and it was views of men in suits and ties and fedora hats and the whole thing looking quite dignified.  There were no guys in jerseys or t-shirts or any of the other team apparel that fuels what must be a multi-million dollar industry.  I DO wonder what the "refreshments" were on the train.  The "refreshments" I remember on those bus trips included copious amounts of beer and I can only imagine that those train trips from that era were not the bacchanalia my bus trips were.  And that price! Yes, yes, I know there's no comparison to today.  But still...the game ticket WAS included. 

New Fad

November 25, 1939, Appleton Post-Crescent

Though the first badminton club was formed in 1878 in New York and became a weekend meeting place for its society leaders, badminton’s popularity boomed in the 1930s as educational institutions, YMCAs, and hundreds of newly formed clubs offered badminton instruction. As shown here, the craze even reached Menasha.  The popularity of badminton was also accented by its adoption by many movie stars, to include the likes of James Cagney, Bette Davis, Ginger Rogers, Joan Crawford, and Douglas Fairbanks.  By 1992, the sport had even achieved Olympic status.

Veterans Day

November 12, 1959, Appleton Post-Crescent

Yesterday was Veterans Day, or at least, the traditional one.  Today is the recognized one by the government, so no mail, but some parades today in places.  If you didn't before, please take a moment to honor the brave men and women who have served to keep us all safe and free.

Drucks for All Your Christmas Needs

November 17, 1959, Appleton Post-Crescent

Layaway was a reality at Drucks that fine Christmas season.  What better way to get the latest TV set or other appliance for the family.  And in that time period, everybody didn't have TV yet, so imagine the excitement some families experienced that year. 

Looking West Down Main Street

November 26, 1988, Appleton Post-Crescent

From the same article in 1988 regarding downtown revitalization comes this photograph.  As mentioned yesterday, as you can see at the left, that side of Main Street was largely taverns, and, for a time, some unseemly businesses further down the block. You can sure tell Christmas is coming and how fitting to have the iconic Menasha Corporation truck in the foreground.

South Side (of Main Street)

November 26, 1988, Appleton Post-Crescent

This was the back end of several Main Street southside businesses, since supplanted by a three story office building.  This photo was featured in an article about a potential redevelopment proposal.  While the lot of businesses towards the end of this block's tenure were a number of bars and other questionable "amusements," it was also the block that housed the public library, Tuchscherer's, Marguerite's, a shoe repair, and other assorted enterprises off and on.  For a time, there was a successful waterfront restaurant under various names.  So while the landscape has largely changed in thirty years, memories remain.  Tomorrow, I will feature a more traditional Main Street view from the same time period.

Eclectic Ads

November 29, 1920, Menasha Record

Everything from shoes and hardware to insurance services and groceries and even industrial products bought ad time in the local newspaper in 1920.  Most of the styles were rather plain and the proofreading was suspect, but the paper got the messages across regardless.  And for a vehicle that represented the interests of Menashans for so many years, it was paramount to enlist the support of local merchants. 

Relics Collection

November 2, 1957, Appleton Post-Crescent

Going to St. Mary's growing up, I was well aware of the relics the altar held and the occasional visit of new relics from time to time.  I never ever thought that individuals like myself could own such treasures, believing they had to be church property or at least held by the clergy or religious scholars.  The idea they could be bought and sold freely was totally alien to me.  But in my adult life, I've since learned that if there is a market for anything of value, people will eventually find it and exploit it as much as is humanly possible.

Winner Winner, Chicken Dinner

October 16, 1968, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

It's not too late to get your registration in, if you are not already registered to vote.  Owing to the lateness of the calendar, it might entail a visit to the city clerk's office, but hey, we're all good citizens here, right?   Let this notice from 1968 be your reminder.   And what about those $1.95 chicken dinners?!  Winner winner, chicken dinner, as they say.  You won't get away with THAT price anymore, but treat yourself kindly nonetheless for doing your civic duty.

Getting Ready

October 29, 1985, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

Before we end our coverage of Halloween this week, I offer the above photo which gives us a glimpse of a part of downtown that's not there anymore.   I hope your Halloween this year was filled with many treats and not so many tricks.