Happy Thanksgiving!

November 12, 1964, Oshkosh Northwestern

I'm taking the remainder of the week off from the blog to spend time with family.  And in keeping with the holiday, let me bestow my thanks to you, dear readers, for your unflagging support of this blog.  Your interest, enthusiasm, and support make it all worthwhile.  I'll be back Monday, December 2nd.  Happy Thanksgiving!

But before I go though, let me share some exciting news!  Recently I published another book.  And although this one doesn't apply to our beloved city or its nearby environs, I took just as much care on this one as I did with the two Menasha titles.  Living in South Carolina as I do and having worked at Fort Jackson the last 24+ years, I felt a distinct kinship with my new home.  And having had a little bit of experience with this book thing since 2012, I managed to put together a volume devoted to Fort Jackson's history as the Army's premier basic training facility.

For the record, the book is available at all the usual haunts:  Amazon,com, Barnes and Noble.com, Booksamillion.com, etc.  Not that there's any connection with Menasha besides yours truly, but for the military history buff, I'm sure there's enough there to satisfy that itch.

Milwaukee Road

November 18, 1893, Saturday Evening Press

The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad; often referred to as the Milwaukee Road; was a Class I railroad that operated in the Midwest and Northwest of the United States from 1847 until 1986. The main line went through Hilbert with a spur line that connected to Neenah and Menasha.  In later years, one would have to drive to Hilbert to pick up the train, but it didn't detract from being another option in a once-crowded world of rail options.

Hotel Dining on Turkey Day

November 23, 1926, The Daily News-Times

November 19, 1959, Appleton Post-Crescent

The newspapers advertising it might have changed, but year after year, the Hotel Menasha was THE place to go locally for a fancy Thanksgiving dinner out of the home.  It all sounded enticing in 1926, but does anybody know what "Casper Cheese" is?  

2 Cents Per Mile

November 21, 1933, Menasha Record

Not the most romantic of ads but it gets the information across that one can go visiting via train for the Thanksgiving holiday in an affordable manner.  In the midst of the Great Depression, keying on the 2 cents per mile aspect of the trip helped win over many consumers, I'd think.  And though the Fox Cities did not suffer as badly as other parts of the nation, value definitely sells and I'm sure the Soo Line benefited greatly from this promotion.  

In Time for Thanksgiving....

November 14, 1957, Appleton Post-Crescent

It's a win-win for customers of Memorial Drive Florist who get to order their Thanksgiving flowers early as well as impress the hostess of their Thanksgiving feast.  And don't forget the red rescus!

Shoe Fitting, X-Ray-Style

November 24, 1933, Menasha Record

Marketed as a scientific method for optimizing shoe fit, the fluoroscope appeared in shoe stores nationwide from the 1920s to the 1960s. But the machines not only didn’t do what they promised, they also exposed children, their parents and store clerks to unhealthy doses of radiation.  In the late 1940s, scientists began to raise serious concerns about the dangerous levels of radiation and over the next two decades, individual states gradually took action to either ban or restrict the use of the device.  By the 1970s, concerns grew about radiation emitted from other common appliances, such as televisions and microwave ovens. By the mid 1970s, 33 states had banned the devices.  I was too young to experience the x-ray shoe fitter, but many of our older readers have mentioned the fluoroscopes at Tuchscherer's.  While it might have been a fun novelty to see the bones in our feet, the truth is that we were exposed to multiple doses of unnecessary radiation.  But while it is popular to repeat popular maxims that those "fun" activities like this and playing with mercury with our bare hands didn't kill us, I wouldn't recommend it for my own kids, whereby I'd likely be jailed for child abuse today.

Holiday Lights

November 10, 1989, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

November 14, 1979, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

Judging from the dates on these photos, I guess it's not too early to consider the city decorating for Christmas.  I know the stores are already in the Christmas mode, considering there are less shopping days before the big event. Thanksgiving is late this year, so is it any wonder retailers are vying for every dollar they can get?

A Snack and a Smile

November 27, 1913, Neenah Times

Every so often we must remind ourselves of Menasha's brewing heritage and the novel ways these entrepreneurs employed print ads to get the public to consume their product.  Similar to today's TV ads which associate the product with a lifestyle, the 1913 version employs incredible claims as evidenced here.  We saw this employed also in an ad from four years before:  https://menashabook.blogspot.com/2019/07/it-helps-languid.html  At that time, Walter Bros. brought women into the mix, an interesting development since most ads geared towards women at this time were for baking powder or remedies for kids, e.g, Fletcher's Castoria.  And yes, there were also ads for feminine maladies, but they were usually in very fine print on the peripheries of the publication and couched in very vague terms.

Basketball Follies

November 27, 1905, Oshkosh Northwestern

From the sound of it, it appears the Menasha players were up to some shenanigans on the court with fainting and stall tactics.  I was taken with the phrase "playing for wind" and did a bit of research on the term.  It appears in early 20th century sports-related news items and I even found it in a 1923 book devoted to "physical culture" which was the term for physical fitness or lifestyle back then.  Essentially it means taking a break, an odd use of a phrase when one word would do.  And I could be wrong but the low score makes me think they were still playing with closed bottom peach baskets; it was around this time or a year or two later when nets were finally introduced.  This ended the era when the game needed to be halted to summon a janitor with a ladder to retrieve the ball.

Doings Around Town

November 17, 1905, Oshkosh Northwestern

Aside from the news of the fire in the Rosch drug store comes the admonition for "automobilists" who dare to abuse the twelve mile per hour speed limit through the confines of Menasha and, evidently, the rest of the state.  Why, its those drivers from Appleton and Neenah who menace our fair city, driving like speed demons and putting our very lives in jeopardy! Be it known that our mayor will not stand for it and the local constabulary will remedy the situation post-haste.  Good day, sir.

Veterans Day Viewpoint

November 11, 1992, Twin City News-Record

Let's extend the Veterans Day observance one more day this week.  Here is the story of one of America's Finest, those brave individuals who served in World War II.  We lost Don in the last year, after a long life of giving of himself in ways that the majority of us do not have the courage for.  I'm proud that Don lived long enough to see the turnaround in people's attitudes with an increased recognition of veterans and their service.  Regardless of whether the change in attitude for this was 9-11 or our reaction to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Americans today better respect the institutions that give us our freedom.  We owe a debt of gratitude to the likes of Don Lesperance and his ilk...one of Menasha's own.

Prize Winner

November 23, 1895, Oshkosh Northwestern

Young Mr. Schoetz, son of the future mayor of Menasha, won his $5 in gold by showcasing his academic prowess.  No Googling for this young man!  I would be hard-pressed to provide answers to many of these questions, even with the many resources available to us today.   Andrew Schoetz DID go on to become a graduate of Lawrence University and become an attorney.  He died in 1931.  

Veterans Day

November 12, 1964, Twin City News-Record

The United States previously observed this day as Armistice Day until it was renamed Veterans Day in 1954.  Major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, per protocol in 1918, when the armistice with Germany went into effect. Please take a moment to remember the brave men and women who have served throughout the years to keep us all safe and free.  

Thirty Years Ago- The Library Comes Down

November 3, 1989, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

Once upon a time, this building was a welcoming presence to those entering downtown via the Mill Street bridge, a stately and dignified temple of knowledge, the way Elisha D. Smith, its namesake would have wanted. But just about thirty years ago, the end of an era passed with the demolition of the original library, though it could be argued that its time had already passed twenty years before that with the opening of the new facility on First Street.  Built in 1898, the old girl had seen a lot of history- three major wars, a couple of "police actions," the closing of the Mill Street bridge in 1951, and the Woodenware fire of 1964, to name a few.  It was present during the city's centennial in 1953 and yet another celebration in 1974.  Tearing it down wasn't popular then, yet the memory of it still raises a smile to those of my era and a little bit older.  The structure may be gone, but its spirit lives on today in a state-of-the-art facility that is a priceless asset to Menasha's young and old alike.  

I am taking a week-long hiatus from the blog.  I will see you the week of November 11th.