Technical Difficulties

 We'll be back up as soon as I can figure this out.

Downtown Dinner

November 29, 1922, Menasha Record

Above...the menu for Thanksgiving at the Hotel Menasha.  I must admit, despite my advanced age and my growing up in Wisconsin, I was still totally unaware of the famed "Watertown Goose," as presented by the hotel that day in 1922.  The geese were somewhat unique, in that they were filled with German noodles instead of a breaded stuffing. My research found that since the late 19th century, the geese were raised and prepared in Watertown, Wisconsin and found their way to the tables of wealthy people in the east- New York, Boston, Philadelphia, and other eastern cities usually purchased the bulk of them. Orders were placed weeks and even months in advance and some wealthy families had standing orders from year to year to be certain of getting them.  Over the years, the idea fell out of favor, both due to labor intensity plus animal rights concerns and by the 1950's, only one farm in Watertown still produced the birds.  But this link to the Watertown Historical Society tells much more about the geese than I could ever tell:  http://www.watertownhistory.org/articles/stuffedgeese.htm.  It's always fun to learn something new.

I'm taking a little time off over Thanksgiving, so I'll see you next week!  Enjoy whatever time you can carve out with your loved ones, be it in person or via technology.  But please keep yourself and them safe.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Dressed for Dinner

November 26, 1971, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

With Thanksgiving only a few days away, the norm, in former years, might have been for similar scenes at elementary schools nationwide to be played out.  But in these politically correct and pandemic-riddled times, nothing is a guarantee anymore.  So, we here at the blog, will just have to satisfy ourselves with a look back some 49 years at the way it used to be.

Good for Our Souls

November 26, 1937, Oshkosh Northwestern

With Thanksgiving looming on the horizon later this week, this piece from 1937 gives us pause for thought and is as timely today as it was back then.  Pulling the nation out of a great depression was on the minds of everyone then and pulling ourselves out of this pandemic now is our chief concern.  And while the 1937 speaker advocated physically visiting the sick to bolster their moods, such advice is definitely not recommended these days, so electronic means would be a better bet.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

November 20, 1961, Oshkosh Northwestern

With Thanksgiving next week and with the stores all aglow with Christmas lights and trees and other decor for sale, let's step away from election angst and COVID fatigue to focus on what's important.  And although the holiday season might be different this time around, I'm confident we can all overcome those limitations and make this Christmas as meaningful as ever.  

A Horrible Tragedy

March 31, 1999, Appleton Post-Crescent

As disclosed yesterday, avid voter Mr. Brezinski survived a horrible, tragic accident earlier in his life.  Today, we reveal the terrible story of that fateful night in 1911.   His life, and those of so many others, would never be the same.  Thankfully, the version I provided above lacks a lot of the lurid details that newspapers of 1911 didn't mind putting in.  I had difficulty envisioning the site of the accident until I found the diagram below.  The location is a few blocks south of Winneconne Avenue in Neenah.

September 26, 1911, Oshkosh Northwestern

Long Time Voter

November 4, 1980, Twin City News-Record

Mr. Brezinski was a dedicated voter, year after year, never failing.  No excuse was great enough to keep him from the polls.  And yes, he DID vote in the 1984 election.  Within this article you will find another interesting fact, about how he survived that infamous hayride-train collision in 1911.  Most do not not know of this tragedy, but more on that tomorrow.

"Give a Darn"

 November 5, 1980, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

November 5, 1980, Twin City News-Record

The current election is still not officially over, so a few more election-oriented blog posts might be in order.  Today, we see how Menasha's young students went out to urge voting in 1980, even though some were too young to vote themselves.  If nothing else, it's an excuse to see a downtown perspective we cannot see anymore in the top photo.

Let's Go Shopping!

November 15, 1967, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

Fifty-three years ago, Menasha banking customers awaited their Christmas Club checks to begin their holiday shopping.  The list of Menasha retailers above brings back pleasant memories, though I find it somewhat humorous that so many "watering holes" were represented.  But, as it was a list of places for cashing the checks, we can give a pass to the funeral homes as well!

Dance

November 17, 1971, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

With Thanksgiving so near, we might see more of students' lessons in the history of the holiday, which sometimes led to learning other aspects of life during that time.  While I understand we live in a more enlightened era, when cultural appropriation is a major issue, scenes such as this are a rarity today.  While we at the blog do recognize this was a different time, we don't disregard the implications of doing this today and make no judgments about the accuracy of any of the above. 

This is How We Do It

November 19, 1974, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

My father also worked on this machine in Banta's bindery department.  Unfortunately, I never had the opportunity to tour the plant, as these students did, but he told me about it many times and I understand it was state-of-the-art for its time.  He was proud of what he did.  

Veterans Day

November 12, 1971, Twin City News-Record

November 9, 2007, Appleton Post-Crescent

Not much more to add....I'll let the Post-Crescent's editorial above say it for me.   

Old School Viewing

November 28, 1983, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

Was it not so long ago that Menasha residents lived in a more analog era, before cable, before streaming, before Wi-Fi... where something this huge and monumental was necessary to give us more viewing choices?   I know it is hard to believe for the younger blog readers, that there ever was a time such as this, but I am here to testify that it is oh, so true.  Imagine having to get out of our chairs to even change a channel, or to adjust the volume.  Oh, the horrors.  

Rats!

November 5, 1947, Menasha Record

I suppose this is (was) a necessary evil, but I was still startled to see this notice staring me in the face during a cursory look at this edition of the Record. I assumed there had been a significant problem within the city's boundaries to warrant this idea and further research revealed the following from two days' before:

November 3, 1947, Menasha Record

Still, no updates in the public record beyond these two notices, except for a September 1948 notice that Neenah, too, was beginning a war on rats.  I'm assuming the city's efforts were successful.

Holiday Values

 

November 3, 1963, Appleton Post-Crescent

We're entering the holiday shopping season and though times have changed and much of our buying is online, we still like to feature the fabled Valley Fair from time to time.  Please examine some of the anachronistic merchandise above, because, after all this IS 1963. Typewriters were THE lifeline of any office, so it made sense to give your kid a "junior" typewriter, readying him or her for that business future.  Plus, no home was complete without smoking accessories, to include a nifty elevated ashtray which would have been right at home in the finest hotel lobbies and train station waiting rooms.  And that hair dryer...my sister had one like that.  (Do they still make those?)   Putting all those "dated" devices aside, I cannot let it be ignored that I owned that Big Bruiser wrecker from Grant's.  I was a typical boy, engrossed in cars and trucks and all that sort of thing.  That is, until 1964 came, bringing G.I. Joe and 1965 which introduced me to comic books, so cars and trucks intrigued me less and less as time went by.  But this wrecker truck, coupled with my Texaco Fire Chief pumper truck (which shot real water through the hose, by the way) were so emblematic of my childhood. 

The Walls Come Tumblin' Down

November 15, 1973, Twin City News-Record

As we've seen repeatedly in the blog, nothing stays the same, change is always imminent and despite our best intentions, history goes by the wayside, known collectively as "progress."  Sometimes it just cannot be helped.  I do not know the circumstances of this dwelling but obviously the parish had better thoughts in mind.  And so it was in 1973 when the old parsonage came tumbling down on Nicolet Boulevard, while being watched by a bevy of school kids.  

Discussing Operations

November 16, 1961, Oshkosh Northwestern

The US Postal Service has gotten a lot of press this election season with so much mail-in and absentee ballot traffic making its way through postal channels.  Since its inception in the 18th century, the postal service has enjoyed a well-earned reputation of reliability, trust, and efficiency through the years.  And no less important to the USPS are all those letters from America's kids to that jolly old elf this time of year.  Postal staff ensure they all get to the right place in a timely manner.  

Voting Day

Apologies for yesterday's technical glitch but.,.here it is...Election Day!  Today's election has gotten more attention than some in recent years, but let's hearken back 102 years when the big question was, to local voters, ...wet or dry?  In a few years, the question would be moot, when an entire country would have mandated Prohibition until the early '30's.  But let's see what the Twin City voters chose....

April 3, 1918, Neenah Daily Times 

April 3, 1918, Menasha Record

Menasha's response to the question was more emphatically wet than Neenah's, though "wet" carried the day in that city.  Guess Neenah's year of being dry was too much to take. Make of that what you will, but the Neenah newspaper's prediction was inordinately off by a country mile.

Technical Difficulties

 Today's blog post will be delayed until I can remedy some tech issues.