We'll be back up as soon as I can figure this out.
A blog which supplements my two books, Menasha, and Neenah and Menasha: Twin Cities of the Fox Valley
Pages
Downtown 1958
Monday, November 30, 2020
Wednesday, November 25, 2020
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!
Tuesday, November 24, 2020
Dressed for Dinner
Monday, November 23, 2020
Good for Our Souls
Friday, November 20, 2020
The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
Thursday, November 19, 2020
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.
Wednesday, November 18, 2020
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.
Tuesday, November 17, 2020
"Give a Darn"
Monday, November 16, 2020
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!
Friday, November 13, 2020
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.
Thursday, November 12, 2020
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.
Wednesday, November 11, 2020
Veterans Day
Tuesday, November 10, 2020
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.
Monday, November 9, 2020
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:
Friday, November 6, 2020
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.
Thursday, November 5, 2020
The Walls Come Tumblin' Down
Wednesday, November 4, 2020
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.
Tuesday, November 3, 2020
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....