A blog which supplements my two books, Menasha, and Neenah and Menasha: Twin Cities of the Fox Valley
Pages
Downtown 1958
Friday, July 30, 2021
Dancin' In the Moonlight
Thursday, July 29, 2021
Hard at Work
Wednesday, July 28, 2021
Looking Backwards
Tuesday, July 27, 2021
A Stilted View
July 8, 1975, Appleton Post-Crescent
More summer fun here, courtesy of stilt walkers trying it out. We at the blog always enjoy featuring young people enjoying themselves as they are the body and soul of summer recreation and good memories. How many of us relive our own memorable past summers through the eyes of these young hopefuls? I catch myself doing that all the time.
Monday, July 26, 2021
Year After Year
August 4, 1987, Appleton Post-Crescent
Currently a member of the Northeastern Wisconsin Baseball League, the Macs were known initially as the Menasha Merchants. This article from 1987 gives us a little history lesson about the origins of the team associated with the city since 1948.
Friday, July 23, 2021
Don't "Brush Off" This Opportunity
July 22, 1957, Oshkosh Daily Northwestern
I ran across this item in the classifieds from this edition and I only bring it up because in the nine years we've done this blog, I think the Fuller Brush Company was mentioned exactly once, and that was in the context of the Green River Ordinance (look it up kids). For those of you not in the know, this was exactly what it sounded like...door-to-door sales of brushes and cleaning gadgets and products by salesmen and saleswomen who covered the length and breadth of this country. Now, the connection to Menasha as a result of this ad might be tenuous at best...it might just be a convenient mailing address. But I can remember, as a child, a friendly man who came to our door and gave my stay-at-home Mom a sales pitch every now and then. And for years, despite whether or not she bought their brushes, the company had a constant presence in our home, courtesy of the giveaway letter opener that featured the saleman on the handle (see below). I wonder what ever happened to it.
Thursday, July 22, 2021
Outdoor Art
July 16, 1968, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern
A staple for any parent's scrapbook...the day their kids are featured in the local paper, participating in some program put on by the rec department. There was a lot of value to those recreation programs for the younger set. Some of these kids might have found solace in their art work and it might have become a serious endeavor for them.
Wednesday, July 21, 2021
Coaches' Choice
July 10, 1968, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern
It's always a big deal when a Packer player or coach shows up for a public appearance, even the successor (and not so successful one at that, we'd later learn) of a legendary coach. But how can anybody follow Vince Lombardi anyway?! Still, it had to be a thrill to meet the coach. And hey, you might have even gotten one of those little footballs they were holding, just for coming in.
Tuesday, July 20, 2021
Special Bonus with All Major Appliances
July 19, 1967, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern
Carrying the Prospector Days theme a little farther into this week, brings us to this Drucks ad from 1967. Drucks was a fixture on Main Street from 1954 to 1974 and was the go-to place for appliances and anything electronic. (Of course, fans of Tip Top will beg to differ, being an even greater place for higher end stereo products.) But if you wanted a basic transistor radio or needed a refrigerator or were interested in the latest hot record, you'd do well at Drucks. Why look at that photo of the record department and the line-up of fridges. But I'm still wondering what that special bonus was.Monday, July 19, 2021
July 4th Idyll
Friday, July 16, 2021
Friends
Hmmm, I understand the faithful dog companion...but a bottled beer? Why not, say the Walter Bros. Well, it's not in line with ol' Elisha Smith's temperance policy, but then, the working man just wanted "a friendly flavor that's sparkling and light, yet smooth and full-bodied" as the ad copy says. And there you have it.
Thursday, July 15, 2021
Parading Down Main
July 20, 1967, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern
We here at the blog have always had fond memories of summers in Menasha but we are especially nostalgic for the hoopla related to the annual Prospector Days celebrations in the 60's. So, periodically we resurrect a photo or ad that conjures up recollections of some of those good times. No minor thing was the parade that came down Main Street- marching bands, floats, and people in Western costumes and the like. It was a grand time, and people did turn out. If you'd like more, just search within the blog for "Prospector Days" by using the search function.
Wednesday, July 14, 2021
Shopping Downtown
July 11, 1947, Menasha Record
We've been to Hedberg's before in 2013: https://menashabook.blogspot.com/2013/01/hedberg-drug-store.html. It later became Lang's Drugs. Of course, we all know Tuchscherer's and have seen many posts about that store in the past. And though camera technology has changed over the years, those shoes are positively timeless in their design and function. The air cushion feature might be timely for 1947, but you can still spot a dependable pair of wing tips a mile away. And easy to shop on Main Street, in close proximity across the street from each other.
Tuesday, July 13, 2021
Traffic Study
July 27, 1927, Menasha Record
Back when Highway 41 came through the center of Menasha, the city took a car census one day and determined the busiest intersection in Winnebago County was at Third and DePere Streets. I love how the cars are still referred to as "machines" and also how there were still five horsedrawn vehicles that crossed the intersection. I take it that "foreign" cars were from out of state? In 1937, the former route of Highway 41 from Green Bay Rd west of Neenah through the city and into Menasha became an extension of WI-114, while the former route from Menasha to the corner of Richmond St and Wisconsin Ave in Appleton became an extension of WI-47.
Monday, July 12, 2021
Twin City Wheels
Not sure about the story behind this photo besides featuring the staff or family running the business of Twin City Laundry and Dry Cleaners. The picture was for sale at a famous auction site and seems to date from the 30's or 40's. Judging from the 41 Main Street address this business was listed as being at in a 1939 telephone directory, it is apparent that this morphed into Gunderson Cleaners at some point.
Friday, July 9, 2021
Fun Around the Town
July 11, 1947, Menasha Record
Post-war Menasha has a lot going on, from movies for 42 cents per adult to that big party at Germania's on Saturday night. And don't forget that charcoal for your backyard barbecue!
Thursday, July 8, 2021
Strange Phenomena
July 11, 1947, Menasha Record
Call it an eyewitness sighting, call it hysteria, but no one can dispute that 1947 was a banner year for unidentified objects flying around the US. At least 38 states reported sightings that year, and with the increased interest in the recent UFO resurgence by reclassified intelligence reports by the Pentagon, you can be sure the public will keep its eyes trained to the heavens from here on out. We had some previous sightings in the 1960s as well: https://menashabook.blogspot.com/2018/05/ufos.html and https://menashabook.blogspot.com/2016/04/ufo-sighting.html. The Black River Falls find adds some illegitimacy to the reports, as if someone had constructed his own saucer to hoax people, but folks will believe their own eyes, despite the naysayers.
Wednesday, July 7, 2021
For Folks "On the Go"
July 2, 1980, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern
What a difference between 40 years ago in the banking industry. You'd never see an array of premiums like this anymore to encourage you to deposit your money there. I'm surprised there isn't a toaster oven in there but I know they were going with the theme of busy travelers who'd benefit from a travel alarm or a set of luggage, so I can forgive that. I did some digging and learned that a three-month CD in December 1980 earned 18.65%, according to data from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Wow! Today, you'd be lucky to get 1%. And likely, you'd be investing for five years, not three months. What a world we used to live in.
Tuesday, July 6, 2021
Lazy Days
Friday, July 2, 2021
Happy Independence Day!
I've posted this photo before, as it is a favorite. A lot has changed but not your appetite for Menasha history. Thank you for that! I'll be back on Tuesday, July 6th. Have a great and safe holiday weekend!
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Also, I think I've solved the email problem. Your emails should be moved without your intervention shortly. But if you find you are not receiving the posts, let me know. Please give it a day or so for things to right themselves, thanks.
Thursday, July 1, 2021
Atomic Drop
July 2, 1980, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern
I will admit, I had never heard the term "atomic swing" and I am having no luck finding another one on the internet, save for a Swedish pop group with that name. And yes, this was in the former Town of Menasha, but close enough.
I am still working on a replacement routine to allow you to have the blog posts sent to your email, for those of you who signed up in the past to access the blog that way. I will have an announcement in the coming days about what to do. I am certainly not a programmer so I may not have the bugs worked out as of yet. In the meantime, you might want to bookmark the blog as a favorite so you are not shut out from daily posts while I work this email thing out. Thanks for your patience.