Thanksgiving Punch

November 24, 1909, Menasha Record

Before we leave Thanksgiving totally behind, let's peruse the menu at the Hotel Menasha, 1909-style, for the feast that day.  I must say, there ARE some things on this menu that I do not recognize at all, but it does remind me of those "Gilded Age" menus I'd seen in past reviews of the 1880s and 1890s in Boss Tweed-era New York, steamship round of beef and that sort of thing, feeding the robber barons and big bellied financiers with their pocket watch chains pulled snugly across their waistcoats.  I always found it humorous to dictate, down to the nth degree, those little things like mints and mixed nuts that one just assumes would be there but were felt important enough to be included by the maitre d.  One would not hinge his or her dining decision on such mundane details, but it mattered to some people evidently.  By the way, "Saratoga chips" are better known today as potato chips, a one-time specialty that we just take for granted now..

That Time of the Season

November 30, 1966, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

With Thanksgiving behind us now, can Christmas be far behind?  This is the time of the year when that next major of holidays is thrust upon us via the media, but also via little local reminders like this.  The decorations and the downtown itself may have changed over the years, but the meaning is always the same.  That clock is ticking and it'll be here before you know it!

Floral Gifts

 

November 23, 1948, Menasha Record

This florist makes a good argument to reward the host or hostess with a plant or flowers for having you over for Thanksgiving dinner.   And it's probably less controversial than bringing the wrong bottle of wine, or insulting them if they don't partake of the grape.  

The blog is going on hiatus for the next week.  So, until we return the week of November 29th, we wish you the happiest of Thanksgiving holidays.  Our best to you and yours!

Kiddie Time

November 23, 1948, Menasha Record

What a great babysitting service the Brin did by providing a kid's program in conjunction with the Thanksgiving holiday.  It wasn't touted as such, but it did give busy Moms a chance to do other things, like maybe putting more money into the local economy by doing some Christmas shopping while the kids were being entertained.  I'm sure somebody from the Menasha Businessmens' Association saw the benefits in that and practically begged the local theaters to open up for such a program.  Special note: notice all the neighborhood groceries that were still resident in Menasha, from where the free tickets were available.

The Best of the Aristocracy

 

November 23, 1931, Menasha Record

Keeping with our Thanksgiving theme, again from 1931, comes this ad for Beck's Meat Market.  There were many butchers and meat markets in Menasha but Beck's was likely the most well-known, if only for its prime location on Main Street, now housing the Weathervane restaurant.  Founded around 1873, the market lasted until 1960 and was noted for the steer's head at the top of the building.  That steer is long gone, but it certainly made for interesting architecture downtown for many years.

Elegant Tableware

November 23, 1931, Menasha Record

Mr. Swenson was a jeweler in Menasha at 209 Main Street for about thirty years until his death in 1939.  His shop was in the Tuchscherer's block where the ladies' shop, Polly Frocks, later located.  When it comes to jewelers, fine silver dinnerware doesn't exactly come to mind, for me.  So, it seems ingenious, from a marketing point of view, to tie this in to the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.  Even a few sales would make the effort all worthwhile.  

Enjoyable Affair

 November 21, 1891, Saturday Evening Press

Veterans Day is now in our rear view mirror, but it isn't too late to reflect on this event which turned into a celebration of freedom for one of Menasha's own.  With so many historical events, the further back in the past it is, the easier it seems for me to forget that we're talking about real people with real life experiences to comment about.  It is hard for me to imagine living in proximity to an Andersonville survivor from the Civil War, much less being able to converse with him about his experiences.  But these Menasha residents from 1891 were able to identify with Civil War veterans because the conflict wasn't that long ago and many who served were still around, much like myself growing up around WWII and Korean War veterans.  God love 'em all, each and every one of them.

Pensive Waiting

 November 21, 1979, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

We close the week with this human interest entry from the Northwestern.  Wondering so badly what that sign says taped to the front door, but I cannot decipher it, no matter how much I zoom in.  I'd like to know what business this was on Main Street.  Readers...any thoughts?  

Veterans Day

November 12, 1968, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

This particular Veterans Day observance must have been especially hard, what with all the upheaval and discord across the country.  Think of 1968...the losses of Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy, the Chicago riots at the Democratic National Convention, the still raging war in Vietnam.  What must have been going through the minds of these veterans assembled, not just in Menasha's downtown but everywhere in America?  Still, their intentions were resolute, their hearts were true, honoring those who had come and gone before, whatever the political climate.    

Please take a moment today to think about the veterans who served to allow you your freedoms.  Thanks.

 

Gather While Ye May

                                                        November 26, 1986, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

With Thanksgiving almost upon us, we look back at some of the good works our young people are capable of.  This time of year brings forth the spirit of giving, feeding the hungry and the homeless.  It's especially noticeable at Thanksgiving and Christmas time, during the colder months and the local airwaves are awash with feel good stories of such food drives and Toys for Tots-like campaigns to better people's lives.  Our local schools were not immune to the lure of this as well, as evidenced in the above photo.  Far be it from me to be cynical about these good works, for they perform a valuable public service, but sometimes I wonder about the public nature of such campaigns.  Are we doing it for the good of the deed or for the recognition of it?  With the preponderance of social media today, every move of certain people is carefully catalogued and curated to enhance their narrative and grow their "brand."  Seriously?  Whatever happened to anonymous giving?  I'm not a religious person and I'm not good at Bible verses but isn't there one about doing charity in secret because God will see it anyway?   I'm sure these kids had the best of intentions with their student council project.  I'm just commenting on what I see.  Now, I'm getting down off my soapbox.  

Be Careful What You Wish For....

 

This page from the 1935 Menasha High yearbook, The Nicolet, where its editors pleaded for a new and improved school building, was surprisingly prophetic.  As most of us know, the school burned the very next year in March of 1936. The fire’s exact origin is unknown, but it was thought to have started in the machine shop. To keep the school going, classes were distributed among the remaining schools and other public buildings until the new high school could be completed in 1938.  Despite the tone inferred from the yearbook, plans were already in motion to design and build a new school at the time of the fire, though funding had not yet been finalized. Still, this added footnote by the yearbook gives the event an eerie circumstance the school did not deserve.

Oh, My...

November 15, 1968, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

Let's start the week on a humorous note with our diver in training having a moment.  Assuming this isn't staged, the photographer, with his fast shutter speed, caught his subject's candid expression at the most opportune moment of all to place this photo into competition for the pic of the week category.   I'm sure the YWCA diving team had a great laugh over this for weeks on end.  

Wee Nippee

November 18, 1961, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

It's not often we get a glance inside the Wee Nippee lounge in the Hotel Menasha.  But, things happen, and the end result is this.  And in spite of what the Northwestern thinks, there are two "e's" at the end of "Wee Nippee."  

I think the owner of the establishment would know the intended spelling.  

Gilbert's, Part II

 

November 15, 1961, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

Nicolet sixth graders continue their tour and learn how lined paper is made, something they are intimately familiar with as a finished product.  I wonder how many of these kids were inspired by the science of papermaking and entered careers in the paper industry.  

Slurry With the Fringe on Top

November 15, 1961, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

I know the tour guides prompted the kids to do this little demonstration, but in the absence of that, some stalwart student might have dipped his fingers in the slurry anyway and discovered it for himself.  Like the kids in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, the heart wants what the heart wants, and temptation is sometimes overwhelming, as we know.  That fella on the extreme right is especially proud of his find.  We'll have more from this field trip later this week.

Literary Stand-Outs

November 23, 1981, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

Adorable first graders from Clovis Grove dress up as their literary heroes at their school library during Book Week.  If memory serves me correctly, I was a fan of The Fire Cat as well.  Pickles the cat gets adopted by the firehouse and makes good on his plan to be a good fire cat for the other firefighters.  See, how those stories stick with you?  Just don't ask me about other favorites, Scuffy the Tugboat or Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel.

Fun Stuff

 November 13, 1969, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

There's a lot to unpack (and a whole lot of fun) in this compendium of articles from the local newspapers from a century ago.  Evaluating this era with the modern age is often like comparing apples and oranges, yet it is an irresistible premise.  Over time we can see the evolving loosening of social mores while the late 19th century maintains a stranglehold on social decorum and telling it like it is in a moment in time.  While euphemisms abound aplenty there is still an honesty evident that is often lacking in modern news reporting.  The word "amused" is apropos for those inclined to make a deep dive into the past via their local library's microfilm collection of historic newspapers.