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Downtown 1958

Downtown 1958

Friday, December 16, 2022

Merry Christmas!

                             


Merry Christmas from me to you.  This will be the last post for 2022 as I am going to take some time off to be with family and enjoy the season...and, to finish my shopping!  I hope the last 12 months have been good to you, but if not, my wish is that this holiday season will help you salvage some good of what's left of the year. 

Enjoy your families and your time off.  I will strive myself to remember the real meaning of Christmas, for as someone once told me, if Christmas isn't found in our hearts, if won't be found under a tree. 

I am thankful for you, my dear readers who have kept up with me all these years.  I so greatly appreciate your support, your contributions, and your friendship.  I will return to this after the New Year.  Let's set the stage to share some more Menasha memories in 2023.  See you then!

Thursday, December 15, 2022

Santa Takes "Flight"

December 3, 1960, Appleton Post-Crescent

Continuing a tradition that began in the late 1940's, Santa tours the Twin Cities, courtesy of his friends in the Fire Department, handing out treats everywhere he goes.

Wednesday, December 14, 2022

Gifts for Everyone

 December 18, 1907, Menasha Record

We first encountered the Schultz Brothers Drug Store in 2014: https://menashabook.blogspot.com/2014/07/schultz-drug-store.html.  This store was located at the corner of Main and Milwaukee and lasted until the 1940's.  It should not be confused with that other Schultz Brothers, the five and dime we all recall.

Tuesday, December 13, 2022

Santa Visits

             

December 22, 1980, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

December 24, 1980, Twin City News-Record

Santa definitely gets around and is sure to be the most popular elf in the room, guaranteed. It is reassuring to note that despite all the technology associated with our modern way of living, it has been proven time and again that the direct route to Santa is the right one.  Who can argue with bending his ear in person?  And it might end up with you walking out of there with a candy cane to boot.

Monday, December 12, 2022

For Immediate Delivery!

December 15, 1949, Twin City News-Record

Despite how old  this technology looks, it really was state-of-the-art for its time.  Plastic cabinetry, automatic shut-offs, battery power that allowed portability.  It was a teenager's dream come true.  

Friday, December 9, 2022

Over the Moon


December 15, 1949, Twin City News-Record

Christmas gift ideas from Moon's Jewelers, back when pens were fine writing instruments instead of throwaways and watches did one thing...they told time while also letting the recipient know that they were considered special.    

Thursday, December 8, 2022

Gift Ideas by the Score

 December 15, 1949, Twin City News-Record

If you needed a gift for your teacher, what could be easier than getting handkerchiefs?  I swear my elementary school teachers must have had enough hankies to outfit an army after my token gift and the many others from my classmates.  

Wednesday, December 7, 2022

Tree Center

 

December 15, 1949, Twin City News-Record

I recall having ice cream like this as a kid and marveling at how they managed to get a tree inside the ice cream.  Guess I was a few years away from understanding the nuances of molds and other tricks to get special effects in cooking.  Even if I had understood it at the time, I still would have been impressed.

Tuesday, December 6, 2022

Olympic Dreams

 

December 18, 1980, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern
Peggy Fleming and Dorothy Hamel, look  out!  A familiar sight in winter time in the city...emulating Olympic skaters while dreaming of gold medals. 

Monday, December 5, 2022

Shopping

December 18, 1980, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

It's that time of the year when festive lights combine with sincere shopping excursions to create a dramatic backdrop to the season.  Who wouldn't be in a great mood with all that the holidays bring?  

Monday, November 28, 2022

The Hiatus Continues

 


My hiatus continues while I navigate through flu season and some personal challenges as well.  I hope to see you soon.

Friday, November 18, 2022

Happy Thanksgiving!

November 26, 1968, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

Here's wishing you a very Happy Thanksgiving and hoping that what's on your table rivals what was on the Hotel Menasha's menu back in 1968.   Please take some time to reflect on all the blessings bestowed upon our lives, big and small.  For myself, I give my sincerest thanks to you.  Your generous enthusiasm for Menasha history inspires me to seek out more and more interesting aspects of this great town of ours to share with you. 

I am taking a hiatus from the blog for about a week so I will see you again come the week of November 28th.  Please accept my best wishes to you for a joyous holiday.  I wish you family, fellowship, and friendship.

Thursday, November 17, 2022

Brewed to the Taste of Our Region

November 19, 1948, Menasha Record

While it wasn't brewed in our town, everyone in the Fox Valley was still familiar with this beer.  I'm not sure what "the taste of our region" really was, but still it's a great ad gimmick to counter any arguments that Chief Oshkosh didn't taste like those big city Milwaukee beers.  

Wednesday, November 16, 2022

Holidays Are a Time for Art

November 18, 1978, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

As we continue this week's theme of Thanksgiving-related projects and events, we hearken back to that cornerstone of all November school art projects, the depictions of the history of the holiday.  I believe student depictions of Pilgrims interacting with Native Americans is second only to drawing a turkey by outlining your hand.  

Tuesday, November 15, 2022

Say "Thanks" With Flowers

November 23, 1948, Menasha Record

Linsdau's makes a good argument to gift the host or hostess with flowers or even a plant as a thanks for Thanksgiving dinner.   And it avoids the faux pas of bringing the wrong bottle of wine, or even offending them if they don't drink.    

Monday, November 14, 2022

New Friends

 

November 26, 1979, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

We start the week on a pleasant note with memories of the Santa parade.  And occasionally we encounter friends, new and old, which underscores the obvious fun.  Life is like that sometimes.

Friday, November 11, 2022

Veterans Day

November 12, 1979, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

Today being Veterans Day, please take a moment to remember the sacrifices of the brave men and women who have given of their lives to keep us all safe and free.  

Thursday, November 10, 2022

Vets Vent

November 13, 1983, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

Marine Corps veterans speak their peace about patriotism and love of country in advance of Veterans Day.  It was a different era when these vets were interviewed; the atmosphere seems more politically charged now when it comes to these subjects.  After twenty years of war overseas and having lived through the controversies surrounding kneeling during the national anthem and other civil disturbances, one wonders what their viewpoints would be now.  No one will argue that flag waving is nice, but these vets were the truest of patriots for the service they provided.

Wednesday, November 9, 2022

Another Wall?

November 8, 1961, Oshkosh Northwestern

Humorous take by the Northwestern regarding the always out-there tensions between Neenah and Menasha and likening it to the then-current Berlin Wall being built.  

Tuesday, November 8, 2022

There is Still Time

November 4, 1958, Twin City News-Record

Heed Edmund Burke's prophetic words.  Vote.  No matter what your party is, vote.  No matter how much you feel your side has it "in the bag", vote.  Be a part of the democratic process and vote.

Monday, November 7, 2022

More Tubes


 September 24, 1956, The Times (Shreveport, LA)
Hearkening back to our post from last week mentioning TV tube testing machines that inhabited groceries and pharmacies nationwide, this article explains the concept more fully.  Of course, it wasn't as easy as it looked...one would have to first identify the suspected defective tube, wander down to the store, test it (or the many others you brought with you), then go home with the recommended replacement and hope for the best.  I recall my dad making many trips one night to that fateful machine in the Neenah Food Queen, grumbling the whole time because he'd picked the wrong one.  I think I stayed home during the second trip to the store for I feared he was wrong again, lol.

Friday, November 4, 2022

Again, We Learn....

 

November 24, 1999, Twin City News-Record

These "Back in Time" compilations are pretty neat.  From the archives of over a hundred years ago, we continue to learn something new.  Today's new word..."footpad."  As used in the first paragraph, a footpad is a robber who does so on foot, usually victimizing pedestrians.  His counterpart is the "highwayman," a robber on horseback, and one who is considered of a higher level, that is, as thieves go.  I will admit, I was aware of the term highwayman but had never heard footpad until today.  From my research, the word was popular until the 19th century, then fell out of favor, for whatever reasons.  

Plus, we get a swell Island view of the area between Ahnaip Street and Nicolet Boulevard from the vantage point of the Walter Brothers Brewery..

Thursday, November 3, 2022

Guess Who Will Win

November 5, 1940, Menasha Record

Local theaters get in on the fun, using the national election to pull in customers.  Gimmicks ruled.  Remember, this was an era when they gave dishes away at theaters, among other goods.  So, what could be better than the chance for a free movie ticket, especially when the odds are fifty-fifty, though knowing the politics of the time could certainly move the needle in one's favor.  And just a side note, don't the prices for The Man Who Came to Dinner seem exorbitant for 1940?  I'd read that a movie ticket was a quarter during the 1940s.  So even if it IS one night only, that's still a hefty price.

Wednesday, November 2, 2022

The Alley Fleet

November 4, 1958, Twin-City News-Record

The alley behind Main Street houses the finest 1950s era service trucks and vans available to come service your television or antenna needs.  Remember the days of coming home to an empty tv cabinet because the repair man had to take the picture tube back to the shop?   That was traumatic for this little boy.  That's an era we'll never see again.  It disappeared along with those tube testing machines that some grocery and drug stores had.  I distinctly remember the Food Queen in Neenah having one.


October 10, 1957, Capital Times (Madison)

Tuesday, November 1, 2022

Winners, All

November 2, 1959, Twin City News-Record

Local schools held Halloween parties and the winners are shown above, for best costumes.  Despite the need to have a contest, really, all the kids were winners as how can you put a value on getting free candy?  

Monday, October 31, 2022

Reunion

 October 1, 1990, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

The "isolated" outpost cities of Neenah and Menasha turned out to be profound for these gentlemen- not only in their quality of living, but for the revolutionary ways in which they learned their trade in the packaging business.  The business world after World War II was extraordinary in the excitement generated for new products, new media, and inventive new ways to harness the technological advances that were a by-product of war technology.  Avant garde ideas were massaged in unconventional training programs.  The result was an executive pool who could react to these new-fangled ideas being birthed daily and monetize them exclusively to their companies' advantage.  We don't often think of the Twin Cities as being ground zero for such free thinking, but here is the proof.

Friday, October 28, 2022

Tanks A Lot

October 25, 1983, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

If I were the kids in this tour, I would have eaten this up with a spoon.  Of course this was closer to my era when kids still played "Army" for real in their yards, instead of shooting enemies on a screen.   It was a time when toy guns were cherished because they looked and sounded as as real as possible, no orange plugs on their ends to denote their toy status.  It's a different world now, one where no 10 year old can saunter anymore into a five and dime and come out with rolls of caps for his cowboy pistol.  No matter that five and dimes have gone the way of the dinosaur; the political climate wouldn't support kids doing that anyway. 

Thursday, October 27, 2022

Locks


 
October 9, 1983, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern
We haven't featured the locks for quite some time.  This article from 1983 showcases lock operations when there were questions at that time about the viability of continuing the locks' operations.  But gladly, those doubts were worked through and in 2004, the Fox River Navigational System Authority (FRNSA) was established by the State of Wisconsin to revive the system.  Since then, the locks and the waterway authority have overseen a vast water network of new recreational opportunities.  Of course, nobody anticipated a problem like an invasive fish called round gobies, from entering and overpopulating Lake Winnebago and decimating sporting fish eggs, prompting the Menasha lock closure in 2015.  Until a reliable solution can be established, please enjoy these photos from a better time.

Wednesday, October 26, 2022

Just Swingin'


                                                                      October 7, 1981, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

Sometimes, this is all that you need.  Just you and your best friend, working together to have a little fun, wherever you can find it.  Life may not always be this easy, but when it is, it's the best!

Tuesday, October 25, 2022

At War?

 October 10, 1979, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

Seeing a vehicle like this must have been a surprise to passing Neenah-Menasha motorists of all persuasions.  With the Twin Cities not being military towns per se, I myself would have done a double take at the sight of it.  At least the author of this piece knew it was an armored personnel carrier; too often, a thing like this is often mistaken for a tank by the civilian populace, mostly due to its armor and its tracks.

Monday, October 24, 2022

Ooh...Pretty Scary, Huh?

October 19, 1988, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

With Halloween just seven days away, scenes like this are routine by now.  Just a friendly reminder from your local blogmaster that it is time to get your candy if you plan to answer your door for the little ghosts and goblins who'll be making a visit one week from tonight.  

Friday, October 21, 2022

Sensational Featurette!

October 28, 1935, Menasha Record

As a boy, I can remember being severely scolded if I ever muttered the word "hell" in my parents' presence outside of a religious context.  And that was in the 60's.  So I find it a bit incongruous that the word is being used for this "sensational featurette" in the 1930's.  Maybe my parents were more conservative when it came to such things; perhaps they were just trying to keep me from graduating to more offensive words!  But I am also keenly aware of the old adage "War is Hell" and the expression "Come Hell or high water" so its use isn't totally off my radar.  Not having a good reference to culture in the 1930s, it just makes me wonder where they drew the line.  Remember that Clark Gable saying "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn!" in Gone With the Wind four years later was a monumental in-road against movie censorship of the time.  And of course, today, anything goes, but I still wonder about such things.

Thursday, October 20, 2022

No Charlie Browns Here

October 25, 1960, Appleton Post-Crescent

These zealous young athletes look so determined.  No matter that it is touch football, these kids are truly into the game.  No uniforms and no specialty gear like you'd find today, just kids in t-shirts and sweatshirts and blue jeans having a good time.  Even their sneakers are rudimentary- Chuck Taylors or PF Flyers or Red Ball Jets (remember those?)  What a great time.

Wednesday, October 19, 2022

Crazy, Mixed Up Pep Rally

 

October 28, 1939, Appleton Post-Crescent
Logic takes a back seat on this October day in 1939.  Why, you'd think it was April 1st for all the mixed up shenanigans occurring during this pep rally.  The spirited students must have had themselves a field day, standing normalcy on its head.  

Tuesday, October 18, 2022

School Spirit

October 25, 1969, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

October 8, 1973, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

The month of October brings leaves burning, Halloween decorations, and thoughts of Homecoming at local high schools.  A victory is always a nice plus, but the joy associated with the floats, the pep rallies, the bonfires, and the dances are enough to set the event off as special in the hearts of students and alumni alike.  Enthusiasm and excitement reign, even more so than the Homecoming King and Queen.  

Monday, October 17, 2022

Free Concerts

October 1, 1907, Menasha Record

The illustration shows a phonograph that play cylinders, though the copy mentions records.  Don't be confused; the cylinders were still referred to as records, unlike the flat discs we associate the term with.  Flat discs were introduced to the public around this time and the cylinder market was largely abandoned in favor of disc records by competing companies around 1912, leaving Edison as the only supplier.  Cylinders had been in play since the 1890s, but they allowed only two minutes recording time while discs of this era offered four minutes and the public saw discs as a better value.  (The whole affair is reminiscent of the old VHS vs. Beta video tape contest in the 70s and 80s.)  In time, Edison saw the handwriting on the wall and marketed a disc playing phonograph of his own in 1913 but continued to manufacture cylinders until 1929.

Friday, October 14, 2022

The Cards You've Been Looking For!

October 28, 1935, Menasha Record

Yes, it's only October but it's not too early to get ready for Christmas by getting those pesky little requirements out of the way, to include things like Christmas cards.  Even in 1935, people were not waiting until the last minute.

Thursday, October 13, 2022

Dot the 'M" in Menasha

October 6, 1956, Twin City News-Record

Unlike the famous Ohio State marching band spelling out "Ohio" with the big honor being the musician who gets to dot the "I", Menasha didn't have such an obvious honor.  Maybe it was the person who was in the middle downward angle of the "M"?  Whatever the case, I just hope someone checked the field after the Neenah part of the program.  There's no telling (ahem) what those horseback riders left behind.  Just sayin'.  

Wednesday, October 12, 2022

Underground TV


October 25, 1962, Oshkosh Northwestern
I had heard of underground radio before, but never underground television.  But seriously, knowing the size limitations of 1962 television cameras, I am surprised this technology even existed back then.  Today, I'm sure it is as routine as changing one's socks.

Tuesday, October 11, 2022

Briskwool Toys

October 11, 1945, Appleton Post-Crescent


I found the above two items on eBay.  Notice the tags which identify them as being manufactured right in Menasha under the label of "Briskcraft Corporation."   More information wasn't available, but it is worth pursuing.  I will admit that I had not heard of "briskwool" nor was I aware of the toys' manufacture in our fair city until running across the above advertisement.

Monday, October 10, 2022

Columbus Day

October 12, 1935, Oshkosh Northwestern

Back when Christopher Columbus was more universally revered, school children marked the day with pageants and programs that celebrated the man's achievements in exploring.  In today's politically correct world, still having a holiday in his name is a point of contention.  And as you know, the blog does not intend to stir up discord but merely to reflect on the historical record of days past.  

Friday, October 7, 2022

Halloween Treats

October 8, 1969, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

October 22, 1970, Twin City News-Record

This being October, it means Halloween, among other things.  So we may as well get into the spirit of the season, despite the early date on the calendar.  After all, the trees are turning, the area lawns are rife with black and orange Halloween decorations,  some frivolous, some hideous, but all in the spirit of fun...or terror, if that's your bag.  I'm sure we'll revisit this holiday before the month..."expires."  (Cue the scary laugh...Bwahahahahahaha!)

Thursday, October 6, 2022

A Towering Achievement

October 25, 1969, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

As school projects go, this was more attractive an idea than constructing papier mache maps or cooking meat pies!  At least to yours truly at that age.  But needless to say, it was a bit of an engineering feat that probably caused the class to say, "tres magnifique!"