Happy Easter

April 15, 1965 Appleton Post-Crescent

What more can I say?  The Valley Fair Easter Bunny says it all!

Have a great Easter and a great weekend! 

St. Mary's Interior

As we approach Easter on this Holy Thursday, perhaps it's time to see a few nice postcard interior shots of St.. Mary's. 

The Stations of the Cross on the main walls of the church are hand painted on tin and surrounded by hand carvings by William Laemmerich.  In the top photo, you can see two of them them on the two side walls.   He also carved the two side altars- The Blessed Virgin's altar on the left as pictured above and St. Joseph's altar on the right.  These all date from the church's original construction of 1883. 

1968 Economic Forecast

February 29, 1968 NM Northwestern

This favorable economic forecast was predicated on the building of the Little Lake Butte des Morts bridge and the installation of a major department store to the downtown area by 1980.  And somehow, this would lead to a more favorable outcome that what was touted for our sister city to the south?  As we all know the bridge DID develop and WAS built in the mid-1970's but the major department store never materialized, as we've documented in this blog in the past.  (Something about too many taverns downtown....)

Personally, I think the bridge, while good for avoiding a trip through Neenah or Appleton to get to US 41, was never going to be the gateway to retail commerce that these planners thought.  Short of having a major store in sight the moment drivers crossed the bridge and an angelic choir with appropriate lighting effects, it just wasn't gonna happen. 

Instead they saw Calder Stadium and eventually, a few gas stations to complement the surrounding residential area.  And then having to drive down Racine Street for another mile and a half to even find downtown?  (We all know what it's like to exit a major interstate with the promise of, say, a Subway or other chain restaurant, only to find you would have had to drive two miles into a small downtown strip to find it instead of the convenience of it being right at the exit.) 

I think that that was some high thinking on the part of these economic advisors to put those two ideas together and come up with this forecast. 

And just WHERE was this 100,000 square foot store going to go? 

“For all sad words of tongue and pen, The saddest are these, 'It might have been'.”

- John Greenleaf Whittier (American poet, 1807-1892)

Lunar Rocket

October 22, 1969 NM Northwestern



At the height of the space age and just months after we landed Apollo 11 on the moon, Schultz Brothers variety store offers this exciting four foot high rocket.  And it's just in time for lay-a-way before Christmas to excite the scientist and space explorer residing in every '60s kid, me included. 

Of course, you could always use that newfangled First Wisconsin Charge Card being heavily touted around that time.  Visa and Mastercard not accepted...which, at that time, were known as BankAmericard and Master Charge. 

Main Street at Night

Another in our series of downtown view postcards, a rare depiction of the city at night.  Those lights across Main Street date the image to around 1910. 

A Welcoming, Festive Downtown

Raiding our postcard collection once again earns us this view of downtown in the throes of welcoming conventioneers to town.  See the banners and bunting and festive flags flying off the business fronts.  Judging from the condition of the street and this lady's mode of dress, I judge this view to be pre-1910 or thereabouts since the street appears to be unpaved. 

There was a lot of civic pride and outward synergy in the city during the early 20th century that was expressed in hosting conventions and band competitions that brought statewide and even national attention.  The cover of the Menasha book, is reminiscent of this time period when the city hosted an Elks convention in June of 1910 and put its proverbial best foot forward by paving Main Street. 

Gas War

November 3, 1963 Appleton Post-Crescent

Back in the days before the American public even knew what OPEC stood for and the fatgiue of the roller coaster rides of fuel prices, there was this...the gas war.  Of course, the price of living in 1963 was a lot less, too-  my research tells me that at the time of the above article, the price of a postage stamp was 5 cents, a gallon of milk cost 49 cents and a dozen eggs was 55 cents.  Amazing. 

And equally amazing around that time was something you'd never get away with nowadays-my father sending me as a young lad to the gas station cigarette machine across the street to buy him a pack for 30 cents!