Midway Plant

In 1943, a 27 acre parcel of land one mile north of the Menasha city limits was purchased to expand operations of the Banta company.  The plant was eventually named "Midway" by George Banta, Jr. as it was considered halfway between Appleton and Menasha.  (In reality though, he may have finally tired of it being referred to as "Bantaville" by his employees!)  This view looks northeast from the Milwaukee Road tracks. 

Looking south in late 1945/early 1946, this aerial shot shows the progress of the building effort.  Featured prominently is the warehouse area, known as Unit A.  The printing presses were to be installed in the Unit B floor space adjacent to Unit A.  The walls are not yet constructed.  This plant added 42,000 square feet of work space.

Artist's 1964 rendering of Midway plant to showcase the latest improvements to the facility. 

What to Do About New Year's

Appleton Post-Crescent December 30, 1966

 

Gearing up for New Year's Eve, a review of the local paper from 47 years ago provides a number of entertainment choices across the Fox Valley to bring in the New Year.  And who couldn't resist the sonic stylings of Speedy and the Alka Seltzers?! 

Merry Christmas!

I'm taking this blog on hiatus for the next week but I'll be back on 30 December to help bring in the New Year. Until then, I thank you for your support and interest in my little endeavor.  I wish you the Merriest of Christmases. (I wonder what ever happened to this kid?!)   

Seasons Greetings

Merry Christmas from several Neenah-Menasha businesses in 1973.  Many of these merchants are lojng gone now, but ads like this were mainstays in the local papers' business sections for many years.  

Charles R. Smith

 

 

Charles R. Smith was Elisha Smith's son and greatly improved the Menasha Wooden Ware's fortunes. A Princeton University graduate of 1876, he took a broom handle and barrel factory he had formed by himself in Menasha and merged it with his father's existing Wooden Ware business. This made Menasha Wooden Ware the world's largest manufacturer of turned woodenware. Additionally, he became president of the First National Bank and remained in that position until his death in 1916. He was also superintendent of the Menasha school system.

 

When he died, Charles Smith was eulogized in the local papers as it said, "All Menasha has taken personal pride in his ascent to a position in the business world where he has come to be known as a man among men."

 

A bit of trivia- the village of Warner, Wisconsin was renamed as Ladysmith in 1900 in honor of his wife when the Menasha Wooden Ware bought up the power site in the Flambeau River, about a mile east of the village, and all the land between it and the village north of the railroad. When the company's plans to dam the river and build a stave mill became known, the information got into the newspapers and people began to flock into the village. Within a year, the population rose from 100 to 1,000. However, Mrs. Smith never honored her namesake with a visit.

First Butte des Morts Bridge?

This hand-drawn map reflects some interesting facts about our fair city.  It not only shows the location of the first house as described a few weeks back in our look at former school board members, but it also shows the first bridge over Little Lake Butte des Morts.  “In 1853, the first bridge across Lake Butte des Morts was built, giving direct communication with the farming country to the west. This bridge was replaced by a float bridge with a draw, in 1856, and in 1861, a pile bridge was constructed, which is still standing but for the past two or three years has been impassable." -Harney's History of Winnebago County p. 219.

 

This bridge was the impetus for initial retail development at Main and Tayco Streets.  Its demise helped quell development in that area and it never really recovered the way the city's founders had hoped.  A national municipal engineering journal in 1911 gave hope to a new bridge.  It reported that "Plans are being made for reconstruction of a foot bridge across Little lake Butte des Morts, connecting Menasha with farming country.  It is planned to procure state and county aid in construction of the bridge."  But to my knowledge, this never went beyond the planning stage as reported, and no new bridge was in the offing until the 441 span was completed in 1975. 

 

map courtesy of Prairie, Pines, and People: Winnebago County in a New Perspective, edited by James I. Metz, 1976, Oshkosh Northwestern press.

Solved!

 

December 16, 1958 Appleton Post-Crescent

 

From our coverage last week of that bomb scare at St. Mary's. No word on what the boys' punishment was and I wonder if they even did graduate with their other classmates in the class of 1960.