Parade!

July 24, 1969, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

Every town loves a parade and folks weren't disappointed when they turned out for the 1969 version of the Prospector Days parade down Main Street.  I love the view of the bikes strewn about, behind the crowd...every kid's conveyance, at least in that era.

Oral History IV

September 7, 1979, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

This is another in Dr. O'Brien's series of oral histories on various topics pertaining to the Twin Cities.  I found this edition, concentrating on life during the Depression to be fascinating, as it is first-hand accounts from folks who lived through the bad times.  My Mom used to talk about hoboes showing up at her back door and her mother giving them something to eat.   After reading all this, I guess that wasn't just idle talk. 

Mural

Jul 1, 2000, Appleton Post-Crescent

A more recent look back, to 17 years ago when the downtown mural made its appearance in what became known as Curtis Reed Square.  Showcasing Menasha's history on an unfolding roll of paper, the ceramic mural at its installation, was said to be the largest outdoor ceramic mural in the United States.

For All Your Summer Needs

July 18, 1958, Appleton Post-Crescent

Not much to go around today, just a pleasant memory of a pleasant pharmacy my family would often do business with...and use to pay the phone bill.  That became one of my "jobs" for many years; my Mom would give me the money to pay the bill and I'd make a detour to Hidde's as I rode from Second Street to my best friend's house on Doty Island.  Good times.

October 25, 1961, Oshkosh Daily Northwestern

Reading Club

July 14, 1958, Appleton Post-Crescent

I can't remember how many reading clubs I joined at the public library over the years.  For me, it was an annual event, trekking down there each summer and coming home with a multitude of books to help pass the time.  There usually were nominal prizes- bookmarks, pencils- that sort of thing, but the appeal to me was just making the milestones I'd set for myself and having my name or record posted for the city to see.  In many cases, progress was measured as a graphical journey on a card or sheet as depicted here.  Space was a popular theme as all of America was in the throes of the space race in the late 50's and 60's. And who didn't want to be an astronaut?  The librarians were only too quick to remind us that to be a good astronaut, one had to be a good reader and the sooner we mastered that and the comprehension of what we'd read, the better!

Nearing Completion

July 23, 1958, Appleton Post-Crescent

When the Menasha school board named this school, it paid tribute to two long-standing Menasha citizens, Mrs. John Clovis and her grandson, Al Grove.  Mrs. Clovis owned a dry goods store on Main Street (remember Grove's Clothing Store?) as well as the farm the school now resides on.  Mr. Grove donated the land in 1948 to the city in memory of his grandmother and his mother, Ida Grove.  As we all know, the remaining land not utilized for the school became Clovis Park.

Oral History III

September 6, 1979, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

This is the third in a series of twelve oral histories that Dr. Michael O'Brien produced for the paper in 1979.  Unions were a fact of life for the mills in the Fox Valley when I grew up, but it wasn't always so.  Harsh words for management from some old timers.