Rationing is Sharing!

Menasha Products Corporation does its part during World War II when rationing was a key factor in winning the war. This Waxtex ad dates to 1943. 

School History

July 25, 1973, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

From the 1973 centennial edition of the daily Northwestern comes this concise history of early schools in Menasha.  What amazed me most was that it took almost twenty years for a commencement to be held after students had graduated.  Finishing the course and staying home seems rather anticlimactic but perhaps there was some tenet involved there where drawing attention to oneself wasn't condoned.

Swimming Fun

June 11, 1957, Appleton Post-Crescent

Here's another view of the Smith Park swimming beach, which we explored a few weeks ago.  Can you imagine the frustration when a strike, two weeks from completion, stops work at the new pool facility?  By the looks of it, these kids don't have a care in the world about it.  Most likely, the city fathers had the most heartburn about the delay.

Nicolet Controversy

October 3, 1965, Appleton Post-Crescent

The fascinating story of the visit of Jean Nicolet to Menasha has inspired Fox Valley residents for hundreds of years and have given us naming "rights" for schools, parks, boulevards, and even school yearbooks, like Menasha High's Nicolet.  Heck, even the St. Mary yearbook took on the French name "Renard," or Fox as sort of a tribute to the explorer.  But is it true?  Did he really come to our fair city?  The article above gives one pause, in that Green Bay has its own hold on the legend and historians are not convinced he ventured beyond the Green Bay area.  Since it was almost 400 years ago, no one knows for sure.  Even maps of the time were somewhat loaded with guesswork, and documented accounts are left to interpretation.  Controversy such as this is not without precedent, to be sure, but it does not betray Menasha's dedication to the legend.  The only sure thing is that if Menasha's marker were established today, the plaque's language would certainly be tweaked to eradicate the word "savages" and come up with something a bit more politically correct.

Happy Winners

June 28, 1969, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

Would such a contest garner enthusiasm today, in such complicated times?  This photo is so 1969, with those stingray bikes.  I mean, what kid didn't have one? 

Oak Hill Cemetery

June 14, 1968, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

This 1968 article gives a nice primer on the history of Oak Hill Cemetery.  While many may think of this exclusively as a Neenah cemetery, the story shows that Menasha played a big hand in its management and many notable and many not so notable individuals from our fair city have found their final rest under its welcoming trees.  

Anniversary

June 13, 1999, Oshkosh Northwestern

These 150th anniversary articles for the Menasha Corporation from twenty years ago gives not only the well-known history of the company from its inception as a pail factory but also fills in the subsequent years since.  What I found especially interesting were the company's attempts to keep the company private by courting descendants of the families involved.