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October 20, 1967, Twin City News-Record
From the same edition of the News-Record that gave us the Kindergarten field trip yesterday, now comes this adventure for local Brownies. My own daughters were Brownies, albeit some thirty years later, and 1000 miles removed from this in South Carolina, yet the activities look largely the same, down to the "sit-a-pons" they made and which became a de facto part of the experience. I guess some things always remain the same.
September 25, 1967, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern
Here at the blog, it seems we're always pointing out the changes from the past to the present, as if they weren't obvious to today's sensibilities. And while we border on being too snarky at times, there is some truth to our message. For instance, look at this photo. Most all the men are wearing suits and all the women are wearing suits or dresses. Contrasting that with today's parents' day activities, you'd be lucky to find somebody NOT wearing a Menasha Bluejays t-shirt or hoodie or some other fan-related merchandise, much less a suit or a dress.
Yes, the past WAS a more formal time, almost to the point of ridiculousness. Even at my young age, I still remember watching tv sitcoms in the 60's wondering why Ward Cleaver's idea of relaxing at home was taking off his suit coat and wearing a cardigan sweater with his shirt and tie while lounging with the newspaper. All the sitcom dads did it. Sometimes they'd wear something way over the top like a robe or smoking jacket with their shirt and tie, especially if they were entertainers like Danny Williams in Make Room for Daddy or Ricky Ricardo in I Love Lucy. You know what I mean.
Since my father worked at Banta's in the bindery department, I only saw him wearing a tie on church days and for school events and funerals and the like. That was my norm. When he came home, he didn't lounge around in a shirt and tie like the Beaver's dad. And my Mom didn't vacuum the house in pearls and high heeled shoes either. My family wasn't worthy of being a sitcom family, I guess, but at least I didn't have to worry about Eddie Haskell giving me the business.
September 25, 1860, Belvedere Standard (Illinois)
Evidently, this must have been one of the first documented cases of the blue-green algae blooms of Lake Winnebago. To this day, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources still monitors the algae growth and conducts studies, as this is definitely a health risk.
September 25, 1869, Appleton Crescent
The Appleton newspaper waxes poetic about Governor James Doty, former territorial governor of the Wisconsin Territory and the then-Territorial Governor of the Utah Territory upon his death in 1865. Besides his local fame, Governor Doty was responsible for Madison becoming the capital of Wisconsin and lobbied for years to free Wisconsin from the shadow of the Michigan Territory, realizing fully that Michigan's lack of interest in the "distant" lands on the other side of Lake Michigan were robbing Wisconsin of fully realizing its potential.
I especially like the sentiment that Wisconsinites will someday take advantage of the new transcontinental railroad and visit Doty's grave in Utah and gain inspiration from it.
September 21, 1961, Oshkosh Northwestern
Sometimes you can kill two birds with one stone as they say, but it even provided "entertainment" for onlookers. So, was it a three-way tie? Clearing land for a better park while giving firefighters badly needed training AND a show for free? I'm still a little boy who wants to watch the streets being paved. Count me in.