W.P. Hewitt

 

W.P. Hewitt

 

W.P. Hewitt was engaged as a manufacturer of wool in Menasha since 1867 as a junior member of the firm of Chapman and Hewitt. Later, he organized the firm of W.P. Hewitt and Company of which he was president until 1906 when it merged with the Menasha Mill Company. Hewitt also served as president of the Bank of Menasha from 1897 until his death in March of 1907 at age 58.

 

 

In this iconic early view of the Tayco Street Bridge, you can see the prominent Menasha Woolen Mills at what will become later the corner of Tayco and River Streets.  To the left in the background is St. Patrick's. 

City of Opportunity

July 24, 1963 Neenah-Menasha Northwestern

 

This edition of the paper, filled with advertising for Prospector Days, used that event to look back upon Menasha 50 years ago.  Citing a 1913 promotional booklet used to entice new business to the city, the news was, understandably, all good. 

More importantly, can I still get some of those clam diggers priced so affordably at $2.88?!

Happy Weekend! 

Elks Lodge

In another of our continuing series of buildings that don't exist anymore- the Elks Lodge 676 on Mill Street, back before the builiding of the marina and the housing units. 

Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (BPOE) 676 was formed in Menasha in 1901 and after this site was demolished, moved its headquarters to Nicolet Boulevard near Seton Middle School. 

Tayco Street

from P. V. Lawson's History, Winnebago County, Wisconsin: Its Cities, Towns, Resources, People.  C.F. Cooper and Company, Chicago, 1908.

We all know that many of the north-south streets in Menasha north of the Fox River are named after cities in Wisconsin:  Green Bay, Manitowoc, DePere, Appleton, Racine, Milwaukee.  But Tayco?  The above extract from P.V. Lawson's excellent history of Winnebago County sheds some light on where the Tayco Street name came from. 

Stooges Protest

 

November 10, 1959 Appleton Post-Crescent

 

Many of the TV sets in America looked like the one featured in the accompanying ad when this protest was about to be set in motion in 1959.  Everything's relative, so it's easy, in retrospect, to think such an action taken almost 55 years ago was innocent and perhaps a bit frivolous, considering how societal norms and threats to young people have changed. 

 

At this juncture, the '60's hadn't even come yet, rife with drug woes and disrespect of authority and civil unrest.  The "Generation Gap" about to occur gave America's parents a lot bigger things to worry about than a clunk on the head. 

Konemac Street

October 13, 1931 Milwaukee Journal

 

Here's a news item to file under "fanciful" or "urban legend."  While the naming of a street for a famous baseball manager made for great copy during the 1931 World Series when baseball was still America's pastime, it doesn't add up. 

 

I have an old map of the Twin Cities dating back to 1878, well before Connie Mack's first forays into professional baseball as a player in 1886 and the street name was the same, though it was spelled then as "Konemak."  If I had to guess, I'd say it was an Indian word and later evolved to its present form, for whatever reason.  Perhaps the final "c" replaced the "k" to somehow make this story fit better along the way, or perhaps the map maker was just careless and it was never changed back.  (I have another map from 1907 and the street is spelled as "Konemac" then.  

 

It makes a nice story though.

Safety Winners

 

July 12, 1967 Twin City News-Record

 

The policeman stopped his car right in front of my house that summer morning.  I was scared to death when he pulled up behind and stopped me.  But then I was so proud when I received my prize, the first thing I'd ever won- movie tickets for myself and my parents to any movie showing at the Brin or the Neenah Theater.  Evidently, I had used the proper hand signals on my Schwinn Stingray and proved to him that I did know a little something about bike safety.

Despite my parents' urging that we wait for some kid-oriented fare to arrive in town, the movie I picked was Up the Down Staircase at the Neenah, a "juvenile delinquents in an inner city high school" type of film so popular then, one with social issues, etc.  Those tickets were just burning a hole in my pocket and I knew if I didn't use them sooner than later, my 10 year old self would just bust.  You know how kids are.   

My parents begrudgingly went along with my choice but I don't remember being that pleased with it myself when all was said and done. (They were teaching me a lesson, although I didn't see that until later.)  It had to have made for a more enjoyable experience for my folks though.  Still, I hope Bonnie had more sense and waited until later in that year for Doctor Dolittle or The Jungle Book to come out!