"...Rife with 'Discoveries'..."

October 11, 1929, Menasha Record

The recently formed St. Mary High School (1928) performed a dedication to Christopher Columbus on the occasion of the holiday named after him.  While I'm sure the program fell into line with what the Governor had declared, I found it humorous that the headline simply said the program was "appropriate."  I'm not sure what the orchestra and the students could have done to have been "inappropriate" to the occasion, but better adjectives like "stirring," "patriotic," or "memorable" would have made for a more appreciative entry in one's scrapbook.  

Essay Winner

October 3, 1939, Menasha Record

October 24, 1939, Menasha Record

At this juncture, America had yet to enter World War II and would steer free of the conflict for another two+ years.  But the possibility loomed big in the minds of the Knights of Columbus, who reflected that concern in the essay topic it assigned to those entering its contest.  In spite of the sensitive subject matter, Mr. Williams, the winner, manages to keep the idea of joining the war at arms length while condemning those who have instigated the war in Europe.  I disagree with his stance that America's "duty" was to declare its neutrality, but that is an easy observation for me today, looking back some 80+ years in hindsight.  I know it was a popular sentiment at that time for the US to stay out of the war.  But I contend that America's involvement helped immeasurably to shorten the war and might have ended it even sooner if we had committed earlier.

I'll be back at work on the blog on Tuesday of next week, so no Monday entry.  See you then! 

Quite the Story

 

November 10, 1888, The Saturday Evening Press

I'm confident most readers of this passage already knew the real story about the naming of the two communities.  But in today's world, even the tallest of tales resonate in the American psyche.  One can just lie about things often enough and they begin to resemble truth.  So why should things be any different in 1888?  The more clever in-the-know people saw the humor in this but one just knows that some readers took this as the God-given gospel truth.  An interesting take on things, to be sure.

Mayor Scanlon

October 28, 1981, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

Here's a nice feature from 1981 on local politician and World War II-era mayor, John Scanlon.  With the demolition of the current Racine Street bridge and the construction of the new one coming within the next year, it is timely to remember this man who played such an instrumental role in the funding of that span.  Sadly, he passed away three months after this article was published, but I hope he took a small bit of pleasure in knowing that his accomplishments were written about and celebrated during his lifetime.  But knowing what I know about this man, I'm sure his modesty outpaced any pride he felt.

Trekking Home

October 7, 1981, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

Regular readers know we, at the blog, are big fans of slice-of-life photos which evoke some emotion in us and usually make us feel good.  And we like trains, and single figures involved in solitary pursuits, be it a lone fisherman on a pier, a solitary hiker on a trail, or, in this case, taking those elements and combining it all.  We even have the linear perspective using the train tracks. The only thing better would have been a dramatic sunset.  For lack of a better term, we'll call this lifestyle photography.  And, yes, we like it.  

Fire Trucks and Historical Memories

 

October 22, 1946, Appleton Post-Crescent

Menasha has, in its past, sponsored a whole array of eclectic experiences, from the groundswell of folks who came out to see the new aerial fire truck in action to an evening Chautauqua featuring the more erudite offerings of one Mrs. Theodore Roosevelt, Jr.  Happily, an interested citizen could have attended both events, the fire truck demo on Saturday afternoon and the lecture two days later on Monday night. 

Furlough

October 13, 1943, Menasha Record

Naturally, the Menasha Record of this era was awash with news of servicemen's comings and goings during World War II so I was pleased to find this little item about my own family during a scan of the October, 1943 doings around town.  His family was fortunate in that my father wasn't sent overseas during the war and as a result, his folks didn't have the worries and consternation that other families faced.  Still, he was justifiably proud of his service, as am I, all these years later.