Swell Letters

July 11, 1945, Menasha Record

Today, letter writing is a lost art, but back in the days of World War II, there was no email, texting, or Facetime to engage your loved one while they were gone.  So leave it to Uncle Sam, in the guise of the Post Office Department and in conjunction with the Department of Defense to ensure that those back home knew exactly how to get those precious letters to their servicemen (and women).  After all, what better morale builder was there than encouraging words from home or maybe a picture of your best girlfriend or of the wife and kids. I know what it is like to not get mail, so I heartily approve of the efforts made back then to get the mail to its rightful owners. Thanks to the Menasha Record and other local newspapers all across the land that conveyed this vital message.  

Special Brew

For all you beer aficionados out there, have you seen this before?  I was going through some old computer files and ran across this the other day.  I have no context for this label- where it came from, how old it is, etc.  A quick Google search yielded nothing, so I'm really at a loss as to where I obtained this.  Perhaps the purveyors of the Brighton Beach resort coordinated with Walter Bros. Brewing to create this special brew?   Was it for some anniversary or special celebration?  I'm very curious now.  

A Big Catch

August 19, 1978, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

It's not something you see too often here in the South where I live now but I can recall growing up seeing many sportsman-themed garage doors in the Fox Valley.  Usually they were fishing or boating oriented, but there was an occasional deer to be seen.  

More Channels Coming

 August 19, 1978, Neenah-Menasha Daily Northwestern

Most cable and satellite systems today have so many channels that one can get lost in the "niche" programming that such a bounty provides.  So, in the spirit of levity, it's fun to look back to the early days of cable television, before the specialty networks were even a glint in a programmer's eye.   In those days, it was a kick just to watch the local news from, say Milwaukee or Madison because the local cable system would offer those channels, along with the Green Bay stations.  Adding a bonus by having something as exotic as the Atlanta superstation, or WGN, for example, might finalize the sale for those sitting on the fence about whether or not cable was a good value for the time.  Yes, the cable offerings back then might appear to be primitive, compared to the choices today, but it filled a need that people were willing to pay for.  Just as it was when the internet first started, look how far we've come.

August 6, 1978, Appleton Post-Crescent

Pre-Season Practice

August 16, 1960, Appleton Post-Crescent

Just in time to get ready for the upcoming bowling season,, Mid-Town Lanes, or Gundi's or whatever the going name was, it was the place to be.  This was still at a time when advertising that the place was air-conditioned was de rigueur during the dog days of summer.

Flying Race

 

August 21, 1961, Oshkosh Northwestern

To say that I had never heard of such races is an understatement.  Yes, I knew people raised pigeons but I didn't know they mailed them off and had them fly back home in a competitive manner.  Now that I think about it, I guess that is where the whole "homing pigeons" label comes from.   Oh, the things this blog talks about.

Quarry Operation

 July 15, 1958, Twin City News-Record

We take what little victories we can find in the Menasha area, be it touting our recreational opportunities or bragging about our "professional personalities" as it says here.  The Badger Highways quarry was a mainstay for sneaking into, as my grandparents on Airport Road lived virtually behind the quarry.  Illegal or not, I have fond memories of sneaking into there with my older brother on Sunday afternoons as our parents visited with our grandparents.