Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Time Machine Trip to March 1901

Hello Fellow Time Travelers,

Well it’s time to fire up the old “Time Machine Chair” and travel back in time to March of 1901

For today’s trip Debbie DeBruin will be sitting in the front seat operating the Time Machine. The big wheel is spinning, the years are clicking back and in no time we are back on East Second Street on Kaukauna’s Southside.

·         Julius Martens building a new store.     
·         Miss Emma Grignon has died
·         Ex-president Harrison has died.












Charles Raught - Editor Kaukauna Times








Charlie has left the papers on the chair out front of the Times building. Let’s see what’s in the news this month.

Your old newsman – Lyle Hansen 


PS: I have been watching the candidates’ debate. Just one time I’d like to see a liar’s pants catch on fire.


March 1, 1901
It is no unusual sight to see the drayman and iceman hauling a load of crystal to the back doors of different residences these days. Many of the citizens in town have run dry and housewife cries for ice, because she believes that cleanliness is next to Godliness.

Julius J. Martens Co. will commence erection of the 50 x 90 solid brick structure adjoining their present store. The front of the building will be red pressed brick and of the same design as the present building so that it will be one solid block.

Brakeman James Riley and James W. King were badly injured at Medina last week. The caboose in which they were riding jumped the track while the train was in motion and rolled over, tossing them around inside. King was brought to his home in this city, three ribs have been found broken and he is confined to bed. 

When Theodore Roosevelt was a little boy he and a playmate used to walk together to a private school. Their way took past a public school. One-day little Teddy appeared in a new sailor suit. This was too much for the public school boys. Teddy and his chum saw trouble ahead, came on with their fists clenched and the battle began. A few minutes later he and his companion where on their way somewhat less tidy than when they started, leaving behind them a tamed and lame bunch of surprised boys. For a week there were daily fights with the same results. One morning after an especially hard battle, Roosevelt said to his friend “Let’s go around the block and come back and fight ‘em again.”  

March 8, 1901
From present appearances it will be a case, this spring, of the office hunting the man and not the man the office. As to the mayoralty no one seems to want it. Mayor Kuehn says "once is enough for me" and refuses to be counted in for a second nomination.

Ms. Emma Grignon, age 42, passed peacefully away in the presence of her brothers and sisters, Tuesday morning. She is the daughter of Charles and Mary Grignon. Her parents were pioneer settlers of Kaukauna, her father having been born here in 1808. The Grignons are the oldest family in Kaukauna.

Signs of spring where apparently in evidence last Friday and Saturday but a sudden chill wave from the Arctic region came upon us Monday and Tuesday with the most disagreeable cold of the past winter. The thermometer indicated 2° below zero on Saturday.




The improvements which have been under way at the railroad Y. M. C. A. building or Thompson club for several months, were completed March 1. An open house was held music was furnished each evening by the Nugent-Chamberlain trio.

The four stained glass windows which were ordered in February of 1900 from Innsbruck, Austria, arrived here last week and have been set in place. Titles of the scenes represented are as follows: “The Ascension,” The Crucifixion,” “Christ Carrying the Cross” and “Christ Crowned with Thorns.” 

March 15, 1901
There was considerable excitement for a short time at the Hotel Faust fire Saturday morning when it became known that one of the boarders who occupied a room on the lower floor, Joe Coon, had not been aroused, and was still in the building. Learning of the predicament of his warm friend, Will Hogan, pulled his coat over his head and dashed into the burning building to save the life of his comrade.

There is some indefinite talk in Green Bay, of harnessing the water power at Wrightstown or Little Rapids and electricity transmitted to Green Bay for general use.

March 22, 1901
An eight-year-old child at Marinette has swollen to twice its natural size and the doctors are puzzled. He probably got too near a pail of water after eating dried apples.


Indianapolis Ind., March 18 – Escorted by three regiments of infantry and a battalion of artillery, the remains of ex-president Benjamin Harrison Saturday were taken from his home in N. Delaware St. to the state capital to remain in state until Saturday night.


March 29, 1901
George West's saloon on Lawe Street was entered by thieves some time after closing last Sunday night, and what change there was in the till stolen. A slot machine was also pried open and about $8.00 in nickels taken. The thieves then helped themselves to a lunch, wine and cigars, and left the same way they entered, through the rear door which was broken in.

Another evidence that Kaukauna is a convention city. The next meeting of the “Old Maids” convention will be held here. Our people may congratulate themselves on having this opportunity to welcome the delegates from all of the world representing the large and popular and greatly beloved class of old maids.

Another disastrous wreck occurred on the Chicago Northwestern railroad at Little Rapids Wednesday afternoon. The north bound afternoon passenger train which passes through Kaukauna at 2:17 was running at about 50 miles an hour and struck the head end of a freight which had blocked the siding at Little Rapids to allow the passenger to pass, the switch having been left open. When engineer Jones saw the open switch he shut off the steam and put on the brakes. He stayed at his post until the train collided and died in his cab. Ordinarily there were a few passengers on the train however, there were twenty members of the Lawrence University mandolin and Glee club of Appleton. They were aboard for a concert tour, many sustained injuries.




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