Time Machine Trip to April 1901

Hello Fellow Time Travelers,

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

For today’s trip Debbie Frederickson 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.

·         Dr. C. D. Boyd is the new Mayor.     

·         Papermakers’ union is instituted

·         St. Mary’s has placed two stained glass windows in place.

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: Lyle’s laughs: “Last year I joined a support group for procrastinators”. - - - “We haven’t met yet.”

April 5, 1901

In the election earlier this week, Dr. C. D. Boyd totally ran away with the race for the position of mayor, defeating W. N. Nolan by the largest majority this city has ever seen in the race for mayor. Boyd claimed the victory with a 295 majority, with his biggest advantage coming in the first and second wards, where he held a majority of 131 votes in each. The victory scored by Dr. Charles D. Boyd is unprecedented in this city his majority being nearly three times as large as the usual majorities given the mayor elect.

John Sprangers has turned loose his inventive ingenuity once more and this time has produced an automatic fishing apparatus. The line is attached to a spring somewhat the style of a mouse trap and so arranged that when the fish takes the bait the spring is released and the hope is jerked upward very quickly. John says one man can manage half a dozen lines at one time.

A branch of the paper makers’ union was instituted in this city Sunday afternoon by William Hamilton national organizer from Watertown, New York. The Kaukauna union, which is known as No. 26 of the National Paper Makers’ Union, numbers over 40 members and our employees of the Combined Locks Paper Company, Thilmany Pulp and Paper Company, Outagamie Paper Company and the Union Bag and Paper Company. The meeting was held at Heindel's hall in which nearly 100 paper makers were present. The objects of the Association for the betterment of trade conditions and to advance the interest of its members.

 The Southside post office will be moved and open for business next Monday morning in the room adjoining the present location which was recently vacated by the First National Bank. Postmaster Raught makes the change so as to secure the use of the safety vault formerly used by the bank. The room has been very nicely decorated and will make a model office.

Little Chute, Wisc., April 3 – The village is in a state of great excitement over the election. At the caucus E. F. Germanson was unanimously nominated for village president. It is known that Germanson was in favor of fire protection which many do not favor. Monday morning all the ballots were made out for Kilscink alone. The Germanson party is wild and serious trouble is feared. 

April 12, 1901

There is a quaint old Holland clock undergoing repairs at Anton Ver Keilen’s on Wisconsin Avenue. Its owner, Mr. Driessen, values it very highly as it is an heirloom, descending from his great-great-grandfather's family. On the back side of the curiously wrought case is found the date of its manufacture, which was 1696, being now 205 years old.

John Coppes, who will manage the Kaukauna aggregation of baseball players this season, says there is to be some good ball playing in Kaukauna during the coming summer. Rates to Milwaukee and return have been secured at a very low figure $2 dollars and back which is less than the boys paid to Sheboygan and return last year. 

Otto Kloehn, age 15 years, a helper at the paper machines at Thilmany's mill, got his hand caught between the calendars Wednesday night and badly crushed. Dr. Titus was called to set the broken bones and pull the skin back into place. Young Kloehn stood bravely without once winching or crying out with the pain of the operation and without the use of anesthetics. It is not known if the hand can be saved.

Steps have been taken by government authorities to stop the wholesale practice of bigamy by the Indians living on the Oneida reservation. In view of the fact that the steadily increasing privileges being granted the Oneidas may soon make them full-fledged citizens the authorities believe it is now time to act properly and vigorously in order that serious complications of various natures may be avoided. Swapping wives, the same as horses is a frequent occurrence at the present time among the Oneidas. 

April 19, 1901

The coffer-dam cribs, etc., put in at the Combined Locks last fall by Hackworthy Construction company for the purpose of commencing work on the construction of the proposed new pulp mill, and which work was suspended on account of high water, were all carried away last Friday by a heavy volume of water coming down river. The loss in work and material to the construction company was about $2,500.

The Marten's feed and sale stable which was removed from the old stand on third Street to allow for the erection of a new addition to the Julius Martens block will be rebuilt on a larger and more extensive plan on a vacant lot down the street.

April 26, 1901

Father Steinbecker of St. Mary's has succeeded in placing the last of the two big stained glass windows in position. This window is an immense one measuring nearly 12 X 23 feet and costing $1,000 and portrays the "Descent of the Holy Spirit on the Disciples."

Mrs. Margaret Beauleiu, 76 years old, is the daughter of a revolutionary soldier, Jacob Davids of this city. She has recently returned to her home at Gresham, Shawano County. She bears the distinction of being the oldest living native born resident of Wisconsin. She was born in Kaukauna in a log house at the foot of Beaulieu Hill, the ruins which are yet standing.  Her parents came here in 1825. Mrs. Beauleiu’s memory of the old times and events as remarkably good and delights in talking about them. She remembers well Indian chief Kon Ka Pot whose home was at the foot of the bluff that runs Konkapot creek, named after the chief. She can point out the spot opposite John Brills house where lies the once famous Indian chief and Revolutionary soldier, John Hendrik Aupaumut. She also remembers Paul Ducharm, a brother of the first settler at the Grand Kau kau lin, Dominic Ducharm.

Cpt. John Hendrik Aupaumut