Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Time Machine Trip to June 1901

Hello Fellow Time Travelers,

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

For today’s trip Dennis Frost 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.

·         High school class of 1901 graduate 20  
·         Kaukauna Alumni holds second annual ball
·         Businessmen battle on baseball field

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 


Politics: When all is said and done. There’s a lot more said than done.



June 7, 1901
Mr. Frederick Schubring, 56, employed as a Teamster for the Kaukauna Lumber and Manufacturing company was unloading plank last Tuesday when one slip from his grip and struck him in the stomach with considerable force, causing an internal rupture from which death occurred. Mr. Schubring leaves a window and six grown children.

The Chicago and Northwestern railroad company has just declared a five per cent raise in the wages of their skilled employees and helpers’ effective the first day of June, 1901. Also hours will be changed to reflect 10 hours per day and one half day on Saturday. 

The interurban electric railway franchise was passed by the Common Council at its regular meeting Tuesday evening, by a vote of 8-1, Alderman Klumb voting no and Alderman Baruth being absent. The acceptance of the franchise and the commencement of work are now up to the railroad company.

Graduate Guy Nicholson’s history of the graduating class showed much originality and filled with witty bits. “We are the largest, strongest, handsomest class ever graduated, possibly the smartest, for have we not three more mental machines than any class graduated in previous years? The combined age of the class is 368 years: average 18 years, four months, 3 1/5 days. The total height of the class is 112 feet average 5'6", the total weight of the class is 2034 pounds and 11 ounces. The light weight is little Ben, who tips the scales at 88 pounds. The heaviest weight the youth from Darboy.” 

CLASS OF 1901 – KAUKAUNA HIGH SCHOOL  
MOTTO – “HEIGHTS BEYOND”

Effie K. Rowland
Lester M. Morrill
Alzina M. Fargo
Hertha Kren Hamilton
N. G. L. Nicholson
John E. Coonen
Thomas P. Grey  
Knight F. Hallock
Luella V. Robinson
Johanna Saubert
Water C. Kalk
Blanche Lawe Tanner
Rose C. Philipps
Nicholas Lummerding
Rose L. Corcoran
Laura Mill
Johanna M. Gerharz
Henry Saubert
Helen P. Manning
Benj. L. Dawson

June 14, 1901
The recent rain falls have done much good in the rural districts, but farmers state that the water has fallen too late to be of value in producing a good hay crop which will be scarce again this year.

The North side businessmen have issued a challenge to the south siders to meet in a game of baseball at the Kaukauna ballpark Saturday afternoon and of course it goes without saying that the challenge is accepted for the south siders will never stand for a bluff from their neighbors.  It is proposed to charge a small admission to see the game although it would be worth as much as any high-priced circus and the proceeds are to be donated to some good purpose.

The Brokaw prizes of $15 and $10 are awarded annually to the two pupils of the high school having highest average in scholarship, deportment and attendance. The first prize fell to Rose Corcoran with the total average of 97 and the second to Rose Phillips, with a total average of 96 1/2. Out of the entire high school there were 39 who scored above 90% in scholarship.

The alumni of Kaukauna high school have issued invitations for their second annual ball to be given at Heindel’s Hall this Wednesday evening June 19. The Mill and Nugent orchestra will furnish music. Tickets 75 cents.

June 21, 1901
Mr. Oscar Thilmany of the Thilmany Pulp and Paper Company has just secured one of the largest paper contracts in the west—the contract for the paper from which the fall and winter editions of Montgomery Ward & Company's catalogs is made. This contract requires about 1,800,000 pounds of machine finished book paper, and will cost in the neighborhood of $80,000.

June 28, 1901
A new law regarding hotels and boarding houses requires a rope not less than a half an inch in diameter to be placed in every sleeping room, said rope to be long enough to reach the ground. A fine from $25 to $100 is provided for the failure to supply the rope. Landlords, get out your ropes.

Baraboo, Wis., June 26 - Miss Carrie Brown, age 22, died in Caledonia Monday of heart trouble. She was considered the fattest girl in the world, weighing 650 pounds, and was 5'7" in height.

Engineer Tom Driscoll was caught in a wreck at Ironwood over a month ago, being badly scalded and crushed so that one leg had to be amputated. Tom departed this life at the hospital in Ironwood Wednesday. He was a single man, age 31 years 11 months and was well known among the railroad men of Kaukauna.


The game of ball will go down in history as a sporting event of 1901, the game that future generations will tell their children about. It was a game about which a book might be written. However, that our best efforts in this report can never do justice to the event for many years has been strong rivalry between the business men of the two sides of the roaring Fox at this point, as to which division is entitled to supremacy among the diamond arena. Like the Greeks and Romans of ancient days who picked the choicest of the young men and train them all their lives for the contest of future years still have the North and South siders as years rolled by put laurels upon the heads of the young businessman. This year 1901, Saturday, June 22, A. D., marked the conflict and since that date the flag of victory has floated over the ramparts of the nation of the North and the South acknowledging ignominious defeat with bowed heads and downcast mien. The battle was terrific while it lasted and although the southsiders fought long and hard they were finally forced to capitulate. With faces besmeared with the dust of battle they raised the white flag and were forced to listen to the yells emitted by the victorious host of the north limb of the Fox. A review of the results revealed the awful score of 15 to 24. 

The Chicago and Northwestern railroad has put two handsome and expensive observation cars in its service through Kaukauna.


The hottest weather of the season arrived in this city Wednesday and Thursday. During the afternoon temperatures registered 98°. 

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