Time Machine Trip to July 1912

July 5, 1912

The Wisconsin fish commission will ask the next Legislature to repeal the law providing for fish ways over dams. Recent experiments showed that of the seventy-six-fish using the fish way on a site sixty-five were suckers.

The proposition to build a new city hall is still being talked about by the common council, and it begins to look as if the aldermen really mean to provide "a new public building which will include rooms for the common council, city clerk, city treasurer, the water works, electric light, police department, etc. It was recommended that the new hall be located between the north and south sides, near the library, thus making the placement of the hall convenient for citizens on both sides of the river.

William Mollen, 13-year-old son of Mr. & Mrs. John Mullen of Little Chute, drowned in the Fox River. The boy was swimming with two other lads at the time.

1912 Motorcycle racer

A large delegation from Kaukauna attended the motorcycle races at the Appleton fairgrounds last Sunday. In the Kaukauna riders’ special, a five-mile race between Joseph Peeters of Little Chute and Otto Hoehne of Kaukauna. Hoehne lead the race up to the finish line when Peeters nosed him out for the win. 

July 12, 1912

An Alabama man by the name of Charles Scott got into an altercation Sunday afternoon with another member of the Hatch Water Circus. Scott pulled a gun with the intentions of sending his fellow worker to heaven in a hurry. The gun misfired after two tries and Scott was apprehended. He was taken into custody and charged with attempted murder, a charge which carries at least a year in jail. Because the gun misfired and the victim was his partner in the circus, he was left off with six days at the workhouse.

July 19, 1912

"Riverview Sanatorium" is now a certainty and the new hospital   for   tuberculosis patients will be located on the Miller farm between Kaukauna and Little Chute on a beautiful site overlooking the Fox River. At a meeting of the special committee on the sanitarium, held at Appleton last Saturday, the deal was closed and the site purchased. The site consists of five acres of land, with a gradual slope toward the river. The site is just south of the urban electric line.

Mayor Coppes turned over $44,000 of the purchase price of the electric light plant to the representatives of the Kaukauna Gas Electric Light and Power company last week. $6,000 was withheld for pending differences with the old electric company and the Green Bay and Mississippi Canal Company.

July 26, 1912

Loss of life as well as property was barely averted early this morning when the double tenement house of Anton Makosky was gutted by fire. The cause is suspected to be an exploded gas stove.

The new garage just opening on Second street to be known as the Kaukauna Motor Sales Co., is composed of a number of south side business men. Thomas McFarland’s experience has extended over several years and various makes of machines. The salesroom will be in the front and the repair shop at the rear.       

Time Machine Trip to July 1957

July 2, 1957

Kaukauna’s Senior softball team brought base hits with them to the Dodge street park on Friday. They defeated the Little Chute “Dutchmen” 11 to 10.

Badger Girls’ State was held on the University of Wisconsin Campus in June and was attended by three area girls, Carol Black, Kaukauna, Margaret Vanderaa, Little Chute and Bonnie Zirbel of Wrightstown were honored as attendees.

Charles Scheer is a little guy but you would never think he is at the 80-year mark. Charlie says he is the last of the Veterans of the Spanish American War in Kaukauna, a war that occurred some 60 years ago. Charlie’s function at the 4^th of July celebration is that of the city’s American Legion Post’s Chaplain. 

July 10, 1957

The Green Bay Packers are embarking on a new era of professional football. The people of this community have built a beautiful new stadium because they have faith in their Packers. The Packer Corporation has arranged to have the three best teams in the National Football League come to Green Bay to play in the new stadium this year. The Chicago Bears, the Detroit Lions and the World Champion, New York Giants will play here this year.

John Esler, a practicing attorney in the city for the past 11 years, was appointed by Mayor Joseph Bayorgeon to cover the unexpired term of the late Harry McAndrews.

July 12, 1957

Herbert G. Weckwerth, 60, manager of the Kaukauna Electric and Water Department for the past 30 years died Wednesday.

Three Kaukauna boys recently returned from a bike trip to northern Wisconsin. Traveling over 200 miles they biked to Pickerel Lake, near Antigo, where they camped. Both Peter Voet, left and Jerry Hennes right are carrier boys for the Kaukauna Times. The other boy David Barribeau was unable to be present when the picture was taken.  

July 19, 1957

Jerome “Bugs” DeBruin and Gary Vanevenhoven were selected this week by their teammates to play with the Legion All-Stars in Oshkosh this Sunday. 

July 24, 1957

3,029,000 pounds of sheepshead were taken from Lake Winnebago in the first six months of 1957 by commercial fisherman according to the DNR. Practically the entire crop is sold to Wisconsin mink ranches.

Kaukauna’s Doug Ludvigson was once again the individual high scorer of the swimming session against Appleton as he nailed down four first places and a second in Junior boys competition.

July 26, 1957

Four members of the Lions Club recently took part in an excursion to Milwaukee to see the Braves play ball. Left to right are Norman Weigman, James I. McFadden, Arthur Mongin Jr., and Martin Janssen.

William Ranquette was this week named to succeed the late Herbert Weckwerth as manager of the Kaukauna Electric and Water Departments. He started work with the utility in 1928 coming to Kaukauna in 1918. 

July 31, 1957

For the second straight year a wage increase has been granted to the 430 employees of the Combined Locks Paper Company. The increase this year amounts to five per cent, is on the heels of s six percent granted last year. The present salary at the Locks mill for male day shift workers is $1.61 and will increase to $1.69.  

Second Street - Kaukauna’s Southside

1957 Chevrolet Corvette

Time Machine Trip to July 1898

July 1, 1898

The Village of Little Chute is rather indignant that they should be designated as a wooden shoe town in the Milwaukee Sentinel. While it is true that wooden shoes were once made in Little Chute there are fewer worn in this town than are worn in Appleton and if the reporter from Appleton should show his face in town again he will have a cold shoulder turned toward him.

July 8, 1898

The Fourth of July was celebrated with great enjoyment as the news of Admiral Samson's victory at Santiago when his fleet destroyed the Spanish fleet without the loss of a single ship.

A gold watch belonging to Miss Carrie Reuter was stolen from the residence of her father John Reiter on the southside, one-day last week, it is having been taken from the dresser in her room. Marshall Conlon was informed of the thief and immediately commenced a hunt. It was asserted that a young man attempted to sell a watch for a small sum in an Appleton saloon, claiming it was his wife's. The bartender examined the watch and upon opening the case found a photo of Miss Reuter within. He once surmised that something was wrong and making excuse step out to summon the police. The thief was taken into custody.

July 22, 1898

The twelfth annual reunion of the 21st Regt. Wis. Volunteers was held in Kaukauna over the past week. More than the two hundred and fifty veterans and their families gathered here for the two days enjoying themselves. The original regiment numbered 960 men; and saw action throughout the South from October 1862 to June 1865. Of the 960 men only 260 returned to Wisconsin at the end of the war.

The Martens and Overbeck company of this city have filed articles of incorporation with the state. The company will open a dry goods store on the south side in the Mill block.

A.A. Nugent, of Kaukauna was in Appleton last week said to a reporter of the Post that he thought Kaukauna people generally were in favor of the interurban road to that city.

A party of gamblers from Oshkosh entered the city early Wednesday morning expecting to do a “land office business” among the old boys, but they were quickly corralled by the police force under orders from Mayor Raught and ordered out of town with their paraphernalia on the first train.

July 29, 1898

Merchants should bear in mind that the streets of a city can be made to look neater if the sidewalks in front of their establishments are occasionally swept off.

Bathing in the waters within the city limits is prohibited by ordinance between the hours of 5 AM and 9 PM unless the bathers are cladded in swimming clothes of some description.

Time Machine Trip to July 1907

July 5, 1907

Despite the fact that Pabst Brewing Company has for many years sold thousands of dollars’ worth of their product annually in this city, one saloon alone having paid them over $10,000 in the last eight years, they have this year refused to pay the required license of $200 to maintain a warehouse and wholesale their amber fluid in this city. If this big brewing concern, does not see fit to pay into the city's exchequer the customary license to dispose of their beer here than there is no reason why the residents should not consider that they have withdrawn from Kaukauna and try to acquire a taste for some other brand.

 Messrs. Will and Earl Nugent went to Chicago Tuesday to arrange for the apparatus and moving picture privileges with which to open up a new five and ten cent theatre in the building on Lawe street which they have occupied as a billiard hall and will convert the room into a theatre. The Nugent Bros. are both good musicians and will undoubtedly put on a good entertainment.

A horse belonging to Mr. Stone of the firm of Golden & Stone was badly frightened while hitched in front of his company store on Wisconsin avenue Monday evening by firecrackers thrown under his feet by small boys. After the boys repeated this performance the horse finally broke its halter and ran up the street colliding with a farmer’s buggy causing damages.

July 12, 1907

Some unknown party cut the rope of an arc light on Wisconsin Avenue about 11 o'clock Monday evening which permitted the lamp to fall to the street. The motorman of an Appleton car was the first to discover the lamp and reported to a policeman who in turn notified Supt. W. B. Montgomery of the electric plant. Mr. Montgomery immediately turned off the electricity and sent a man to make necessary repair. The severing of the rope caused the wires to drop to the ground and had anyone came in contact with them it would have meant instant death as they were carrying 3,800 volts.

  

Summer Frocks for young girls

July 19, 1907

Alderman Hoehne has just made an important addition to his machine shop by the purchase of a large size Fifield engine lathe, twenty feet in length and which will swing work 37 1/2 inches in diameter. This new lathe is to enable him to handle with facility the largest paper mill work. This fine piece of machinery weighs 10,000 pounds and Mr. Hoehne has anchored it on solid cement piers resting on bed rock, so there is not the least trace of a jar in turning the heaviest work.

July 26, 1907

Navigation was blockaded for several hours by a car loaded with 54,000 pounds of pulp that was backed into the government canal at the second lock while the drawbridge was open. The Marston, loaded with coal, was entering the lock on its way up river at the time and narrowly escaped being crushed when the car went over. An empty coal car was pushed on top of the car of pulp which stood on end. Fortunately, no one was injured. Not-withstanding the immense weight to which it was subjected the end of the car remained intact so that little damage resulted to the contents.

Time Machine Trip to July 1889

4^th of July Parade down the Lawe Street Bridge

July 5, 1889  

There were a great many surprised acquaintances in Kaukauna Monday when the news was imparted to them that Clerk of the Court F. C, Friedrichs had absconded, taking with him about $4,500 that was in the treasury of that office. No one seemed to believe the statement, as he had always seemed to be a strictly honest and upright man. But gambling has at last done its work for him, and today he is a fugitive of justice.

July 12, 1889

Ninety-eight degrees above Monday.  It is more or less dangerous to wear an inferior grade of spectacles during these hot days—they may melt and do harm! If you cannot get real good ones you had better take the glasses out and simply decorate the nose with the frame.

The usual number from here attended the Kermis held at Little Chute last Thursday and Friday.

A party of a dozen masked men “white caps” visited the house of Albert Belz Sunday night in Appleton and endeavored to punish him for beating and non-support of his family. They had a rope and tried to put it over his head but he fought desperately. During the struggle, he pulled a knife a slashed the nearest man. The men left with the wounded man. It was thought that the men only intended to punish and not hang Belz.

Kimberly Clark company is about to erect a 40-room hotel at Kimberly, furnishing in fine style with all the latest improvements.

John L. Sullivan still holds the championship belt having defeated Jack Kilrain last Monday. It took seventy-five rounds to settle the contest.

John Brill has a 2-years-old colt weighing 1465 pounds. Can you beat that?

July 19, 1889

At the Holland Catholic Church, just as the pastor, Rev. F. Bongors, was taking up a collection prior to the benediction, an ominous sound was heard indicating that some part of the church edifice was breaking. Terror seized those in the gallery as well as those in the audience below. For a moment, the entire congregation was panic stricken, those in the gallery plunged pell-mell downstairs and some downstairs tried to make an exit through the windows. Bishop Katzer and the priests present however reassured the people that there was no immediate danger and the congregation resumed their seats until the benediction was given.

Once again, the waters of the Fox River clasped a victim in fatal embrace. When the 10:10 train on the Lake Shore road arrived here last evening, Mrs. Francis Tenbush of the south side was among the passengers who stepped there from. Little did she realize at the time that her career upon this earth was about to be cut short but such proved to be the case. Upon leaving the depot platform she got turned in the wrong direction. Thinking she was at the end of the train she walked off into the Kaukauna Water Power canal.  Her cries for help soon brought many to the canal but the darkness and rain at the time prevented them from seeing her. Her body was recovered twenty minutes later from the flame of the Badger Paper mill at the end of the canal. The jury summoned consisting of six men rendered a verdict of accidental drowning.  She was 63 years old and had just recently come here to visit. Her husband is in that country.    

July 26, 1889

The Kaukauna paper mill has shut down and for several months the water of the Fox will not pass through the wheels of that institution. A coffer-dam is now being built in front of the flume so as to shut off the water entirely.   The machinery throughout the mill will be overhauled and much of it replaced with the latest improved apparatus.

Manager Babcock is arranging a northern tour for the baseball club. If successful games will be booked at Hurley, Ironwood, Bessemer, Ashland and other towns that support good teams.

The Union Cornet Band will give its second excursion to Green Bay next Sunday on the steamer Hutchinson. The proceeds will go toward the purchase of the new uniforms. The usual price of 50c for the round trip will be charged.

A London dispatch of the 16^th says that the community has been greatly startled by another horrible murder thought to be committed by the butcher of fallen women, known as “Jack the Ripper.”  The body of a woman mutilated in a frightful manner was found to-day in Castle alley in the Whitechapel district. Police have used every means to apprehend the murderer, no trace of him has yet been found.

 

Nelson C. Dewey, Wisconsin’s first Governor has died yesterday morning. He has suffered a stroke in March and his death was expected. He came to the territory of Wisconsin from New York in 1836.   

Kansas City, Mo., on the 22d, 600 to 800 carpenters struck for a nine-hour working day, instead of the ten and eleven-hour day. The strike was not ordered by any labor organization.

Time Machine Trip to July 1967

July 4, 1967

Airman James C. Van Grinsven, Little Chute has been selected for technical training at Chanute AFB, Ill., as an Air Force vehicle maintenance specialist.

KK Sports Arena was the scene of the finest in Drag Racing Sunday as drivers from around the nation were on hand to vie for the honors on the ¼ mile track. 5,500 Fans turned out despite the threatening weather to see the famous “Batmobile.”

Tom Miller, of Fillmore Street, has been named the winner of the Joseph McCarthy Boy Scout Award of 1967. He will receive a week at Gardner Dam with his camping fee paid.

Construction on the 11-acre shopping center site at Sunset park in Kimberly will get underway within the next few days according to Hal Lindell operator of Hal’s Red Owl Kaukauna. St. Aubin Construction of Little Chute has been awarded the contract for general construction.

A building permit has been issued to convert the old Rialto Theater building on Lawe Street into a body repair shop for Gustman Chevrolet at the estimated cost of $20,000.

July 7, 1967

Specialist Four Roger Kerkhoff was the recipient of the citation for meritorious service while stationed in Viet Nam. He has been a paratrooper with the 173^rd Airborne at Viet Nam for the past year.

Willie Davis - All-Pro defensive end has signed his contract for the 1967 season. Head Coach and General Manager Vince Lombardi of the Green Bay Packers announced today that this will be  his tenth season in the NFL for the All-Pro end who came to the Packers in 1960.

July 22, 1967

While protesters and “hippies” gain headlines, many quiet young Americans are making contributions throughout the nation with little fanfare in programs such as Vista. One of these young Americans is Joan Hartjes, 19-year-old of Riverside Drive, who has spent the past nine months working as a Vista volunteer in central Los Angles. She just returned to Los Angles after spending a week with her family.

July 14, 1967

Victor Haen, an eight-year veteran of the Kaukauna Board of Education was elected president of the board to replace Dr. George Behnke who did not run for re-election this year.

July 21, 1967

Kaukauna has recently had the distinction of being the birthplace of a very rare bird, a pure albino robin. The robin was born in a tree behind the home of the Neil Biersteker family on Klein Street. The Biersteker children first saw the rare bird last Wednesday morning. The bird is staying close to its mother as it is still unable to fly. 

Major Burton Bice, the Kaukauna Army officer who was awarded a bronze star for service in Viet Nam is visiting with his family on Main Street in the city before leaving for his next assignment.

Two men from Kaukauna have enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. Thomas Schell has left for boot camp at San Diego, California. Robert Patschke will leave for San Diego on August 22.

July 26, 1967

William Mitchler came through in a sudden death playoff with Leo Bronkalla to win the annual President’s Cup golf tournament at the Fox Valley Links Saturday. He took the crown held by Paul “Tarz” Hietpas of Little Chute since last year.

De De’s Diplomats won the Wisconsin Spectacle of Music Championship Trophy and the Kenosha Round-up Championship Trophy. Entering their first contest for the year, the nine-member team won two of the highest honors in the State of Wisconsin.

July 28, 1967

A hole-in-one, the first ever made on the new Countryside Golf club was scored by Edward Hartjes of Combined Locks Tuesday. He made the ace as he fired a four wood against the wind on the 165-yard No. 4 hole.

  

 1967 Chevrolet Impala

Time Machine Trip to July 1888

Hello Fellow Time Travelers,

Well it’s time to fire up the old “Time Machine Chair” and travel back in time to July of 1888.

For today’s trip Karen Nelsen, will be sitting in the front seat operating the Time Machine. The big wheel is spinning and the years are clicking back in no time, we are back on Wisconsin Avenue on Kaukauna’s Northside.

Charles Raught, Times owner and editor, has left the newspapers on the chair out front.

Your old newsman - Lyle 

July 6, 1888

The Republican National convention nominated Gen. Benjamin Harrison, of Indiana, for president.

The rain Tuesday came just when needed the most. Vegetation was beginning to show the effect of dry weather.  The rain will be of incalculable value to the farmer. It will doubtless be the savior of some property, as everything was so dry that firecrackers in the hands of small boys, had the conditions been unchanged, would have proven dangerous.

The Oshkosh baseball nine got here yesterday morning. They brought along a mascot named “Chris”. They came to play and came to win. The Kaukauna players said “Sorry to the mascot, but Kaukauna wins today.

   

A lady customer came into a store Friday and insisted that she always traded with the proprietor and not with mere clerks. “But the proprietor is not in,” she was told by the clerk. “Oh well,” was the reply. “I’ll sit right down here and wait for him” After sitting for a half hour she grew impatient, “When will he be back?” “In about four weeks’ madam. He’s on a business trip to Montana.”  She then traded with the clerks

  

July 13, 1888

Carl Leigh while crossing the gates of the first lock this morning fell into the canal and narrowly escaped from being drowned. Not being able to swim he immediately sank and had not assistance been near at hand would have perished. John Renter, Peter Reuter, and Nick Wirtz fortunately happened to be near and hearing his cry for help rushed to the rescue and caught the drowning man as he was sinking the second time. When taken from the water he was completely exhausted.

There is not an idle man in Kaukauna who is not idle from choice, and the demand increases for laborers of all classes.

A young lady named Take seems to open a great many letters belonging to other people. She is perfectly honest about it, however, and writes on the envelopes: Opened by Miss Take.

July 20, 1888

Oliver Davis, an employee of the Badger Paper mill was injured quite severely by being caught in a belt while trying to put the same on a pulley that was in motion. He was carried once around the shaft but fortunately escaped without serious injuries. His bruises are of a nature that will confine him to the house for a short time.

Seventy-five more laborers were added on Monday to the list of men employed at the improvement near the combined locks. Liberal wages are paid and they labor with a good will and the work is moving along rapidly.

Eight hundred coal miners are entombed at the Kimberly mine in Africa on the 11th. It is believed that five hundred died in the fire. Many of the victims imprisoned in the mine are white people. The work to rescue began at once and continues today. 

Friends in this city have received a cablegram from Oscar Thilmany who just arrived in Europe stating that his son Walter died during the voyage across the Atlantic of diphtheria.

The Oshkosh Times gives the following account of the game played in that city on Wednesday. The Kaukauna Club brought about one hundred followers to see them mop the earth with a local nine. But seven innings were played and the visitors gave an excuse that they desired to catch a certain train. The real reason was that they were tired of trotting around the bases.  Kaukauna won 10 to 4.

July 27, 1888

Street Commissioner Hyland has been doing some good work on the upper end of Wisconsin Avenue. This road is being gradually graded up from the sides and sewer pipes placed under the road crossings leading from the avenue. When dirt that has been thrown in the center of the road gets leveled down, it will present a better appearance than formerly.

Hundreds of people visited our city on Sunday last. They came on excursions from various places. One of the excursion boats came from Sheboygan, another came from Green Bay setting in at Eden Park along with several smaller boats from up and down the river stopped here. Trains brought in 800 visitors many to witness the Oconto Kaukauna ball game.

A boy’s curiosity, “to see if it would burn” on the 16^th, set the Chicago River on fire. It occurred near the stockyard where the river has long since ceased to be water and is really nothing but grease and animal fats which have found there way from the slaughter houses. A lighted match soon has the river blazing for several blocks. Damage has resulted to several docks at a loss of $500.