Time Machine Trip to October 1908

By Lyle Hansen

October 2, 1908

Kaukauna was visited by a heavy downpour of rain Sunday night that extinguished the forest fires in this vicinity and cleared the atmosphere generally. The rain started in Sunday morning and continued at intervals throughout the day, but scarcely enough fell to lay the dust. Late Sunday night, however, the wind shifted, whereupon the earth was given a drenching. Had not relief come as it did the chances are that the city would have suffered considerable damage by fire.

A large fire in Fond du Lac was reported.  The city lost three churches and a parsonage.  Also lost were a garage with 7 automobiles, a public school and several homes. Total loss estimates to be $250,000.00.

October 9, 1908

Luther Lindauer, center, is walking tall now days. His horses Dick White and May Kennedy have won their races in Springfield Ill. They are now on the way to Lexington, Ky. for their next race.

That John Hoolihan narrowly escaped death at the steam plant of Thilmany mills a few days ago is not doubted by anyone who witnessed the accident. The blow off connection under boiler No. 1, with a heavy head of steam forcing it, gave way suddenly and the contents of boiling water and steam came gushing out into the boiler room. Mr. Hoolihan has just passed in front of the opening and stood only a few inches at one side when the explosion occurred.  With presence of mind he jumped to open the water supply pipe to lessen the force of the hot water and steam and was knocked down. He was sent to the floor twice before he accomplished the act. His hands and arms were slightly scalded in several places.

October 16, 1908

There promises to be more activity in the woods this coming winter than several seasons. The forest fires have destroyed a large number of trees, and others have only been burned out on the outside, and these lumbermen propose to save as far as possible, and they are now busy in rebuilding the camps that were burned. A large number of men are now preparing to go to the woods for the winter, who have been idle all summer. The wages paid will be good, and prosperity will once again reign among the woodsmen.

The city has agreed to a five-year contract with the Kaukauna Gas, Electric Light and Power Company for street lighting.  The agreement includes that the lights must remain on all night and every night.  The dark streets will now be a thing of the past.

October 23, 1908

Julius Kuehn, mayor of the city of Kaukauna, and Democratic candidate for sheriff of Outagamie County, died suddenly and without the slightest warning, on an interurban car Sunday afternoon while in route to Appleton. Owing to the death of Mayor Kuehn, Julius J. Martens will fill the position until a special election is held. 

The Chicago Cubs won their division by one game this year and then went on to beat the Detroit Tigers 4 games to 1 in the 1908 Worlds Series. This is the second year in a row that the Cubs beat the Tigers in the series.

October 30, 1908

Kaukauna is threatened with an ice famine. The ice houses of the North-Western Railway company are empty and that of the city dealers is nearly so. Two or three weeks more will exhaust the supply. For several days the railway people were depending on the local dealers who finally had to cancel their order, in order to supply their regular customers. The shortage is due to the long hot summer.