Time Machine Trip to January 1903 & 1913

Kaukauna Times - January 1903 & 1913

By Lyle Hansen 

January 1903

January 2, 1903

A $10,000 Public Library building for the city of Kaukauna is now in sight. The correspondence which Dr. H. B. Tanner has had with Mr. Andrew Carnegie has proved fruitful, and this wealthy philanthropist has promised to donate the $10,000 for the purpose of erecting a library building if the city will furnish the site and guarantee to raise $1,000 a year for the maintenance of the. institution. Dr. Tanner laid the matter before Mr. Carnegie some time ago and recently received a letter from Mr. Carnegie explaining the deal.

January 9, 1903

The Gloudeman Bros. at Little Shute have established a banking business on a small scale for the accommodation of the businessmen of that village. They have arranged with a Chicago banking house to issue drafts and will now cash all checks that are presented.

 

January 16, 1903

If Kaukauna possessed a vigilance committee whose duty it was to properly punish husbands for abandoning their wives and not properly providing for their families, there would be several cases at hand where a good coat of tar and feathers would be highly appropriate.

 

The racing Wednesday on the ice near the fifth lock afforded a very enjoyable afternoon of amusement for several hundred spectators. The weather was ideal, the course in good condition and most of the horses in fine form. The one-half mile course was sufficiently wide to allow half a dozen horsed to trot abreast. 

 

January 23, 1903

The freshmen and co-eds of Lawrence University indulged in a sleigh ride to Kaukauna but did not succeed in getting out of Appleton without a battle with the sophomores, who made a vigorous   attack with snowballs and other missiles, and a little fistic indulgence on the side. After the police succeeded in breaking up the fight the freshmen came on to this city and proceeded to make welkin ring here for a short time.

 

January 30, 1903

Last Monday afternoon the mill employees of the Kimberly & Clark Company agreed to return to the long hour schedule of seventy-two hours a week and Saturday night work. This means that the employees have failed in their fight for shorter hours, and the old system of hours will prevail throughout the Fox River Valley.

 

 

January 1913

January 3, 1913

John Luebben, proprietor of a blacksmith shop on West College Avenue, while in the act of shoeing a horse, had his right leg broken by the animal. The Crescent reported that the horse was brought to Appleton because it was considered too dangerous by Kaukauna blacksmiths. The fact of the matter is that the animal was rented for several days and the party found it necessary to have the animal shoed while in the city. Kaukauna blacksmiths have a reputation second to none in the state and can shoe anything from a racehorse to a bucking bronco.

The finest map of Wisconsin ever issued has been received from the engravers. It shows all the roads in the state, and in addition, the main traveled roads between cities are indicated by heavy red lines. This map will be of great use to anyone who has occasion to drive in any part of the state with which he is not acquainted.

January 10, 1913

Nicholas Faust, president of the Fox River Health and Accident company, was quite seriously injured Friday when he slipped from a moving train while it was engaged in coupling cars. He received a bad blow to the side of his head and the doctor is engaged in an effort to ward off pneumonia. When he came to, he was lying on the platform and was chilled through and benumbed from the cold and so with great difficulty he reached home.

January 17, 1913

One of Kaukauna’s most active industries was nearly swept out of existence Sunday when the Kaukauna Lumber and Manufacturing Company’s plant on the Island burned, completely destroying their fine machinery outfit, saw and planning mill and their thoroughly complete cabinet making departments and drafting rooms. The fire broke out about 12:40 Sunday morning and seemed to have started around the new wood working machine on the upper floor. The Messrs. Jansen are unable to say what their plans for the future will be.

January 24, 1913

Kaukauna grieves the loss of two of its honored citizens with the deaths of John D. Burke of the southside who lived at the corner of Eighth Street and Kenneth Avenue, and Fred Ott of the north side; both men having been blind for a number of years.

January 31, 1913

The magnificent new home which has just been completed by the Appleton Lodge B.P.O. Elks was dedicated Monday evening and formally opened for use at that time.