Time Machine Trip to March 1944

 

 

Kaukauna Times – March 1944

By Lyle Hansen

March 1, 1944

A fire of undetermined origin completely destroyed the main building of the Sangamon Paper mills, Thilmany Road, at 4:00 Tuesday morning, with the total loss estimated at close to $300,000 by T. J. Russell, superintendent. The fire started in the basement of the three-story structure and spread rapidly throughout the building, which was completely gutted by flames, and was one of Kaukauna's largest fires ever. The building which was destroyed by fire was built in 1887-1888 by Patten and Priest and was known as the Outagamie Mill on property purchased from the Chicago and Northwestern railroad.

 

10-point ration, stamps and red and blue tokens as change become valid throughout the nation on Sunday. The stamps to be used under the new plan are all in ration book number four blue preprocessed food and red for meats and fats each. Each stamp has a 10-point value regardless of the figure on the face.

 

Not since the days of the Civil War have Wisconsin soldiers in active service voted in a presidential election. In November 1864 Wisconsin men in the Union armies voted in the race for president between Abraham Lincoln and his Democratic opponent Gen. George McClellan.

 

March 3, 1944

 

Leo J Milo, cashier of the Bank of Kaukauna was elected president of the Kaukauna Advancement Association at the annual meeting of the Board of Directors held at the Hotel Kaukauna dining room Tuesday evening. Plans were made to hold the 1944 membership campaign early in the year.

 

J. F. Magnus, County agricultural agent proposed that the County detention camp be used to house war prisoners or Jamaicans to help solve the farm labor problems in the country at a joint meeting of the County Park commission held this week at the workhouse.

 

The Boy Scouts of three Kaukauna troops will conduct a citywide scrap collection Saturday. Under a new policy scrap collections are conducted every second Saturday because the city is pretty well cleaned up of available scrap metal to make weekly collections worthwhile.

 

March 8, 1944

Homer White, chairman of the Kaukauna branch ration board, urges residents of Kaukauna and vicinity to apply for ration books for newborn babies shortly after the baby is born. Beginning May 1, another ration stamp will be made, good for one pair of baby shoes, according to word received from the office of price administration.

 

Over 100 young men 17 years of age will be enlisted this month by the Marine Corps from Wisconsin in upper Michigan. A man enlisted at 17 can choose the Marine Corps. If he waits until he is 18, he does not have full freedom of choice but comes under selective service. To enter the Marine Corps a 17-year-old must have normal good health with good eyes and teeth and must be 63 inches tall and weigh at least 125 pounds. He must have his parents’ permission and no police or juvenile record.

 

Two Marines, one from Kaukauna and one from Little Chute, joined the corps together, went through several actions in the South Pacific, got the furloughs together and are spending most of their free days together. They are Corporal Warren Alger of Eighth Street, and Corporal Leo “Leaky” Lamers Little Chute.

 

March 10, 1944

The fact that city Electric and Water Departments will receive $10,000 insurance from the Sangamon paper mill fire, providing the mill is not rebuilt as a paper manufacturing plant, was brought up at the March meeting of the common Council Tuesday evening by city attorney Harold McAndrews. Mr. McAndrews explained that when the city sold the plant to the Sangamon interest there was an agreement drawn up that the mill must be used as a paper manufacturing plant for at least five years and that in the event the mill was destroyed by fire electric and water departments hold the insurance policy for $10,000.

 

Discharged from military service about 40 servicemen have returned to the University of Wisconsin to continue their education.

Phil Zwick is still receiving offers to appear in the ring the latest coming from St. Louis offering him a match against the colored boy, Charlie Riley. While the Kaukauna Klubber is waiting further, word from St. Louis and he is continuously receiving correspondence from fight promoters in Africa, England, and Australia where he took part in many bouts.

 

March 15, 1944

Mr. and Mrs. Dan Pendergast received word from the War Department that their son Pfc. Cyril Pendergast had been killed in action on February 11 in Italy. Pfc. Pendergast was given the Purple Heart award last November after he suffered a hand wound. He had been in the Army almost a year entering March 31, 1943. He attended Holy Cross School and graduated Kaukauna high school in 1942.

 

March 17, 1944

Charles Hilgenberg was elected commander of Electric City post No. 3319, Veterans of Foreign Wars at a meeting Tuesday evening. Other officers elected were Ed Matchett, Edward Ward, Charles Clune, George Egan, Charles Scheer, Hugo Lemke, Frank Mitchler, Max Streich and M. J. Verfurth.

 

 

The 1944 sturgeon spearing season from February 1 to 29 was the most successful in several years. Estimates indicate that nearly 1,000 sturgeon were taken, the largest being 116 pounds.

 

Under the 1943 revenue act which was passed February 25 this year higher postage rates and fees for money orders become effective March 26 postmaster McCarthy announced. First-class postage has been increased from 2c to 3c per ounce air mail and continental United States has been increased from 6c to 8c per ounce.

 

March 22, 1944

Word had been received that Corporal Ralph Doering, who is stationed in Italy, was injured in action. A piece of shell fragment having passed through just below the left elbow. He writes that he is in a hospital recovering just fine.

 

 

The public is invited to attend an open house in the new and remodeled quarters of the Kaukauna Vocational School and adult education room from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. The vocational school is located in the former NYA building next to the high school.

 

Mr. and Mrs. Walter Wildenberg Little Chute have four sons serving in the Armed Forces and a fifth son Mervin has enlisted in the air Corps sworn in February 24 and will begin his training after graduation of St. John’s high school this spring.

Pfc. Arthur in Italy

Sgt. Martin in Southwest Pacific

Pfc. Peter at Fort Jackson South Carolina

Pfc.Owen at Van Nuys California

Pvt. Mervin in the Army Air Corps.

 

The directors of the Kaukauna Vocational school are Lieut. William T Sullivan, director, A.M. Schmalz, president, and Carl G Bertran, acting director.

 

Sophomores led the honor roll high school during the first six-week period of the second semester of the total of nine students on the special merit list and 11 on the honor roll Senior Mary Lou Haas and Junior Betty Kieffer led the school with averages of 96. There are five students with an average of 95 and five with an average of 94.

 

March 24, 1944

Miss Mary Oettinger has been named valedictorian of the senior class of 1944 with an average of 95.238 during her 4 years in high school. Principal Olin G. Dryer announced yesterday afternoon. Allan Johnson was declared salutatorian, his average being 93.724.

 

Students at Kaukauna high school are busy taking tests.

 

Sgt. Leland Golden 23 of Kaukauna has flown 50 bombing missions in the North Africa theater of operation as radio operator and gunner on the B-17 flying Fortress. He is a graduate of Kaukauna high school and attended electronic engineering college in Appleton. His excellent combat record has earned him the Air Medal with nine Oak leaf clusters.

Returns in the Kaukauna 1944 Red Cross drive which today totals $2,800 is considered exceptionally low and indicates that the residents of this city are not doing their just share for the boys in service by assisting in raising Kaukauna’s quota to $6,000 according to George R Greenwood director of Red Cross war fund campaign.

Richard “Darkie” Ristau led this season’s Kaukauna high school cagers in scoring with 100 points and 13 regular games Gerald Derus followed with 78 points and Fred Nack was third with 73 points.

March 29, 1944

Mr. and Mrs. Martin Holmes Lawe street received a telegram from the war department Tuesday informing them of the death of their son, Burton H. Holmes, 24, as result of an auto accident in India.