Time Machine Trip to April 1941

Kaukauna Times April 1941

By Lyle Hansen

April 2, 1941

A total of 87 Kaukauna residents are presently actively participating in the national defense program in the service of Uncle Sam in the armed services.  

George R. Greenwood was elected a member of the board of education in Tuesday’s election.

 

A chimney fire at the Joseph Munes Service Station on the corner of Crookes Avenue and Third Street occurred Saturday night. The Kaukauna fire department responded, and no damage resulted.

 

April 4, 1941 

Twenty-four people who were enrolled in the training program of the Kaukauna Vocational School were placed in private employment during the month of March.

 

The board of health approved providing swimming quarters in the quarry for this summer.

April 11, 1941

Myron Spry was elected commander of Electric City post No. 339, Veterans of Foreign Wars, at a meeting Wednesday evening. He succeeds Edward Bush.

April 18, 1941

Phil Zwick, Kaukauna idol displayed Tuesday night just why he is going to get a shot at the world’s featherweight title, held by Pete Scalzo, when he scored a quick two-round knockout decision over Jimmy Maddox before a crowd of 1200 at the Kaukauna gymnasium. Phil had Maddox on the floor three times in the first round and two minutes in the second had Maddox out.  

April 23, 1941

The fourteenth annual Times’ electric cooking school goes down in history as one of the most successful ever. More than 3000 housewives attended the sessions of the school. The major award, an RC-4 model Hotpoint electric range was won by Mrs. Lynn Parker West Fourth Street Kaukauna.

April 25, 1941

An expansion program which will involve an expenditure of approximately $75,000 will be launched this week by the Thilmany Pulp and Paper company, C. R. Seaborne of Thilmany announced this week.

Captain Don Keil, a senior at Kaukauna High School has wound up one of the most successful high school careers in the history of the school. Don has lost only two bouts in four years of competition. He will be greatly missed on the squad.

 

April 30, 1941

Joseph Lingle, Kaukauna, was one of 150 flying cadets, who Friday received a diploma and the coveted silver wings of the United States army air corps at Maxwell field, Alabama.

When you wish to contact the Kaukauna Times call 211 or 212. These are our two new telephone numbers since we have installed a new system in our office. This will practically eliminate the “line busy” answers when you call.

 

Time Machine Trip to April 1931

 

Kaukauna Times - April 1931

By Lyle Hansen

April 3, 1931

Marty Lamers, one of the Fox river valley’s most popular baseball players and managers, for many years a mainstay of Little Chute and Kimberly squads, will manage the Kaukauna entrants in the 1931 Fox River Valley League race. Les Smith, last year Kaukauna pilot had signified his intentions to retire from the managerial duties.

April 7, 1931

Crews of the C. R. Meyer & Sons Company, in charge of work on the Lawe Street Bridge, have been busily engaged in preparing the yards and razing the old iron bridge. Up to yesterday evening one crew, at work dismantling the old bridge had finished ripping up most of the sidewalk on the draw, and the iron railings had been taken off that portion of the bridge.

April 10, 1931

Combined Locks - Malachi Ryan was re-elected village president and member of the county board of supervisors in Tuesday’s election without opposition.

Little Chute – Anton “Casey” Jansen was reelected president of the village of Little Chute at the Tuesday election, winning by 89 votes over Anton A. Hietpas.

Senator William Borah of Idaho has refused to except an increase of $2,500 a year as senator because “he had been elected to a $7,500 job.” Altogether he turned back $15,000 to the United States treasury.

April 17, 1931

Improvements being made in the Lawe park in front of the John D. Lawe residence between Lawe and Catherine streets. The old apple orchard planted in 1860 by George W. Lawe, father of John Lawe, is being removed. In their place will be planted some fine shade trees.  

April 21, 1931

A goodly number of men out of work are expected to register on the list compiled this week by the representative of the state employment committee who will be at the municipal building. The jobs to be for the construction of Highway 10 near Forest Junction with funds from the increase of tax on gasoline.

April 24, 1931

General construction work on the new concrete dam in the Fox River above the Lawe Street Bridge is expected to start between May 1 and May 5, according to word received today from the office of the United States district engineer in Appleton. Preliminary work is now being done on the project.

A press report taken from the Tacoma Washington paper sent to Kaukauna states: St. Mary’s college has a human skyscraper in the person of Richard “String” Landreman of Kaukauna Wisconsin. The 6 feet, 8-inch football player makes him the tallest young man whoever juggled a pigskin in this section. He will be playing the center position this season in basketball of St. Mary’s.

April 28, 1931

Petitions protesting the removal of the horse trough on the NE corner of Crooks Avenue and Third street were presented to the city council last Tuesday and the question was referred to the board of public works for study. The following morning city workmen began removing the water trough over the protests of citizens.

A derailed rail car, crashed in the yards of the Kaukauna Lumber and Manufacturing company on the Island Saturday afternoon burying Robert Schubring of this city, an employee of the lumber company beneath the debris of the crushed wall and demolished chimney and caused severe injuries. A locomotive, pushing three box cars came into the limber company. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Time Machine Trip to April 1921

 

Kaukauna Times April 1921

By Lyle Hansen

April 7, 1921

The north and south sides united last Tuesday and passed the bond issue for a new high school by a margin of 503 for and 401 against. The women of Kaukauna were credited with the passage of the bonding issue.

The community was startled last Saturday morning to learn that the northside depot had been broken into in the early morning hours and the U. S. mail sacks robbed of valuable contents. Part of the loss is $2,600 of Thilmany bonds.  It is time to have a more secure location for the mail to be left at the station.

April 14, 1921

The girls’ 1920-21 basketball team of Kaukauna High School: Top row left to right - Mildred Kern, Helen Guilfoyle, Miss Boettcher, Odanah Hahnemann and Martha Van Abel. Bottom row - Lorraine Thelen, Ada Grebe, and Olive Jacobson.

“Friday, March 11, the girls’ basketball season ended and although we have not turned out a championship team, nevertheless we feel well paid for the time and energy we put into it. The season opened with a big carnival at the auditorium. It turned out a great success and netted the girls enough money to purchases their beautiful sweaters which were the envy of all the other teams. This year we played eleven games the scheduling we owe to our able manager, Lorraine Thelen.” 

Otto A. Look has sold his drug store at the northeast corner of Second and Main Avenue to the First National Bank and intends to move into a building on the northwest corner of Third Street and Main Avenue.

Since the beginning of the spring term the enrollment of St. Mary’s kindergarten has increased to a total of 90 pupils. If you wish to witness one bright spot in Kaukauna visit St. Mary’s kindergarten.

Riverbank needs clean-up. Now that navigation has opened and the steady stream of automobiles and pedestrians will soon begin the summer travel, it is certainly high time that something was done to make the riverbank "a thing of beauty and a joy forever."

April 21, 1921

One of the oldest oaks of the Fox River Valley has fallen. Alexander Grignon is dead at the age of 87 years. He was born in Green Bay, August 24, 1834, and came to this section when the present site of the city of Kaukauna was a vast wilderness. His mind was a storehouse of valuable information of the Fox River Valley. He saw the steamboat replace the birch bark canoe, and steam and electricity come into existence; along with the automobile, taking the place of the old stagecoach.

April 28, 1921

Walter Look arrived home Sunday, from Madison, where he is a senior in State University School of Journalism. He was sixteen hours on the road owing to the blizzard.

There seems to be a general European propaganda in this country to induce our people to accept most of the burdens which the people of Europe brought upon themselves as result of their fights over property and the senseless national hatred which the age-long struggle had developed. We have not the slightest responsibility for any of the misery which they have brought upon themselves. Acts of charity by this country and not the fulfillment of any obligation, except that of humanitarian feeling which impels to the relief of misery regardless of its cause.  – San Francisco Argonaut.

 

 

 

 

Time Machine Trip to April 1911

 

Kaukauna Times April 1911

By Lyle Hansen

April 7, 1911

Otto Ringling, one of the Ringling Bros. of circus fame, died Friday last at the home of his brother John in New York. He was 51 years of age. The funeral was held at Baraboo Sunday, this being the home of the Ringling’s, who have always maintained their winter quarters there.

Appleton - Appleton High School basketball team won undisputed title to the championship of Wisconsin when they defeated the La Crosse team in the final game of the seventh annual tournament held under the auspices of the Lawrence College Athletic Association. The champions were presented with a sheepskin championship banner of blue and white, the Lawrence colors, while the individual members were given watch fobs of solid gold basketballs. Silver medals were awarded to the members of the La Crosse team for 2nd place while bronze medals were given to Janesville third place.

 

Carl Morris

Sapulpa, Okla. – Before one of the largest crowds, probably 10,000 people, ever gathered to see a boxing contest. Carl Morris of Sapulpa, Okla., knocked out Mike Schreck of Cincinnati, Ohio in the sixth round after giving Schreck one of the hardest beatings he ever received in the sixth-round battle.

Peter A. Gloudeman was elected President of the Village of Little Chute in Tuesday’s Election.

 

April 14, 1911

Littleton, Ala., - 128 miners were believed to have met death in an explosion at the Banner coal mines. Due to the massive destruction of the ventilating system all hope for the men remaining in the mine was given up.  It is believed the explosion was caused by powder ignited by a lamp.  There were 170 man in all only five were free laborers 165 were convicts, sent up from the surrounding counties to serve sentences.  

 

The Kaukauna Gun Club members made the highest average score Sunday at their shoot of any time in their existence. Not one of them was below 18 out of 25. Walter Cooper, Gus Hilgenberg, and Frank Hilgenberg were high with 23 each. Frank Hilgenberg was also high gun for the day with 44 out of 50. Others who took part were Peter Eimmerman, Joseph Jansen, J. Simon, John Essler and H. Lee.

Telephone managers say they lose more operators during May and June than any other months of the year. This loss is due to the young ladies leaving to get married. District manager French, of Milwaukee, also says that telephone girls make the best wives.

 

John Kinney of the south side was severely injured Tuesday afternoon while at work in the railroad shops. Mr. Kinney was standing 20 feet away from a trip hammer, which was being used to cut a piece of steel when the accident occurred. The hammer was let down rapidly and it cut a piece of steel which flew and embedded in his thigh. Mr. Kinney was taken at once to his home. The injury is a serious one and will disable Mr. Kenny for a considerable time.    

Three ten-year old Kaukauna boys found a small cartridge in an alley Tuesday on Dixon St. While one boy drove a nail into it with a stone, the other two stood back. When the cartridge exploded, Louis Hahnemann received a piece of cartridge in the eye, Irving Behler received a cut on his arm, and Michael Brewster received cuts on his hands.

April 21, 1911

John A. Kilsdonk, often referred to as the “Father of Little Chute”, died at his home Saturday, April 15 from heart trouble. John A. Kilsdonk was born on a farm two miles north of the Little Chute on April 30, 1864, his parents being early settlers in the Holland community founded by Father Vandenbroek. John’s parents died when he was very young. He then made his home with his sister, Mrs. Mary Vanden Wallenberg, until able to provide for himself. He worked on a farm availing himself of every opportunity to attend school or study privately until his 16th year when he became a teacher at which profession, he spent three years. When Little Chute was incorporated as a village, he was chosen village president.

 

The circuit court in Sheboygan is swamped with the biggest grist of naturalizations in its history. Over sixty applications are being heard. No naturalization term has been held since a year ago.

The population of cities and villages Outagamie County were announced by the census: Appleton 16773, Kaukauna 4717, Seymour 1109, Little Chute 1354, Hortonville 863, Black Creek 516, and Shiocton 536.

April 28, 1911

Richard "Dick" Conlon, well known Kaukauna marshal, died Tuesday evening at the Charles Ristau home, where he had been stricken about 9 o'clock while attending the wedding of Miss Annabelle Childs and William Graef. Mr. Conlon was 55 years of age. He had been with the local police department for twenty-nine years.

 

The Farmers Home, at the corner of Third Street and Crooks Avenue, is receiving a general renovation this week, all the rooms being painted and papered, as the case may be. George Kromer started to build the home twenty-eight years’ ago from logs from the Haupt farm south of town. Kromer has managed the Farmers Home since its construction for that reason all the old settlers for miles around know Landlord Kromer and never fail to stop by for a social stay when in town. 

Cranking automobiles is an exceedingly dangerous business to judge by the accidents in Kaukauna last Sunday. Charles Towsley while cranking his E. M. F. car sustained a fractured arm. Norbert Rennicke also sustained a fractured forearm while cranking an automobile.

Arthur Black, five-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Merritt Black, was killed Monday evening by the 5:15 interurban car, which was on its way to Appleton, the accident happening in front of C. W. Stribley's residence. The boy was badly mangled being cut in two and the head being severed from his body.

Time Machine Trip to April 1901

 

Kaukauna Times – April 1901

By Lyle Hansen

April 5, 1901

Dr. Charles D. Boyd

 

In the election earlier this week, Dr. C. D. Boyd totally ran away with the race for the position of mayor, defeating W. N. Nolan by the largest majority this city has ever seen in the race for mayor. Boyd claimed the victory with a 295 majority, with his biggest advantage coming in the first and second wards, where he held a majority of 131 votes in each. The victory scored by Dr. Charles D. Boyd is unprecedented in this city his majority being nearly three times as large as the usual majorities given the mayor elect.

 

John Sprangers has turned loose his inventive ingenuity once more and this time has produced an automatic fishing apparatus. The line is attached to a spring somewhat the style of a mouse trap and so arranged that when the fish takes the bait the spring is released, and the hook is jerked upward very quickly. John says one man can manage half a dozen lines at one time.

 

A branch of the paper makers’ union was instituted in this city Sunday afternoon by William Hamilton national organizer from Watertown, New York. The Kaukauna union, which is known as No. 26 of the National Paper Makers’ Union, numbers over 40 members and our employees of the Combined Locks Paper Company, Thilmany Pulp and Paper Company, Outagamie Paper Company and the Union Bag and Paper Company. The meeting was held at Heindel's Hall in which nearly 100 paper makers were present. The objects of the Association for the betterment of trade conditions and to advance the interest of its members.

 

The Southside post office will be moved and open for business next Monday morning in the room adjoining the present location which was recently vacated by the First National Bank. Postmaster Raught makes the change, so as, to secure the use of the safety vault formerly used by the bank. The room has been very nicely decorated and will make a model office.

Gilbert F. Germanson

Little Chute, Wisc., April 3 – The village is in a state of great excitement over the election. At the caucus Gilbert F. Germanson was unanimously nominated for village president. It is known that Germanson was in favor of fire protection which many do not favor. Monday morning all the ballots were made out for Kilsdonk alone. The Germanson party is wild and serious trouble is feared. 

 

April 12, 1901

There is a quaint old Holland clock undergoing repairs at Anton Ver Keilen’s on Wisconsin Avenue. Its owner, Mr. Driessen, values it very highly as it is an heirloom, descending from his great-great-grandfather's family. On the back side of the curiously wrought case is found the date of its manufacture, which was 1696, being now 205 years old.

John Coppes, who will manage the Kaukauna aggregation of baseball players this season, says there is to be some good ball playing in Kaukauna during the coming summer. Rates to Milwaukee and return have been secured at the very low figure of $2 dollars down and back, which is less than the boys paid to Sheboygan and return last year. 

 

Steps have been taken by government authorities to stop the wholesale practice of bigamy by the Indians living on the Oneida reservation. In view of the fact that the steadily increasing privileges being granted the Oneidas they may soon be make full-fledged citizens and the authorities believe it is now time to act properly and vigorously in order that serious complications of various natures may be avoided. Swapping wives, the same as horses is a frequent occurrence at the present time among the Oneidas.

 

April 19, 1901

Pastor Father Steinbecker of St. Mary's church has succeeded in placing the last of the two big stained-glass windows in position. This window is an immense one measuring nearly 12 X 23 feet and costing $1,000 and portrays the "Descent of the Holy Spirit on the Disciples.

 

Otto Kloehn, age 15 years, a helper at the paper machines at Thilmany Mill, got his hand caught between the calendars Wednesday night and badly crushed. Dr. Titus was called to set the broken bones and pull the skin back into place. Young Kloehn stood bravely without once winching or crying out with the pain of the operation and without the use of anesthetics. It is not known if the hand can be saved.

 

April 26, 1901

Cpt. John Hendrick Aupaumut

 

Mrs. Margaret Beauleiu, 76 years old, is the daughter of a revolutionary soldier, Jacob Davids of this city. She has recently returned to her home at Gresham, Shawano County. She bears the distinction of being the oldest living native born resident of Wisconsin. She was born in Kaukauna in a log house at the foot of Beaulieu Hill, the ruins which are yet standing. Her parents came here in 1825. Mrs. Beauleiu’s memory of the old times and events are remarkably good and delights in talking about them. She remembers well Indian chief Kon Ka Pot whose home was at the foot of the bluff that runs along Konkapot creek and named after the chief. She can point out the spot opposite John Brills house where lies the once famous Indian chief and Revolutionary soldier, John Hendrick Aupaumut. She also remembers Paul Ducharme, a brother of Wisconsin’s first settler, Dominic Ducharme, at the Grand Kau kau lin,  

 

The coffer-dam cribs, etc., put in at the Combined Locks last fall by Hackworthy Construction company for the purpose of commencing work on the construction of the proposed new pulp mill, and which work was suspended on account of high water, were all carried away last Friday by a heavy volume of water coming down river. The loss in work and material to the construction company was about $2,500.

 

The Marten's feed and sale stable which was removed from the old stand on Third Street to allow for the erection of a new addition to the Julius Martens block will be rebuilt on a larger and more extensive plan on a vacant lot down the street.

 

Time Machine Trip to April 1891

 

Kaukauna Times April 1891

By Lyle Hansen

April 3, 1891

Mr. and Mrs. G. W. Lawe are both confined to the house with an attack of the grippe.  Last week nine hundred and thirty-four deaths occurred in Chicago mainly from the grippe.  The death role in Oshkosh last week was so large that funerals had to be postponed until hacks and hearses could be secured. - Grippe is the cause.

 

Washington D.C., March 20 – A sensation has been caused at the treasury department at the discovery of counterfeit two dollars silver certificates so nearly perfect as to be almost impossible to detect it is estimated that there are nearly 40,000,000 of these notes in circulation.

 

Corral, Mich., March 31 – Alonzo Ainsworth has been caught several times during the past year window peeping. Monday night he followed the daughter of a well-known farmer home from church, and he was caught window peeping again. The farmer gave him a sound thrashing. Citizens decided that forbearance had ceased to be a virtue and the committee waited on Ainsworth and told him to take his choice between leaving town in a half an hour or taking a coat of tar and feathers. When the half hour was up fully 50 men and boys with drums, tin pans and whistles gathered at his residence and Ainsworth left by a via the railroad track, the crowd following playing instruments and pelting him with snowballs and mud. He will be tarred and feathered if he returns.

 

April 10, 1891

Mayor, L. Lindauer - Election Day dawned bright and clear last Tuesday. This happening is very unusual in this section. From early morning the thoroughfares were almost thronged with citizens. What have judged from appearances that the day was a general holiday or celebration that all labors had been cast aside. When the votes were counted Sullivan is laid on the shelf and Luther Lindauer goes in with a good majority as Kaukauna’s Mayor. Election results: Mayor, L. Lindauer; Clerk, C. H. L. Hamer; Treasurer, John Dietzler; Assessor, James Driessen; Justice, N. Side-J.J. - Wirtz; South Side-M.N. Mulloy.

 

Shiocton, April 4- By far the most sweeping and disastrous fire that has ever scorched Shiocton occurred last night. The main business portion of the village was completely swept away, only two stores remaining. 11 buildings, all together were entirely, destroyed involving a loss of probably $20,000.

P. T. Barnum, the veteran showman, died at his home in Bridgeport Connecticut Tuesday night. Mr. Barnum leaves an estate of over $5 million, which will largely go to his legal heirs.

 

The Minnesota legislature has passed a law prohibiting the wearing of tights on the stage, or any garment that shows the female limbs.

 

Murphy McCallum, of Neenah has invented a new contrivance for coupling cars, which is intended to remove the necessity for a brakeman to go between the sections of heavy freights. The coupling is done by means of a lever to be used either on top or the side of the car. It is Mr. McCallum’s intention to secure a patent upon his invention.

 

Chicago suffered a million-dollar fire Sunday night, the most destructive conflagration since the big fire of 1871. A number of buildings were destroyed. Forty-five engines and 300 firemen were called into service.

 

April 17, 1891

Neenah is having a lively time to secure a mayor these days. Wm. Hessen democrat won by two votes. George A. Whiting, a republican demanded a recount, and three votes were found for him in the first ward, giving him the majority. Now arises another point. Hessen has already been declared mayor and has taken the oath of office.

 

Scottsdale, Pa., April 14 – The dreaded evictions began today in a most determined way. Families were thrown from their houses and their poor furniture piled up in the road while great crowds of strikers silently watched the proceedings. The families, living in company homes, were evicted having taken an active part in labor demonstrations. This is a powerful weapon in the hands of the operators, and it looks as if they are now playing their last and winning game against the men.

 

The man who invented the game of tiddlywinks has been sent to an insane asylum – flopped into the “ding-pot” so to speak.

 

Washington, Pa., - Three small sons of Michael Munce, a well-known citizen, found a partly empty nitroglycerin can, and not understanding the dangers threw stones at it. A stone struck the can and a terrible explosion followed, which was heard for miles. Two of the boys were blown to atoms, while the third was severely injured.

 

Kenton, O., April 10 – A mob of about 75 to 100 men this morning at 2 o'clock overpowered the Sheriff and found the keys. William Bales, who had been arrested for the murder of a policeman, was removed from his cell. He was hurried across the road, the noose adjusted, and a rope drawn over a limb. He was pulled from his feet and left hanging; the mob was an orderly one and did no further damage. They wore black hoods concealing their faces.

 

William Rabideau, who for several months had been employed in the switchyard in Milwaukee was caught between the “bumpers” at that place Thursday noon and crushed so badly that he expired almost instantly. The deceased was a young man 22 years of age. The remains of the unfortunate young man were brought to Kaukauna on the evening train and conveyed to the home of his parents on the Southside.

 

April 24, 1891

The state of Delaware has recently passed a law by which all vagrants found loitering within their borders are sentenced to 60 days labor on the roads. If they work as well as Outagamie tramps that were sentenced to crack stone during the past winter, the Delaware roads will be fixed up around the year of our Lord 3001.

 

The Beckwith house fire which occurred in Oshkosh years ago has been vividly recalled by a discovery made last Friday. When that building was burning fireman Thomas Rief, of the Oshkosh fire Department, went in and brought from the flames the dead body of Mrs. Simon B. Paige. At the time Ralph claimed Paige offered him $5000 to bring out his wife remains. After the fire however, the millionaire refused to pay the money. Rief sued him collecting only $600, Paige has since died. Today Rief discovered that just before his death Paige had deeded him the property in Green Lake County valued at $6000.

 

The school board of the South district of Kaukauna made an examination last week of the foundation walls of the new $20,000 school structure which were laid under contract last fall and finding the quality of stone that had been used not of the kind mentioned in the agreement and ordered several sections in a wall torn out and replaced with better material. The building will from this time on will progress as rapidly as possible until its completion.

 

The Sun is progressing quite rapidly on a work to be called the “Lion of the Fox,” consisting of a pen and picture history of Kaukauna. The book will consist of 90 pages, with 55 illustrations. The addition will be a valuable one for our booming town.