Time Machine Trip to August 1936

 

Kaukauna Times

By Lyle Hansen

August 4, 1936

Roy Schuler (aged 30, Main Street, Combined Locks) was instantly killed in an accident at the Combined Locks Paper company at noon on Monday. Schuler was carrying paper over a reel when he became caught between a metal drum and a paper roll, pulling his head and shoulders between the rolls before nearby workmen could stop the machine.

 

165 boats passed through the canal during July. Bridges were opened 38 times in the final week of July, indicating an uptick in river traffic. Fox River Navigation company boats are moving to 24-hour operations due to cooler weather and higher demand for coal.

 

Kaukauna's three main swimming facilities (the quarry, the fourth lock, and the municipal building pool. served 28,380 swimmers in July, breaking city record during its hottest month on record.

 

August 7, 1936

Mildred Feller won the low score prize with a 64 during ladies' day activities at Kaukauna Golf course, which drew 20 participants for golf, bridge, and lunch.

 

An inquest was held regarding the deaths of Mrs. Nellie Straka (75) and her son George (29), who were found dead at their home on East Eighth Street on Wednesday morning, July 15. The jury determined the cause of death was food poisoning of unknown origin combined with possible heat prostration.

 

Relief Director Joseph V. Krahn reported July poor relief expenditures totaled $1,271.05—a decrease of $302.83 from June ($1,573.88).

 

Four 4x5 foot signs painted by Karl Minkebige were installed on Highways 55 and 41 to invite tourists to visit the historic 100-year-old Grignon Mansion.

 

The Gold Medal shows, hosted at the ballpark by Fraternal Order of Eagles Lodge No. 1416, are drawing large afternoon and evening crowds to support the lodge's building fund. Features include rides, sideshows, concession stands, and nightly 10:30 PM performances by world champion high fire diver Captain Jack Perry into 6 feet of water.

 

August 14, 1936

 

Investigating the cost of Grignon Home property brought sixty attendees—including members of the Outagamie County Board, representatives of the city of Kaukauna, the Advancement Association, and the Kaukauna Historical Society to the Grignon home lawn for a Tuesday noon luncheon. Attorney William L. Crow spoke on the history of the Grignon family, the home's significance as early water traffic stops, and the long-term value of preserving the property. Judge Fred V. Werner spoke on the advisability of purchasing the home and property. Mrs. Ross Grignon, current custodian of the home. The county board unanimously passed a resolution authorizing a committee to investigate purchase costs and options. This effort aims to evaluate converting the property into a county park and memorial in cooperation with the Kaukauna Common Council.

 

August 18, 1936

 

Chief of Police James E. McFadden will ask the city council to purchase safety signs to place in the center of the road near all Kaukauna grade schools. The 5-foot-tall sign depicts a Boy Scout holding two signs reading "10 miles per hour" and "Danger, school zone".

 

Norman Hennessey paid a $3 fine plus costs in Justice Abe Goldin's court on Monday following a Saturday arrest for disorderly conduct.

 

Arthur Kappell was fined $1 and costs in Justice Abe Goldin's court on Monday following his arrest on Saturday for disorderly conduct.

 

August 21, 1936

Among the hundreds of odd exhibits at the National Inventor's Congress to be held at Springfield, Mass., September 1 to 4 is this dimple-producing gadget. E. Isabella Gilbert, the inventor, demonstrates how the device is clamped around the face, with knobs pressing into the cheeks to imprint the dimples.

Conservation wardens stocked 60 cans of perch, crappies, and walleyed pike into the abandoned Niesen stone quarry. Between 8,000 and 10,000 fish were delivered, with another truckload expected Saturday. Fishing in the quarry is prohibited for two years while seaweed and wild rice are established; unauthorized fishing in the reserve carries a heavy fine.

 

A petition signed by 82 5th Ward voters and taxpayers requested the city halt construction of an 8-foot stone WPA wall around the high school athletic field, citing property devaluation and loss of scenery.

 

Two-armed men held up the Seymour State Bank on Wednesday afternoon, forcing four employees and three customers to lie on the floor. The robbers forced bank president Charles Prosser to open the vault, took approximately $6,000 in cash and securities, locked the victims in the vault, and fled in a getaway car driven by a third accomplice.

Mary Main, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph V. Krahn, was chosen as Miss Kaukauna during a contest at the Nitingale Ballroom, with Ruby Belling placing second. Main won an all-expense trip to the Wisconsin State Fair in Milwaukee to compete for Miss Wisconsin. She is a high-ranking high school student and pianist.

August 25, 1936

 

Julius Nemetz, a Kewaunee farmer, lost $6,249.50 to a fortune teller named Madame Marie. After gaining his trust by charging fees to "cure" his daughter's hand and "appease spirits" with candles, she convinced him to bring cash to Manitowoc on June 30 under the promise that spirits would double it. Nemetz mortgaged his farm for $6,000, cashed the check, and allowed Madame Marie to tie the wrapped cash around his waist with instructions not to open it for a week. When she failed to return, Nemetz opened the bundle to find only 100 one-dollar bills and old newspapers. Police across the Midwest and District Attorney John Cashman are searching for her.

  

According to county agent, Wisconsin farmers will need to import roughly 14,000 work horses and 250 mules from other states in 1937 due to a lack of local breeding in recent years.

Time Machine Trip to August 1926

 

Kaukauna Times

By Lyle Hansen 

August 3, 1926

 

The removal of the old iron bridge along the side of the new Wisconsin Avenue bridge is being done as fast as possible. The roadway has been torn up at this time, but it will probably be late in the summer before the work of demolishing the old structure is completed.

 

The village council of Combined Locks, at a meeting last week, rejected all bids for the construction of a 7,200-foot sewage project which the village had planned because the Wisconsin state board of health refused to sanction the construction. The sewer planned would have emptied into the Fox river. The village was ordered to build a sewage disposal plant by the board of health.

 

Four Appleton boys, none over 13 years of age, rescued two men from Lake Winnebago when a canoe they were sailing capsized a mile off Waverly Beach at 2 o'clock Thursday afternoon. The boys were Robert Rule, 12, John Ehlke, Jr., aged 13, Clarence Jahnke, 13 and Gordon Holterman, 12. The four youngsters were riding in a rowboat close to shore when they saw the canoe capsize.

 

August 5, 1926

 

On July 21st, Ford Motor Company produced its 14,000,000th automobile at its Fordson plant.

 

Four Kaukauna boys left this week for the Citizens' Military Training Camp at Fort Sheridan, where they will be for a month's period of training. Those in the group were Jack Farwell, Gilbert St. Mitchel, William Glasheen and Roland Radder. Farwell and St. Mitchel have been at the camps for each year for the past two years, this being the third. They are in the cavalry.

 

August 12, 1926

After a three-month delay and multiple bidding rounds, the Little Chute village board accepted a $5,000 bid from the W. S. Nott Company of Minneapolis for a new fire truck.

 

A truck with Michigan license plates carrying real brewery beer and suspected whiskey cartons overturned west of Green Bay along the Brown County line. The driver fled the scene, leaving local onlookers to gather around the abandoned cargo during warm weather.

 

August 19, 1926

 

Billie O'Brine, known as the original Irish death-defying "Human Fly," with 14 years of experience climbing buildings and performing airplane acrobatics. He will attempt to climb the exterior of the Congress Hotel in Kaukauna on Saturday afternoon directly following an address by Governor Blaine at 1:00 PM as part of "Blaine and Bargain Day."

 

The final section of the historic Plank Road—originally part of the old military road connecting Green Bay and Oshkosh—has officially been renamed Lincoln Avenue.  Alderman Otto Hass presented a petition signed by local property owners to the common council on Tuesday evening, introducing an ordinance for the change that passed unanimously.

 

August 24, 1926

 

Canal traffic reached its highest volume of the year in July, according to the U.S. Engineer's office. 260 lockages in July (up from 128 in June). Little Chute: 194 lockages. Navigation companies are running day and night, expecting to maintain this schedule for another month.

 

August 26, 1926

Manawa has revived the old "posting law" by listing 12 to 15 men's names across local soft drink parlors following citizen requests. Local officials aim to curb illegal drinking, suspecting illicit alcohol is present despite the area being officially "bone dry".

 

The school term begins September 7th, requiring first-time students to hold a vaccination certificate. Children leave behind summer activities—like swimming and baseball—for new diversions like recess, football, and academic study.

 

Radio reports announced that silent film star Rudolph Valentino died Monday near noon at a New York hospital.

 

August 31, 1926

Miss Blanche Jirikowic won title of Kaukauna’s most popular young lady and a diamond ring with 21,020 votes during the local Moose festival week. Miss Ada Piepenberg won second prize (diamond ring, 12,000 votes), and Miss Olive Gerhartz took third (wrist watch, 10,940 votes).

 

 

William Van Dyke, owner of the south-side Vaudette theater, has taken over the lease of the north-side Bijou theater and will manage both venues. Following the final performance under previous manager Mr. Cleland, Van Dyke plans to redecorate the interior before announcing a formal grand reopening.

 

Time Machine Trip to August 1916

 

Kaukauna Times

By Lyle Hansen - KAHS

 

August 3, 1916

 

Friday evening a car with seven passengers in a Mitchell automobile owned by Dr. Frank Babcock of Kaukauna narrowly escaped death around 9:00 p.m. on Friday south of town. No one was badly injured but they were shaken up.  A tree stump caught the car as it dropped, preventing potential fatalities before it completed a somersault and landed back on its wheels 12 feet below road level. New wheels were installed, and the car was driven to Appleton under its own power.

 

Wisconsin reached 103,560 registered automobiles in the state. The state's residents will spend $58,000,000 on automobiles in 1916.

 

The United States Indian Commissioner in the Department of the Interior, issued an order strictly prohibiting the sale of liquor to Native Americans. The rule applies universally, regardless of whether individuals are U.S. citizens or classed as wards of the nation.

 

John VanRight, aged 24, was killed Monday morning when his arm contacted a live electric wire while working as a lineman for the Wisconsin Traction Company repairing a broken line. Funeral was held Wednesday at 9:00 a.m. at St. John’s Church, Little Chute, with fellow linemen acting as pallbearers. Burial in Little Chute cemetery.

 

Albert Demming bought five acres of land from the Green Bay and Mississippi Canal Co. The land is situated just west of Boyd Avenue on the crest of Beaulieu Hill.

 

Governor Philipp was officially advised by Attorney General Owen that Wisconsin soldiers deployed at San Antonio cannot vote in the September primary or November elections without physically returning to Wisconsin.

 

Auto Show at the State Fair on September 11–16 at the State Fair. 59 factories will show over 200 model specimens of 1917 pleasure cars, totaling more than $1,000,000 in value.

 

August 10, 1916

Nearly 5,000 men of the Wisconsin brigade marched 10 miles to Ten-Mile Hill enroute to maneuver grounds at Leon Springs. Every man carried a 60-pound pack while singing "On Wisconsin".

 

Johanna Bowers, the 7-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Barney Bowers on Wrightstown Road, fell off a load of sand, and a wheel crashed her side around 6:00 p.m. Saturday. She was taken to St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Appleton but succumbed to her severe internal injuries.

 

Jacob Lang assumed duties as the new postmaster of the north side office on Monday morning, succeeding J. C. Mitchell. Post office employees presented Mr. Lang with a bouquet of roses, while retiring postmaster J. C. Mitchell received a smoking set with a box of cigars from the clerks and rural carriers.

 

August 18, 1916

 

A tractor plowing demonstration for the farmers of this vicinity was held this afternoon, and will be continued tomorrow all day, and probably Saturday, at the farm of the Hurkman brothers, across the "marsh", just north of the Kaukauna city limits. Everybody interested, whether a farmer or not, is invited, but farmers are especially invited, because the demonstration will show what a tractor will do for them, how it saves expense, labor and delays in all kinds of farm work. Besides its use for plowing, the tractor is invaluable to farmers in handling hay, filling silos, sawing wood, baling hay, grinding feed, and innumerable other things which every farmer must do.

 

The city electrical department has just completed the installation of a ten-horsepower motor at the Chicago and Northwestern Railway shops, this being the first electric power to be installed there in the recent electrifying of the shops. The motor operates in the car-wheel department now located in the west end of the carpenter shops, operating the wheel press and boring machine.

 

The Union Bag and Paper Company has commenced some important improvements at their plant on the water power canal, which means a lot of work for skilled mechanics and also for common hands. Work on all of these improvements scheduled to commence by September first.

 

Walter Langlois, a delivery boy for J. L. Anderson, suffered a fractured right shoulder on Tuesday. He was jerked from his wagon by the horse he was driving.

 

Lake Winnebago and the Fox River are heavily polluted with thick green scum, causing dirty green tap water with an offensive odor. Swimmers at local beaches are reporting skin infections from the water.

 

Frank Van Drasek (age 7), son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Van Drasek, Sr. Attempting to catch a ride on a loaded stone truck near the Island quarry, he fell beneath the rear wheels. He suffered severe internal injuries and died on the way to St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Appleton.

 

Wrightstown has a new high school. A new two-story red brick high school with a full basement is near completion on the east side of the Fox River. Built by contractor Frank Egers for less than $20,000, it is set to open for the fall term in September.

 

Nearly 50 Oneida Indians have moved to Kaukauna for manual labor opportunities, with more families continuing to arrive. They are noted for being prompt and reliable workers.

Jacob Hill (age 89), revered Oneida chief who moved to the Oneida Reservation from New York 83 years ago has died. He often served as a minister at tribe funerals and spoke at public occasions.

 

August 25, 1916

 

The New 1917 Ford Model features a restyled 1917 model with a larger radiator in a black enamel casing, a sloped hood for a streamlined body, and crown-shaped front fenders. 200 units shipped to Wisconsin—one per dealer.

 

Kaukauna Fibre Company is sold to a Milwaukee man for $104,000. The sale price fully covers all creditor claims dollar-for-dollar, with several thousand dollars remaining to be distributed among stockholders.

 

Mrs. William Van Lieshout suffered severe burns to her hands and arm on Saturday while ironing clothes. Residual gasoline, used for cleaning, ignited when exposed to the heat of an electric flatiron.

 

Mr. and Mrs. Gus Ristau and family completed a 200-mile trip to Marinette County, camping near Brookside in a new silk balloon-cloth tent. Gus noted poor, sandy road conditions in the Coleman, Brookside, and Oconto regions.

 

August 31, 1916

M. A. Wertheimer received a postcard sent via Holland from Oscar Thilmany in Germany —his first update from him in several months. The card confirmed that Mr. and Mrs. Thilmany are both in good health.

Time Machine Trip to August 1906

Kaukauna Times

By Lyle Hansen

 

August 3, 1906

 

Houdini, the handcuff king, who has been in Europe for several years, is again visiting his relatives in the Fox River Valley. He can free himself from the most intricate handcuffs as fast as they are placed on his wrists. No one has yet learned the secret of his power.

 

The Thilmany Pulp and Paper Company received a new 750 horsepower Corliss steam engine Tuesday from the Vilter Manufacturing Company, Milwaukee, and are now installing it in the basement of the big plant. The new power plant will be used in operating the No. 4 paper machine, making, when installed, the fourth engine used to operate paper machines.

 

August 10, 1906

 

A stranger visited Kaukauna one-day last week and brought with him about 35 hickory rockers which he manufactures himself. He canvassed the town and had no trouble disposing of them before sundown. They are durably made, but nevertheless some of the purchasers are wondering if they were not taken in by this smooth talker, to the extent of from $2.50 to $3.50.

 

 

The Kaukauna Lumber and Manufacturing Co. is expanding its facilities with 50% more floor space, glass walls on the east side, a 50-foot brick smokestack, electric power, and a novel vertical dry kiln.

 

Around 11 p.m., James Farrell was pinned to the sidewalk outside Heindel's hall when a heavy steam radiator—being installed in the nearby bank building—tipped over onto his leg after he leaned against it. Bystanders from the Hotel LaSalle porch rushed to help; no bones were broken.

 

August 17, 1906

 An order for new suits for the Kaukauna High School football team was placed with a Milwaukee firm this week.

 

A new federal naturalization law taking effect Sept. 27 requires applicants to read and write English, supply sworn witnesses, and clear federal review. Circuit Court Clerk Glen Morse estimates roughly 1,000 men in Outagamie County falsely assume they are citizens through their fathers' first papers, warning that sons are not citizens unless their father completed second papers before they turned 21.

 

The 2-year-old son of Street Commissioner Theodore Schmalz nearly died Tuesday after drinking iodine left within reach. Swift intervention by his mother and a doctor saved his life after consuming a lethal dose.

 

August 24, 1906

 

Heros from the sixties are attending a reunion in Minneapolis

 

Owing to an excessive demand during the extreme heat of the early part of the week, local merchants ran out of bathing suits and as a result, all sorts of improvised rigging could be seen doing service along the riverbanks. In their desperation, some of the swimmers used flour sacks for trunks across which, in bold letters, appeared the words "Big Jo" or some other well-known brand. The most conspicuous thing about these suits was the announcement that they were "seamless."

 

 

It comes from high authority in railroad circles that the railroad shops of the Ashland division, Chicago and Northwestern railway, are not only to remain in Kaukauna, but will probably be doubled in capacity. It is altogether likely that with such an enlargement in the size of the shops, the repairs for not only the whole Ashland division, but also that of the Northern Wisconsin and the peninsular division will run their engines into Kaukauna for the needed repairs. Kaukauna is conveniently located right in the midst of the various divisions which comprise the Northwestern system in Wisconsin and the engine repairing can be brought here with less trouble than any other city on account of its central location.

 

An intoxicated traveler carrying luggage ducked under crossing gates and attempted to board a departing Ashland division train. He lost his grip, struck his head against a coach, and narrowly avoided falling under the wheels, though he recovered enough to walk away shortly after.

 

Thirteen head of young stock near Friendship have been killed by some large animal and the farmers are unable to capture the miscreant. The beast has visited a number of farms and has been seen by several people, but they have not been able to get a good look at the animal in the dark. A reward of $10 has been offered for its capture.

 

 

The members of the high schools of Green Bay will not be able to play football in the coming season. The game has been debarred from athletics connected with the public instruction and must go. This action was taken by the board of education at a meeting last week and is final.

 

August 31, 1906

A member of the Oneida band which gave a picnic at Columbia Park imbibed too freely of fire water and landed in the police station. The musician had no money with him and pleaded against going to the workhouse on account of the disgrace that would reflect on the band. A Kaukauna man paid the fine to rescue him.