Time Machine Trip to August 1924

 

Kaukauna Times – August 1924

By Lyle Hansen

August 7, 1924

Cold and rainy weather greeted the hundreds of people in town this week to observe the pageant of Kaukauna 1646-1924. Wednesday evening   was opening night and a crowd of about twelve hundred was gathered on the grounds of Beaulieu Hill. The area was lit by as beautiful and harmonious a blend of colored lighting as one could see anywhere in the county. The cast put on a splendid show, and as the days progress, the play can do nothing but improve.

Last Sunday evening, Anton Nytes 83 years old was struck and killed by an automobile about 9 pm while walking home with his son, August Nytes of the Town of Buchanan. The auto did not stop. When August saw the auto approaching, he called out to his father, and they both moved to the side of the road. The next thing I saw was my father flying through the air. On Tuesday morning Russell Berzill 24 years old of Appleton surrendered himself to Chief R. H. McCarty, admitting that he had driven the death car. Berzill stated to the Chief that he was returning from Green Bay when he saw two men standing beside the road. Thinking they were holdup men he accelerated his speed but was unable to avoid striking one of them. He feared if he stopped, he would have been a victim of a robbery.

 

August 14, 1924

 

The "red trim barn" and the disgraceful pavement which once marred the beauty of the river view from Wisconsin Avenue is now but a fading memory, the pavement having been torn up and replaced by a nice concrete walk. The barn passed into oblivion several years ago, but the pavements with its guard rails of ancient boards were allowed to remain in their beat-up condition. The city is presently filling up the big hole and landscaping the area to a level equal to the surrounding level.   

 

August 14, 1924

The Post-Crescent reported that a crowd of several hundred attended Governor Blaine's speech at the Farmers Stock Fair in Kaukauna last Saturday. Whereas, in fact, it was the lowest possible estimate there were over twelve hundred people present, and according to the estimates, two thousand people at least. The P-C, which fancies itself a metropolitan party to thus handle Kaukauna's political news, lends timeliness to the suggestion that its telescope, when turned toward Kaukauna, should be reversed.

 

August 21, 1924

The Andrews Oil Company, located on the corner of Seymour and Blackwell Streets, a new and independent concern, expects to be ready for business later this week.

 

The success of the Pavement Dance on Wisconsin avenue last Saturday night leads us to query as to whether this sort of an attraction will keep people to remain in town. Old and young alike joined in the dancing with all good humor and friendliness. 

 

August 28, 1924

The tremendous rain of last Thursday not only raised Konkopot creek to an extraordinary height, flooding the district in and around the new concrete bridge and roadways, but left a mass of wreckage, rocks and gravel in the ballpark which will prevent any further use of the park this summer. South of town five miles of railroad track between here and Dundas were washed out and it will take a week to ten days to repair the damage.

 

Judge George W. Lawe of Kaukauna, who died in 1895, used to tell stories indicating of the early day profiteers in the liquor traffic. In 1836 the Judge was present with Governor Dodge, Indian Agent Boyd and others, at Cedar Point on the Fox River for the purpose of procuring a cession of lands from the Indians. Although the sale of intoxicants to the red man was taboo, most of the Indians at the gathering managed to keep themselves in a state of helpless intoxication. This situation was very disappointing to the government officials and the Indian leadership. An interpreter ran across a staggering Indian boy in the woods in the vicinity of Grand Chute, four miles from the treaty location. He was able to bribe the boy to reveal the source of his supply. A fur trader with a barrel of whiskey was discovered near a water falls who was selling whiskey to the Indians for $1 a pint. He had cleared more than $400 before he was caught. After his capture Governor Dodge and the Indian Agent made quick work in completing the negotiations.