Time Machine Trip to October 1953

 

Kaukauna Times – October 1953

By Lyle Hansen

October 2, 1953

The mansion on the hill has changed hands once again “It isn't as easy to leave a home which contains so many happy memories”, says Mrs. Charles Raught speaking of the home at 315 Crooks Ave. “We had spent so many happy years.” “We loved it here enjoying the beautiful scenery and so many trees in the surrounding vicinity.” The home was purchased by the International Brotherhood of Pulp and Paper Mill Workers. The residence was originally built for Luther Lindauer and later sold to Charles Raught in 1918. The large fourteen room home has a music room along with a large library. Light fixtures throughout the home were imported from France. 

Wayne Carr was reelected chairman of the Friends of the Youth Center Committee Tuesday evening at an organizational meeting held at the Elks Club Rooms.

 

A record total of 2654 students between the ages of five and 18 are now enrolled in Kaukauna’s public and parochial schools. The high school leads the enrollment of the institutions of learning with a total of 723 and St. Mary's parochial school with 650 runs a close second.

 

Menasha St. Mary's parochial school gritters took one on the chin Wednesday afternoon from another parochial school when the Saint Mary's Kaukauna gridders trimmed them by 26 – 6. At the start of the second-half St. Mary's Kaukauna recovered a fumble on their own 34 and the next play Ed Wettstein broke into the clear behind some good blocking and traveled all the way for the first touchdown.

  

October 7, 1953

Principal Clifford Hodgins of Park School recently announced the names of the boys who are now serving as school safety patrol. Roger Noonan has been named captain of the patrol and Charles Kemp and David Lindemuth are the two lieutenants. Patrol boys are Tom Whitman, Jim Brogan, John Smith, Urban Gerrits, Marvin Hammond, Paul Buetow, Dwayne Paul, Chris Granberg, Jim Popp, Danny Owen, Ralph Stecker, Roy Brownell, and Billy Rohlf.

 

October 9, 1953  

  Hugo Finnegan        Robert Coonen      Joan Vander Bloomer

The election of class officers took place Monday Kaukauna high school seniors elected were Hugo Finnegan, president: Robert Coonen, vice president: and Joan Vander Bloomer secretary and treasurer.

October 16, 1953

 

 Monday will mark the 25th birthday anniversary of the Kau-Hi-News, a weekly newspaper for high school students. The paper began in the fall of 1928 as a senior class project in the journalism class.

 

The Fox River Valley Veneer Company, one of Kaukauna’s main industries, was completely destroyed by fire Tuesday morning. The building itself was gutted and all the machinery in the plant was damaged beyond repair according to fireman who fought the blaze for 3 1/2 hours.

 

October 28, 1953

Saint Mary's parochial school gritters jumped to an early six-point lead in Monday night’s fracas. The edge lasted only about the first quarter before the Holy Cross eleven rolled to a 27-6 win. Ed Wettstein scored the first touchdown for St.  Mary's. Cal Welch led the Holy Cross team in the scoring department for the rest of the game.

Al Carmichael, running back, has been one of the bright spots for the Green Bay Packers. Al played football at the University of Southern California and was the Packer’s first draft choice.

October 23, 1953   

St. Mary's congregation is planning to build a gymnasium with the planned addition to the school, according to a three-fourths majority vote at the parish meeting last Thursday evening.

 

October 30, 1953

 

One of Kaukauna's oldest landmarks, the one-time Jacob Gerend and Jacob Lummerding Carpenter Shop and later the Goldin and Stone Junk Shop located on Dodge Street, is being torn down to make way for the new Farmers and Merchants Bank.

 

Time Machine Trip to October 1943

 

Kaukauna Times – October 1943

By Lyle Hansen 

October 1, 1943

Christmas Parcels to army personnel should be mailed by October 15.  The most desired are long letters and recent photographs.

 

October 6, 1943

Lt. Wilfred A. Van Abel, 24, fighter pilot with the eighth air force in England, is a prisoner of the Germans. The information that he is a prisoner of war in Germany came his parents’ route 3 Kaukauna, through the International Red Cross.

War bond purchases in Kaukauna totaled $275,494.25 in the third war loan drive for the month of September.

October 15, 1943

Less highway travel, lower operating speeds and better driving habits were credited by the motor vehicle departments with playing the biggest roles in reducing traffic deaths in Wisconsin from 448 in the first nine months of last year to 256 this year.

Leon La Rue, former Little Chute resident, is singing in the Grand Opera. His singing career began when he was a choir boy at St. John Catholic church, Little Chute. La Rue is a tenor and is in his fifth year with the Grand Opera.

Kenneth Vils, formally from Kaukauna, who is employed by the Vega Aircraft Corporation in California, is now a professional football player with the Southern California Aircrafters which team has recently joined the Pacific Coast Pro Football league.

Professional Business & Professional Women's Club. Kaukauna

 

October 20, 1943

The Holy Cross grade school eleven scored and easy 45-0 win over St. Mary’s last week. Jim Giordana paced the Holy Cross team by scoring three touchdowns. Ben Buchberger pushed over two touchdowns and Bob Giordana and Pomeroy each scored once for the winners.  

 

To date the Kaukauna board of education has a list of 27 graduates from this year class of 1943 now in service.

 

October 22, 1943

Elmer H. Jennings, vice president of the Thilmany Pulp and Paper company has been selected as master of ceremonies for the Kaukauna Navy day program to be held at the VFW home next Thursday evening.

Al Kronforst set the pace in the Businessmen's Bowling league Tuesday evening when he rolled a series of 637. Al bowls with the Gustman Chevrolet team.

 

The common council took action at Tuesday’s meeting to install a radio to cost $68.50 in the city ambulance. Anton Berkers, one of the drivers of the ambulance, was present at the meeting and explained the radio is not to be operated when carrying a patient but is for the entertainment of the drivers on long return trips.

 

Mayor L. F. Nelson received a letter from the Green Bay and Mississippi Canal Company, relative to the request for the purchasing or leasing property from the company on the library grounds for a swimming pool site. Mayor Nelson was informed that the company must retain a 60-foot strip from the canal.

 

Wallace Mooney, scoutmaster of Boy Scout troop 20 of Kaukauna reports the one and one-half tons of tin cans were collected in Kaukauna last week. The load was shipped to the reclaiming plant to be converted into steel.

H. F. Weckwerth, manager of the Kaukauna Utility, was publicly thanked by the city for the planting by the utility of 5000 trees on the Thousand Islands and Grignon home area.

 

October 29, 1943

No rough stuff will be tolerated on Halloween according to James E. McFadden, chief of police. He said plainclothes men will be on duty and only clean sport will be tolerated, including innocent pranks.