APPLETON HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Formerly Known As The
APPLETON HISTORY ASSOCIATION
Meeting Minutes
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
CALL TO ORDER BY CHAIRPERSON TOM SUTTER
TOTAL ATTENDANCE: 22
PLANNING COMMITTEE IN ATTENDANCE:
Mark & Karen Moderson, Tom Sutter, James Richter, Jack Voight, Christine Williams, Linda Muldoon, John Marx, Dave Buss
APPLETON DOWNTOWN CHRISTMAS PARADE-Our Involvement:
Sutter reported that the application he and Williams had made to Appleton Downtown Inc. for a spot in this year’s Annual Christmas Parade was rejected by the Parade Board:
As an alternative Sutter has tentatively arranged “Christmas at Conkey’s” for the parade date November 23, 2010. It is proposed we open the old store up to the public for cookies and hot chocolate prior to the start of the Christmas Parade. Some AHS members will dress in 1860’s period clothing. One member may read a Christmas story to children that assemble.
AHS Planning Committee had endorsed this and the general membership has agreed.
Jack Voight has arranged Liability Insurance for this event and the two planned History Fairs.
It was noted that Santa comes to the Public Library right after the Parade, and therefore it is best we do our event prior to the Parade.
Sutter will make final arrangements and looks for volunteers for all aspects.
UPCOMING MEETINGS AND PROGRAMS:
11/17/10 Arnold Nettekoven, “Appleton Law Enforcement History”, (Police Antiques and Archives of the Appleton Police Department), 7:00 - 9:00 P.M.
December 2010 - No Meeting Planned
APPLETON HISTORICAL SOCIETY 10/20/10 PAGE 2
UPDATE ON HISTORY FAIRS AT APPLETON DOWNTOWN WINTER FARM MARKETS:
Richter has submitted a formal, written, request to ADI’s Winter Farm Market to put on two History Fairs in the first quarter of 2011:
We have requested two dates: January 29, 2011, and March 19, 2011.
Discussed Plans for the Event:
We expect to be in the Cafeteria on the first floor of the City Center Complex.
Start with 3 to 5 eight foot tables: (1) At least 3 tables for different displays by members with Appleton antiques and archives; (2) One table for information on the Appleton Historical Society including membership applications; (3) One table for Brian Schneider who will have a display on how to computer scan pictures and other artifacts into your home computer.
Muldoon suggests we advertise for people who have collections and are interested in displaying at one or both of the events.
REPORT ON COMMITTEE FORMED TO FIND THE HISTORY OF AND PRESERVE ARCHIVES ON SPECIFIC STREET ADDRESSES AND BUILDINGS:
Richter reported that during the 9/22/10 Planning Meeting member Dave Buss had volunteered to do an address archive with pictures on various Appleton addresses and buildings:
Richter reported that at a meeting in June of this year Marlene and Bob Roloff of our organizing group showed historical records that they put together on specific buildings and addresses. Group agreed this should be pursued further.
Richter just contacted Karen Probst, Member, and Appleton Public Library Wisconsin Collection custodian. Explained Roloff and Buss comments. Verified she had already done some of this work in Fox Valley Memories and was looking for help in doing much more. She concurred that she has much more information to enter as well. She agreed to work as a committee with Roloff’s and Buss to pursue this.
Richter further advised Probst that he has unidentified photo archives received from Gretchen (Hauert) Churchill that should be included.
General membership endorsed proceeding with this Committee.
APPLETON HISTORICAL SOCIETY 10/20/10 PAGE 3
FORMALIZE STATE REGISTRATION FOR THE SOCIETY:
Chairperson Sutter advised that at the last Public Meeting he distributed a survey on if we should formalize our organization and seek non-profit status:
Near unanimous support was received to proceed with registration.
As a result, he is making application with the state for a 5.01 (c) (3) certification as a tax exempt, charitable organization.
FORMALIZE APPLETON HISTORICAL SOCIETY MEMBERSHIP:
Chairperson Sutter also reported that in the survey he distributed on formalizing our organization he also sought responses on whether, or not, we should implement memberships with dues. The majority of respondents supported formal memberships as soon as possible:
Annual Fees will be as follows: Single $15.00; Family $25.00; and Business $50.00.
Dues payments were collected from several attendees at the end of the meeting.
PROGRAM SPEAKER - Terry Bergen, Executive Director of the Outagamie Historical Society, 7:00 - 9:00 P.M., “Appleton Collections of the Outagamie Museum”
SIGNIFICANT DATES:
They started as the Outagamie County Pioneer Society in 1872.
Accumulated the Houdini Collection in the 1980’s.
Acquired the Grignon Home in 1981.
Received the WEPCO Collection in 1982.
Acquired the Masonic Temple building in 1985.
Hired Professional Staff in 1985.
Developed New Strategic Direction in 2000:
1. Terry Bergen was hired.
2. Started a 5 year Exhibit Plan to stimulate the Community and to do a variety of displays.
Received the John Bradley Collection in 2010.
From it’s beginnings their Organization has received large financial support from local paper company leaders. The Ogilvie Family were one of the first and most generous donors and leaders.
Bergen claims 85% of their Collection is Appleton based.
For the current year they have 453 post cards on display - many being of Appleton personalities and sites.
APPLETON HISTORICAL SOCIETY 10/20/10 PAGE 4
Their collection includes about 350 maps, mostly of Appleton.
The antiques and artifacts in their possession include:
A collection of Senator Joe McCarthy items.
Artifacts from an exceptional early musician Irving Schwierke.
Are planning a Schlafer exhibit in the coming year. The Schlafer family started Schlafer Hardware downtown, as well as industrial distributor Schlafer Supply later.
Their Programming Approach:
They try to link items and collections to their owners. Their curators then
try to build a history around each item.
They do charge for use and care of some of their items:
3. E.G. The Houdini Collection is charged for, even to area museums.
4. They have to pay insurance on and shipping for anything loaned.
5. Their studies have shown that it costs an average of $80.00 a year for each item to be preserved. Costly because they have some 20,000 items in their Collection.
6. She pointed out that if you want to build a museum find a huge benefactor or two, because it costs large sums of money to build and maintain a museum.
Annually do Tours of Historic Homes for Appleton area 2nd Graders.
Hope to do a Historic Home Tour for the general public as well.
Their total annual budget is $650,000.
Their fortunate that they have no debt at this time.
They pay some $14,000 for Insurance on all their facilities.
Besides their paid staff, they have 10 volunteers who help preserve items.
They will help us with questions or research, but research is charged for.
They are converting the store front next to them into artifact storage.
They use “Past Perfect” software to store all their donor records.
The Grignon Home status is unknown. From now on apparently the Kaukauna Historical Society will run and administer it, but it will be owned by the City of Kaukauna. Apparently the contents are still in the house but the Kaukauna Historical Society cannot afford the furniture.
ORGANIZATION’S ACTING LEADERSHIP:
Tom Sutter, Acting Chairperson
James Richter, Acting Recording Secretary
Mark & Karen Moderson, Organizers
Christine Williams, Communications Director
Respectfully, James L. Richter 10-30-10