MEETING MINUTES
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Atlas Coffee Mill
CALL TO ORDER BY CHAIRPERSON TOM SUTTER
TOTAL ATTENDANCE: 44
BOARD MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE:
Mark & Karen Moderson, Tom Sutter, Christine Williams, James Richter, Linda Muldoon, Laura Leimer, Brian Schneider, Dave Buss.
UPCOMING MEETINGS AND PROGRAMS:
•AUGUST 17TH MEETING. Anne Biebel and Harlan Kiesow - History of Appleton’s locks, dams and canals
•SEPTEMBER 21ST MEETING. Janice Krahn, Corporate Archivist and Historian for Thrivent Financial – the History of the Aid Association for Lutherans.
•OCTOBER 19TH MEETING. Cindy Czarnik, Appleton’s Bellaire Ct. neighborhood.
•NOVEMBER 16 Emily Gilbert of The Appleton Public Library will discuss the history of the library
APPLETON HISTORICAL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONAL INFORMATION:
•Officers and Committee Chairs for the organization are as follows:
A. President - Thomas Sutter
B. Vice President - Christine Williams
C. Secretary – James Richter
D. Treasurer – Jack Voight
E. Mark and Karen Moderson, Principal Organizers
F. Brian Schneider, Technical Resources
G. David Buss, Research Specialist
PRESIDENT SUTTER ANNOUNCEMENTS:
A. Mayor Hanna made a Proclamation this week.
B. Introduction of Officers and Board Members.
C. Sutter still has copies of DVD’s of the Trolley Program and will sell at $20.00 a copy.
D. Members are encouraged to see “Why We Live in St. Louis”.
VICE PRESIDENT’S REPORT:
A. She encouraged members and attendees to post our Meeting Notices and flyers throughout the region for us.
B. Reminds us that the Celebrate the Fox event will be held at the Paper Discovery Center from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.
C. Reports that this weekend on both Friday and Saturday the Outagamie Historical Society is doing a cemetery walk at the Riverside Cemetary.
TREASURER’S REPORT:
(Reprinted from June meeting) We have some 240 individuals on our mailing list and 57 formal memberships thus far. Balance in our Treasury is $1,224.00, with an outstanding insurance bill of $501.00. Available cash then is $723.00.
ZUEHLKE BUILDING EXHIBIT REPORT:
Zuehlke Building management has continued to let us use a display case on their first floor mezzanine for a Downtown Appleton Historical Exhibit. With a special display shelf constructed by member John Marx, a new AHS Banner ordered by Brian Schneider, antique items provided by Dave Walz, Mark Moderson, and Jim Richter, and AHS information the display looks great! As this could be a long term display, exhibits will be rotated periodically. Everyone is encouraged to stop by and see the exhibit.
REMINDER TO CHECK THE AHS WEBSITE REGULARLY:
To reach our Web Site go to www.appletonhistory.org
PROGRAM SPEAKER – Frank Anderson, author of “Wicked Fox Cities”.
•Anderson’s Background:
A. Is a filmmaker and animation director, having done work for Turner Classic Movies, AMFAR, Sears and Budweiser.
B. Teaches character animation at the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design.
C. Writes a Wisconsin History Blog called “Wisconsinology”.
D. His projects have led to appearances on Wisconsin Public Television, the Dennis Miller Show, and the HD Network.
E. As a teenager, he wrote numerous articles for the Deerfield Independent Newspaper in Deerfield, Wisconsin.
F. In recent years he has done several articles for the Appleton Post Crescent.
•Anderson’s Research:
A. Over 17 Printed Historical publications and references.
B. Some 8 Digital History sources.
•Anderson’s Presentation:
A. The Focus of Wicked Fox Cities and his speech was to expose “The Dark Side of the Valley” and much of the negative history of our area:
1. There were many significant events in the Fox Valley, some good-some bad, from the 1880’s to 1920 that forged our region into the solid super community we have today.
2. EDITOR’S NOTE: Previous speakers have told us how Lawrence University and Appleton were formed by Congregational Church Ministers, now known as the United Church of Christ, as well as Methodists in the area. Their affluent parishioners with high morals and standards were the basis for Appleton.
B. Anderson pointed out in his remarks and in excerpts from his book t he following
1. Surprisingly the Yankees came here with there beautiful factories and ran the Indians out of the area. Although the Yankees developed most of our early infrastructure, most ended up leaving the state.
2. Maude Grainger has a big wedding in Appleton during the 1880’s that was outrageous in it’s own right.
3. The “Grand Chute” ran a half mile past the current Atlas Mills and was a focal point of the area’s development.
4. In 1730 the Sac and the Fox Tribes fought together in what was often called the Battle of the Fox. The fight raged for years and tribes that were thought of as doomed, fought valiantly. The brutality seen was unmentionable.
5. Fighting went into the 1800’s when the celebrated Chief Oshkosh was in power. Unfortunately his successes were few and he ended up living his final years as a beaten man, overweight and alcoholic, often having to defend his actions during the Treaty of the Cedars. Oshkosh died in a drunken brawl in Keshena, Wisconsin, on August 29, 1858.
6. Once the founders of Appleton established the community and some infrastructure they ended up bringing in “lower class” foreigners to work in their flour and paper mills. With this low life came thievery, lawlessness, prostitution, and even illegal drug use.
7. Cocaine and Opium were readily available in the community, and were components of many questionable patent medicines. The medicines and efforts of Dr. Turpin were most noteworthy.
8. Because of alcohol and drugs levels of domestic violence in the Fox Valley were very high in the late 1880’s up to the early 1900’s. The Waverly House at the corner of Alton and Rankin Streets was the center of many illegal drug activities and other lawlessness.
9. Surprisingly police officials dealt with violators by merely shipping them out of town, most often to Green Bay.
10. In 1902 Appleton was settling down and most of the Tramps had left, and so did the Prostitutes.
11. In 1906 the Pure Food and Drug Act required accurate labeling of patent medicines and banished many of them. Cocaine used in many remedies wasn’t banned until 1914 with the enactment of the Harrison Act.
12. AMERICAN PROTESTANT ASSOCIATION (APA), founded in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania also became active in our area. APA resembled the Know Nothings of the 1850's (a political group in America.
C. His book “Wicked Fox Cities: The Dark Side of the Valley” is available from Barnes and Nobles Books among others.
REMINDER ON SITE OF OUR NEXT REGULAR MEETING:
Due to the subject matter being the History of Appleton’s Locks and Dams, and an expected high turnout of members and guests, we have chosen the lower level of the Paper Discovery Center for our August 17th meeting. Atlas Coffee Mill will still make beverages and pastries available.
1st Regular Meeting Raffle Drawing:
Winner of a one year membership to the Appleton Historical Society was Lori Mueller. Congratulations and welcome Lori!
Respectfully, James L. Richter AHS Secretary 7/26/11