MEETING MINUTES
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
CALL TO ORDER BY CHAIRPERSON TOM SUTTER
TOTAL ATTENDANCE: 50
PLANNING COMMITTEE IN ATTENDANCE:
Mark & Karen Moderson, Tom Sutter, James Richter, Jack Voight, Christine Williams, Linda Muldoon, Laura Leimer, John Marx, Dave Buss.
THIS WAS OUR FIRST MEETING AT OUR NEW LOCATION:
Sue Bogenschutz of Atlas Coffee Mill welcomed us to their restaurant and the new meeting site for the Appleton Historical Society. It’s fitting that their building constructed in 1878 be the site of a historical society’s meetings. As planned she and her staff provided an assortment of foods and coffees with prices posted. Attendees were invited to select desired items and leave a free will offering. Sue stressed this concept was developed by Panera Bread.
THANKS TO LAST MONTH’S SPEAKER – David Lee:
Chairman Sutter gave special recognition to David Lee, Former Director of the Paper Discovery Center, for giving last month’s program on “Paper Making and Its Ties to the Fox Valley”. Due to the illness of the scheduled speaker, Dave was gracious enough to fill in at the last minute with a great program.
UPCOMING MEETINGS AND PROGRAMS:
•MARCH MEETING – March 16. Tom McNeely- history of Appleton’s streetcars
•HISTORY FAIR – March 19, 9-12:30. Held during the Indoor Winter Farmer’s Market, City Center
•APRIL MEETING - April 20. Jane Azzi, retired librarian and historian - the first paper mill in Appleton, Richmond Paper.
APPLETON HISTORICAL SOCIETY 2/16/11 PAGE 2
REPORT ON OUR FIRST HISTORY FAIR AT THE APPLETON DOWNTOWN WINTER FARM MARKET-
Jim Richter:
Planning Committee Members and Exhibitors alike were very pleased with community response to our first History Fair held February 5, 2011. Over 240 people visited the event held on the first level of the City Center in Downtown Appleton. Attendees enjoyed viewing ten tables of exhibits and talking about local history:
(1) Christine Williams operated our Appleton Historical Society table.
(2) Brian Schneider had a display and did demos on how to scan pictures and artifacts
with a home computer.
(3) Historic Appleton neighborhoods table:
a. Linda Muldoon/Antionette Powell/Keith Powell - 3rd Ward
b. Laura Leimer - City Park
c. Patrick Casey - Arbutus Park
(4) Tom Sutter with area historic maps display.
(5) Jim Krueger with pictures and artifacts.
(6) Mark Moderson with post cards, business items and artifacts.
(7) John Marx with post cards and artifacts.
(8) Jim Richter with Appleton antique scale display.
(9) Arvin & Betty Wolfgram, ½ table pictures and artifacts
(10)Dave Kalz, photos and postcards
Many folks took brochures and information about our organization. Several took membership applications for and a few joined the Society.
We thank Jennifer Stephany and Dujuanna Hugdahl of Appleton Downtown Inc. for making the event possible. Thanks also go to Pfefferlee Companies Inc. and their City Center Staff for providing space, equipment and assistance. We also appreciate the excellent news coverage that was provided prior to the event by the Appleton Post Crescent, the Bargain Bulletin, and WHBY Radio.
PLANS ARE ALREADY UNDERWAY FOR OUR SECOND HISTORY FAIR AT THE APPLETON DOWNTOWN WINTER FARM MARKET – Saturday, March 19, 2011:
Jim Richter reports that the Planning Committee consisting of he, Mark and Karen Moderson, Christine Williams as well as Dujuanna Hugdahl, ADI Winter Farm Market Manager are already making arrangements for the March 19th event. We will be using both showrooms this time. New exhibitors will be added.
APPLETON HISTORICAL SOCIETY 2/16/11 PAGE 3
PROGRAM SPEAKER –
John McFadden, retired pastor of First Congregational Church (United Church of Christ) – The History of Appleton churches, 1850s-1890s.
•McFadden Background:
A. Served for 23 years as Senior Minister of the First Congregational Church, Appleton.
B. He is the author of the book The Open Door.
C. In 2000 he also wrote the history of the First Congregational Church for their 150th Anniversary Celebration that year.
•McFadden Research:
A. References Mentioned: Ryan’s Amazing Opus, a Lawrence Publication, 1900
•Program:
A. Appleton began with a few families organizing in a central location. The first Appleton family was that of Jonathan F. Johnston.
B. Appleton’s first Churches were primarily organized to meet the needs of Christian immigrants who came to the Fox River Valley, but also to help combat lawlessness, alcoholism and debauchery in the area. These churches were organized as centers for the member’s ethnic and cultural groups. One of the goals of all of the new churches was to civilize the Village of Appleton. Surprisingly, Appleton was called the “Puritan Village” in 1854.
C. Most of these first churches were Mission Churches, partially funded from out East.
D. The first Appleton church was 1st Methodist organized in 1849.
E. The notorious Eleazar Williams brought the church to Appleton and helped the development of the city. William's dream of founding a great Indian empire in the western territory led directly-- and accidentally -- to the creation of Appleton. After the War of 1812 he became an Episcopal missionary and was sent to the Oneida Tribe of upper New York State. In 1820, with funds supplied by the Ogden Land Company, Williams led a group of Oneida Indians west to see about buying some land. In August of the following year, Williams met with the Winnebago and Menominee chiefs of the Fox River area. Williams and the New York tribes were granted a four mile-wide strip across the Fox River. In the mean time, things were not going well for Eleazar Williams. Still seeing himself as the leader of the New York tribes, Williams had made his home in Green Bay. He opened a school for the children of Indians and white settlers, but the school was a failure. In 1823, he married a former student, Madeleine Jourdain, a descendant of both French trappers and Menominee Indians. From her Menominee relatives, Madeleine inherited a large tract of land on the Fox River, near De Pere. It was there that Madeleine and Eleazar built a home and raised their three children.
In 1844, while looking for financial help, Williams contacted Amos Lawrence, an early leader in the New England textile trade and a wealthy Boston philanthropist.
APPLETON HISTORICAL SOCIETY 2/16/11 PAGE 4
Amos Lawrence was willing to work out a loan agreement with Williams, but poor health forced him to turn the arrangements over to his son, Amos A. Lawrence. Mortgaging over 5,000 acres of his wife's property along the Fox River, Williams made two separate loans, one for $1,697.80, the other for $1,800. Unfortunately for Williams, his financial condition did not improve, and he was unable to buy back his wife's property. Years later he would claim that the younger Mr. Lawrence swindled him out of the land.
Amos Lawrence married Sarah Elizabeth Appleton who was interested in the DePere land and forming a community with church and other amenities. Finding the DePere property unacceptable, they chose a site where the City of Appleton would be formed.
Once the community was formed in 1850 the First Congregrational Church, formerly known as 1st Presbyterian, was extablished. Of it’s purposes were to combat Alcoholism and stress virtues. To become a member, one was required to sign a pledge of temperance and abstinence.
F. The Lawrences and the church prospered, as did other churches.
G. Methodist Minister Reeder Smith approached Amos Lawrence to seek some $10,000 to start a University in DePere on the Fox River. Lawrence ultimately provided the funds, but at some site other than DePere. Smith and his wife then chose a site in Appleton instead, which was owned by Mr. Meade and Mr. Lawe. Their efforts resulted in the formation and construction of Lawrence University at its current site in Appleton.
H. The first Jewish Synagogue was formed in the 1850’s, but because of limited numbers of Jews in the area, combined Conservative and Liberal Jews alike into one Parish.
I. St. Mary’s was the first Catholic Church formed in Appleton. It was built to support the second wave of immigrants – the Irish.
J. Somewhat later St. Joseph’s Catholic Church was formed for all the immigrant German Catholics.
K. Initially neighborhoods were formed to reflect the religion of their residents, example the First Ward became Protestant, abstinent, professional and Republican.
L. When the Civil War began, Churches became active supporters of the Union- especially Reverend Louis Thiel of St. Mary’s Church.
M. In 1883 Zion Lutheran Church was formed.
THANKS TO THE BOGENSCHUTZ’S:
We extend our deepest appreciation to Sue Bogenschutz of Atlas Coffee Mill for working with us on the meeting site and arrangements. Thanks for the food and beverage and also for providing a microphone and speaker for our speaker’s use. We look forward to a long and healthy relationship with the Bogenschutz’s and their staff.
APPLETON HISTORICAL SOCIETY 2/16/11 PAGE 5
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 2/28/11