MEETING MINUTES And 4th History Fair Report
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Paper Discovery Center
CALL TO ORDER BY CHAIRPERSON TOM SUTTER
TOTAL ATTENDANCE: 64
BOARD MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE:
Mark Moderson, Tom Sutter, Christine Williams, James Richter, Laura Leimer, Brian Schneider, Dave Buss and Gwen Sargeant.
REVIEW OF UPCOMING MEETINGS AND PROGRAMS:
APRIL 18 – Ivan Spangenberg, retired conductor of the Appleton City Band will discuss it’s history.
MAY 16 - Joe Gaerthofner, “Appleton’s Bloodiest Day” – recounts an incident in the Civil War during 1863.
June 20 - Chris Mehring, Director of Media Relations/Radio Announcer, Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. “Appleton Professional Baseball and It’s History”
July 18 - Ken Syring, A History of Appleton Airports.
I
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 – Laura Leimer
E. Mark and Karen Moderson, Principal Organizers
F. Brian Schneider, Technical Resources
G. David Buss, Research Specialist
PRESIDENT SUTTER ANNOUNCEMENTS:
A. Extended his deepest thanks to Brad Brautigaum for last month’s program on the History of the Appleton Fire Department.
B. Deepest appreciation was expressed to the Paper Discovery Center and Kathleen Lhost, Executive Director, for the use of their facilities and their hospitality.
C. Reported that he, Mark Moderson, and James Richter met with Appleton Mayor Timothy Hanna to discuss the possibility of doing displays of historic maps, pictures, antiques and archives of Appleton throughout City Hall. The Mayor offered wall space in several different 6th floor rooms as well as in the display case entering the Common Council Chambers. He also offered access to the City Clerk’s History Files. It was agreed that AHS would identify possible display items and present a proposal for their placement.
D. Did the night’s Door Prize Drawing –A Gift Certificate of Two $5.00 Coupons to the Tenth Frame Bowling Alley and Restaurant was won by Lawrence Vell.
REPORT AHS 4th History Fair – Saturday, March 3, 2012:
Jim Richter, Co-Chairman, gave a Final Report on our 4th History Fair that was held on Saturday, March 3, 2012, as part of the Appleton Downtown Winter Farm Market at the City Center.
Although a Winter Storm was underway outside, it was pleasantly warm and inviting inside at
our 4th History Fair. Attendance of 176 visitors was very encouraging and showed a growing support for the History Fair. We displayed an even wider array of exhibits and artifacts than ever before. Attendees enjoyed viewing 16 different tables of exhibits and talking about local history.
We thank Jennifer Stephany and Dujuanna Hugdahl of Appleton Downtown Inc. for making the event possible. Thanks also go to Pfefferle 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, as well as to Community 1st and Capitol Credit Unions who advertised the event on their billboards.
AHS COMMUNICATIONS REPORT:
Christine Williams, AHS Vice President, gave a summary of upcoming programs. She also acknowledged Matthew Payne’s ongoing efforts in filming each of our monthly programs and publishing them on DVD’s. Finally she distributed Membership Cards to renewed members, noting remaining cards are available from President Sutter.
PROGRAM SPEAKER – MARCH 21 – Tom Boldt gave a presentation on the life of Harry Houdini, and his years in Appleton.
Tom’s Background:
A. Appleton native.
B. Tom Boldt is a fourth generation member of the Boldt Construction Company and has been an important business leader who also gives generously of his time and energies to many non-profit organizations in the Fox Valley area and the State of Wisconsin.
C. He has been interested in Harry Houdini since 1985, and has been a Magician since he was nine years old.
Tom’s History Presentation:
A. Harry Houdini was born Ehrich Weiss on April 6, 1873, in Bucharest, Hungary.
B. His Father was Rabbi Meyer Samuel Weiss, a German Reformed Jew.
C. Rabbi Weiss answered the call and moved his family to Appleton in 1878. He was paid a salary of $750.00 a year. His family included his wife Celia and five children.
D. The Rabbi served the Temple Zion Church which still remains on North Durkee Street in Appleton.
E. Unfortunately Rabbi Weiss lost his position in Appleton and was forced to live in Milwaukee where the family lived on relief for a time.
F. During this period Ehrich and his siblings grew up doing a number of things:
(1) At a very young age Ehrich showed a skill for magic and slight of hand.
(2) He did odd jobs to help the family including messenger boy and shining shoes.
G. After a time Rabbi Weiss moved the family to New York where they lived through the 1890’s:
(1) Ehrich got a job in a necktie factory.
(2) Ehrich continued to pursue his interest in magic and showmanship. His first public act was a performance with friend Jack Heiman, calling themselves the Houdini Brothers.
(3) Ehrich took the name of Harry Houdini early in his magic career as it was a name that was easier for his American friends to say.
(4) Somewhat latter Ehrich (Harry) performed with his sister Bess in the Welsh Brothers Circus.
(5) By 1899 Harry was a top star in another circus where he was billed as the “Handcuff King”.
(6) One of his greatest escapes was performed in London, England.
(7) In July of 1904 he was doing regular performances in New York.
(8) In 1906 he came back to Appleton, which he always referred to as his place of birth, and did a performance where he escaped from the new escape proof Outagamie County Jail.
(9) In 1907 he did a successful bridge jump in Rochester, New York.
(10) Harry did his first performance in motion pictures in 1910.
(11) In 1912 he returned to Wisconsin and visited both Milwaukee and Appleton.
(12) Rabbi Weiss passed away in New York in 1892.
(13) Houdini made a number of movies, but quit acting when it failed to bring in money.
Harry was a keen aviator, and aimed to become the first man to fly a plane in Australia. According to the official definition of sustained flight, he was beaten to it by two others.
Even the circumstances of his death were dramatic and mysterious. According to one version, a student in Montreal asked him if his stomach was hard enough to take any blow, to which he replied that it was, whereupon the student rained a series of blows on it before Houdini had had time to tense up. A few days later, he died of a ruptured appendix. But this may have been unconnected, as he had already been suffering appendicitis and refusing to seek medical attention.[1] (Thanks to Wikipedia)
(14) Houdini passed away on October 31, 1926.
Conclusion::
Tom Boldt brought things to a close with a special game involving passing a ball around the room with the last person to catch and hold the ball being awarded a Houdini gift. A second pass awarded another winner.
Tom Sutter then led the audience in singing Happy Birthday to Harry Houdini.
Boldt invited the audience to look over a display of Houdini Artifacts that he had laid out on a side table.
Respectfully, James L. Richter
AHS Secretary 3/27/12
THE APPLETON HISTORICAL SOCIETY’S 4TH HISTORY FAIR
March 3, 2012
Although a Winter Storm was underway outside, it was pleasantly warm and inviting inside at
our 4th History Fair. The event was again held as part of the Appleton Downtown Winter Farm Market at the City Center in downtown Appleton. Attendance of 176 visitors was very encouraging and showed a growing support for the History Fair. We displayed an even wider array of exhibits and artifacts than ever before. Attendees enjoyed viewing tables of exhibits and talking about local history. We were all pleased with the number of visitors and the genuine interest in Appleton artifacts shown. Exhibitors included:
(1) Appleton Historical Society Welcome Table - Dave Buss and Carol Liethen McIntyre.
(2) Brian Schneider - showing a 100th Anniversary of Appleton Wire Works film and also
doing free scanning of pictures and artifacts for attendees.
(3) Tom Sutter with a very large historic maps display.
(4) Jim Richter – antique scales from Appleton and with a Special Display on the Ford
Drug Company.
(5) Mark Moderson with a cement sample machine, business items and artifacts.
(6) John Marx with post cards and artifacts, and a Special Display on Tuttle Press.
(7) Dave Kalz, photos and postcards.
(9) Alan Deeg-Miller Electric and centennial items.
(10) Michael Broeren-post cards, milk bottles, glassware.
(11) Brian Zenefski- Adler Brau Collection.
(12) Don Hameister- post cards, pictures and artifacts.
(13) Barb Bacon – Appleton maps exhibit and artifacts.
(14) Arvin & Betty Wolfgram – post cards and pictures.
(15) Keith & Antoinette Powell – 3rd Ward Display, Neighborhood Web Searches.
(16) Dave Buss – Special Display on Tom’s Drive In Restaurants, and Bob’s Super Service.
We thank Jennifer Stephany and Dujuanna Hugdahl of Appleton Downtown Inc. for making the event possible. Thanks also go to Pfefferle 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, as well as to Community 1st and Capitol Credit Unions who advertised the event on their billboards.
James Richter, Co-Chairman
Mark Moderson, Co-Chairman