MEETING MINUTES
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Paper Discovery Center
CALL TO ORDER BY CHAIRPERSON TOM SUTTER
TOTAL ATTENDANCE: 55
BOARD MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE:
Mark Moderson, Tom Sutter, Dave Buss, Gwen Sargeant, Linda Muldoon, Brian Schneider, Laura Leimer, and James Richter
REVIEW OF UPCOMING MEETINGS AND PROGRAMS:
· October 17 – Tony Knuppel – History of Appleton Marble and Granite Works
· November 21 - Appleton Picture Show- BYOP to share and discuss.
· December – No Monthly Meeting, Happy Holiday!
· December 1 –AHS History Fair, City Center, Downtown Appleton
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. Thanks to Tim Trettin, Co-Owner Brettschneider/Trettin/Lederer Funeral Home, for his great program on their business’ history.
B. Thanks to the Paper Discovery Center and Kathleen Lhost, Executive Director, for the use of the facilities and their hospitality.
C. Proposed we consider another Christmas at Conkey’s Event. General membership by majority vote agreed that we should again pursue. Sutter will contact the owner of Conkey’s, John Zimmerman, if we can use their facilities again.
D. Reminded us that November 21st Meeting will be our Annual Business Meeting at which time elections will be held. Board positions held by Christine Williams, Karen Probst, and Tom Sutter will be up for vote. One vacancy on the Board still exists. Members and other interested parties are encouraged to step forward as a candidate.
E. You can find previous meeting presentations on YouTube.
F. Drawing and Door Prize – Carol McIntyre won a Dairy Queen Gift Certificate.
AHS COMMUNICATIONS REPORTS:
A. Gwen Sargeant, Board & Technical Services and Communications Committee Member:
1. Gave a summary of upcoming AHS programs (See List Above).
2. Reported that AHS did hold a Cemetery Walk, Sunday August 19th, at 3:00 p.m. at the Riverside Cemetery. Tom Sutter, Dave Buss, and others served in costume as past Mayor’s of the City of Appleton each narrating Appleton History during their time. We had good community response, and some 60 people attended the walk.
B. James Richter, AHS Secretary, and Events Co-Chairman:
1. For those who haven’t computer access, printed copies of past Meeting Minutes are available at our registration table.
2. History Fair planning is underway and the audience is reminded that our next event will be held at the City Center on Saturday, December 1, 2012.
3. City Hall Exhibit:
a. 4/12 AHS President Sutter met casually with Appleton Mayor Hanna. During their conversation Sutter explained our organization as well as described his map collection. Hanna said we should be able to work out some displays in City Hall and urged that our reps meet with him on another occasion.
b. 5/16/12 Sutter, Moderson, Buss and Richter met with Mayor Tim Hanna. We described our organization and its goals with Hanna expressing great support..
c. 9/12/12 Committee met at Tom Sutter’s office to review items collected and decide upon final items, display methods and costs incurred. Committee later asked for $300.00 budget from AHS Board which was granted. Goal is October 1st to open exhibits.
d. 9/19/12 Richter asked for two or three volunteers who might be experienced with scrapbooking, picture framing, display work and the like to assist committee in framing pictures and artifacts in frames and poster frames?
C. Brian Schneider, Technical Resources and Communications:
a. Our Facebook Site is being very well used. If someone is unfamiliar with Facebook and
would like to be a user, Brian offers free training and orientation.
PROGRAM SPEAKER – Bill Lecker, Executive Director of Parks and Recreation, City of Appleton, “The History of the Appleton Parks System.”
Lecker’s Background:
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A. Bill is a native of Appleton.
B. Graduated from UW-LaCrosse with a Bachelor’s Degree in Park & Recreation Administration.
C. Joined the Appleton staff as Director in 1994.
Lecker’s Presentation (A Chronology of Appleton Parks):
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A. Earliest Parks:
1. 1st Park was City Park purchased in 1882 for $13,000, Encompasses 8 acres.
2. Jones Park wss next, donated in 1909. Originally it virtually encompassed the area from the corner of Prospect and Oneida north to Atlantic Street. It’s north end became known as “Packard Hill” and is now known as Arbutus Park.
3. Alicia Park was received as a gift from Alexander Reid for his wife Alice Conkey Reid. It initially had some unique features like Camping, which proved most controversial in 1924. The Park also contained a Children’s Zoo during the 1920’s.
4. Pierce Park was used as a public gathering area as far back as the 1870’s.There is some question when it formally became a City park: 1920, 1921, 1936, or 1939. A major portion of the park was purchased from the Pierce estate in 1939. Also in 1939 a pavilion was built as part of a WPA project.
5. Erb Park was purchased in 1923, but not developed until 1937. The famous “Bird Bath Swimming Pool” was created in 1940.
6. Telulah Park was first organized in the early 1870’s by J.E. Harriman and Welcome Hyde . They focused on the area around natural mineral springs which was essentially the core of the park. It wasn’t officially dedicated as a park until 6/30/40.
B. Barrage of Parks that Followed:
1. Linwood in 1945
2. Mead in 1958
3. Hoover in 1959
4. Northside Kiwanis in 1959
5. Schaffer in 1961
6. Memorial in 1965
7. Lions in 1965
8. Einstein in 1973
9. Colony Oaks
C. As a variety of different parks surfaced, they were broken down into two primary categories:
1. Community Parks:
a. Erb. Telulah, Memorial, and Pierce
2. Neighborhood Parks , which were smaller in nature, started in the 20’s in Appleton:
a. Kiwanis and Hoover, for example
D. The Appleton Municipal Golf Course became a part of the park structure:
1. It was dedicated Labor Day of 1928 as a 9 hole course.
2. On 6/5/40 the City purchased 52 acres of land for the park for $12,000.
3. After construction the expanded course opened as 18 holes.
4. On July 23, 1941, it was formally named Reid Golf Course.
E. In 1996 we began development of a Trail System:
1. We currently have over 7 ½ miles of off street paved trails in the City.
F. The City also owns Houdini Park downtown which is a part of our park system. It’s
known as as a “Special Area” and not a “Park”.
G. All in all the City currently has a total of over 600 acres of parks, including Reid Municipal Golf Course.
Lecker was very well received by the audience, and the number of questions and comments were endless. Special thanks to Bill and the City of Appleton for his appearance.
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Respectfully, James L. Richter
AHS Secretary, 10/2/12