MEETING MINUTES
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Paper Discovery Center
CALL TO ORDER BY CHAIRPERSON TOM SUTTER
TOTAL ATTENDANCE: 63
BOARD MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE:
Mark Moderson, Tom Sutter, Dave Buss, Gwen Sargeant, Linda Muldoon, Brian Schneider, Laura Leimer, John Marx, Karen Probst and James Richter
REVIEW OF UPCOMING MEETINGS AND PROGRAMS:
· 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
· May 15 - Matt Jackering, Junior Warden, “The History of Waverly Masonic Lodge #51”.
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 Bill Lecker, Executive Director of Parks and Recreation, City of Appleton, for last month’s program on “The History of the Appleton Parks System.”
B. Thanks to Randy Stadtmueller for the use of Suite 150 in the historic Atlas Paper Mill
Complex for tonight’s meeting. We have been authorized to use the facilities for next month’s meeting as well, and are in negotiations for use of the facilities into 2013.
C. Verified we will be doing another Christmas at Conkey’s Event. Sutter has contacted the owner of Conkey’s, John Zimmerman, and received authorization for use of their facilities on November 20th. Asked for donation of cookies from members.
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, Tom Sutter and a replacement for Jim Richter 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. This meeting will also be special since it will be one where everyone can bring in their pictures, post cards and artifacts for showing and discussion. We will provide scanning of documents so AHS may preserve many of these items.
E. You can find previous meeting presentations on YouTube.
F. Drawing and Door Prize – Thanks to Linda Muldoon, AHS Board Member and Co-Owner of Coventry Glassworks and Gallery for providing a Gift Certificate. Barb Bacon won the Gift Certificate.
G. We are all encouraged to see brochures on “Light Up the Fox” which is coming up.
H. It was brought up and Sutter agreed that we need a list of our AHS Officers and Board Members on our web site.
AHS COMMUNICATIONS REPORTS:
A. Gwen Sargeant, Board & Technical Services and Communications Committee Member:
1. Membership Relations:
b. Gave a summary of upcoming AHS programs (See List Above).
c. She and Mark Moderson, are looking for programs and speakers for 2013.
d. Newsletter – passed out form to audience to get email addresses and the like so they can regularly receive newsletters.
e. She and Brian Schneider have the Face Book Page in place, and response has been great
f. She is looking for help on making regular media and organizational contacts.
2. Encouraged us all to see the Outagamie Museum’s Davinci exhibit, as well as the Haunted
Hearthstone exhibit.
B. James Richter, AHS Secretary, and Events Co-Chairman:
1. Gave reminder that for those who haven’t computer access, printed copies of past Meeting Minutes are available at our registration table.
2. December 1, 2012. HISTORY FAIR:
a. Planning continues. The event will again be held at the City Center, Downtown Appleton, as part of the Appleton Downtown Winter Farm Market:
b. A Central Theme has been selected for the event and it will be Appleton Soda Bottling Companies.
c. A Focus Exhibit will also be done on the History of Appleton (formerly known as Appleton Papers).
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. SPECIAL THANKS TO GEORGE HANSEN FOR HELPING PREPARE EXHIBITS AND FRAMING A LARGE NUMBER OF THEM.
e. A list of proposed exhibits has been submitted by Tom Sutter to Mayor Hanna, and we are awaiting approval to place them throughout City Hall.
4. RICHTER SUBMITS RESIGNATION:
a. Due to his job as well as other personal and family commitments, he will no longer be able to serve in his leadership roles with the Appleton Historical Society .
b. Effective 12/31/12 he resigns as both Secretary and as a Board Member.
c. He will serve as Co-Chairman of the December 1, 2012, History Fair, but after 12/31/12 will only provide tables for and do a personal, historic table at further History Fairs.
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 –
· October 17 – Tony Knuppel – History of Appleton Marble and Granite Works and the Celebration of it’s 125 Years in Business.
Knuppel’s Background:
.
A. Tony is a native of Appleton.
B. Graduated from the University of Wisconsin-with a Business Degree.
C. Joined the family owned Appleton Marble & GraniteWorks in 1972.
D. He purchased the business from his Father Anton Knuppel in 1978.
Knuppel’s Presentation (Nature of Appleton Marble and Granite):
.
A. They produce custom made stone and marble monuments.
B. The majority of the monuments made are headstones for graves in local cemetaries.
C. They also make one of a kind stone signage and monuments for businesses and individuals.
D. Also produce many Veterans Memorials and the like:
1. The Veterans Memorial in Clintonville was done by them a few years ago..
2. They have done a wide variety of these throughout the area in recent years.
E. They also remanufacture monuments.
Knuppel’s Presentation (A Chronology of Appleton Marble and Granite):
.
A. Founded in 1886 as the George Wolf Company by George Wolf.
B. August Knuppel purchased the firm from Wolf in the early 1900’s.
C. The business was originally located at 514 W. College Avenue, which is currently the site of Coventry Glassworks and Gallery.
D. Business was brisk in those early years. A number of stone cutters/masons were employed. They even employed a blacksmith full time, just to keep all the stone cutting tools sharp.
E. In 1911 the business was moved from College Avenue to a frame building at 908 N. Lawe Street. That building still exists adjacent to the railroad tracks on Lawe Street.
F. In 1923 August invited his two young nephews to join him in the business. Anton, who was born in 1905, and John became a part of the business.
G. Anton and John bought into the firm and the business continued to grow. Like all businesses it had it’s ups and down. During the Depression John and Anton both left for out of town jobs just to survive.
H. But things turned around in the 30’s. In the late 1940’s John and Anton paid off their note to Uncle August.
I. In 1955 the partners swapped their site at 908 N. Lawe Street for their current site at 1708 E. Wisconsin Avenue.
J. In 1972 Tony Jr. came into the business, and then in 1978 he bought the company from his father, Anton.
Knuppel’s Presentation (Acquisitions They Have Made and Branches Operated):
.
A. In 1937 they acquired the Groetzinger Memorial Company in Chilton.
B. In 1959 they purchased a vacant lot on Highway 45 in the City of New London. From that lot they still display samples of various headstones and monuments they offer.
C. In 1985 bought Schlafer-Martin Memorials in Green Bay.
D. In 1998 they bought and started Oshkosh Monument and Bronze.
E. In 2005 they bought Beaver Dam Monuments.
Respectfully, James L. Richter
AHS Secretary, 10/28/12