MEETING MINUTES

Wednesday,  June 10, 2015   

Thompson Community Center 

          

PROGRAM SUMMARY

“Appleton’s Historic Third Ward”

CALL TO ORDER BY PRESIDENT TOM SUTTER

TOTAL ATTENDANCE:     99

 

 OFFICERS AND BOARD MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE:

Tom Sutter,  Christine Williams, James Richter, Laura Leimer, Mark Moderson, John Marx, Brian Schneider, Gwen Sargeant, Linda Muldoon, James Krueger, and Diana Sandberg.

  

 REVIEW OF UPCOMING MEETINGS AND PROGRAMS:

 

July 8 – The Post Crescent – Dan Flannery

 

August 12 – Growing Up in Appleton in the 60s – Jim Krueger

 

August 23 – Cemetery Walk – “Meet the Mayors” – Riverside Cemetary

 

September 9 – The History of Catholic Schools by Deacon Tony Abts

 

October 14th   100 block of E. College Avenue  -  Dave Buss and Christine Williams

 

November 11 – Appleton Picture Show 

 

December 5 – 11th AHS History Fair, City Center

 

 

APPLETON  HISTORICAL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONAL INFORMATION:

 

 

AHS Officers:

A.   President  - Thomas Sutter

B.   Vice President  - Christine Williams

C.   Secretary – James Richter

D.   Treasurer – Laura Leimer

 

AHS Board of Directors:

A.   Terms through November 2017:

1.    Mark Moderson

2.    John Marx

3.    Laura Leimer

4.    Diana Sandberg

B.   Terms through November 2016:

1.    Linda Muldoon

2.    Jim Krueger

3.    Gwen Sargeant

4.    Brian Schneider

C.   Terms through November 2015:

1.    Tom Sutter

2.    Christine Williams

3.    James Richter

 

        Committee Chairs for the organization are as follows:

 A.  Mark and Karen Moderson, Principal Organizers

B.  Brian Schneider, Technical Resources

C.  David Buss, Research Specialist

D.  Gwen Sargeant, Public Relations and Web Page

E.  Christine Williams, Monthly Programs

F.  Gwen Sargeant, Publications

 

 

 

PRESIDENT SUTTER ANNOUNCEMENTS:

A.   Greetings extended to members and guests.

B.   Introduced Officers and Board Members.

CHe and two other AHS Board Members were on a Fox Wisconsin Heritage Parkway cruise of the Fox River earlier today. They served as local history narrators on each boat.

D.   Gave thanks to Jerry Zabronsky for last month’s program “The History of the Jewish Community in Appleton”.

E.   Gave those attending a report on how AHS has grown. Membership as of May 31 was as follows: 2011 – 36; 2012 - 49; 2013 – 54; 2014 – 85; and 2015 - 92.

F.    The Vulcan Historical site on South Lawe Street received a new Historical Marker which was dedicated on May 29th.

G.   Hopes we all saw the recent Post Crescent article on the WEPCO Hydroelectric Plant in Appleton’s Industrial Flats. The plant has been in continuous use since 1901.

H.   The door prize of a Frank’s Pizza Palace Gift Certificate was won by Louise Honkomp.

 

AHS COMMUNICATIONS REPORTS:

Gwen Sargeant, AHS Board Member and Public Relations Committee Member:

A.   Summarized upcoming monthly programs as well as 2015 Special Events.

B.   Encouraged us all to attend an Ice Cream Social on Sunday, June 28th, at the Historic Hearthstone. The event is free and chaired by Stephanie Malaney.

 

PROGRAM :     “Appleton’s Historic Third Ward”

 

Presenter:    Antoinette Powell

 

Speaker’s Background:

 

Music Librarian and Associate Professor Antoinette Powell has been at Lawrence University’s Seeley G. Mudd Library for over twelve years. She was previously Music Librarian at Carnegie Mellon University’s Hunt Library in Pittsburgh.

 Antoinette earned her undergraduate degree in Music Education with an emphasis in Piano Performance at St. Norbert College and her Masters of Library Science at the University of Pittsburgh.  She also did graduate work in Music History and Literature at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
 
Since living in Appleton she has documented the history of people and events in Appleton’s Old Third Ward where she lives with her husband, Keith. She is Webmaster for the Old Third Ward Neighborhood Association and for the Friends of Hearthstone, and serves on the Boards of Directors for both organizations.

 

Antoinette was recently named the 2015 recipient of the Outagamie County Historical Society’s annual Lillian F. Mackesy Historian of the Year Award, which honors outstanding contributions to Outagamie County history.  She contributed research on the Cleggett, Hollensworth and Newman families, all Old Third Ward residents, for the History Museum at the Castle’s pop-up exhibit, A Stone of Hope: Black Experiences in the Fox Cities.

 

 

The Presentation:

Antoinette began by asking “What’s So Historic About The Old 3rd Ward?”. She then showed a number of pictures of historic homes in the neighborhood.

 

What was the Appleton area like in the 1800’s?:

A.   Appleton was originally three separate villages: Lawesburg, Appleton, and Grand Chute.

B.   When Appleton became a city it was divided into 3 Wards.

C.   The Fox River was a big part of the Third Ward and it’s significance.

D.   The Third Ward is by the old Grand Chute, a waterfall.

 

Who were the earliest settlers of our area and would become founders of Appleton?:

 

In 1835 Hippolyte Grignon, the first white settler in what was to become Appleton, built a log house at the south end of the portage of the Grand Chute. His house was known as the “White Heron” with two attached wings for a trading post and quarters for travelers. Within the walls of the log house Father Florimond Bonduel, a Belgian priest, celebrated the first mass in the Appleton region in 1848.

 

From Ryan's History of Outagamie County, Wisconsin, part 7:

"In 1849 in connection with Morgan L. Martin and Abraham B. Bowen, [Theodore Conkey] secured a tract of land at Grand Chute, which included the falls, and laid out a village which they first thought to call Martin, but was finally named Grand Chute."

 

 

When did the area that encompasses the Third Ward become recognized and what were early major events in the area?:

 

 

A.   In these early years a John Baptiste Benoit owned a large tract of land in the what would become Appleton. The area he owned encompassed the entire area of the old Third Ward. Around 1850 he sold his property for $278.00, and then moved to Fort Winnebago and took a new name “John Landrush”.

 

B.   Senator Theodore Conkey advocated for our separation from Brown County in the late 1840’s.

 

 

CIn a letter dated July 1851 by Theodore Conkey to the Honorable Board of Supervisors of the County of Outagamie:

 

In consideration of a resolution of your Honorable Body proposed at your last session … I the undersigned do make the following proposition to wit:

  “I will donate by a conveyance … to the County of Outagamie one block of land in the      town of Grand Chute said block to be selected by your Hon. body subject to my approval.

   I will also erect build and finish such County building or buildings and according  to any

[?] or specifications as your Hon. body shall adopt, meaning hereby that I will defray all

expenses in erecting and finishing said building or buildings to the amount more or less as

your Hon. body shall direct.

   I will also provide and furnish for the County free of charge … a good and convenient house wherein to hold the several court of said county.”

    

D. In the 1850’s there was a three story hotel operating at the corner of Prospect Avenue and Memorial Drive. Unfortunately the Hotel just across the street from the Hearthstone burned down just list the original Atlas Mill.

 

E, In 1855 the first Outagamie County Courthouse was built on the current site in the middle of the Third Ward. The Courthouse neighborhood was considered the area from Lawrence Street South to 5th Street, and Memorial Drive east to the Fox River.

    

F. In 1859 St. Mary’s Catholic Church was formed. They built their first church on their current site in 1860.

 

     G. In 1870 Appleton Water Power dug a grand canal the entire length of the Grand   

     Chute Island.

 

     H.The current St. Joseph’s Catholic Church was erected in 1872.

 

I.      The George Walter Brewing Company was incorporated in 1903.

 

J.    The Third Ward had it’s own Fire Station at the Northwest Corner of 8th and State Streets.

 

K.   The City Water Department constructed an in ground reservoir at the corner of Walnut Street and Prospect Avenue. This reservoir was in use until 2011 and abandoned. The site is currently being reconstructed as Pioneer Park.

 

 

How the Third Ward Changed Over the Years:

 

A.   The neighborhood progressed over the years both residentially and with development of businesses, churches and government building.

B.   In a letter dated November 11, 1993, City Alderman Mike Whitman alerted  residents of the Third Ward of the pending County takeover of residential properties south of  Sixth Street and West of the current courthouse.

C.   The neighborhood rallied and developed an agenda to fight these takeovers.

D.   The neighborhood supporters incorporated as The Old Third Ward Neighborhood Association Incorporated in August of 1994.

 

Goals of the Historic 3rd Ward Neighborhood Organization:

 

            educate its members and the community on the historical significance of not only the buildings in the neighborhood, but the neighborhood itself.

              gather all information available about the County's intentions for the neighborhood.

                identify any additional city/county agenda.

             Make sure upcoming city and county meetings are widely disseminated.

             Calculate property values in the targeted areas to show the impact of property tax losses.

             Explore legal options and alternative long range and short range planning.

             Distribute updates to the neighborhood.

 

Many Successes of the Old Third Ward Neighborhood Association Inc.:

 

Over it’s many years of operation the OTW Neighborhood Association has been successful in preserving a number of historic homes and buildings and affected preservation citywide.

The organization is regularly consulted by the City and County with regards to development in the Third Ward area.

 

These successes would not be possible without the tireless efforts of many volunteers like founders Frank Counsel, Linda Muldoon, Antoinette Powell and many others.

 

Regrettably preservationists lost a valuable ally in 1997 when Frank Counsel passed away. There was a memorial built in recognition of him and placed on Reservoir Corner (State Street and Prospect Avenue). The memorial reads “expect goodness and truth” in honor of Frank’s integrity and commitment. It will be reinstalled in the new park.

 

OLD THIRD WARD NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION INC.

                           Chronology of Events

1994:

                 First walking tour map created

                Neighborhood was named to Wisconsin's "10 Most Endangered Property List"

 

1995:

                Received grant from Convention and Visitors’ Bureau to develop a formal walking tour brochure

                Neighborhood was named to Wisconsin's "10 Most Endangered Property List"

1998:

               Won Midwest Living® Magazine's Hometown Pride Award in the category "Historic Preservation“

                First home tour given

Won the Lillian Mackesy award from the Outagamie County Historical Society for walking tour brochure

1999:

   Held second historic homes tour

 2000:

               Held third historic homes tour 

  2001:  

West Prospect Avenue Historic District, 315-330 West Prospect Ave. listed on National

            Register of Historic Places

 

James L Richter, Secretary  7/3/15