MEETING MINUTES
Wednesday, July 13, 2016
St. Bernadette’s Catholic School
PROGRAM SUMMARY “Appleton War Memorials”
CALL TO ORDER BY PRESIDENT TOM SUTTER TOTAL ATTENDANCE: 77
OFFICERS AND BOARD MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE:
Tom Sutter, Gwen Sargeant, James Richter, Laura Leimer, Mark Moderson, Brian Schneider, John Marx, Linda Muldoon, Christine Williams, Jim Krueger, and Diana Sandberg.
REVIEW OF UPCOMING MEETINGS AND PROGRAMS:
August 10 WHBY – Steve Bell
September 14 Rio Theater and Worlitzer organ – Tom McNeely
October 12 Haunted Appleton – Chad Lewis
November 9 The Appleton Picture Show. Bring your own photos for show and tell!
Upcoming Special Events
August 21 2pm - Riverside Cemetery Walk, “Pioneer Appleton Residents”
December 3 9-12:30 History Fair at the Indoor Farmer’s Market, City Center Plaza
APPLETON HISTORICAL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONAL INFORMATION:
AHS Officers:
A. President-ThomasSutter
B. Vice President - Gwen Sargeant C. Secretary–JamesRichter
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 2018:
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 and Diana Sandberg, Research Specialists
D. Gwen Sargeant, Public Relations and Web Page
E. Christine Williams, Monthly Programs
F. Gwen Sargeant, Publications
PRESIDENT SUTTER ANNOUNCEMENTS:
A.Introduced Officers and Board Members.
B.Acknowledged two visitors from the Oshkosh Collector’s Club.
C.Thanks to the Post Crescent for its announcement of tonight’s meeting and all of its support.
D.We express our deepest appreciation to St. Bernadette’s Catholic Church for the use of their School Building located on Lourdes Drive on Appleton’s south side.
E.We would like to remind you that St. Bernadette’s Parish is hosting their annual rummage sale on July 28-30. We encourage you all to attend.
F.Sales of our book Images of America-Appleton continue to go well. Books are available at the registration table for $22.00 a copy.
G.We also still have available Vulcan Electric Site Souvenir Booklets for $10.00.
H.Gave a report on next year’s monthly programs and special events.
I.Reports that our Program Committee is looking for program ideas for 2017 programs.
J.Sutter urged members to renew their memberships as soon as possible.
K.The door prize was won by Don Hameister.
L.Thanks to Angie Knutson for last month’s program on Appleton’s Hidden Churches.
M.You are all invited to attend the Wisconsin Historical Society’s “2016 Local History and Historic Preservation Conference”, October 21st and 22nd at the Glacier Canyon Conference Center in Wisconsin Dells.
OFFICER AND BOARD MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Jim Krueger, Board Member, is also on the planning committee of the Pierce Park Car Show. He urged us all to attend the annual event this weekend at Pierce Park. Admission is free.
AHS BUSINESS MEETING:
Sutter reminded the group that we have been in existence since April of 2010. Our organization has had steady growth, and our public events are well attended. We have become an accredited member of the Wisconsin Historical Society. As we grow though, and look at expanding, we are always asked where are we located.
Our Board Members have been looking at prospective sites for an office and small museum. We believe we have located the perfect building for our needs. This is the former Gill Law Office, located at 128 N. Durkee Street, Appleton. We have made a formal offer on that building contingent up inspection evaluations and monies needed to prepare for opening.
We would like members and guests to help us acquire this building. We need your help in seeking $250,000 to acquire and update the building as well as maintain it for 10 years. Any donations that are made are tax deductible.
See solicitation letters and donation forms on the back table. Please take one for yourself but also one for friends and family who also might want to help.
PROGRAM: Appleton War Memorials
Presenter: Alex Schultz
Speaker’s Background:
Alex Schultz is the sitting president of Sculpture Valley, an advocacy group for public arts established in 2011 to restore, protect and promote public arts in the Fox Valley. Since its inception, the group has worked with the city and community leaders to arrest the on-going neglect of the city’s sculptures and memorials, successfully lobbying to establish a restoration and preservation fund in 2016 for these efforts.
Sculpture Valley worked with the Boldt Company and the City to acquire and place the Houdini Bust in Houdini plaza, manages the art installations in the Houdini Tower, and is working through an expansion of the Houdini walking tour. Sculpture Valley initiated the push for the restoration of “Aerial Landscape” on Lawrence University campus and is actively pursuing the re-setting and restoration of “Metamorphosis". Sculpture Valley spear- headed the campaign to establish the Ellen Kort Peace Park along the Fox River Water-front and initiated a campaign to restore Soldiers Square to a true memorial plaza as envisioned by the city fathers a century ago.
Alex is a graphic designer by trade and works most often as a freelancer for Allen James Design, a virtual design firm he co-founded in 2001 with Kyle Knoke.
The Program:
In 2013 Alex did an inventory of all historical memorials and markers in Appleton and from Little Chute to Neenah. Condition of many of these were found to be poor, and often had parts missing.
He submitted this inventory and concerns to Outagamie County and City of Appleton. Appleton has committed money and staff to refurbish these items over time.
They have developed an aerial map of all these sites and these now can be readily identified by using Google Map on your computer or IPhone. Alex then took us on a computer tour with Google Map throughout the valley. These monuments have been broken down into two categories: Artillery Pieces and Monuments, and the following are highlights of sites viewed:
ARTILLERY PIECES:
• Spread throughout our area.
• American Legion Clubs in Appleton and Little Chute have many pieces.
9/11 MEMORIALS:
• Appleton has one in the Industrial Flats.
• Greenville has a great one, and actually has two fragments from the Twin Towers.
MONUMENTS:
• Appleton West High has a number of monuments. These include a bronze plaque listing all students who served in World War II. Also in 1942 stained glass memorial windows were acquired and installed above the auditorium.
• Lawrence University has a number of sites. These include plaques listing all Laurentians who died in each of the wars right through Vietnam.
FOUR-SIDED PEACE POLES RECOGNIZING EACH OF THE ARMED SERVICES ARE ON DISPLAY AT SEVERAL AREA CHURCHES
VETERANS MEMORIALS:
There is a large display of these in front of Highland Memorial Cemetery on North Richmond Street.
Pierce Park has three memorials alone.
Their group had one of some 1000 Remember the Maine plaques, many have been stolen throughout country including ours.
• The one in Pierce Park had been stolen but a replacement has been found and acquired.
• Neenah has an Aisle of Valor on Keyes Street.
• The Menasha Memorial is right across from McDonald’s Restaurant, 212 Racine Street.
• River Memorial at Schieg Center, Memorial Park, Appleton.
• Multiple Memorials in Appleton City Hall.
• Then showed us aerial view of many small memorials throughout the Heart of the Valley.
• There are many Memorial markers in front of the Outagamie Courthouse.
• The Spirit of the American Doughboy at the south end of Memorial Drive in Appleton.
• The Civil War Memorial in Soldier’s Square, Appleton:
• They are actively pursuing restoration of the Soldiers Square sculpture. Parts have been missing for some time.
• It appears this is going to be done in conjunction with removal of the YMCA parking ramp and redesign of Soldiers Square itself.
• Alex thanked us all for attending and asking some great questions. They are constantly seeking information on new or lost memorials to add to their inventory. Contact him at Sculpture Valley.
Respectfully, James L. Richter
AHS Secretary, 7/25/16