MEETING MINUTES
Wednesday, January 11, 2017
St. Bernadette’s Catholic School
PROGRAM SUMMARY
“Vulcan Power Plant Replica and Early Hydroelectricity”
CALL TO ORDER BY PRESIDENT TOM SUTTER
TOTAL ATTENDANCE: 44
OFFICERS AND BOARD MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE:
Tom Sutter, Gwen Sargeant, James Richter, Laura Leimer, Linda Muldoon, John Marx, Brian Schneider, and Diana Sandberg.
Upcoming Special Events
March 4 9-12:30 History Fair at the Indoor Farmer’s Market, City Center Plaza
August 13 2pm - Riverside Cemetery Walk – City Pioneers
December 2 9-12:30 History Fair at the Indoor Farmer’s Market, City Center Plaza
2017 Appleton History Speaker Series
January 11 Vulcan replica and early hydroelectricity – Tom Seidl
February 8 Appleton parades – Greg Otis
March 8 St. Joseph’s Church and School, 150 years – Jim Krueger
April12 NativeAmericans–PeterPeregrine
May 10 Appleton East High School – 50 years – Cory Otis
June14 LawrenceUniversity–ErinDix
July 12 Cloud Buick - Steve Cloud
August9 AtticTheater–BerrayBillington
September 13 Pioneer and Riverside Cemeteries – Gwen Sargeant
October11 VoecksMeatMarketandFoxValleyCoin–MichelleGriesbach
November8 TheAppletonPictureShow--Bringyourownphotosforshowandtell!
APPLETON HISTORICAL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONAL INFORMATION:
♦ AHS Officers:
A.President - Thomas Sutter
B.Vice President - Gwen Sargeant
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 2018:
1.Tom Sutter
2.Christine Williams
3.James Richter
C. Terms through November 2019:
1.Linda Muldoon
2.Jim Krueger
3.Gwen Sargeant
4.Brian Schneider
Fund Raising Committee:
A. James Richter, Chairman
B. Gwen Sargeant, Vice Chairman
C. Laura Leimer, Treasurer
D. Linda Muldoon
Fund Raising SubCommittee-Promotions:
A. Mark Moderson, Chairman
B. Jim Krueger, Vice Chairman
C. Karen Moderson
Building and Grounds Committee:
A. John Marx, Chairman
B. Gwen Sargeant, Vice Chairman
C. Laura Leimer, Treasurer
D. James Krueger
E. Brian Schneider
Additional Committee Chairs 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.Thanks to the Post Crescent for it’s announcement of tonight’s meeting and all of it’s
support.
C. 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.
D. Thanks to Chad Lewis for last month’s program “Haunted Appleton”.
E. Gave an update on our Building at 128 N. Durkee Street:
1.Handicapped ramp has been installed.
2.Carpeting of the first floor is almost complete.
3.The American Disabilities Act compliant bathroom is done except for an issue in
the ceiling.
4. We have a target of opening in the first quarter of 2017.
F.Sutter gave a report on remaining monthly programs and special events for the year.
G.The door prize was won by Paul VanderLinden.
H.Reported an upcoming event we all might like to take in. For the month of March the
Menasha Public Library will be doing a display of Tom Sutter’s historic map collection.
I.Urged everyone to renew their memberships for 2017.
J.Sales of our book Images of America-Appleton continue to go well. Books are available
at the registration table for $22.00 a copy.
K. We also still have available Vulcan Electric Site Souvenir Booklets for $10.00.
AHS History Fairs Report:
James Richter, Co-Chairman gave a report on both 13th and 14th History Fairs.
Our 13th event was again held as part of the Appleton Downtown Winter Farm Market at the City Center in downtown Appleton. Attendance was 270 for our “Lucky 13th” event. Those who attended showed great support and positive comments for our theme, and the variety of exhibits displayed. The kids loved our electric train set running in the front window around a Christmas tree, and the free candy. Several copies of AHS’s book, Images of America-Appleton, were sold at the event.
Exhibits focused on Appleton’s Unique Historic Businesses and included displays as follows:
(1) AHS Welcome Table- Tom Sutter, Gwen Sargeant, Christine Williams, Laura Leimer
(2) Brian Schneider - Historic video and music; free scanning of pictures and artifacts
(3) Tom Sutter – Telulah Springs display
(4) Jim Richter and Brian Schneider – Voecks Food Store display
(5) Jim Richter and Diana Sandberg – Lutz Ice Company display
(6) Jim Richter and Diana Sandberg – Pettibone Peabody Department Store display
(7) Jim Richter and Diana Sandberg - Appleton Furriers display
(8) Tom Courtney - Courtney Woolen Mill display
(9) Jim Krueger - Jimos Hat and Shoe Shop
(10) Mark Moderson - pictures, post cards, business items and artifacts
(11) Jeff Geiger – Heckert Shoe Store display
(12) Dave Kalz – pictures, post cards and artifacts
(13) Dave Kalz (2nd) – model railroad setup in action
(14) Dave Buss – Funeral Homes and Ambulance Services display
(15) Diana Sandberg, Appleton Public Library – Assorted Appleton businesses displays
(16) Barney Hameister - post cards and pictures
(17) Mary Keller – Rossmeissl Shoe Store display
Many thanks to our dedicated exhibitors and all the time and effort they committed to our success! We thank Jennifer Stephany, Djuanna Hugdahl and Traci Erbecht 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 by WHBY Radio. Thanks also to Community 1st and Capital Credit Unions for marquee ads.
Planning is already underway for our 14th History Fair, which will be held on March 4, 2017. He and Co-Chair Mark Moderson are arranging a wide variety of historical exhibits. The focus of this event will be on “Appleton’s Manufacturers- The First 100 Years”. As always we are looking for exhibitors for our 16 to 18 tables.He urged the audience all to attend.
James Richter, Co-Chairman
Mark Moderson, Co-Chairman
PROGRAM: “Vulcan Power Plant Replica and Early Hydroelectricity”
PRESENTER: Tom Seidl, W.E. Energies
Speaker’s Background:
A native of Kewaunee. Graduated from UW-Madison with a degree in engineering. He serves as a Principal Engineer with W.E. Energies and is recognized as an expert on Stray Voltage.
The Program:
Tom began by saying he has been very involved with local history since he was first hired by Wisconsin Electric Power, now W.E. Energies, over 30 years ago. Shortly after joining the company he was assigned the preservation of the Vulcan Hydroelectric Plant. Periodically he gave tours of the plant and of their small museum in the main plant on South Oneida Street.
The coming of Electricity to Appleton was a big thing and revolutionized not only manufacturing but also residential lighting. As it is a bit complicated, Tom thought a lesson on electricity would be in order. These are a few facts he related:
(1) DEFINITION OF ELECTRICITY - a fundamental form of energy observable in positive and negative forms that occurs naturally (as in lightning) or is produced (as in a generator) and that is expressed in terms of the movement and interaction of electrons.
(2) DEFINITION OF MAGNETISM – Magnetism comes from a north and south pole and an invisible field between them. This field moves electricity and is exhibited by both magnets and electric currents, which are characterized by fields of force.
(3) DEFINITION OF DYNAMO – an electric generator for Direct Current.
(4) We move electrons through these fields of force (a wire). A current going through a wire creates a magnetic field.
(5) If you rotate on that field you create a “sine wave” that can increase or decrease the voltage.
(6) Appleton’s first electrical installation was a D.C. (direct current) system, that’s what Edison started and advocated.
(7) Explained how a D.C. dynamo works.
(8) The coming of Electricity to Appleton was a big thing and revolutionized not only manufacturing but also residential lighting.
Edison’s role in electricity and the light bulb was significant, but a few things need to be clarified:
(1) He didn’t invent direct current (D.C.) motors, he just perfected them.
(2) He didn’t invent the light bulb, he just perfected it.
(3) His goal was to create and control a large central power station, from which he could charge electricity users on a regular basis.
(4) In a battle with George Westinghouse, who advocated alternating current (A.C.), Edison pushed for direct current. This create a “War on Current”. Seidl worked for the Westinghouse Company just out of college. (George Westinghouse originally came to fame because he invented the air brake.
(5) When electricity first started there were many different power companies, some with A.C., some with D.C. Each ran their own distribution/ transmission lines. Companies came and went, but left their non-standardized plants and lines behind. After all sorts of problems and fires, laws were developed to have a single system in different geographic areas. This advanced of course to a single nationwide system or national grid.
(6) Solar offers some opportunities and it is a D.C. current system. Power companies use inverters to convert this to A.C. current.
Electricity first came to Appleton when H. J. Rogers, prominent paper mill owner, became involved with Thomas Edison himself. Rogers saw the need to put electricity and the light bulb into his Appleton Pulp and Paper Company plant and then into his own home (now known as the Hearthstone). Rogers with a few other local investors had a Dynamo installed in the paper mill to supply electricity to the mill, Rogers’ home, and ultimately other businesses and homes in the community. This unit went into operation on September 30, 1882.
This first dynamo in Rogers paper mill obviously had limits to how much electricity it could produce. Because the generator load varied due to production processes running at a given time, Rogers’ people ended up moving the dynamo from inside the plant to a small building outside the plant. Then in late 1882 a second dynamo was purchased and added to their system. It was installed in a small building on Vulcan Street in the Appleton industrial flats. Referred to as The Vulcan Street Plant, the small hydroelectric powered plant was built on a channel of the Fox River, just southwest of the Lawe Street bridge. It supplied power for a number of mills and a few homes up until 1908.
In 1886 two larger generators were purchased and placed in a new central plant on the site of Wisconsin Michigan Power Company’s present motor bus station (now location of W.E. Energies Hydroelectric Plant/Steam Plant just east of the Memorial Drive Bridge).
For a Golden Jubilee Anniversary Celebration held in 1932 Wisconsin Michigan Power Company (WMPCO) people and other local volunteers constructed a replica of The Vulcan Street Plant. It was built on South Oneida Street, now Olde Oneida Street, in front of their WMPCO office and garage (now the Edison Center). In constructing the replica they had to locate a generating wheel (dynamo) like one in the original plant of 1882. One “was located in the Crystal River about five or six miles out of Waupaca. It is now installed in the replica plant and is an exact type of the original Elmer wheel used in the first plant. It was manufactured by Morgan and Bassett, now the Appleton Machine Company, under the patents of Mr. Elmer, the inventor, who was a resident of Berlin, Wisconsin.”
“The power company ran the model for educational tours & school groups. In 1987, it was moved to its present location on Vulcan St. just to the west of the S. Lawe St. Bridge, & given to the City of Appleton, placed on a piece of land donated by Bob Buchanan & Riverside Paper. The site where it presently sits is within 20 feet of the original Vulcan Central Station plant that operated in November of 1882. The Parks & Recreation Dept. of Appleton owns & maintains the replica, while the Appleton Historical Society has access to open & show the plant for tours & visitors.” (Thanks to Laura Leimer, AHS Treasurer, and Principal Vulcan Plant contact).
In 1977 a Vulcan History Brochure was published to celebrate it’s 95th Anniversary. Copies of these brochures are still available for sale by the Appleton Historical Society.
In 1982 WMPCO and the City chose to have a celebration to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the first Appleton Power Plant. They called the celebration the Festival of Lights, and consisted of multiple events:
(1) Reconstruction of a trolley car. The rebuilt unit offered rides to the community. Seidl often operated on and gave tours on the trolley.
(2) The Vulcan Hydroelectric Plant replica. Seidl also gave demonstrations of the plant in operation.
(3) An electrical history museum inside the WMPCO complex.
(4) Also tours of the river and the power plant area were provided by the River Queen.
Seidl then concluded with providing a variety of information about electricity and how it has evolved:
(1) Did you know original wiring used in the Hearthstone and other buildings of it’s time was merely copper covered with cotton cloth?
(2) Did you know that the power transmission lines are just bare wire- no insulation?
(3) A.C. current can be stepped up for transportation by transformers and then it’s stepped down to a substation. Then the current is stepped down further to connect to homes and businesses.
(4) Nikola Tesla created the A.C. motor.
(5) All electronics have operated on D.C. current and still do.
(6) The Kimberly Clark Corporation paper mill in Niagara, New York, used D.C. current. Because of that the Kimberly, Wisconsin, mill was the same and generated 25 hertz of power.
W.E. Energies continues to support the preservation of local history. It works with the City in the operation of the Vulcan replica. It donated it’s Appleton museum to the Outagamie County Historical Society.
The presentation and it’s notes were supplemented by additional information from the Merrriam-Webster Dictionary and from the “Souvenir Booklet Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the World’s First Hydroelectric Station at Appleton, Wisconsin.”
Respectfully, James L. Richter
AHS Secretary, 1/28/17