Kaukauna Area Historical Society Blog

Marion Francis

2008-04-10T08:18:00.000-07:00

Kaukauna's own Marion Francis. Memories?

Shoe Store x-ray machine

2008-03-11T18:29:00.000-07:00

I'm interested if others remember the Foot xray machine at Verfurth's Shoe Store on 2nd, maybe 3rd St.
-KC

Here are some links I found that you might be interested in:

X-Ray Shoe Fitting Machine

Shoe-Fitting Fluoroscope

Anybody else remember Verfurth's and the x-ray machine?

This blogger is hearing rumblings that the x-ray machine wasn't at Verfurth's. It was at the Modern! Does anyone know for sure?

Galloping Ghosts

2007-09-21T20:46:00.000-07:00

QUESTION:

Greetings, I was reading the Kaukauna history blog. It is quite fascinating. I was asked a question that you might be able to answer. Do you know the history behind the name: Ghosts for our sports team? How did our sports teams become the Kaukauna Ghosts. I understand if you can't find the answer because nobody I know has been able to answer it yet. peace, Fr. Tom Pomeroy

ANSWER:

The Kaukauna Library website has a page dedicated to answering this very question.
Thanks for the kind words about the blog, Fr. Tom!

Movies!

2007-09-21T11:18:00.000-07:00

The next KAHS general meeting will feature a presentation about the Vaudette Theater of Kaukauna. Everybody I talk to has got a story (or 3) about Kaukauna's movie theaters - The Rialto and The Vaudette. We'd love for you to post your memories about Kaukauna's cinema palaces.

Baseball 1923

2007-05-10T07:48:00.000-07:00

JD has submitted this photograph from his grandfather's collection. Names were written on the back in pencil and aren't legible. Some possible names are: Abner Bues, Henry Groh, Bob Trentman, Leo or Geo Rachine/Ratchen, H Williams, Shorty Lewis, Stump, Ed Johnson, Al Stack, Heinie Stack. Help us identify these fine athletes and please be specific, e.g., "front row, 3rd from left,..." Any guesses as to where this was taken?

Stormy Kromer Open Thread

2007-03-23T11:16:00.000-07:00

*I just received this urgent missive from UB:
I don't know why I received the following e-mail, but it's perhaps that I researched the name a bit 1 - 2 years ago. I don't know if you know who Stormy Kromer is. He's a Kaukauna name from the first half of the 1900's. He was a railroad man who needed a warm cap when working the railroad yard. His wife made him a wool cap, with ear flaps. The cap worked so well, and his co-workers liked it so much, that his wife made caps for them also.
I remember that your Grandfather Lyle A. owned one. When the cap resurrected a few years ago, I researched the full story, found out where the caps were being marketed, phoned a hardware store in Oostburg, found out that they had one cap left. Would you believe that it was just the color I was looking for, and in my exact size? They had it waiting for me when I arrived, nicely packaged in a brown kraft bag. I love the cap; when I wear it George has found another reason to ignore me, the lady at the Post Office calls me Elmer Fudd, and I think of Johnny Carson doing one of his skits while he was wearing a cap like that. Like I said, I have no idea what the piece is to be about this evening, and we will be out of town. But I am taping that half hour. You may have to get several thousand of your closest friends to vote for Stormy. As one of our elite Kaukauna historians, you may want to watch the show. Also, when I checked out Stormy a few years ago, I just googled, and there he was. UB
----- Original Message ----- From: Stormy Kromer To: UB Sent: Friday, March 23, 2007 12:09 AM Subject: Stormy Kromer Needs Your Vote! Watch CBS News 3/23 Want to learn more about the phenomenon that is Stormy Kromer? Friday evening, March 23, tune in to the CBS Evening News at 6:30 pm Eastern/ 5:30pm Central and watch Assignment America with Steve Hartman. You’ll see three short stories from around the US, of which Stormy Kromer’s will be one. You’ll then have the opportunity to vote for your favorite (ahem…Stormy Kromer) at: http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/assignment_america/main500617.shtml CBS will tape a full segment on the favorite story, to be aired on a subsequent show. So watch, vote, and keep your fingers crossed and noggin warm, and we might just do it! We’ll certainly keep you posted and let you know when to watch if we do win.

*This seems like a good time to open a Kaukauna Area Historical Society Stormy Kromer thread. Tell us your own story in the COMMENTS or an email about the best cap ever, your Kromer domer!

TD comes through with some George "Stormy" Kromer clippings:

(at left)
George Kromer (Catcher) and Harry Frambach (Pitcher) were hired on to the Kaukauna Baseball team in 1897.
George was 21 at this time and Harry Frambach was 29.
Harry Frambach and John Stoveken Jr. were first cousins and born 2 years apart.
Harry is the son of Henry Frambach and was working at the Badger Paper Mill Between 1887-1897 as an accountant until 1902 when he moved to Cheboygan, MI with his father to operate the new Cheboygan Paper Mill being built by the Frambach family.

(below - the wedding announcement of George Kromer & Miss Ida Homan)

(Base Ball Trouble
or Stormy's Got
a Temper)
(Don't Call It A Comeback)
(K-town Kaps?)

kahs#0008 Building

2007-03-18T08:58:00.000-07:00

According to the Fall 2006 Newsletter, some thought this was the Trinity Lutheran School. Some also thought this could be Dr. Boyd’s office (Kaukauna Clinic), now Abel Insurance on 241 W. Wisconsin Avenue. Les Abel will look for an abstract.

Sulphur Springs

2007-03-18T08:54:00.000-07:00

Apparently, there were two sulphur springs in Kaukauna – one on the north side somewhere near the quarry and one on the south side near today’s swimming pool on the Konkapot (Kappel’s or Cobble’s Creek). Can anyone exactly locate these springs? Are they still active?

I’ve been told that people would come to the springs with empty bottles to collect the water to drink it for its beneficial qualities.

CAL

Springville Brickyard

2007-03-18T08:53:00.000-07:00

Updated: TD emailed kahsblog the picture. He reports, "The photo was in the Centennial of Kaukauna."

I have a photocopy of an article from a 1981 Appleton Post Crescent about the brickyard at Springville – just east of Kaukauna across from where the Marina Bar stands today. Any memories, information or pictures? CAL

More updates from TD: An article from the Kaukauna Sun, "New Industry for Kaukauna" and "A Promising Industry." Thanks, Tom!

Nurse Mary Nigl

2007-03-18T08:50:00.000-07:00

I have heard that Mary Nigl was the City of Kaukauna’s first visiting (public) nurse in the early 1920’s. Apparently, there were many women who trained as nurses for World War I; and became available after the war ended. Any information or recollections?

CAL

Butter Hills

2007-03-13T07:51:00.000-07:00

I was talking to a friend who grew up in Kaukauna mentioned playing at the “Butter Hills” along Konkapot Creek. He said the hills were a really pure clay and that he found Indian arrowheads near there. Where were (are) the “Butter Hills”?

Craig

kahs#0008 Chicago White Sox

2007-03-08T07:21:00.000-08:00

This intriguing photograph was recently printed in the March 2007 KAHS newsletter. That particular Chicago White Sox jersey was worn 1939 - 1951. Is he a player or a coach? Is that a catcher's mitt? He stands like a pitcher. Does anyone know the names of the three men, the circumstance and location? Sox fans?

kahs#0007 Woman in pearls

2007-03-05T14:06:00.000-08:00

Although the KAHS newsletter indicates that the subject of this photograph is Isabelle Black, Mona W. and Pat L. believe she is Mrs. Katherine Sullivan of Dixon Street. Our first controversy! Anyone else care to weigh in?

Rohan's Woods

2007-03-05T05:23:00.000-08:00

I’ve been looking through newspaperarchives.com and found an article from 1939 (?) about some Kaukauna scouts hiking to Rohan’s Woods.

Anybody know where that is or was?

Craig

kahs#0006 Centennial couple

2007-03-04T12:28:00.000-08:00

The poster says: A GIGANTIC HISTORICAL SPECTACLE - TALE OF THE FOX - OUTAGAMIE COUNTY'S CENTENNIAL PAGEANT - THURSDAY -FRIDAY -SATURDAY -SUNDAY - JULY 15-16-17-18 at KAUKAUNA.

I've already determined that July 15th fell on a Thursday in 1948, which would coincide with Wisconsin's Centennial. Outagamie County's Centennial would be 1951 and July 15 of that year fell on a Sunday, so I think we'll go with the Wisconsin Centennial in 1948, unless someone can do a little more detective work.

Can anyone identify the people in the photograph? Are they in costume? What are they doing (stuffing envelopes)? Where are they?

kahs#0005 house

2007-03-04T12:01:00.001-08:00

Does anybody have an idea where this house is or was located? Who owned it? Who built it?

kahs#0004 School Children

2007-03-02T12:30:00.000-08:00

Click on the photo to enlarge. Who are the children? Who are the adults? Where was the photograph taken? When? Why? School picture? Class picture?

kahs#0003 Groundbreaking Ceremony

2007-03-02T11:54:00.000-08:00

Eight men in foreground and 2 men in background. Can you identify these people, the event and the date?

kahs#0002 Group Photo

2007-03-02T11:48:00.000-08:00

Informal group photograph taken on porch steps. Who are these people? Where and when was it taken?

kahs#0001 Group Photo

2007-03-02T11:03:00.000-08:00

Photograph of five men standing and four women seated. The women appear to be looking at a brochure. Who are the subjects? Where was this taken? What was the event? Approximate date?