I am beginning to turn up some very interesting material for my History Seminar project. I've gone through boxes upon boxes, folders upon folders. papers upon papers, and I have run into Allis-Chalmers a few times in the old Wisconsin Bureau of Civil Defense information. The company played two interesting roles in Wisconsin Civil Defense. One was devising a CD plan… Continue reading Allis-Chalmers and Civil Defense
Blog Posts
AC Christmas Gifts
Christmas is nearly here and that means spending time with family and friends. There are some super-sweet gifts that are out there for the AC enthusiast. Films There are 2 new DVDs out that have digitally converted 16mm Allis-Chalmers promotional films. I am acquainted with the guy that put these together. They are outstanding quality and have… Continue reading AC Christmas Gifts
City Man on the Farm
I was going through some photos on my computer, and I couldn't resist making a post about this after I found the pictures from last year. Last Summer my soon-to-be in-laws made a trip to our family farm. According to the dates on the picture, it was the last weekend in July 2011. I remember that being a really… Continue reading City Man on the Farm
#5 La Crosse Works
The humble beginning of the La Crosse Plow Company started in 1860, when John M. Barclay and I.S. Bantan started the Barclay and Bantan Implement Works in La Crosse, Wisconsin. In May 1865, Albert Hirschheimer bought the small shop and carried on making horse-drawn farm equipment there, calling it the A. Hirschheimer and Company.* Hirschheimer partnered… Continue reading #5 La Crosse Works
Markesan Washing Machine in Milwaukee
I ran into a rather interesting article in the Milwaukee Journal from October 13, 1919. It relates to my hometown of Markesan and a wash machine that was built there. This Milwaukee paper was advertising a washing machine, but it wasn't just ANY washing machine, it was a "THE MARKESAN" electric wash machine. What most… Continue reading Markesan Washing Machine in Milwaukee
Civil Defense in Wisconsin
I am about a month into my final year of undergraduate college. One of the privileges I have in my history degree program is to conduct some in-depth research on a selected topic. The class is called History Seminar and covers areas in history for students to research and write on. My particular seminar deals with the decade… Continue reading Civil Defense in Wisconsin
Eight Rural Culture Elements
I've been doing a lot of reading on how to kickstart some change in Markesan. I ran into a very interesting article done by the Kansas Sampler Foundation and what they called the eight rural culture elements. What seems to be a problem, which the same problem about 10 years ago when a movement like this was… Continue reading Eight Rural Culture Elements
Facing the Problems in Markesan
It has been an issue that has been sitting in my crop awhile and it is time to take action. I know there will be ruffled feathers and unhappy people, but I'm going to grab the tiger by the tail and not let go. This community means too much to me to watch it wither away… Continue reading Facing the Problems in Markesan
Revitalize Our Hometown
Markesan, Wisconsin, is my hometown and things are not what they used to be. Many people may not believe it, see it or want to admit it, but Markesan is heading down a road of destruction. I want to get a movement going to challenge the community to step up and make change. This isn't something… Continue reading Revitalize Our Hometown
When the Railroad Arrived in Markesan
On September 16, 2012, I had an extraordinary time at the Markesan Historical Society's annual Heritage Days. I was invited there to showcase and promote the book I recently published, Images of America Markesan. I was also distributing a historic tour map of our town. Another historical society member and I constructed a walking tour… Continue reading When the Railroad Arrived in Markesan
The Weekend Historian 