Exploring History & Discovering Your Spark
In a previous post I wrote about the establishment of Winnebago County, Wisconsin, and the construction of the county's first courthouse. That first courthouse was a simple, two-story structure constructed in 1849. That building was outgrown shortly after completion, and county officials began discussing a plan to build a new facility. According to one account, court was no longer… Continue reading Winnebago County Courthouses-Part 2
At the end of my previous post about the construction of the first Winnebago County courthouse, I briefly mentioned the attempt to save the structure. This venture never worked out, and the original building that stood for 100 years was dismantled. I thought it was important to tell a bit of the story of how… Continue reading Winnebago County’s Struggle to Save a Courthouse
My wife, Molly, and I have been living in our home for one-and-a-half years now, and we have been making some improvements along the way. We have put in central air, a fence, new steps, and even remodeled a whole room! We have a small wall between our living room and kitchen that was bare… Continue reading History Gallery Wall
As part of my job, I have been assigned to sort and organize our collection of blueprints for all of the county buildings. My first collection of prints is of the county courthouse constructed in 1937-38. It had me wondering about previous courthouses built in Oshkosh. I did some research at the Oshkosh Public Library and Oshkosh… Continue reading Winnebago County Courthouses- Part 1
This past month I applied for a plaque for our home through the Oshkosh Landmarks Historic Plaque Program. Molly and I had no idea when we bought our home that there was some history behind our home. I applied for the Wisconsin Historical Society Historic Home Tax Credit program, but we were denied. The WHS… Continue reading Historic Plaque for the Fluor House
Hello to all of my blog readers. It seems I have taken another hiatus from writing. It has been such a busy year here at the Frederick home. Molly and I have been working on our house, traveling for weddings, and spending time with family. It's also hard to find the time since I have… Continue reading A Cold November Evening
Molly and I had a great Labor Day weekend. We did some of the usual summer rituals. We had friends over for a brat fry, beer, and a campfire to roast s'mores and visit. It was a great way to celebrate the unofficial end of summer. But a holiday weekend is not complete without learning… Continue reading Great War to Great Gatsby
It has been over 40 years since the last passenger train roared down the rails in the Fox Valley. The Chicago & North Western's 400s were among the last to offer intercity rail service between Chicago, Milwaukee, and Green Bay. The popularity of the automobiles and airlines put rail travel in peril. Private railroad companies had to cut back or discontinue passenger rail… Continue reading Intercity Rail Through the Fox Valley?
For those of you interested in Oshkosh history, here is a cool talk coming up this Wednesday at the library! A Look Back : Postcards of OshkoshA Look Back : Postcards of Oshkosh presented by Ron MetzWednesday, Oct. 1 at 6:30 p.m. Lower level meeting room.Ron Metz of the Oshkosh Memorabilia Club shares a slice… Continue reading A Look Back : Postcards of Oshkosh | OSHKOSH PUBLIC LIBRARY
The Weekend Historian 