The Weekend Historian
Neosho, WisconsinJune 25, 1935 Dearest Lorraine, I never hear from you, so I thought I'd write again.How did your get over the birthday? Ha! Ha!Did you go to the Schwartz Sunday? I was to Neosho to the church picnic, that is with the folks. Was you and Melvin here Sunday to get me? How about… Continue reading Letters to Lorraine-June 25, 1935
Cataract, WisconsinMay 21st 1935 Dear Lorraine, Must take time and answer your letter tonight. We have been so busy. We have our house cleaning done. Yesterday I helped the men folks plant corn. Planted 13 acres. They still have more to plant for the silo. I can hardly walk to-day my feet are so sore.… Continue reading Letters to Lorraine-May 21, 1935
Never before in the history of the state has it become necessary to close schools, churches, theaters, saloons; in fact, everything except factories, offices and places of regular employment, including hotels, restaurants and stores in which food and clothing are sold were closed for periods varying from three weeks to eight weeks or more.State Board… Continue reading Wisconsin and the Great Spanish Flu Epidemic of 1918
I can't help but be interested in the parallels of our current pandemic with the one in 1918. Naturally, I have been diving into the newspapers and trying to find any information/accounts/statistics of that horrible disease that swept the world back then. I stumbled upon this paper that sheds some light on our county's… Continue reading The Spanish Flu Experience in Winnebago County
Here are some of the headlines from the local Oshkosh Daily Northwestern newspaper on the early accounts of the "Spanish Flu" in the city.
Had you been around during World War I you would have lived through some things that would have made you say, "Uhhh, is this America?!" Yeah, things got that ugly. Freedoms were suspended, food was rationed, and your neighbor could get you arrested for saying gesundheit after a sneeze. There are a few of those… Continue reading Throwing Shade During WWI: The “Slacker” Part I
The Lebanon Historical Society posted on its Facebook page some transcripts of the Town of Lebanon Justice of the Peace records. One of the entries was about a murder that happened which included sworn testimony given by my Great-Great Grandpa Johann Frederick during an inquest held at the Lebanon Town Hall. This was a great story… Continue reading Great Great Grandpa Frederick the Murder Witness
I have slowly made progress on my family tree book in the last few months. I'll admit, it's harder to work on hobbies when you have a little person to take care of, but I make time here and there when Emmett is sleeping. I know one day he will appreciate having this history about… Continue reading Frederick Family Farm
It's been two years since the quest began to bring this original Winnebago County Courthouse light fixture back home. My former supervisor and friend Isaiah and I have a mutual appreciation for architecture and history. Our courthouse is a beautiful example of the Depression Moderne style from the 1930s. I was fortunate in that he… Continue reading The Courthouse Light Returns
Check out the new "My Work" tab in the About Me section on the menu bar. I've had inquiries from people in the last couple of months asking for my help with research requests on family members or other local historical information. I've decided to put my skills and history degree to use to help… Continue reading Historian for Hire
