NEWSLETTER: SPRING 2004

 

Society Program and Exhibit Focuses on the GOP Sesquicentennial Celebration

As part of Ripon’s celebration of the 150^th anniversary of the founding of the Republican Party in our “Little White Schoolhouse,” the Society mounted a major exhibit related to past celebrations of the founding of the party and then devoted its program on March 18^th to a presentation by George Miller on those past celebrations, particularly the 75^th anniversary celebration held in 1929 and the 100^th held in 1954. George noted that there was a trend in the celebrations to shift the focus of attention from the Party to the town, a trend that was continued in the recent celebration of the150th anniversary. The exhibit was developed by George, Mary Brandt, and Nedra Martz using old newspaper articles and other materials from the archives. One portion of the exhibit features the movement of the Little White School House to six different spots in town. The two main sections of the exhibit deal with the 1929 and 1954 celebrations, while the final section is a special display devoted to Ripon Heritage Day, a celebration held in 1954 in conjunction with the centennial celebration of the founding of the Party. The exhibit will remain standing for the next several months. If you have not seen it, join us at our May program meeting.

 

Todd Berens Sets the Record Straight on Lewis, Clark, and Saka(g/k/j)awea

Speaking to a full house at the Society, Todd Berens presented an entertaining and insightful sequel to his highly popular program last fall on the Lewis and Clark expedition. This time Todd narrated the history of the expedition from its departure from the Mandan Villages in North Dakota to its return to St. Louis, with a special emphasis on the role of the now famous female Native American interpreter. Noting that historians cannot even agree on the spelling or pronunciation of her name, Todd argued that, contrary to popular legend, her main contribution to the expedition was not as a guide but as a means to give it legitimacy among Native Americans they encountered. In a similar manner, Todd noted that while the expedition attracted little attention at the time or during the rest of the nineteenth century, it has since become a major legend itself.

 

Frank Farvour to Revisit “Ripon Barns”

Our May program will feature Frank Farvour speaking on Part II: More Barns of Local Interest. His first presentation was highly popular. The program will be held on May 20^th, 2004, at the Ripon Historical Society at 7:00 p.m.

 

Endowment Fund Campaign Passes Two Thirds Mark

The Society continues to receive contributions to the campaign to increase our endowment. Funds received in the past four months have pushed the total received to over $67,000, two-thirds of the goal of $100,000. The campaign will continue for the rest of this year. Now that tax season has passed, members who have not yet been able to participate in the campaign might give thought to making a contribution. Contributions should be mailed to Ripon Historical Society,

Attn: Treasurer, Box 274, Ripon, WI 54971.

 

RIPON HISTORICAL SOCIETY OFFICERS
President	Bill Woolley
Vice President	Todd Berens
Secretary	Nedra Martz
Treasurer	Harry Heileman
Newsletter Editor	Shirley Williams

Treasurer’s Annual Report for 2003

The Society’s expenses for 2003 were $14,904.12. To meet these expenses, we regularly withdraw amounts from the endowment fund and rely on income from dues payments, donations, and other sources. We used $10,200.00 from the funds generated by interest and realized capital gains from the endowment fund in 2003. We also received $7,329.18 from CD interest, sales, membership dues, copy machine income, and donations. Following the Society’s policy on donations, $1,400 of this amount was transferred to the endowment fund. We also received $53,258.16 in donations to the Endowment Fund Campaign which began in November, 2003. The available checking account balance as of Dec. 31, 2003 was $2,730.13. The Endowment Fund (M&I Trust) had a beginning value of $306,657.38 on Jan. 1, 2003 and an ending value of $406,713.50 on Dec. 31, 2003. The increase in value was the result of contributions to the endowment campaign, other additions to the fund, market appreciation, and realized gains from sales within the portfolio. The Fund earned $5,052.63 ($7,152.81 less fees of $2,100.18). The value of all bank certificates of deposit was $51,735.80. The Endowment Fund Campaign continues through 2004 in order to ensure a sound financial footing for the Society.           Harry Heileman, Treasurer

 

Shop Pick n’ Save and Support Your Society

Pick n’ Save continues to support local non-profit organizations selected by its customers. In past years Pick n’ Save contributions have amounted to nearly 10% of our Society’s annual budget. This support is greatly appreciated. Members can add to this support by shopping at Pick n’ Save and registering to have your purchases credited to our Society when you scan your Advantage Card.

 

Website Update

The recently launched Ripon Historical Society website received many favorable reviews, as well as some suggestions for improvement. It now has a new look. Please visit! The web address is http://my.core.com/~riponhistsoc!

 

New Program Materials Developed for the Fourth Grade

Building on materials developed last year, Jean Woolley has responded to a request by fourth grade teachers to create PowerPoint packages based on Bobbie Scott’s two presentations, Wisconsin Then and Now: Food and Agribusiness and Wisconsin Then and Now: Transportation. These have been delivered on a CD to Murray Park School, along with a new PowerPoint presentation Jean created, Wisconsin Then and Now: Winter in Ripon. It features the sleighs, snow shovels, ice tongs, skipper, skis, sleds, and other winter-related artifacts in the collection.

 

Randallin Nichols to Retire as Society Volunteer

Randallin Nichols, a Society member who has been a valued volunteer worker for over fourteen years, has found that she can now no longer serve our Society as she has in the past. Randallin’s service included working with the artifacts collection and creating and executing museum exhibits. She was a member of the Board of Directors during the planning stages of the Pickard House renovations and addition. Her most recent service has been designing a series of exhibits at Pickard House. Randallin brought to her work and to the Society a very special talent that was based upon her familiarity with the collections, her willingness to do thorough research on a topic, her willingness to complement the collection with her own materials, and a true artistic flair. Our sincere thanks, Randallin! Although you will be sorely missed, we wish you continued pleasure and satisfaction in your other endeavors and hope we will still be able to see you at our programs.

 

Frank Farvour Prints Third Section of his Reminiscences

Frank Farvour has printed the third part of his autobiographical series. This one is entitled Military Memoirs and deals with Frank’s experiences in World War II. A copy of this booklet, along with its predecessors: Grandpa Stories and The 1920s and 1930s, has been donated to the Ripon Public Library and to this Society. The first two parts of Frank’s reminiscences have been well received and we are confident that people will enjoy the third part as well.

 

Alice Stroinski Celebrates Four Years as a Society Volunteer

Lifetime member, Alice Stroinski, is being honored in this edition of the Newsletter for her four years as a volunteer at our Society. Alice’s contributions include typing, filing, and sorting of artifact records as well as research. She has also recently donated her childhood doll, including layette, which is over 65 years old. Alice is truly one of our most reliable supporters. Thank you, Alice!

 

Newsletter Dates Regularized

At the suggestion of Barbara Scott, our Membership Secretary, The Ripon Historical Society Board has now established definite dates for publishing our Newsletter, which will be coming out each February, April, August, and October, beginning with the August 2004, edition. Postcard reminders of programs will continue to be mailed out as necessary. Annual membership renewal will be in November. Members whose dues are due will be reminded by a red dot on the address label of the October and February issues of the Newsletter.

 

Memories of Growing up in Ripon—Arden Gatzke

We are including recollections of growing up in Ripon contributed by lifetime member Arden Gatzke. Arden, a highly decorated veteran, was recently featured on the second part of the Wisconsin Public Television series on Wisconsin service men in World War II. Arden served in the war in the 2^nd Armored division and saw fighting in Africa, Sicily, Belgium, Holland, and Germany.

 

My folks bought a 17-acre farm in 1906 on Arcade Road (West Fond du Lac St.) My birthplace was where the Ace Hardware parking lot is now. The farm was sold in 1944 for $5500 and the house moved to a spot west of St. Patrick’s Cemetery on Dartford Rd.

 

I was born March 14, 1920. Mrs. Lentz, who lived a quarter mile west of us, had been helping mother, but that night it rained and thawed. She couldn’t get over the muddy road so Mrs Klawitter, who lived a hundred yards east of us, came to take care of me. The next year the road was made concrete. No more mud.

 

My brother was 7 years older and there were no other kids near us my age, so I had to entertain myself. I made a cart I could sit in and propel with my feet. My nephew used it one day barefoot. He walked it right into a pile of hot ashes from a leaf pile that had just burned. His feet were badly burned but they turned out okay. In winter I dug tunnels in the huge snowdrifts that drifted all around the sheds.

 

As I was walking past Toll Bros. Fox Farm on my way to school when I was 6 years old, one of their vicious German Shepard guard dogs came at me to tear me apart. My 13-year old neighbor kicked the dog in the mouth, which distracted him long enough for Mr. Toll to grab him. Fox pelts were valuable and the dogs were trained to attack strangers.

 

My brother and the neighbor boy graduated from Arcade that year so after that I went to school alone. My folks got me a $6 scooter and, since there was very little car traffic on the road, I had a great time scooting to and from school. If I missed school, half of the class would be absent because there was only one other student, a girl, in our class of two.

 

Half way through my 5^th grade year the school limits were changed and I went to Ceresco School. I went swimming with my new friends in Silver Creek in a place in back of where Michalene’s is now. It was lots of fun but when we got out we had to be sure and pull all the bloodsuckers off our legs before they could dig in too deeply.

We usually had one horse, three cows, a hundred chickens, a few ducks and geese, and a pig or two. We grew lots of strawberries, raspberries, currants, cherries, apples, beans, squash and other fruits and vegetables. And guess who had to help plant, cultivate, seed and pick all this stuff. ME, that’s who. Well…my brother and folks did help me.

 

Kerosene lamps and lanterns had to be filled and chimneys washed. When I was 8 years old in 1928 that changed. Wis. Power & Light Co. ran an electric line from the Sewer Farm where the Waste Water Treatment Facility is now to a large sign they had across the street from our house. They said that if Dad would pay for a power pole they would run a wire to our house. He did and they did and we now had electricity just like the city folk.

 

Three years later when I was 11 Dad and my brother took their picks and shovels and dug three big holes with deep trenches to connect them. I helped too. I didn’t fall in the holes and get hurt which was a big help. They cemented the sides and top of one hole and put an electric water pump in it. Dad built a bathroom in the house. Plumbing fixtures were installed and a septic system went in the holes. No more pumping water by hand or going to a cold outhouse in the winter. And no more dragging the washtub into the kitchen to take a bath. What more cold an 11-year old boy ask for??  Lots more...and I asked.          Arden Gatzke

 

 

RIPON HISTORICAL SOCIETY BOARD MEMBERS
Mary Brandt	Curator of Collections: Artifacts
Bonnie Brooks	Program Chair
Frank Farvour	Coordinator of Archeological Collections
Kent Gallaway	Coordinator for Special Projects
Mary Brandt	Grounds Maintenance Supervisor
George Miller	Curator of Collections: Library and Archives
Nedra Martz	Associate Archivist
Harry Heileman	Society Historian
Ralph Quinney	Buildings Maintenance Supervisor
Barbara Scott	Membership Secretary
Shirley Williams	Newsletter Editor and Publicity Chair
Jean Woolley	Coordinator of K-12 Educational Programming Website Developer