newsletter_2008_09

Program, September 18 at 7:00: Steve Sorenson

The City of Ripon emerged as a legal powerhouse at the time of the chartering of the City. Initially, Ripon had at its commercial center the City of Fond du Lac because of the existence of the railroad between Ripon and Fond du Lac. However, with the advent of the Circuit Court and County Court system, Ripon was losing its prominence as a center for lawyers. More and more of the legal work was leaving the community and people were frustrated at having to make the trip to Fond du Lac to address the smallest of issues. It was at this time that there was a movement within the community for Ripon to leave Fond du Lac County and attach itself to Green Lake County. The great compromise was the special legislation allowing for the creation of a court in Ripon. This was well before the concept of municipal courts existed in Wisconsin. Attorney Steve Sorenson will discuss the history of this conflict and the resolution. He will also discuss the implications of that legislation at that time and as the Ripon Court has evolved over the years. Steve Sorenson

Alice’s Bench Now Waiting for You

Memorial money given to honor long-time Society volunteer Alice Stroinski has purchased a bench for the garden. Now anyone who wants to relax in the Pedrick-Lawson gardens can do so in comfort on Alice’s bench.

Memories of a 1969 Newcomer to Ripon

We moved to Ripon in August of 1969 with two children, ages two and four. Within a year we’d added a set of twins to our family. All of them grew up in Ripon. As the youngest look toward their 20^th high school reunion this fall, I reflect on memories of Ripon in the early 1970s when we started our life here. In 1969 we bought a “dwelling” from Stanley Benkoski. That’s how Benkoski Agency ads in the Ripon Commonwealth Press were worded, setting them apart from those advertising “houses” and “homes.” We bought everything from the dryer to the kids’ toys and clothing from the Sears catalog and picked up our merchandise at the small storefront on Watson Street next to Hader Pharmacy, which supplied our drugstore needs. We had two choices for hardware on Watson Street, Kohl’s and Ace. On special occasions we took the family out to eat at The Grill. We were regulars at the Carnegie Library, and the whole family participated in the book brigade when the community linked up to move the books into the new library. The Ripon Knitting Works was on the corner where Ripon Drug is now, and I finally got to see where those loafer sox I grew up wearing in Colorado were made. In 1969 Ripon was in the midst of a doctor shortage. When I tried to make an appointment, Dr. Pelton recommended doctors in Fond du Lac. He said, “I’d never turn you away in an emergency, but nobody here is able to take new patients.” Shortly thereafter a DOC committee was formed to recruit new doctors, and they were successful in staffing the Kemper Clinic on Thorne Street—now the Ripon College computer center. Meanwhile, I set out to find the Fond du Lac doctors recommended by Dr. Pelton. Highway 23 was closed, being replaced by brand new highway, and the detour took me all the way to Waupun. Before I attempted another trip, our neighbors taught me how to use county roads to get to Fond du Lac. I was a stay-at-home mom in my early Ripon days, always looking for ways to earn a little extra cash and side-step the family budget. I weighed pea trucks on the night shift at Green Giant during the pea pack and worked on a husker and in the canning room when the corn came in. As an employee I was entitled to buy cases of unlabeled dented cans, which provided our family with surprise vegetables at many meals. I stacked about a gazillion thermoformed trays at my Tuesday job in the early days of Creative Forming. The kids walked to Roosevelt, Central, Middle School and Ripon High School. They delivered newspapers on foot or bicycle, except Sundays, when their dad took them around in the car and treated them to an early breakfast. These memories are history now, but the one thing that has remained constant through the years is the sense of community Ripon has in such abundance. Friends are like family here. As a sixth generation Coloradan I have strong ties to the place I grew up, and I need a Rocky Mountain fix a couple of times a year. However, when the Packers played the Broncos in the Superbowl in 1998 I realized without a doubt that Wisconsin, specifically Ripon, is home. Jean Woolley

Our family “dwelling” from 1969-1975 with David Moderow, Allen Woolley, Ronnie Moderow, and Pamela Woolley lined up in front

The same house today, owned by Douglas and Luanne McConnell since the 1980s

Steinbrings Honored with Gift to Society

In honor of the 50^th wedding Anniversary of John and Sandra Steinbring, David and Doris Fox of Lake Forest, Illinois, made a generous monetary donation to the Ripon Historical Society. The gift is greatly appreciated and will be added to our endowment. John and Sandra have both been active volunteers for many years. They have donated a large number of artifacts, including thousands from prehistoric Rush Lake that were collected and classified over many years by John and his friend Frank Farvour.

Fostering Friendships across Generations

One of the goals of the Historical Society is to serve Ripon’s youth. We do this in a variety of ways. Each year all our second grade classes participate in a learning experience at the Society that is integrated with what they are doing at school. College students take classes and do internships. Middle school, home school, and high school students volunteer under the guidance of experienced mentors. During the past year home schooler Clara Wild has been working in the museum. The following testimonial was written by Karin Hanish, a Ripon High School senior who has worked as a volunteer during summers and many school vacations since seventh grade.

Reflections on Working with Frank Farvour

My experiences with Mr. Farvour, though carried out mostly in the quiet of the Ripon Historical Society basement, were simply wonderful. Most thirteen year olds, let alone many people, would look at the idea of spending hours in a basement measuring artifacts as drudgery. However, thanks to Mr. Farvour, my time spent with him measuring artifacts from the Rush Lake Collection, felt like one of the most thrilling and amazing events in my life. On the surface, the fact that such man so knowledgeable in history and archaeology, so many decades older than me would even consider me to become his assistant was mind-blowing. Yet it didn’t stop there. I started my task with only basic knowledge--most of it revolving around arrow heads (which I quickly learned are officially called projectile points). I thought I was going to simply record data and help Mr. Farvour identify artifact colors--I mean, I was only a middle school student. As we started the project, though, I learned that to Mr. Farvour I wasn’t just a middle school student. He treated me as if I were a qualified assistant. Mr. Farvour trusted me to handle nearly 7,000 artifacts of a collection dear to his heart and soon had me doing half of all the measurements. Receiving such trust from Mr. Farvour would have been enough to make this project worthwhile. Yet, again, it didn’t stop there. I gained a tremendous volume of information, some historical, some pertaining to artifacts, some not, from Mr. Farvour as we sat in the basement measuring artifacts. I had always enjoyed history, but Mr. Farvour’s lessons and stories provided thrilling insights and new perspectives into our present and past world. He even sparked my interest in the history of Ripon--a topic which beforehand, I must admit, had never excited me. Mr. Farvour’s enthusiasm aroused an extra zeal in me that caused me to do the unthinkable--and enjoy it too! I gave up three hours of my summer mornings (which my friends thought was insane) and some mornings of school vacations to work with Mr. Farvour--and I relished every minute of it. Though he died before the project was completed, the enthusiasm he imparted to me still flows strongly today. Though it wasn’t the same without him, I finished the Rush Lake Collection measurements, have helped the Historical Society with other projects, and hopefully will continue to active in the Ripon Historical Society in the future. Sometimes it is difficult to find words that accurately describe my amazing experience with Mr. Farvour. However, hopefully these words will help to sum up my time with him: Mr. Farvour was a mentor, kind and wise. He opened up a new world to me, gave me a new hobby (or activity or volunteer job or whatever you’d like to call it), taught me new things, trusted in me, believed that I would succeed in the project and many other things in life, and, most importantly, changed my life forever--in more ways than I may ever realize. Karin Hanisch

Accolades to Our Gardeners

Without a lot of care, gardens can look quite shabby. It is obvious that we have gardeners who care a great deal for their little plots. Thanks to Arlynn and Bonnie Sanders, Don Amsden, Sue Loomer, Barbara Scott, Marlene Wahoski, Audrey Wesner, and Katie Wild for keeping our gardens so beautifully this summer!

New Annual Member

Margaret Klapperich has recently become a new member of the Society. Welcome, Margaret!

Open Houses and Guided Tours

The Society opened up all three buildings and got the gardens in great shape for the summer open houses and Sunday afternoon guided tours. Our next open house will be during Ripon’s Dickens of a Christmas weekend.

Remembering John and Nellie Murray

It is with great regret that we report the passing of both Jack and Nellie Murray. Both were long-time members of the Society and generous contributors to its growth. Jack, who was president of Speed Queen at the time, made possible the publication of Sam Pedrick’s History of Ripon. The Murray Foundation contributed the matching funds that enabled us to acquire Pickard House, the Society’s first and present headquarters. After Jack retired they moved to California but retained close ties with Ripon. We will miss them. George Miller

Farewell to Ray Schultz

We will miss seeing Ray Schultz at our monthly programs with his wife, Fern, and daughter, Ann. Ray passed away June 10.

The Society at Riponfest

We celebrated the past with two entries in the Riponfest parade. Lara Grant donned pioneer wear and dressed her three-year-old niece, Nessa, in a coordinating costume. Only the stroller is a bit out of period. Bob and Nancy Royce drove their 1931 Ford coupe, proudly displaying the Ripon Historical Society logo on its sides.

Lara and Nessa Grant

Bob and Nancy Royce