The Manitowoc County American Revolution Bicentennial Commission sold pins as part of a ‘Good Neighbor’ Bazaar on April 10 at Mid-Cities Mall. The pins were also available at Penney’s Catalog and Service Center, Mid-Cities Mall, and the county treasurer’s office. Profits from the pin sales were donated to the Woodland Dunes Bicentennial 40 project.

Stephen Menchal was born in Franklin Township on June 29, 1861. He married Catherine Hynek in 1882 and together they made their home just south of Kellnersville. Around 1895, they moved to the present Menchalville crossroads and built a tavern, dance hall, and store. Soon after, first post office was housed in Mr. Menchal’s business and he became the community’s first – and only – postmaster.

Under Steinbrecher’s ownership, the hotel became a spotlight destination for travels from across the county seeking rest and relaxation in the property’s accommodations.  Beautifully painted murals greeted guests in the front lobby. Over 200 guests could be found on a daily basis enjoying the elegant dining room and spacious property.  The two upper floors hosted 42 guest rooms.  The site also became a popular place for religious retreats.

"Enclosed you will find a piece of our “Dear Old Flag” which has dropped from the staff. There is but little of our colors left, the rebels have torn it to pieces with canister shell and bullets and the winds that claimed their share of the fragments. The pieces as they fell were eagerly sought after by the boys. We have had one color Sgt. Shot under it and many of the color guards have been killed and wounded in different battles, and I want you to treasure it carefully and prize it highly."

The origin of the flag relies heavily on the women of Manitowoc County in 1861. With news of the start of the Civil War, women banded together and decided to create a flag for their boys to carry through their journey in the war. The flag, they hoped, would bring thoughts of home and positivity to the soldiers.

In 1877, the Total Abstinence Society voted to build a hall. A site was donated, located just east of the school, by James Peppard. The hall, measuring 30 by 50 feet, was known as Temperance Hall. The hall was home to many meetings, family gatherings, and an annual St. Patrick Day celebration – when there was a dispensation from the abstinence pledge. The hall was in operation until a larger dance hall was built in Osman.

Edwin Bedell left Manitowoc on Thursday, August 19, 1897, on the steamship “J.W. Moore” for Buffalo. He was traveling with 100 others as part of an encampment of the Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R). As they arrived in Buffalo, Edwin went on an excursion to Niagara Falls on August 21 and by the time he and his acquaintance returned, it was late. Edwin was making his way to his sleeping quarters, missed his footing and fell through the hatchway, and was instantly killed. His body reached Manitowoc the following week and was received by the local G.A.R. post.

As World War 2 took hold in Europe, Guila and her mother settled in Nazi-controlled Paris. The young star continued to perform throughout Axis territories during the war. She claimed later in life to have performed a concert at which Adolf Hitler himself was present.

His passion for history and efforts to preserve the stories of our early German settlers led him to lead a small group of citizens to form the Manitowoc County Historical Society in 1906.  Emil Baensch’s efforts have lived on beyond his years and demonstrate that one individual with vision and commitment can inspire a community for generations. 

Newton, located in the southern half of Manitowoc County, was named after Sergeant John Newton, a revolutionary war hero who rescued ten American prisoners who were to be hanged by the British. In May 1780, Newton was taken prisoner after the surrender of Charleston and died soon afterwards of smallpox on board a British prison ship.  The story was popularized by Mason Locke Weems, better known as Parson Weems (an American book agent and author who wrote the first biography of George Washington immediately after his death) in his school books in the early 19th century.

Perkins, Hamilton, and Fellows, a Chicago architect, firm was hired to design the new high school. The architect recommended the Roeff’s Hill site from a list of choices because “Nature has made it one of the best high school sites in the USA.” At the time of the construction plans, 15 acres were required for an ideal high school site. There were quite a few reasons for choosing to build Lincoln on Roeff’s Hill. The site was centrally located in the city and the previous high school was too small and run down to accommodate all the students.

In 1930, a young kindergarten teacher at the First Ward school (later Roosevelt School) was preparing her classroom. As she decorated her walls to make it cheery and educational for her incoming students, she took down an old, deteriorated portrait of a serious looking bearded gentleman. She stored the old portrait away in a closet until seasoned educators and older residents learned of her ‘rearranging.’ A educators and residents asked that she put the portrait back up on the wall quickly, as the portrait was of C.F. Viebahn.

On April 28, 1881, 22 men signed the charted and were mustered into the Grand Army of the Republic as Post Number 18. That night, James Anderson was elected the post's first commander. They took the name of Capt. Horace M. Walker as their post name.

The printed word has been a part of our local history since 1850.  As Dr. Falge describes in his “History of Manitowoc County”, “of an active temperament, with natural ability coupled with a good education, wielding a trenchant pen, and above all, equipped with a ‘nose for news’, C. W. Fitch had all the hardy qualifications needed for a pioneer printer.”

Cooperatives have been a key part of rural areas for over a century. Historically and today, farmer-owned co-ops work together to help members market and process their crops and livestock, and acquire needed supplies and services.  For a group of 25 Reedsville farmers, this began as an early dream in 1918 and has since expanded and grown. The initial group of farmers joined together to market their livestock in and around the bustling village of Reedsville. They would take orders once a month and the livestock would then be shipped on railroad cards. These humble beginnings marked the start of the Reedsville Cooperative.

A poster reads ““Aeroplane Picnic – Quarry, Wis. July 29, 1924. … Aerial stunts and airplane rides at $2.50 a person.”  The pilot behind the daredevil stunts and flying show was Melvin Thompson, often referred to as “Crazy Thompson”, using a pasture on the outskirts of Quarry for his landings and take-offs.

“When Dare-Devil Blondin, the “Human Fly”, walked the tightrope from the old Glover building over to the the Windiate House, he gave the town something to talk about.  Blondin, who with a little ballyhoo and expert barking, attracted quite a crowd to watch him perform. 

The Town of Cato was originally known as “Nettle Hill” and “Harrisville” but officially became Cato upon the arrival of the railroad line about 1870.  One of the earliest settlers to the small rural community was John Killen, a Scottish immigrant.  Killen was a Civil War veteran who came to Cato in1869 and opened up a General Store along the Neenah and Manitowoc Plank Road (what we know today as Highway 10). 

The 14 foot fiberglass Guernsey cow was brought to Manitowoc in the 1960s by Rolland and Raleigh Sorge, owners of the building that currently houses Cedar Crest Ice Cream.  In 1929 the Sorge twins came to Manitowoc from La Crosse and operated the Manitowoc Farmer’s Cooperative Dairy on York Street.