Kewaunee County & Pre-World War ll Conscription

Memories of World War l were fresh in the minds of Kewaunee County residents when less than 20 years later conscription started all over again. In 1939 there were quotas to be met, quotas set in Washington D.C. There were some who enlisted, but most were drafted during a time when the U.S. was gearing up for war that had not been declared.

Then came December 7, 1941 and the attack at Pearl Harbor, followed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Declaration of War on Japan. Two days later Germany and Italy declared war on the U.S., a declaration met with Roosevelt's own the next day.

In the years following the first World War, residents knew how much Kewaunee County had sacrificed, maybe more than many others. During World War l, county men were exceptionally physically fit, but in less than 20 years that changed. When drafting started in 1939, many were rejected as unfit. No doubt changes in vision, hearing and other standards made part of the difference. 

Men throughout the country were issued numbers, and numbers drawn in Washington indicated the order in which men would be called. Number 258 was the number everybody was glad they didn't have. It was still fresh in memory from the last war. Drawings in Washington for 21 year olds meant that Vernon Hearley and Francis Makovec were Kewaunee County's first 21 year old draftees. Ironically, while the men were being drafted in 1939, county men who served in World War l were being awarded their Purple Hearts. Those from Algoma included Louis Kirchman, C.A. Lidral, C.W. Zastrow, Urban Kashik, Quiren Groessl, Clarence Capelle, Joseph Guillette, Frank Havel, Auggie Wasserbach, Anton Weisner, Fred Zastrow and George Jorgenson.

Algoma Record Herald office was a designated U.S. Navy "sub-station." It had the necessary information which also pointed out that education, all food and lodging, a set of clothing, and free sports and entertainment that included new movies were provided to those who joined the Navy. All that plus free travel. According to the information supplied, the Navy was "better than civilian life."

The U.S. didn't have much of a military when things exploded in Europe in 1914. When it entered the war in 1917, there still wasn't much of a military and men were sent to the battlefields of Europe with very little training. That was changing even before Pearl Harbor.

As Kewaunee County men were inducted, there was usually a little send-off at the courthouse. When Algoma attorney J.H. McGowan spoke to the departing men, he must have been thinking about Abraham Lincoln's words, "We cannot escape history." McGowan told the men that "perhaps" within their lifetime, there would be a time when they would not see soldiers marching off. And that was 75 years ago! McGowan said that he wasn't one of those afraid that "Hitler is coming over here" and went on to say that preparedness would have saved the U.S. from "trouble" in the last war. He told the inductees how he saw local men, including his own son, leave totally untrained. He told them that unlike the last war they were enroute to training and schooling. He told them that European allies agreed that Americans paid such a high price in World War l because there was such lack of proper training. He went on to say that future regular military training was probably going to be  "part and parcel" of necessity. McGowan probably would not have agreed with General George Patton who said, "War is the only place where a man truly lives."

The public spirited James McGowan was an Algoma attorney who also served as mayor. McGowan had interesting beginnings as a rural school teacher at Ryan, at the age of 17. He entered law in Green Bay in 1892 and was admitted to the bar in 1894. As Algoma's Ward l supervisor to the county board, McGowan was elected for his first term as chairman in 1912. He continued to serve on a number of committees at the local and county level and served as Food Administrator during World War l. McGowan died in 1942 and never lived to see his vision of the day when young men were no longer marching off to war.

Sources: Information comes from Algoma Herald and Algoma Record, Kewaunee County Board files found at the ARC at UW-GB, and Commercial History of Algoma, WI c. 2006. The World War l soldier photo is one from the blogger's family..

Kewaunee County Dance Halls and the 1924 Regulations

Until the last generation, the hard-working folks of Kewaunee County were mostly farmers. As farming began changing, many began “working out” in addition to running the farm, and lives became much different than parents, grandparents and immigrant ancestors had known. Germans, Bohemians and Belgians began flocking to the new county over 100 years earlier. They eked out a living – sometimes meagerly – to provide a new life. They had immigrated for opportunity. They wanted land. They wanted to have a choice in determining the course of life. They wanted to be free of conscription and they wanted to worship as they chose.

The immigrants brought with them their language, their customs and their culture. Each group brought their beer and their dances. Beer and dancing went together. Most major intersecting roads had a church and a saloon and hall. Sometimes there were schools and blacksmith shops. Then came the cheese factories, often a store and perhaps a hotel. Until Rural Free Delivery came to Kewaunee County in 1904, one of the businessmen was generally the postmaster..

Carnot Band, 1910

It was then that communities such as Zavis in Carlton and Darbellay in Red River began their demise. But, Stangelville, Ellisville, Dyckesville, Neuren, Lincoln, and so many other places with taverns and halls remained. Kewaunee County had almost as many dance bands as there were halls. The places were the scenes of countless wedding dances featuring such orchestras as Blahnik, Nejedlo, Yindra, Schlies, Duescher, Stahl, Froelich, Petrosky, Mahlik, Sazama, Johanek, Walecka, Hunsader, Feld and more.

The hard-working folk could dance and drink the night away and then, after a few hours sleep, get up to milk and put in a day’s work. In many communities, if the dance followed a Saturday Catholic wedding, the pastor would admonish the bridal couple saying the dance had to end at midnight so attendees would not miss their Sunday obligation, which was attendance at Mass. Bohemian historian R. Selner recalled that the success of a dance was measured in a good fight.

In 1922 somebody in government realized that dance halls across Wisconsin were not regulated as so many other things were. There were rules of conduct for conducting such places in larger cities, but certainly not in places such as Rosiere or Tonet. Then came the rules for dance hall regulation from the Municipal Information Bureau of the University of Wisconsin Extension. The brochure pointed out what cities in other states had done and went on to tell about stringent ordinances in places such as Milwaukee and LaCrosse. But only two counties outside the big cities were regulated at the time. And times were about to change.

Up to that point, Wisconsin had not seen fit to regulate the dance halls, but there were those social agencies and individuals – surely the most righteous - clamoring for such laws. Some states prohibited what some felt was immoral dancing and prohibited admittance to those of known “low character.” Who determined immoral dancing and low character wasn’t spelled out. There were rules regarding the admittance of minors to dance halls.

When the 1922 brochure was put out, it included Madison’s new rules. It was said that was included  in the brochure because the rules were  so new and complete following “an extensive study of the subject.” It included a bibliography noting the problems involved in such places. Maybe the cities had greater problems with such dens of iniquity as regulations were being enacted as autos began replacing the horse and buggy. Prohibition was part of the issue and the new laws brought “road houses” outside the more metropolitan areas.

Dance hall regulation was much discussed throughout Kewaunee County in the early 1920s and the Normal School’s E.F. Faith wrote a letter to the Algoma Record Herald in October 1923. Feeling that the county’s innocent youth was being enticed into less than noble activities, Faith made the case for regulations.

Finally the County Board unanimously passed a dance hall ordinance that took effect in March 1924. A County Board authorized dance committee appointed inspectors for each town and owners of each of the 52 dance halls were required to buy a one year permit for $10. A dance permit, signed by the county clerk, had to be applied for 3 days before each dance. A week following the dance, the attending inspector, who received $5 for each dance, was required to give a written report concerning  the general conduct at the dance and to attest there were no violations to the law. Sunday dances became a thing of the past and those originating on Saturday had to end by 1 AM on Sunday. Hall owners could get a special permit allowing a dance after 1 AM, but only once a year. Persons under 16 were allowed admittance only when in the company of a parent or guardian. Identified ”idlers and loafers” were prohibited by law, as was the possession of alcohol. Prohibition was in effect, but alcohol was always around. Halls were to be well lit so any unchaste dancing would be quickly spotted. Any infringement of the ordinances could result in a shut down by either the County Board or the sheriff.  Each community was free to draft laws more stringent than those at the county level.  Falsifying information on permit application could bring jail.

Rhythm Boys, 1950s

Though public halls were licensed and controlled, wedding dances continued and nobody missed an opportunity to enjoy the best polka music around. Whether the regulations had any effect on the numbers of bloodied or broken noses in parking lots, who knows? Those who left the dance were forbidden to re-enter unless that re-entry was approved by the inspector. Even during the 1930s, 40s and 50s, having a few too many and looking at a fella’s girl in the wrong way, laid out more than a few with a well placed punch to the chops. As long as it was outside, the inspector probably didn't see it and, as R. Selner said, the dance was a success.

Photos are from the blogger's collection.

 

Kewaunee County, Nancy Higgins & the 19th Amendment

August 18 marks the 94^th anniversary of the 19^th Amendment, the right to vote without regard to gender.  It is an understatement to say it was a long time in coming. Nationally, as early as June 1848, the Liberty Party made women’s suffrage a plank in its presidential campaign. To put that in perspective, Wisconsin achieved statehood a month earlier and what is now Kewaunee County would not exist for another 4 years. Suffrage kept surfacing across the country and on June 10, 1919, Wisconsin led the nation as the first state to ratify the 19^th amendment, which Congress submitted for ratification just 6 days earlier, on June 4^th. Thirty-six states were required to ratify and Tennessee rounded out that number, thus completing ratification in 1 year, 2 months and 14 days.

Questions of women’s rights in Kewaunee County were there nearly as long as the county, however it was the 1873 advent of the Ahnapee Record that moved discussion to the fore. The paper’s two founding editors, 16 year old George Wing and Charles Borgman, 17, were very young by anyone’s standards, however the two were well ahead of their time when they editorialized calling for good schools, environmental protection – although those words were never used – beautification, and women’s rights.  

Most Judeo-Christians accepted the inferiority of women. After all, Eve was responsible for “the fall” of Adam. Both Greek and Roman law regarded women as inferior, and Roman law saw a woman subject to her lord and master: her husband. Roman law was the basis for church law.  In 1873 Wing and Borgman were surely raising more than eyebrows. Following their first edition, the Kewaunee Enterprise approved of the new paper saying it included “women’s rights.” The Green Bay Advocate opined that if subsequent editions were as good as the first, the paper would be successful. The Door County Advocate didn’t agree. It said the paper was only good for “swatting flies.”

While Wing and Borgman advanced women’s rights, the Enterprise had a history of uncertainty. In May 1869, that paper complained about the equal rights convention in New York. Earlier that spring, Ahnapee’s Mrs. Nancy Almira Higgins wrote a letter concerning women’s rights and wanted it published, but in March 1869 the Enterprise was her only option. At first the letter wasn’t printed because “old Higgins was a reliable subscriber” and it was felt he would be upset enough to discontinue his subscription. When Mrs. Higgins said such treatment was an “abridgement of her rights,” the editor said he would “cheerfully” give her space in the paper.

Nancy Higgins wrote that “female men” in Chicago were lecturing about poor, weak women being robbed of their rights and being slaves to the miserable men they called husbands. Mrs. Higgins felt women didn’t have rights because they did not fight for them. As for married women voting, Mrs. Higgins felt their husbands would vote as they were told. She said she would “like to see Jeremiah Higgins vote for something I didn’t want him to.” It was Mrs. Higgins’ beliefs that women should fight more and talk less so there wouldn’t be so much “babbling” about women’s rights.

Ten years later, the Advocate had its own ideas about the women of Ahnapee. It said Ahnapee women were “jolly” because they put on men’s trousers to visit each other. It went on to say that Sturgeon Bay girls “don’t put on trousers until after marriage, but they make up for lost time.”

Women’s suffrage came in 1920. President Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act on July 2, 1964. Women had the vote, but voting did not ensure equal rights. Jeannette Rankin was the first woman ever elected to the House of Representatives. While living in Washington State, Rankin worked tirelessly to pass the vote for women. It happened in 1911. She went on to push for the right in Montana and the vote was granted there in 1914. Congresswoman Rankin was elected in Montana in 1916 and helped push the 19^th Amendment.

Remarkably, in July 1920 when Algoma Record Herald printed an article about women voting in the up-coming election, it was not with a screaming headline. The paragraphs stuck on an inside page merely pointed out that women would be voting for the first time and were eligible if they met the age, citizenship and residence requirements. The short article defined citizenship for a woman. If her husband was a citizen, so was she. If he was not, she was not. If unmarried, a woman's status reflected her father's, However, if a single woman was born in the U.S. of an alien father, she was considered Naturalized.

Nancy Higgins was in the prime of life long before Jeanette Rankin was effecting legislation and Mrs. Higgins was not the first woman to express her views in Kewaunee County. While others are written about, Mrs. Higgins was vocal and did her own writing.

If Mrs. Higgins could only return to tell another generation what it was like! Every kid graduating from Algoma High School in two, and maybe even three, generations took American and World History classes from Nancy Higgins granddaughter Alice. In another day, Nancy would surely have been listening to commercials and telling Alice, “You’ve come a long way, Baby!”

Sources: An-An-api-sebe: Where is the River? c. 2001; the photo of the Rankin statue was taken by the blogger in the Montana capitol building.
For more about the 19th Amendment, just Google.
 

A Joint Honeymoon and a 75th Anniversary

After perusing three large card stores, it was obvious that a 75^th anniversary card was not to be found. Thinking about it, the market for such cards must be quite small as only two other 75th anniversaries are within memory. In a world where it is easy for a marriage to end in divorce before the thank you notes are written,  making 75 years takes more than good genes.

Ruth and Ray are celebrating a remarkable life together. They were born less than 10 miles apart just after the U.S. made its entry into World War l.  They were children during the Depression. They were in high school during the depths of it and were married as the country was coming out of it, only to be gearing up for a new war.

They participated in the same church and yet went to high schools 20 miles apart. There were no school buses in the 1930s and Ray lived with his aunt and uncle during the week, returning to his farm home 8 miles away on the weekend. Sharing a room with his cousin of the same age, the two were as close as brothers. On the first day of high school, Ruth met the junior with the locker next to hers. The upper classman was friendly to the freshman, a quiet country girl from a rural school. The girls were friendly but not part of the same crowd. Clarice was boarding while serving as a mother’s helper and domestic. She lived almost 20 miles from school and it was only her service that allowed her to go to high school during the Depression.

For the two girls and the two boys, high school was a time of scholastic awards, music awards, being prom royalty, participating in plays and school clubs. The Depression meant there was little money for anything other than necessities, however the boys had a little money and were known to chew gum. They were able to offer a piece to others. As simple as gum is, it wasn’t a thing most could not afford. The boys could even take the car to Kewaunee. It was a time when those who had cars didn’t use them because gas cost money that most did not have.

Clarice graduated first, not because she was the eldest, but because there was an error in her birth registration. Being second youngest in a large family, the year was forgotten and she entered first grade a year early. The mistake was found when her baptismal records were needed for Confirmation. She turned 17 just before high school graduation. Finding another boarding-domestic arrangement with a high school principal’s family, she was able to attend Door-Kewaunee County College. She was there when she met the boys at the high school just down the block. She and Maynard were married 6 years later.

The Depression was easing when Clarice and Maynard double-dated with Ray and his girlfriend. Imagine the surprise on the faces of the two women when they realized they’d gotten to know each other during the two years they had adjacent lockers. From then on the two couples were almost inseparable. Maynard often commented that Ray and Ruth were the “salt of the earth,” people who never gossiped or “kicked a man who was down.” After Maynard’s death, they were always there for Clarice and meant the world for her children.

In today's world nobody would think of honeymooning with another couple. But that’s just what the two couples did. Ruth and Ray married during threshing. That was not the time for a farmer to honeymoon.  Clarice and Maynard married the following June, just before haying. Pooling their meager funds, the foursome planned a trip to "The Soo" to see the locks.

Weddings were different in 1940. Breakfasts and dinners were generally at the bride’s home. An evening dance often capped off the day. Maynard had responsibilities on his parents’ farm while also being employed at Algoma Plywood. The plant was geared up for war production and getting a day off was almost unheard of, wedding or not. Maynard got his day and the couples wanted to leave immediately after the wedding dinner. Tires had inner tubes and highways were paved with gravel that was more like stones when compared to today’s graveled roads. Estimating time on the road always had to include tire changing. With three days for the trip, time was precious. Maynard’s father didn’t make things any easier as he owned a dairy and insisted on a dance for his customers.  Friends and relatives too, of course.

Finally the couples got on their way in the wee hours of the morning. The first stop was at a tourist cabin in Manitowish Waters near the site of Little Bohemia, the place made famous by the 1934 FBI-John Dillinger gang shootout.

Thoughts of the beautiful northern Wisconsin vacation spot brings uproarious laughter in our families, but that has nothing to do with Dillinger. The financially strapped, honeymooning couples rented a cabin with two beds, not two bedrooms. To offer some privacy, they strung a cord from one wall to the other and hung a blanket. At Ray and Ruth’s 70^th anniversary celebration, Clarice told stories of that trip, stories the young people found hard to believe. Sharing the room on a honeymoon brought looks of disbelief and then peals of laughter. Tire blowouts, the inner tubes, the graveled highways, and a groom who was lucky to get a day off work for his wedding – all unheard of today. And, to look at the pictures…..the well-dressed men wore suits, hats and Spectator shoes. Unseen garters held their socks up.  The women wore hats and dresses and held up their silk stockings with garter belts. The silk stockings had seams in the back and every self-respecting woman checked those seams often. They had to be straight. To be traveling in less casual attire was also unheard of.

To be married for 75 years is to have seen continually changing social mores. It is more than a look at history through books and videos. It is living. Experiencing joint honeymoons and blankets affording privacy because there was no other way was part of it. All four were born during World War 1. They were children and young adults during the Depression. They married on the cusp of World War ll and lived through that. They lived through the Cold War, the Korean War, Vietnam, two Gulf wars and now Afghanistan.

Ray and Ruth have seen everything and yet are not jaded.  They have always worked hard. They are positive and optimistic. They give to God, family and community. In that order. They are truly an inspiration. And, to quote an area TV commercial, “You can’t do better than that now, can you?”