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..
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| 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.
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| 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.
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