Neville Public Museum of Brown County

Snapshots in Time

Since April 6, 2005, the Green Bay Press-Gazette's weekly Community Snapshots section has included an historic image from the Neville Public Museum's photograph collection. Although only one image is featured each Wednesday, all of the images continue to be available for reproduction.

Snapshots featured in 2006

Christmas at St. Joseph's Orphanage#18.1988.9075 Featured December 2006

Children pose with their toys at St. Joseph's Orphan Home, Green Bay, ca. 1955. The orphanage was established in 1877 by the Sisters of Notre Dame as the St. Joseph Orphan Asylum, and was located on the corner of Crooks and Webster Streets. After a few years at this location, the orphanage received a new building overlooking the Fox River, near Woodland Cemetery in Allouez, and was renamed the St. Joseph�s Orphan Home. By the late 1890s, more than 200 orphans and half-orphans lived at the institution each year, as well as receiving practical and spiritual education. It was noted within the community that the children not only received basic care, but the nuns did their best to take the children on special trips and provide toys at Christmas. Once the children became teen-agers, the girls were placed within homes as domestics and the boys found jobs as farm workers. Eventually, the institution became a home for boys, allowing high school age boys to remain. In 1980 the institution finally closed as foster care and other social services for children became predominate. The Henry Lefebvre Collection.

Snowy Weather#6209.129 Featured December 2006

A street car rolls by the Orpheum Theater, 217 -219 East Walnut Street, Green Bay, February 15, 1935. Like many old vaudeville theaters, the Orpheum showed a variety of movies during the 1930s. Generally, one feature film was shown along with several shorts. During the winter of 1935, The Little Colonel played, starring Shirley Temple and Lionel Barrymore. It was a full-length picture about a southern belle's daughter returning to her mother's hometown to make amends between her mother and grandfather. The Star Night at the Coconut Grove was a Bing Crosby short, featuring several MGM stars as they attend a fashion show accompanied by an evening of music. Shirley Temple was one of the most popular actresses between 1936 and 1938, attracting more people to her movies than well-known adult actors such as Clark Gable, Bing Crosby, and Joan Crawford. Many of these stars were placed in shorts shown with Temple's movies to keep them in the public's eye. The Otto Stiller Collection.

Buddah's Meat Market#5603 Featured November 2006

An unidentified man stands behind the counter of Frank Neuser's Meat Market, ca. 1910. Located at 1251 Main Street, Neuser's Meat Market opened near the turn of the century with its owner, Frank Neuser, living above the business. For nearly 20 years, the meat market stood in the same location, until the name abruptly changed to the N-V Meat Market, and Frank no longer was listed in the Green Bay city directory. Over the next 18 years, the old store changed hands several times. The Neuser family, however, had not given up the meat business. In 1951, Arnold Neuser, likely a descendent of Frank Neuser, opened a small meat market at 124 S. Monroe called Buddha's Market, a business specializing in pork sausage, wieners, and bologna made from family recipes dating from the turn of the century. The business expanded enough that by the 1960s Buddha's staff included family members filling various jobs. Eventually, Arnold retired as family members expanded Buddha's with Buddha's Preble Market at 1734 Main Street and Buddha's Little Meat Market across town. In 1976, Arnold's wife, Adeline, became the President-Treasurer, John Neuser Vice-President, and Thomas Neuser, Secretary, establishing Buddha's Market, Inc. The name change also changed the dynamics of the business, and David Neuser removed Little Buddha's Meat Market from the company. The Monroe and Main Street locations then merged, closing the downtown shop. By the early 1990s, most of the Neuser family was working in other businesses, leaving John as president and Adeline as the director. The name changed to Buddha's Sausage Shop in the mid-1990s when John became the sole owner. The family business closed during the first week of February 2004.

Bridge Collapse#8254.263 Featured November 2006

A crowd gathers after a water tank collapses a portion of the Main Street Bridge, October 14, 1913. Green Bay's bridges all began as wood drawbridges with enough room for two lanes of horse-drawn traffic and a pedestrian walk on both sides. The Walnut Street Bridge was the first to be built during the late 1860s and then was followed by the Mason and Main Street bridges in 1874. All of the wooden bridges continually fell victim to rot, insects, fire, wind-driven ice, and the occasional misguided cargo ship. This led to the reinforcement and replacement of many parts of the spans with iron beams between 1881 -1885. Unfortunately, these reinforcements did not appreciably reduce the damage, and the Mason and Walnut Street bridges were finally replaced early in the 20th Century. For various reasons the Main Street Bridge's replacement was postponed, leading to a partial collapse in 1913. It was only after a second collapse in 1922, that the city finally chose to replace the structure. In 1924, the new Main Street Bridge was completed and became a noted landmark until its subsequent replacement in 1998.

Fox River Harvest#31.2004.1 Featured November 2006

St. Joseph's Orphanage overlooks the Fox River where two men reap and bind grain on the west side, ca 1885. What is now an industrial area with factories, such as Georgia-Pacific, lining the river was once largely agricultural. Industry was located both north and south of the site shown in the photograph. Traditionally, reaping, or the cutting of grain, was done by hand with a scythe and required two people to cut and bind the stalks before they were dried. A worker could cut about 0.3 acres in a day, resulting in about two pounds of grain after threshing. As people migrated further west, labor shortages spurred the invention of reaping machines that could speed the harvest by using fewer workers. There were several models of reaper used, but the McCormick Harvester and Binder of 1876, shown here, was one of the most popular. The machine consisted of a series of rakes that would rotate and move cut grain stalks to the side of the machine, cutting about five acres per day. It was also the first self-binder, resulting in sales of 50,000 machines between 1877 and 1885, becoming one of the most widely used machines in the United States.

The Brickyard#7.1984.10 Featured November 2006

Workers at an unidentified brickyard pose for the camera, ca. 1900. After a fire in 1853 that gutted a large portion of Green Bay's downtown, and later, the 1871 Peshtigo fire that killed approximately 2000 people, the use of brick and stone in building became more common. Stone was locally available from "the Ledge" as well as from fields, Brick, however, was easier to obtain and useful for construction because much of the region had an underlay of suitable clay for bricks. Early manufacturing required the bricks to be made by hand. Fresh clay was thrown into a hole, soaked in water, and then shoveled into a pugmill where it was mixed with more water until it became smooth. As the clay was mixed, it was also forced to the bottom of the pugmill and slowly squeezed through a small hole in the bottom of the box. It was then rolled in sand and pressed into a wooden mold. When the mold was filled with four to eight bricks it was emptied onto a board where the clay bricks air-dried for several weeks. Once dry thousands of bricks were placed in wood kilns where they were fired for more than a week. When the steam engine began to be used for brick making near the turn of the century, the availability of more sophisticated machinery allowed increased production. Unfortunately, as wood became less readily available, many of the smaller brickyards closed. Increased use of concrete block also provided competition for the brick industry in the 1920s. By the 1970s, the last remaining brick company in the area, the Duck Creek Brick Company, was torn down.

Last Day at Bosse's News Depot Building#6209.144A Featured November 2006

The last customer leaves Bosse's News Depot the day before the building was razed, 1956. Bosse's News Depot has been an ongoing business in Green Bay since the middle 19th Century.

Four Days from Chicago#6209.9 Featured October 2006

Four people sit in a Pope-Toledo car by the Albert Weise Block, at Adams and Cherry Streets, October 21, 1907. The Pope-Toledo was one make from the Pope Motor Car Company founded by Colonel A.A. Pope, a manufacturer in Toledo, Ohio between 1903 and 1909. The Pope-Toledo was the most expensive of the Pope models. The 1903 Pope-Toledo was a two-seated open car powered by a straight 3 cylinder, 182 cubic inch engine, a 3 speed gearbox drive with chains to each rear wheel, and a wood chassis with a steel sub-frame carrying the main mechanical components. The following year the model was remade into a touring car carrying five passagengers. By 1907 the company models included limousines and seven seat cars. As a luxury car, it was considered fast, making a trip to Green Bay from Chicago in less than four days - a "record breaking" trip. The Otto Stiller Collection.

Last Day at Bosse's News Depot Building#6209.144A Featured October 2006

The last customer leaves Bosse's News Depot the day before the building was razed, 1956. Bosse's News Depot has been an ongoing business in Green Bay since the middle 19th Century. The original building was constructed at the northwestern corner of Adams and Cherry Street dating from about 1868. Not only did the depot sell printed newspapers and magazines, but news was also was discussed there by its patrons. It has been said, in fact, that the business was visited by more people than any other store of its size, and in good weather, the crowded shop would force patrons outside to talk. After nearly ninety years of continual use, however, the original building was slated for replacement. The day after this photograph was taken, wreckers razed the building, and a new structure was raised in its place. The Otto Stiller Collection.

Streetcar Line Suspension#6209.102 Featured October 2006

Streetcar Line SuspensionFour streetcars are stored in an empty lot across from the Public Service Garage at 312 - 318 Washington Street, 1939. When the Green Bay Street and Interurban car lines were permanently suspended in 1938, a large inventory of cars that continued to be serviceable was sold to other streetcar lines throughout the United States. Cars that were not immediately sold or shipped were stored in an empty lot on the east side of Washington Street, across from the car barn. Of the four cars shown in the photograph, #101, at left, was the first interurban car in Green Bay, beginning its run between Green Bay and De Pere in 1901. In 1912 this luxury car was replaced and sold to the Bay Beach Street Railway Company and later became a work car holding a tool, supply and machine shop. Cars #58 and #57 were newer interurban cars used between Kaukauna and Green Bay. The fourth car was called the "bumble-bee" by its crew, and had a rotary brush snow sweeper used to clear snow from the tracks.

German Bathing Club#1398 Featured October 2006

W.C. Hinosdale salutes the camera with a beer during a club picnic, ca. 1900. The German Bathing Club, later known as the Green Bay Bathing Club, was a social group that flourished between 1898 and 1903. Each Wednesday afternoon, the club chartered a Denessen steam ship, the Nettie, for transportation to the long-tail point lighthouse, the site of afternoon picnicking and swimming. Like many private social clubs, the organization gradually disappeared as its members lost interest in the activities.

Main Street#18.1988.6976 Featured October 2006

A woman walks east on the 1200 block of Main Street, Green Bay, ca. 1935. During the 1930s, Main Street was the less fashionable offshoot of the downtown business district. While Washington Street had popular businesses like Kaap's Candy, Brice Jewelers, and numerous lawyer and physician offices, Main Street had less prestigious establishments that catered to the more basic needs of the neighborhood. In this photograph, Joseph Feldhausen's Soft Drinks is next door to Van Veghel Brothers Hardware. Johnson Fish Company is across the street, along with Francois Hardware Company, the Farmers Exchange Bank, and numerous taverns, now selling "soft drinks" during prohibition. Henry Lefebvre Collection.

Train Wreck#7972 Featured October 2006

Crowds line the Chicago and North Western Railroad tracks after two trains collide in De Pere, Wisconsin, June 24, 1901. During the morning of June 24th, the crash between a Chicago and North Western freight train and a nine-coach excursion special bound for the Turner's State Saengerfest in Green Bay left six dead and fifty-five injured. According to reports published at the time, the Chicago and North Western Railroad knew that both trains were on the same track, and ordered the train that arrived in De Pere first to pull onto a side track and allow the other train to pass. Less than 45 minutes later, the passenger train's engineer saw the oncoming freight train, slammed on his air brakes and jumped with his crew. However, the train continued to move, resulting in a direct collision that pushed the baggage coach into the crowded second coach, killing passengers and derailing both engines.

St. John's Church Fire#692a Featured September 2006

A crowd gathers to watch as firemen try to extinguish a fire at St. John's Church in Green Bay, March 13, 1911. This fire destroyed the third of four churches that have been home to the St. John the Evangelist parish over the last 175 years. The first church was constructed around 1831 in the approximate location of the Allouez Catholic Cemetery. This church burned in 1846 through the carelessness of a mass-server. Consequently, the Catholic congregation purchased a Methodist church on St. John's Street in Green Bay. Twenty-seven years later, this church also burned and the mainly French speaking congregation were compelled to erect a third church with a rectory built in the place of the old church. On March 13, 1911, however, the new church caught fire, gutting the building. The parishioners again built a new church on the opposite side of the rectory, completing the French Romanesque style structure in 1915. This church has stood the test of time, and a restoration of the building has been completed in recent years.

Whitney School#2721 Featured September 2006

A class of primary students and their teacher sit in their classroom at Whitney School, Green Bay, ca. 1912. At the turn of the century Whitney School was one of the largest in the district. The three-story brick structure was built in 1871 as the Pine Street School, and was located at the corner of Pine Street and Webster Avenue. It contained eleven classrooms, in which three more were added in 1904 to accommodate additional primary through eighth grade students, and a deaf school. During the evening of January 23, 1917, the building caught fire, gutting the school with the exclusion of four chimneys and gables. The school was rebuilt in 1918 and continued to be used by the school district until the late 1970s, when the city's demographics changed and there were no longer enough children to fill the building.

Kaap's Restaurant# PG - Kaap's Restaurant, February 5, 1964 Featured September 2006

Interior of Kaap's Restaurant, February 5, 1964. Kaap's Restaurant began as an accident, rather than Otto Kaap's desire to run a candy shop. In 1909 Kaap worked as a teller in the Bank of Green Bay while playing drums in the Bijou and Orpheum Theater Orchestras in the evenings. In an effort to attract a trumpet player from Oshkosh to the Orpheum Orchestra, Kaap invested his savings into relocating the man to Green Bay and assisting him in opening a candy shop. Within a short time, the man's business failed and Kaap took over the shop in an effort to save his investment, despite having no candy-making experience of his own. The shop was first located at 125 Main Street where Kaap spent nights after performances making candy for the following day. After about a year, Kaap moved the business to 211 Pine Street to save $5.00 a month on rent. At this location he expanded the business with a small ice cream parlor. In 1914 he moved the business to Washington Street, where he was able to add sandwiches to the menu and begin a Tea Room. These expansions required more space, for which Kaap provided by purchasing the Slip Allen Saloon next door, and later, Grunert Jewelry. By 1964 the candy shop, bakery and restaurant occupied two stories and had a staff of more than 100 people. The store finally closed when the Greater Green Bay Urban Renewal Project decided to raze Kaap's Restaurant, along with other downtown businesses, to make room for the Boston Store in the late 1970s. The Press-Gazette Collection.

The Amoskeag#6209.49b Featured August 2006

Several men stand around a steam-powered water pump used by the Green Bay Fire Department, ca. 1910. A year after the devastating 1853 fire in downtown Green Bay, a group of young German immigrants banded together to form the Germania fire Company. Two years later a second company, Guardian Fire Company, was also formed. Initially, both companies put out fires by "bucket brigade" but in 1858 the City of Green Bay purchased a hand pump fire engine that had been used by the garrison at Fort Howard and issued it to the Germania Company. Shortly thereafter another hand engine was acquired for the Guardian Company. Ten years later the city purchased its first steam powered water pump for the Germania Company, replacing it and other city fire company's pumps 17 years later with the Amoskeag, shown in the photograph. This was the last horse drawn water pump used in Green Bay, and was replaced during the 1910s by motorized fire engines. The Otto Stiller Collection.

Fox River Boating#56.1990.11 Featured August 2006

Nettie Dillon, Agnes Dillon Spude, Mildred Spude, Marion Spude and Julia Dillon boat in the Fox River, near the end of Porlier Street, Green Bay, ca. 1914. At the turn of the century, the Fox River was the center of recreation for Green Bay's Astor Heights' neighborhood children. Perch was caught from the docks and boat houses lined the river between Porlier and Emilie Streets, and an ice rink was shoveled in this area when the river froze. The boys swam in the "Muds" an area near the North Western Railway bridge on the southern outskirts of town, while the river north of this bridge was filled with boats captained by people of all ages.

A "World Wonder" Comes to Green Bay#6209.33B Featured August 2006

The Curtis Bi-plane aviators stand facing crowds as their aircraft is pushed into the Fox River, September 2, 1911. Through the cooperation of the Brown County Fair Association and the Green Bay Traction Company, a Curtis Bi-plane, also known as the Hydroplane, was brought to the De Pere Fair grounds for an exhibition flight from the Fox River. A large crowd came to the fairgrounds to see the aircraft deemed a "World Wonder" by promoters. After a lengthy wait, the aviator began to taxi along the river for fifteen minutes before lifting the craft about 150 feet - and crashing immediately. The Curtis Company apologized for the poor performance and promised to send another plane for a later demonstration. The next exhibition, however, never took place. The Otto Stiller Collection.

Popcorn Wagon#6209.89 Featured August 2006

Edward and Robert "Grandpa Corn" Steckenbach stand inside their popcorn wagon at the corner of Washington and Cherry Streets, ca. 1914. Grandpa Corn's popcorn wagon was a tradition in downtown Green Bay during the early part of the 20th century. The wagon was often parked at the corner of Washington and Cherry Streets selling fresh peanuts and popcorn that was popped inside the wagon by a tiny steam engine corn popper. The Otto Stiller Collection.

Registration Day Parade#6209.125B Featured August 2006

Crowds line Washington Street during a WWI military registration parade, June 5, 1917. In 1917 and 1918, approximately 24 million men born between 1872 and 1900 completed draft registration cards. Registration was done in three parts, each designed to form a pool of men for three different military draft lotteries. The first of these was on June 5, 1917 for all men born between 1886 - 1896. Two other registrations followed in 1918 and included men between the ages of 18 - 20, and those that were born as early as 1873. During each registration, church bells, horns, or other noise makers sounded to signal the 7:00 or 7:30 opening of registration, while businesses, schools, and saloons closed to accommodate the event. On the first registration day, many communities, including Green Bay, held patriotic parades in which the registrants were marched to the registration places. Otto Stiller Collection.

Salvator Mineral Springs#8254.36 Featured August 2006

Exterior of the Salvator Mineral Springs bottling plant and spring, between 601 and 615 S. Monroe, Green Bay, Wisconsin, ca. 1900. Around the turn of the century, drinking and bathing in mineral springs became a popular health craze. Early in the century, Green Bay's wetlands produced numerous natural cold springs, many serving as spring houses to store refrigerated goods. But as ice boxes began to be used and attitudes about springs changed, several mineral spring companies emerged. In 1892 three companies were located in Green Bay: Allouez Mineral springs located at the southeast corner of Jackson and Chicago streets, the Leben-Wasser at 529 S. Monroe Street, and the Salvator Mineral Springs Company at the corner of Mason Street and Monroe Avenue. In 1896 a fourth company appeared: the St. John Mineral spring on Stuart Street. The St. John Mineral spring moved to Quincy Street shortly after, and ceased operations by 1907. Around the same time Leben-Wasser changed its name to John J. Handlen Spring and became a manufacturer of mineral water, rather than a bottler of spring water, possibly because the spring had dried. It ultimately discontinued business in 1911. The Allouez and Salvator springs remained in business until sometime between 1918 and 1921 when Salvator disappeared. By 1927 Allouez Mineral Spring closed, ending the mineral water business in Green Bay.

Circus Elephants#18.1988.1851 Featured July 2006

A crowd admires the Ringling Brothers, Barnum and Bailey Circus elephants near Green Bay, ca. 1950. Elephants have had a long history as part of traveling entertainment in the United States. The first recorded instance of an elephant in the United States was in New York City, where it was exhibited on a street corner on April 23, 1796. During the next forty years, elephants were displayed in various circuses and 'menageries' throughout the United States, often as a side show requiring a ticket of 25 - 50 cents. In 1852 Lewis B. Lent, the proprietor of the New York circus, became a partner and manager of P. T. Barnum's American Museum and Menagerie. He began to use the elephants as an advertisement for the show, placing the animals at the front of parades and outside the tents. This tactic continued to be used by P.T. Barnum in 1871 when his circus debuted. By the 1950s, elephant rides, parades, and other free events became a standard element that has continued to attract modern circuses audiences. Henry Lefebvre Collection.

Hotel Northland Construction#10185.24 Featured July 2006

Four men stand around the United States flag, displayed at the top of the Northland Hotel during its construction, Green Bay, Wisconsin, ca. 1924. Located at the corner of Pine and Adams Streets, the Hotel Northland was part of one of the largest hotel chains in Wisconsin during the 1920s. Hotels such as the Hotel Northland, the Hotel Retlaw in Fond du Lac, the Hotel Loraine in Madison, and the Hotel Schroeder in Milwaukee were created by Milwaukee businessman Walter Schroeder as part of the Schroeder Hotel Company. All of the hotels were advertised as having large numbers of rooms, modern facilities, coffee shops, ballrooms, and cocktail lounges. These facilities were used to the fullest in Green Bay with numerous conventions, political rallies, and Green Bay Packer business meetings held at the hotel.

The Niagara#6209.141 Featured July 2006

The tall ship, the Niagara, docks in the Port of Green Bay, Wisconsin, August 13, 1913. The USS Niagara was a brig in the United States Navy during the War of 1812. It was used as part of a group of nine ships under Captain Oliver Hazard Perry's command during the pivotal Battle of Lake Erie on September 10, 1813. Early in the battle Perry captained his flagship, the Lawrence, during which over 80 percent of the crew was killed or wounded and ship severely damaged, necessitating Perry's transfer to the Niagara. Shortly after Perry took command of the Niagara, the British surrendered, securing the Northwest Territory for the United States. After the war, the Niagara was sunk near Erie, Pennsylvania for preservation in 1820. The ship transferred ownership several times, eventually being raised on March 6, 1913. It was then restored by the Perry Centennial Commission for exhibition in the larger towns along Lakes Huron and Michigan, including Green Bay, during the commemoration of the Battle of Lake Erie. Following the exhibition, the Niagara was taken back to Erie, where it again deteriorated until the Niagara Association of Erie and several other groups finally completed a full restoration in 1963. Otto Stiller Collection.

The Green Bay Yacht Club#6209.84 Featured June 2006

Groups of people enjoy the day from the piazza of the Green Bay Yacht Club clubhouse, ca. 1905. A number of yacht clubs were established in Green Bay in the late 19th and the early 20th centuries. The club house in this photograph housed the second club of the three, which hosted afternoon boat rides, picnics, swimming parties, and weekend races that often culminated in an evening of dancing or entertainment in the clubhouse. Despite the club's early popularity, within six years of its creation, the organization began to collapse through a series of destructive events. While entertaining members of the Columbia and the Chicago Yacht Clubs in 1909, a large storm heavily damaged the clubhouse. Nine years later the building burned, scattering the few remaining members of the club, and ultimately lead to the club's 1920 bankruptcy. The site later became part of the Bay Beach Amusement Park. Otto Stiller Collection.

Packers at St. Norbert College# 18.1988.3414 Featured June 2006

Green Bay Packer players walk between buildings on the St. Norbert College, De Pere, campus, ca. 1958. During the 1940s the Green Bay Packers held training camp at Rockwood Lodge, a piece of land that was purchased for use as a training facility by Curly Lambeau. In 1950 Rockwood Lodge burned, necessitating an alternate training facility. One was finally established at St. Norbert College in 1958. Despite past coaches' interest in moving the Packers to another training camp in the 1980s, the camp location has remained popular for fans, generating numerous stories about the player's high jinks despite the camp's strict rules. The College continues to serve as the team base for the housing and meeting needs of all training camp activities. Henry Lefebvre Collection.

The Pedaling Octette#6209.85 Featured June 2006

Seven women and one man ride on a bicycle built for eight, ca. 1895. During the 1890s bicycles became increasingly popular throughout the United States. Three thousand eighty-five different bicycle brands were produced in the United States during the years between 1890 and 1918, many of them made in Milwaukee, Janesville, and Appleton, Wisconsin. As bicycles became increasingly available, bicycle clubs were formed throughout the United States. In Green Bay, the Pastime Bicycle Club was started in the spring of 1895 by a small group of bicyclists. By the end of 1896, this social club had nearly 200 members and owned a set of clubrooms on Washington Street. Its membership also began its own newspaper and sponsored a series of winter dances, summer races and outings into the country. Due in part to several unsuccessful events, the club was disbanded in 1900. Otto Stiller Collection.

Coal Shipment#18.1988.567 Featured May 2006

Coal is unloaded from the ship Frank E. Taplin at a Green Bay dock. The Taplin was part of the Wilson Marine Transit Company-one of the most productive shipping lines during the 1950s. The line was established in 1890 as the Wilson Transit company by Thomas Wilson, a former ship captain. The line specialized in shipping industrial cargo between the Great Lake states and the East coast and docked several times a month in Green Bay. Despite more than 60 years of business success, a series of problems including a steel industry strike, use of inefficient vessels, business competition, morale problems, and the resignation of chief personnel, all led to its sale to Litton Industries in 1967. The company was sold again in 1972 to American Ship Building and by the following year was no longer in operation. The Henry Lefebvre Collection.

Crossing the River#26.1989.176 Featured May 2006

A Chicago and Northwestern train crosses the Fox River just south of the Green Bay city limits, ca. 1915. In 1861 the Wisconsin legislature authorized the Chicago & Northwestern railroad to extend its line northward through Green Bay or Fort Howard. The railroad opted to build in Fort Howard due to the lower construction costs along the west bank of the river and because eighty acres in the former Fort Howard Military Reservation had been granted to the railroad by Congress for yards and railroad buildings. To accommodate travel on the east side of the Fox River, Chicago and Northwestern built this bridge south of the city limits.

J.S. Johnson and Company#18.1988.701 Featured May 2006

Men stand on the J.S. Johnson dock at the end of North Jefferson Street, Green Bay, ca.1900. In 1886 John. S. Johnson began packing and dealing in wholesale fish at a shop he established at 1243 Main Street. His operation grew and in 1903 Johnson partnered with a ship clerk, Charles W. Huth, to establish the J.S. Johnson and Company. This company eventually acquired a dock and warehouse at the end of North Jefferson Street. By 1907 Huth began his own oysters, fish, and game company with his brother and Johnson created the Johnson-Schiller company with a new partner, Louis G. Schiller. This arrangement failed within four years with Schiller taking control of the business and the Jefferson Street docks and eventually changing the name to the L.G. Schiller Company. In 1914, after working for three years as the secretary, treasurer, and manager of the Green Bay Canning Company Johnson launched the Johnson Fish Company with his two sons at the old Main street location. This business continued in Green Bay until 1991. The Henry Lefebvre Collection.

Murphy Box Company#18.1988.840 Featured May 2006

Workmen stand outside of the Murphy Box Company building, ca. 1905. The Murphy Box Company first appeared in the Green Bay City Directory in 1898 as a subsidiary of another business, the Murphy Lumber Company. The Murphy Lumber company was located at the mouth of the Fox River, near the city limits and was run by several Murphy family members. The lumber company also managed a lumber camp near Armstrong Creek in Forest county and operated a small railroad in conjunction with the Soo Line to transport their lumber to Green Bay. The Murphy box company ws established at a location on the north end of Quincy Street that was slightly east of the sawmill and could therefore utilize the mill's resources. By 1911 both the Murphy Box Company and Murphy Lumber Mill were no longer in operation. However, several family members became involved in the new Murphy Supply Company that sold steam heating, plumbing, and mill supplies. The Henry Lefebvre Collection.

Carving the Spirit of the Northwest#772 Featured April 2006

A stonecutter finishes the sculpture of the Spirit of the Northwest while the artist, Sydney Bedore, watches in the foreground, ca. 1930. At the age of 18, Sydney Bedore became interested in modeling clay while working at the Barkhausen brickyard in Green Bay. Over the next ten years he modeled clay in his spare time, and saved money to enroll in the Beaux Arts School in New York City. In 1921, Bedore began modeling a plaster statue symbolizing the old Northwest territory. Several prominent citizens, including Deborah Martin, Mr. and Mrs. A.C. Neville and Mr. R.C. Buchanan, became interested in this work and funded the model�s display at the Neville Public Museum and the Northern building in Green Bay. Eventually a committee was formed to raise funds for the creation of the statue in Bedford stone and to select a location. The finished piece was unveiled on the Brown County Courthouse lawn on June 10, 1931.

Good Boating on Goodell Street#6209.76A Featured April 2006

Several men sit in a rowboat while a family navigates the water on Goodell Street, Green Bay, June 11, 1922. The winter of 1921 -1922 was noted for several blizzards resulting in a heavy layer of snow. By spring, the heavy run off from the snow and then the torrential rains caused major flooding. The East River's flooding covered large parts of East Mason, Crooks, and Goodell Streets, as well as other portions of streets in the area. The Otto Stiller Collection.

St. Vincent Hospital#2682 Featured April 2006

Mrs. Jules Van Derel strolls by St. Vincent Hospital with her child, ca. 1898. In 1888, four nuns from the Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of Francis established Vincent Hospital in Green Bay. The original structure was built on the corner of Webster and Porlier Streets, across from the Monastery of Our Lady of charity of Refuge, Good shepherd Home, that was also run by the Catholic Diocese. During the 20th century, Vincent Hospital continued to be updated and expanded through donations from local residents. Eventually it became one of the tallest structures in Green Bay, moving from a small general hospital to one featuring more specialized care.

View from St. Willebrod's Church Steeple#1561A Featured April 2006

Aerial view of the 100 block of South Washington Street and of the Walunut Street Bridge, ca. 1889. During the 1880s, Green Bay's downtown encompassed North Washington, Cherry, Pine, and Main Streets. As the downtown filled, the business district grew to encompass the first two blocks of South Washington Street and its intersection with Doty Street. In this photograph, E. C. Kittner's wagon and carriage manufacture may be seen in the foreground, next to a baseball diamond. Joannes' Brothers wholesale merchandise multi-story building is under construction across the street, and the tower of the No. 1 fire station and the city hall may be seen on the far right side of the image.

Commercial Hotel#7034.5 Featured March 2006

Mrs. Albert Davreaux and Albert Jr. sit in a cutter in front of the Commercial Hotel, ca. 1900. Located at 101 - 103 North Broadway, the Commercial Hotel began as the Whitney House in 1871. The name changed in the 1880s, but the building operated continuously as a hotel until 1958. Later in the century, the hotel and its street level shops were demolished.

DuChateau Saloon#45.1996.1 Featured March 2006

Joe Tilly stands behind the bar at DuChateau's Saloon, ca. 1907. Located at the southeast corner of Broadway and Dousman Streets, the DuChateau Saloon sold liquor owned by a wholesale liquor distributor, the A. DuChateau Company. The company was established in 1869 by Abelard DuChateau, who operated it until his death in 1889. After Abelard's death, his son Frank J. B. became president and general manager at the company's incorporation in 1906. His brother, Arthur H., became secretary and treasurer, and his other brother, William, ran the saloon. The building continues to house a saloon that embraces much of the original look of the DuChateau's bar.

Fort Howard#236B Featured March 2006

Aerial view of the Fort Howard Military Post prior to its demolition, ca. 1867. Fort Howard was established in 1816 when six companies of the Third U. S. Infantry decided to locate on the west side of the Fox River. The U. S. military chose the site where both a French and an English fort once stood, and what is now the approximate location of Titletown Brewing Company. Fort Howard remained active until the garrison was withdrawn in 1841. Troops returned between 1849 and 1852, and later the Fort was used as a recruiting station early in the Civil War. Eventually the site was sold to the railroad, and by 1869 all of the buildings were raised or removed for other uses elsewhere.

Mary Ann Beauty Salon#56.1990.25 Featured March 2006

Marion Spude, Mildred Spude, and Agnes Dillon Spude style customer's hair in the Mary Ann Beauty Salon, ca. 1930. In 1925 Marion and Mildred both worked for Azalea Shilkee, a hairdresser, and lived with their father William Spude, a barber, and their mother, Agnes. During the late 1920s, the family moved several times, William changed employers, and Mildred began to work as a clerk at Woolworth's. After William's death in 1929 or 1930, Marion and Mildred moved again with Agnes, and opened the Mary Ann Beauty Salon in room 605 in the Minahan building. Their mother, Agnes, worked beside them.

Neighborhood Businesses#8620 Featured March 2006

Haanen Drug and Garry Foods, located at 620 and 618 Mather Street, Green Bay, ca. 1959. Until recently many Green Bay neighborhoods had small centralized areas of local businesses to which residents could easily walk, as well as an established downtown. While largely residential, the corner of Mather Street and Ashland Avenue was the site of Wette's Standard Service Station, Gloe's Hair Style Studio, as well as Haanen Drug and Garry Foods.

White Sucker Fishing#18.1988.3954 Featured March 2006

A group of men and boys fish for White Sucker Fish in Pamperin Park's section of Duck Creek, ca. 1955. While the White Sucker is often considered an undesirable and uneatable fish, it was once held in high regard. During the 19th and first half of the 20th centuries, many fishermen considered the White Sucker's early spring spawn runs in Great Lakes tributaries to be the beginning the fishing season. Suckers were dip-netted and sold in the market under the name of "Mullet". The same name continues to grace many small Wisconsin creeks and streams, as well as to the larger Mullet Watershed Area located west of Sheboygan. Henry Lefebvre Collection.

Bowling with Don Hutson#PG - Hutson, Don, February 7, 1942, f1 of 2 Featured February 2006

Don Hutson assists an unidentified young woman at the Packer Playdium, February 7, 1942. During the Green Bay Packer's early years, many of the players were employed in second jobs during the off-season. Don Hutson ran two well-know Green Bay businesses - the Playdium and Don Hutson Motors. According to the 1945 Packer Press Book, other players worked outside the field as well. Arnie Herber operated a soft drink company in De Pere, Don Perkins drove a truck at Leicht Transfer and Storage, and innumerable players joined the army. The Press-Gazette Collection.

Abandoned Interurban Car#6209.74B Featured February 2006

Interurban Street Car number 109 stalls, caught in a large snow drift near the 1000 block of Velp Avenue, February 22 - 23, 1922. During February 1922, a heavy blizzard stopped Green Bay city services for several days, including the interurban cars. According to local legend, interurban street car operator, John Gilsdorf, caught vehicle 109 in a ten foot drift that covered much of Velp Avenue. After trying to free the car, he removed the control levers, tore off one of the window shades, wrapped the cash-box in it, and hid it under a seat. After securing the car, he walked back into Green Bay on foot. When he returned to the car several days later, it was filled with snow as if the doors and windows had been left open. The Otto Stiller Collection.

Muddy Streets#6209.195A Featured February 2006

Doty Street, looking west from Baird Street, spring 1922. Before many of Green Bay Streets were paved, spring often meant muddy streets and difficulty moving throughout the city. Like most residential areas, Doty Street was without storm sewers, curbs, or pavement, leading to mud filled streets with thick ruts left in the clay from wagon, car and foot traffic. The Otto Stiller Collection.