What's Happening at the Museum
Social crowd gathers for cake, ice cream and fun
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The Ashland Historical Society Museum was host to a cake and ice cream social from 1-3 p.m. on Wednesday, July 12 at 216 Main Street West.
About 50 guests enjoyed the sweets and the good conversations that come with sharing time with family and friends. And the crowd was also entertained by Karolyn Solberg, who played several selections on the Museum's historic Beaser Piano. |
John Kovach, left, talks to the crowd gathered at St. Agnes Cemetery on the 4th of July for the annual Cemetery Walk.
John spoke fondly of the life and times of his grandfather, Michael Kovach,
Cemetery Walk, 2017, draws a crowd
The annual Cemetery Walk was featured this year from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at St. Agnes Cemetery on the 4th of July.
Six individuals shared their personal relationships and stories about ancestors buried at the cemetery. Each ghost story shared how these individuals made their way in our City of Ashland.
This Year's Ghost Stories:
- Rudy Hagene, by his nephew Bob Klamerus.
- Stanley Maliszewski, by grandson-in-law Ray Koch and granddaughter Sue Sandstrom Koch.
- Mildred Fitzgerald Garvin-Wilson, by granddaughter Pat Erickson Lindholm.
- Mike Kovach, by his grandson John Kovach.
- John Pufall, by his grandson Richard J. Pufall.
- Franciscan Priests and Brothers, by Father Paul Pare, OFM.
Huge Pizza Party crowd honors memories of Mickey & Chuck Iverson
A Pizza Party held on Saturday, Feb. 11 to honor the memories of Mickey and Chuck Iverson, who owned and operated Frankie's Pizza in Ashland for 50 years, turned out to be the most successful one-day fundraiser in museum history.
There were 95 tickets sold in advance of the party and another 68 at the door on Saturday. The party featured delicious Frankie's pizza, soft drinks, and music from the 1960s and 70s, played on an old-time juke box.
And there was a drawing for door prizes, a Frankie's Pizza trivia contest, and voting to determine the favorite waitress/waiter in the restaurant's 54 years in business. Joyce "Peppy" Barry Kabasa was the winner. Also, party guests had the opportunity to enter their fondest recollections of Frankie's into a Memory Book.
Brakken's book, Early Life Among the Indians, on sale at Museum
The annotated book, Early Life Among the Indians, by James A. Brakken, is now on sale at the Ashland Historical Society Museum.
Brakken’s book features reminiscences from the life of Benjamin Green Armstrong, 1892. It sells for $18 at the Museum or by mail for $21.
The book also includes Fufillment of the 7th Prophecy, by Professor John A (Little Bird) Anderson, D.L.
The Foreward is written by Paul DeMain (Skabewis), CEO of Indian Country Communications.
Brakken’s book features reminiscences from the life of Benjamin Green Armstrong, 1892. It sells for $18 at the Museum or by mail for $21.
The book also includes Fufillment of the 7th Prophecy, by Professor John A (Little Bird) Anderson, D.L.
The Foreward is written by Paul DeMain (Skabewis), CEO of Indian Country Communications.
Museum awarded mini-grant to help protect collection
By Amy Tromberg
Board Vice President
The Ashland Historical Society Museum applied for a Wisconsin Historical Society (WHS) and Wisconsin Council for Local History Affiliate Mini-Grant for Collections Care and Management this spring. We are pleased to announce that we were awarded our mini-grant.
The Mini-Grant Program supports projects and activities that strengthen a local organization’s ability to manage and preserve historical collections. We worked with Janet Seymour, WHS Northern Region Field Services Representative, who was able to review a draft mini-grant application and answer questions.
Grant funds received need to be matched on a dollar-per-dollar cash basis, and we are able to use donations from the calendar year 2016 Fund Drive as match. The goal of our mini-grant project application was to help protect our museum collection by purchasing dehumidifiers for improved climate control and archival supplies such as acid-free boxes (above left) and archival sleeves to house archival and photographic materials.
Ashland Historical Society Museum Board Member Amy Tromberg is also a former curator of the Museum.
Board Vice President
The Ashland Historical Society Museum applied for a Wisconsin Historical Society (WHS) and Wisconsin Council for Local History Affiliate Mini-Grant for Collections Care and Management this spring. We are pleased to announce that we were awarded our mini-grant.
The Mini-Grant Program supports projects and activities that strengthen a local organization’s ability to manage and preserve historical collections. We worked with Janet Seymour, WHS Northern Region Field Services Representative, who was able to review a draft mini-grant application and answer questions.
Grant funds received need to be matched on a dollar-per-dollar cash basis, and we are able to use donations from the calendar year 2016 Fund Drive as match. The goal of our mini-grant project application was to help protect our museum collection by purchasing dehumidifiers for improved climate control and archival supplies such as acid-free boxes (above left) and archival sleeves to house archival and photographic materials.
Ashland Historical Society Museum Board Member Amy Tromberg is also a former curator of the Museum.
29 good men lost with The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
Senior wheelsman Johnny Simmons, 62, of Ashland and all 28 of his shipmates were lost on Nov. 10, 1975 when the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, loaded with 26,116 tons of taconite pellets, sank in Lake Superior in 530 feet of water.
Loaded in Superior on Nov. 9 and bound for Detroit, the Fitzgerald was just 17 miles from safe harbor in Whitefish Bay when she vanished in a horrific storm near the Sault Ste. Marie cities of Michigan and Ontario.
Four other men from the Chequamegon Bay area perished with Simmons, who at 62, had come out of retirement to make one last voyage as a favor to his long-time friend, Ernest M. McSorley, captain of the Fitzgerald.
Joseph W. Mazes, 59, of Ashland, a 1934 graduate of DePadua High School, was a special maintenance man on the Fitzgerald.
Allen G. Kalmon, of Washburn, the ship’s second cook, was just 43 years old and the father of two daughters and a son.
Blaine H. Wilhelm, 52, of Moquah, was a 1942 graduate of Ashland High School. He worked as an oiler on the Fitzgerald.
Michael E. Armagost, just 37, was third mate from Iron River.
For more on Simmons and the Edmund Fitzgerald see Museum Manager Richard J. Pufall's story in The Ashland Daily Press: http://www.apg-wi.com/ashland_daily_press/news/simmons-shipmates-legends-live-on/article_45b7f0a0-3f2c-11e6-a65e-9f980b186031.html
Loaded in Superior on Nov. 9 and bound for Detroit, the Fitzgerald was just 17 miles from safe harbor in Whitefish Bay when she vanished in a horrific storm near the Sault Ste. Marie cities of Michigan and Ontario.
Four other men from the Chequamegon Bay area perished with Simmons, who at 62, had come out of retirement to make one last voyage as a favor to his long-time friend, Ernest M. McSorley, captain of the Fitzgerald.
Joseph W. Mazes, 59, of Ashland, a 1934 graduate of DePadua High School, was a special maintenance man on the Fitzgerald.
Allen G. Kalmon, of Washburn, the ship’s second cook, was just 43 years old and the father of two daughters and a son.
Blaine H. Wilhelm, 52, of Moquah, was a 1942 graduate of Ashland High School. He worked as an oiler on the Fitzgerald.
Michael E. Armagost, just 37, was third mate from Iron River.
For more on Simmons and the Edmund Fitzgerald see Museum Manager Richard J. Pufall's story in The Ashland Daily Press: http://www.apg-wi.com/ashland_daily_press/news/simmons-shipmates-legends-live-on/article_45b7f0a0-3f2c-11e6-a65e-9f980b186031.html
John F. Kennedy campaigned for President here in 1960
John F. Kennedy, while campaigning for the Presidency of the United States in March of 1960, visits Ashland and delivers a speech in front of the Ashland County Court House on March 18, above.
Seated directly behind Kennedy is Ashland Mayor Harry Simon. At left, Kennedy’s wife, Jacqueline, chats with Ashland attorney Thomas Anich. To the far left is Mayor Ivan Nestingen of Madison. Nestingen was also the president of the Wisconsin Kennedy for President Clubs.
This image is a featured photo in the Ashland Historical Society Museum’s 2017 calendar. The calendar is on sale at the front desk of the museum. Read the complete story on JFK's visit to Ashland in 1960 on the website of The Ashland Daily Press: http://www.apg-wi.com/ashland_daily_press/news/kennedy-campaigned-in-ashland/article_fc655ae0-2929-11e6-9236-27794f13cbe8.html
Seated directly behind Kennedy is Ashland Mayor Harry Simon. At left, Kennedy’s wife, Jacqueline, chats with Ashland attorney Thomas Anich. To the far left is Mayor Ivan Nestingen of Madison. Nestingen was also the president of the Wisconsin Kennedy for President Clubs.
This image is a featured photo in the Ashland Historical Society Museum’s 2017 calendar. The calendar is on sale at the front desk of the museum. Read the complete story on JFK's visit to Ashland in 1960 on the website of The Ashland Daily Press: http://www.apg-wi.com/ashland_daily_press/news/kennedy-campaigned-in-ashland/article_fc655ae0-2929-11e6-9236-27794f13cbe8.html
Famous face in the crowd: Eleanor Roosevelt visits in 1956
She won’t be the new face on the $10 bill. But nearly 60 years ago, she was the most famous face in town and the honored guest of the City of Ashland.
She was Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and she had spent 12 years in the White House as the longest-serving First Lady in United States history.
And on the morning of Thursday, Oct. 4, 1956 she stood out in the crowd of hundreds gathered at the Dodd Gym at old Ashland High School.
Mrs. Roosevelt was here for the North Wisconsin Lake Superior Education Association’s convention.
She was Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and she had spent 12 years in the White House as the longest-serving First Lady in United States history.
And on the morning of Thursday, Oct. 4, 1956 she stood out in the crowd of hundreds gathered at the Dodd Gym at old Ashland High School.
Mrs. Roosevelt was here for the North Wisconsin Lake Superior Education Association’s convention.
Ashland's favorite son: Fleet Admiral William D. Leahy
William D. Leahy was an 1892 graduate of Ashland’s old Central High School long before going on to become Fleet Admiral Leahy, and the top advisor to Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman during World War II.
Leahy’s lofty position drew national attention and he was honored as the cover story of “Life” magazine on Sept. 28, 1942.
See the Leahy legend come to life in the newest exhibit at the Ashland Historical Society Museum, located at 509 Main Street West. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday and from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturdays.
Leahy’s lofty position drew national attention and he was honored as the cover story of “Life” magazine on Sept. 28, 1942.
See the Leahy legend come to life in the newest exhibit at the Ashland Historical Society Museum, located at 509 Main Street West. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday and from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturdays.
Reuben Pingel was an enduring tribute to a bygone era: Ore punching
Reuben Pingel was the oldest and last surviving full-time ore puncher in Ashland's history.
He passed away on August 22. He was 102 years old.
What’s an ore puncher?
Well, these were burly, hard-working musclemen with families to feed.They worked Ashland’s five ore docks from the late 19th century until 1965. They worked 8- to 12-hour days, sometimes seven days a week, wielding eight-foot-long steel bars that weighed more than 30 pounds.
To do their work, the ore punchers perched precariously on eight-inch wooden planks atop the ore cars. Each car had a trap-door at the bottom that, when opened, would allow the iron ore to fall down into the huge pockets on the sides of the ore dock.
More often than not, the ore refused to cooperate. So the ore punchers used those heavy bars to literally punch the stubborn ore that would sometimes clog the opening at the bottom of each car.
For more on Reuben Pingel and the story of ore punching, visit The Ashland Historical Society Museum at 509 Main St. West and go to Richard J. Pufall's article on the website of The Ashland Daily Press: http://www.apg-wi.com/ashland_daily_press/news/pingel-is-a-living-tribute-to-a-bygone-era/article_b5c45118-ed6f-11e5-ad0c-a70ec2070e85.html
He passed away on August 22. He was 102 years old.
What’s an ore puncher?
Well, these were burly, hard-working musclemen with families to feed.They worked Ashland’s five ore docks from the late 19th century until 1965. They worked 8- to 12-hour days, sometimes seven days a week, wielding eight-foot-long steel bars that weighed more than 30 pounds.
To do their work, the ore punchers perched precariously on eight-inch wooden planks atop the ore cars. Each car had a trap-door at the bottom that, when opened, would allow the iron ore to fall down into the huge pockets on the sides of the ore dock.
More often than not, the ore refused to cooperate. So the ore punchers used those heavy bars to literally punch the stubborn ore that would sometimes clog the opening at the bottom of each car.
For more on Reuben Pingel and the story of ore punching, visit The Ashland Historical Society Museum at 509 Main St. West and go to Richard J. Pufall's article on the website of The Ashland Daily Press: http://www.apg-wi.com/ashland_daily_press/news/pingel-is-a-living-tribute-to-a-bygone-era/article_b5c45118-ed6f-11e5-ad0c-a70ec2070e85.html
The Ashland County Courthouse Turns 100
Ashland County, established in March of 1860, was formed from a portion of La Pointe County. It covered the entire area from Chequamegon Bay and the Apostle Islands to the now city of Hurley and south to the now town of Butternut. The city of Ashland became the county seat in June of 1860. By 1893, the eastern portion of Ashland County had become Iron County.
The Ashland County Board of Supervisors voted to purchase lots to be used for a courthouse in Block 72 of the Vaughn Division for $3,500.00, located between Front Street and Second Street on what is now Chapple Avenue. The architect was SV Shipman and contractor BF Bicksler was awarded the contract and the cornerstone was laid on October 3, 1877. The building was touted as the finest courthouse in Northern Wisconsin and served as the Ashland County Courthouse until 1915.
The present day courthouse, located at 201 West Main Street, was designed by well-known Ashland architect Henry Wildhagen and built by contractor Herman W Buemming. It opened its doors on December 27, 1915. It is an example of Classical Revival and Beaux-Arts architecture. In 1982, the building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. At one time, the Ashland Police Department was housed in the courthouse, but today it is reserved for county offices and court.
Photos below: Ashland County Courthouse celebrating 100 years, summer 2015 photo from Ashland Daily Press.
Ashland Historical Society Museum, photograph collection # 2-12-004 Ashland County Courthouse.jpg
The Ashland County Board of Supervisors voted to purchase lots to be used for a courthouse in Block 72 of the Vaughn Division for $3,500.00, located between Front Street and Second Street on what is now Chapple Avenue. The architect was SV Shipman and contractor BF Bicksler was awarded the contract and the cornerstone was laid on October 3, 1877. The building was touted as the finest courthouse in Northern Wisconsin and served as the Ashland County Courthouse until 1915.
The present day courthouse, located at 201 West Main Street, was designed by well-known Ashland architect Henry Wildhagen and built by contractor Herman W Buemming. It opened its doors on December 27, 1915. It is an example of Classical Revival and Beaux-Arts architecture. In 1982, the building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. At one time, the Ashland Police Department was housed in the courthouse, but today it is reserved for county offices and court.
Photos below: Ashland County Courthouse celebrating 100 years, summer 2015 photo from Ashland Daily Press.
Ashland Historical Society Museum, photograph collection # 2-12-004 Ashland County Courthouse.jpg
Volunteer Rose Knapp
On April 9, 2015, our volunteer, Rose Knapp, came to the museum in period dress to celebrate the end of the Civil War 150 years ago.
National Register of Historic Places - New - Ashland, Wisconsin designation!
The Chapple and MacArthur Avenues Residential Historic District was listed on the Wisconsin State Register of Historic Places during the winter of 2014, and on the National Register of Historic Places in May, 2014.
On the National Park Service notice it says: WISCONSIN - Ashland County. Chapple and MacArthur Avenues Residential Historic District, 507-1023 Chapple, 600-810, 814 & 822 MacArthur Aves., 618-622, 700-722, 9th Ave., W., 706-721 6th St., W., Ashland, 14000266.
Questions about the State Register and National Register programs in Wisconsin should be addressed to the Division of Historic Preservation-Public History, Wisconsin Historical Society, 608-264-6501.
Do you know what this is?
This was found within a box labeled military items. If you know what it is or what it would have historically been used for please email or call the Museum! And the answer is ... Jeff Bowman, of Sugar Land Tex., identified this object as a German rifle grenade from World War I. Jeff is a native of Eau Claire. |
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Soo Line ore dock demolition, Ashland, WI - picture on top right taken 9-11-2013
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