Today | Nostalgia

Nostalgia – Jan/Feb 2022

Courtney Woolen Mill by Gwen SargeantHave you ever seen a machine pull apart the fibers of wool or polyester? It looks like snow! Have you seen a carding machine roll out a batting?  The Courtney Woolen Mill has operated in Appleton for more than 140 years. It was originally known as the Kelley...

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Nostalgia – September 2021

One of Appleton's Own - Edna Ferber by Christine WilliamsBorn in Kalamazoo, Michigan, in 1885, and spending time in Chicago, Illinois, and Ottumwa, Iowa, before moving to Appleton at age 12, the author and playwright Edna Ferber has been embraced by our community as one of Appleton’s own.  The...

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Nostalgia – July 2021

Taking a Dip! by Gwen Hinz SargeantSwimming is a favorite Appleton pastime, whether in the Fox River, a lagoon, private pools, or a municipal pool. In the early days, the only option was to swim in the Fox River, but the dangers associated with that pushed citizens to look for other options.  One...

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Nostalgia – May 2021 (Reprint)

Manufacturing Fun: Toys in Appleton by Gwen Hinz SargeantAppleton is known for the paper industry but did you know Appleton had a thriving toy manufacturing business starting in 1882?  Daniel Walters and Michael Bauer formed the first toy company in Appleton in 1882 located at South Division...

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Nostalgia – March 2021

Life on the Locks by Christine WilliamsThe 275-mile river system that includes the Fox and Lower Wisconsin Rivers extends from Green Bay to Prairie du Chien. Beginning in the 1820s, government and private interests began to view the route as a direct water highway to the west, but the strong...

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