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Since 1961, Mayors of Sheboygan have been elected to four-year terms and considered full-time mayors. Prior to 1961, Mayors were considered part-time mayors because the men had other jobs, while also serving as mayor. Starting in 1853, the men who ran for mayor were nominated by local political parties which many times made things interesting. There were times when the man nominated for mayor did not want the job. In the 165 year history of Sheboygan, little has been done to honor the men who served as mayor. This book is an effort to pay tribute to them and accurately, yet simply, document their political tenure. The vignettes that follow are in alphabetical order for ease of organization. Filled with photos this includes biographies of all of the city of Sheboygan’s part-time and full-time mayors. -
Originally platted as the village of Rochester, Sheboygan Falls took shape in the late 1830s and 1840s. Settled by Yankee entrepreneurs from the East, "Sheboygan at the Falls" was a strong settlement from the beginning, surviving even the financial panic of 1837. A city of Greek Revival and Cream City brick architecture, Sheboygan Falls boasts two districts listed on the National Historic Register -
By Richard A. Dykstra Thirty-five heartwarming stories about growing up in rural Wisconsin during the 1950s and 1960s. -
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By Robert Matzner Sheboygan resident, Robert Matzner, had a very important story to tell. Friend, Larry Vogel, helped him to put pen to paper. The result is Prisoner 19053, the true story of Matzner’s three years in Nazi concentration camps. Matzner, a native of Poland, lost most of his family to the Nazi’s Final Solution. He somehow survived the horror and came to the United States and Sheboygan with his family in 1949. Robert and Larry have written a remarkable document, a story full of sadness and hope which will touch all readers. The introduction, written by Robert’s son, Murray, is a poignant tribute and a great beginning to Prisoner 19053. -
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On a cold, cloudy evening, February 20, 1919, Zion Reformed Church in Sheboygan was reportedly "packed to the doors" to hear a concert. The highlight was to be a cantata performed by the Zion Choir, but the program listed them as "assisted" by a new entity: the Sheboygan Community Orchestra, led by John Schmidt, "who certainly needs no introduction," according to the anonymous review published the next day in the Sheboygan Press. In the months to follow, that body of players would be performing on their own, and by the time of their third concert they would be calling themselves the Sheboygan Symphony Orchestra. They are still the SSO, one hundred years after their founding in the fall of 1918: the oldest symphony orchestra still functioning in the state of Wisconsin. They have performed continuously, except for pauses during the Great Depression and in the midst of World War II; and though they were called the Sheboygan Civic (Symphony) Orchestra from 1936 to 1973, there has been a continuity in both personnel and musical vision, linking one generation to the next over a 100-year span. -
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Wisconsin's 37, The Lives of Those Missing in Action in the Vietnam War. By Erin Miller with John B. Sharpless Foreword by Major General John D. "Don" Logeman (Ret.) The signing of the Paris Peace Accords in 1973 signified the end of the Vietnam War. American personnel returned home and the 591 Americans held captive in North Vietnam were released. Still, 2,646 individuals did not come home. Thirty-seven of those missing in action were from Wisconsin. Using the recollections of the soldiers' families, friends and fellow servicemen, the author tells the story of each man's life. -
Sheboygan County Connection III is the continuing record of the lives of Sheboygan County residents and their adventures in history. Read about dozens of historic happenings experienced by residents from the death and autopsy of victims of Ed Gein to the mysteries of Sheboygan's Rancho de las Flores, refugees of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, the architect for the construction of the first Mormon Temple at Nauvoo, Illinois and history of outhouses. These stories ran in the Sheboygan Press from November 2015 to October 2016. -
By Edgar Harvey Jr.
This book deals with many of Ed Harvey’s predecessors as Sheboygan County Surveyors. Harvey, after years of research, found that they included men of great character, and others whom we could term “shysters”. They included some pretty unremarkable individuals and others of great genius. Although they were humble surveyors while they worked in Sheboygan County, some of these men invented great things, or were otherwise involved in major events which changed the history of the entire nation or the world. One man worked on the Brooklyn Bridge project. Another worked on the Panama Canal. At least two of these men prepared maps which shaped the boundaries of nations. With all the same care, the same men prepared surveys which depicted the boundaries of comparatively small, private properties in Sheboygan County; An interesting and fresh way of analyzing Sheboygan County History.
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By Jim Draeger and Mark Speltz The authors visit 60 Wisconsin gas stations that are still standing today and chronicles the history of these humble yet ubiquitous buildings. The book tells the larger story of the gas station's place in automobile culture and its evolution in tandem with American history, as well as the stories of the individuals influenced by the gas stations in their lives. -
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By Elmer Koppelmann The citizens of Sheboygan County have always gone above and beyond the call of duty in times of military need; the Second World War was no different. Some 3000 young men and women served during World War II on all fronts and in all capacities from this county alone. Recorded here, after eighteen months of searches and interviews, are vignettes of 234 soldiers- one young woman and 233 young men from the Sheboygan County area who lost their lives. Four others- Joseph J. Archbold, Elmer C. Prahl, Roland Thompson, and Douglas Thornberg are noted as making the ultimate sacrifice, but regrettably, no information was found other than their names. -
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By Richard A. Dykstra Here are thirty additional stories about growing up in rural Sheboygan County. Two favorite chapters are “The Airport” and “The Ice Box.” In the first you will appreciate the gullibility of children and in the second you will want to check Dykstra’s nose to see, if like Pinocchio, it has grown a foot or two. Besides the silly and nonsensical stories there are those with a much deeper meaning as in “Revisiting the Gift,” “Three Conversations with Dad” and “Grandma’s Quiet Life.” Dykstra's appreciation of family shines through the pages of all of his books. -
By Janice Hildebrand In Sheboygan County there was a lively trade with the Indians for deer hides and other animal skins. Barter with the Indians brought the first traders to the county in the early 1800s. The tanneries of the county were an offshoot of the fur-trading days and were among the first clothing-related businesses to get started in Sheboygan County. Everything from shoes to gloves to harnesses were made of leather. Follow the history of the leather business in the county. -
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By Floyd Odekirk and Adrian Falchion Waiting on DEROS: A Soldier’s Story could not have been accomplished without the efforts of a Veteran, a writer and the spirit of every soldier walking within the pages of this book. Floyd Odekirk pursued the emotional task of bringing back the images of his tour in Vietnam (1968-69) so that the writer, Adrian Falchion, could paint in all its vibrant and dark colors the truths of war. Following the completion of 19 stories, Floyd Odekirk offered the light to his Veteran Brothers Michael Bennett, David Higgins, Craig Johnson, Dale Moravec, Donald Burch, Patrick Callahan, Joseph DeAugustine, Robert Moneypenny, Daniel Michael Pruitt and Thomas Vojvodich who each shared a story for the sake of honoring other soldiers. -
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This publication is a chronological account of the sister city relationship between Sheboygan, a city in the state of Wisconsin, and Esslingen am Neckar of Germany. These articles span the years 1967 to 2017. The stories are told by actual headlines, story excerpts, photographs, and informational pieces gathered through articles in the Sheboygan Press, publications in the archives of the Sheboygan County Historical Research Center and Mead Public Library. The articles selected are meant to include a brief history and highlights of special visits and envoys. It is impossible to include everything. Many photos were available, but individuals and dates were not identified so they were not chosen. In a world that began with cablegrams, western union, letters, then phone and fax, communication evolved with the technology of cell phones, emails, the internet and FaceTime. In the beginning, travelers’ postcards and letters often arrived after they returned home. The bulk of the written material was found before all of this new technology replaced the newspaper stories. Some years there was more material than others. During the 1990s and beyond information was in the hands of individuals, not printed publications. -
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By Roland Schomberg
Originally published 1994, this 2008 update provides the reader with a look at the schools in the towns of Herman and Mosel from the town’s earliest history. Schools covered: Millersville, Howards Grove, Green Bay Road, Washington, Franklin, Pinehurst, Schwartzwald, Elm Grove, Haven, Champion, and Lakeview.
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By James E. Schultz. More than a history about Schultz's great grandparents, this book features:
- threads of our German heritage, including food, wine and beer, language, religion, music, dance, and customs woven into the family history and indexed;
- sections devoted to “Why they came”, “Today’s German Attitudes”, and “People and Places”;
- a “Special Find” for each of the eight featured ancestors, a genealogical gem that I uncovered;
- a wide variety of church, government, military, personal, and other resources, with a list of 40 resources cataloged as an appendix; and,
- a section called “Challenges, Tips, and Surprises” that provides helpful pointers for finding information.
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By Bill Wangemann
This second book of Bill’s is a compilation of articles that appeared in the Sheboygan Press during 2004. Many are based on activities of the 1950s
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This book covers Oostburg school history from 1899-2005. A great timeline gives the reader a wonderful overview of what happened educationally and socially in Oostburg, Wisconsin. Class photos and memories and reflections are included. -
By Plymouth Historical Society and SCHRC
Plymouth, originally considered a “hub” city because of the hub and wheel factory located there, it has also earned that moniker because of its central location between Milwaukee and Green Bay. Tourists flock to Plymouth year round to visit the variety of shops, to golf, swim and ski, or explore the beautiful Kettle Moraine State Forest. Residents are proud of their heritage, which can be seen at sites throughout the city. Visit Plymouth through this wonderful tribute using historic photographs.
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By Rich Dykstra Rich is back with another series of short stories about life in the 1950s and 1960s. Life in the Slow Lane deals with seemingly mundane but very memorable activities that Dykstra participated in as a child – shopping trips to Sheboygan when it took a week or more of planning, going to the outhouse, Friday nights in Sheboygan Falls capped off with a stop at Bob’s Lunch, a one-room school fair, Sundays at Grandma’s, the anxious anticipation of a first Milwaukee Braves game, life in the era of polio and something called Sunday Rules.
