Palmers, Bannisters and dulcimers

The Palmer dulcimer, on display at the Galloway House & Village

Birney & Carrie Palmer with their dulcimer

Bingham Lake

Dec 18^th, 1932

Dear Mae & All.

This, while mostly business like is also a Christmas greeting to you all and I wish you a very bright and happy day. As you doubtless know before this time I came up here to attend Charley Siem’s funeral who died the 3^rd of Dec. It is a very sad family for they loved him very much and had cared for him so long that it was very hard to give him up.

Once, when the family were visiting us at Valley Springs Charley wanted to see the dulcimer and we got it down out of the barn. The wrench was with it then so we could see how the tuning was done. And we never saw it after that till just a few minutes ago when Laura went and got it from Charley’s things. He had put it in his pocket and brought it home with him. I am sending it to you and as it is old you may want it for a pattern to make a newer one.

By now you will know that there are to be five or six bass strings which go over the top of the short bridge & through the holes in the long bridge. The bass strings are of brass but the other ones are of wire (steel wire) Bass strings are only two strands just from their keys over across to the nails on the left hand side. I do not know whether you can get the right kind of wire or not. Mary used to try to use different kinds of wire – fiddle strings, mandolin strings etc. But none of them gave the same satisfaction as the regular dulcimer wire which I doubt if you can get. Now, as to the history of this dulcimer. I can not tell in what year Erastus Bannister came to Wis to sell dulcimers but it was between 1850 and 1856. The Manning family were in Wis then from N. Y. state and had settled in Adams Co. at a place called Roche-a-Cree, an Indian name. Then Gaston Bannister & Jasper went to the same place. It was in the summer of 1856 that my sister Carrie worked for a family by the name of Dr Cruthers who lived about a mile west of where the town hall and the Methodist church used to stand in the town of Byron, Fond du Lac Co. This family were singers and music lovers. And when Erastus Bannister came along selling dulcimers and was himself a singer with a grand good bass voice, they had royal good times and of course he sold them a dulcimer, and as he traveled around the country selling them, he made the Dr’s home his headquarters, thus getting acquainted with your Aunt Carrie Bannister  who sang alto with the family. Your uncle Will Palmer was a baby that year born the 4^th of Apr. Erastus & Carrie were married in the fall and went to Roche-a-Cree to live. And before going he gave your Aunt Mary a dulcimer for she took to it at once, thought Aunt Florence played some. And it is her picture taken with your father with the dulcimer on her lap. So you see the Bannisters – three brothers, and the Mannings all lived up there which we used to call the “Injun Land”. And Manning’s folks bought this dulcimer that you have. When the  moved to this country they brought it along, and when they went to calif the left it to Aunt Jennie. And when they moved in their new house they put it up in the barn where it stayed until charley wanted to see it that time. And now you have it. After your father came home from the war, he went up to Adams Co. to visit the Bannisters and Aunt Mary had already gone up there. She & Birney played together for dances etc. And she there met & married Frank Munn when they all came down to Byron in 1865 or 66.

Now I hope you enjoy the old thing and learn to play on it – I only wish I was there to see the old thing renew itself and to hear you play. A very merry Christmas to you all from my heart and Laura & Myrtle send their greetings too.

Lovingly

Aunt Rosina

Johny's on the Lake

Just received an email from someone out of state, who came across some photos of Johny's on the Lake, which the family had owned at one point.

Rick is the youngest of the Nagy “kids” whose parents John and Dolores Nagy owned the restaurant.   Dolores was a cook there and John also bartended.  Their home was also located at the restaurant.  My husband gained his love of boats growing up there and as kids got to help bring patrons’ boat to dock.  

John and Dolores eventually moved to Arizona where they retired and eventually passed on.

Gene Autry

Here are some fun photos of a time when Gene Autry visited Fond du Lac.  Of course, he received a key to the city, but on this occasion he also got to visit some safety patrol students.  Does anyone recognize themselves in these pictures?

Gene Autry receives key to the city from Clarence Sheridan

Mom

Today marks one year, that my mom finally was re-united with my dad, so I decided to go through some of the many little papers of anecdotes that she wrote, which gives me a glimpse into days long gone.

[My mother was born Jan. 24, 1914, and her early days were spent on Morris St.  Her next-door neighbor was Mrs. Shirley, the last of the freed slaves who moved to Fond du Lac after the civil war.  Mom's playmate when she was little, was Mrs. Shirley's grandson.]

Here is a little piece that she wrote about her early childhood:

Thoughts about my Mother

By Emma Berghandler Reinhardt

Seems more difficult to recall things about my mother than my father, as he seemed to dominate my childhood more than she did. Perhaps the word dominate isn’t appropriate. Let’s say he impressed me more by the things he did when he was at home after work and on weekends and Holidays, not that he engaged in activities that included me and my younger brothers. I was more like a bystander, watching and learning and admiring things that he did. A small part of my memories of my mother dwells on her hard work, our kitchen floor in the house on Morris Street was of hardwood boards, laid by my dad, but my mother it was who scrubbed the varnish off of those boards, till they finally shone white. She was 34 years old when I was born, and 39 when brother Herb was born, he being the last in the family. As brother Bill (William Otto) was born in 1907, our mother bore 8 children in 12 years. The reason I remember her scolding when we tracked up her clean floor is very clear to me now. 

However, my first memories of her, which I’ve related in another paper, were of her standing in our parlor with Dr. Waldschmidt. I was standing on the table being wrapped in bandages from head to toe, so it seemed, after I’d been burned by scalding hot coffee. I must have been just 3 years old, as it was wintertime and my birthday is in January. I remember our kitchen in the Morris street house very well, and I’ve been told the story by others, so I can picture how the accident happened, but the only clear picture I have is my concerned mother, the doctor and me. 

Our property went back to the Chicago and Northwestern railroad, and there was a deep ditch running alongside the tracks over which dad had put planks for a footbridge so we could get up onto the tracks. The summertimes when I was 4 to 7 years old seem to be easy to remember, as sisters and brothers were home from Franklin school, and there was always something going on.  There was a pond across the tracks  kitty-corner from our place, and south of a huge stock pavilion, where cattle sales were held at times.  There was a long side track spur running for about a half a mile, and when the circus came to town the wagons and animals were unloaded there. This was always a great treat. People came from all over just to watch the elephants pull the circus wagons off the railroad cars, sometimes going long into the night. There were lanterns on poles to light the way as the men worked. Sometimes the living-quarters cars were shunted on that siding later on, and we would see the circus people come and go. Of course there was the huge informal parade to the Fairgrounds. I remember a lot of horses and costumed ladies, but we were cautioned and kept from mixing with the roust-a-bout circus workers. I never remember going to the circus in the tent; I’m sure we couldn’t afford that luxury. Brother Bill may have crept under the tent to see the shows, but it was always a grand and exciting time for us. 

The pond was a drawing spot for me especially, with its pollywogs and minnows, no big fish as I remember. Another pastime was watching the trains go by while dangling our feet from the plank bridge over the ditch, then walking out the tracks with a pail to pick up lumps of coal thrown off the coal cars by the momentum of the train. My mother as well as some of our neighbors picked coal, and thus saved on fuel bills. On special days Irma, Frieda and I would cross the fields and journey over to Grandma’s house on Military Road. Her place was just opposite Seymour Street. The entire plot that she and Grandpa Keilberg bought was just over ten acres, which were divided into home plots, and Uncle Paul built 3 homes, one on Military St., just opposite Seymour St., which is where Grandma lived in the upstairs apartment, she went in by the front door and up the stairs. Slaters lived downstairs. I especially remember the beautiful buffet and the grand piano, which was a duplicate of the one we had.  Needless to say, they took up a lot of room;  later on, when I was a teenager, dad dismantled ours and made a library table with the mahogany wood.

Mom meets dad and other notes

My parents’ home, ether I grew up, was on a 2 acre plot at the edge of the city, on Military Road. The Milwaukee St. Paul Railroad track ran south on the edge of the property. My father, a carpenter, was very industrious, and always busy improving the place. I guess I took after him, raking the lawn each spring, while he made a large mounded flower bed, with a tall caster bean plant in the center. He planted sweet peas along the chicken yard fence. My older brother Bill, and sisters left home at an early age, so I became special, and tried to do my best to help out at home, helping with my three younger brothers. As a teenager, in the summertime I often hiked a mile out the tracks, climbed onto a haystack, and read my book!

A near neighbor, Margery Hill and I, became fast friends; I joined her dancing class. Our teacher was Helen Fagan. Classes were held in the Moose Building on Forest Ave. We learned tap and toe dancing. Our group of nine girls performed at the theater twice a year with Arch Adrian’s band. We even put on a show at a Beaver Dam Theater one year. We were always competing with Cleo Smith’s dance studio. At that time, KFIZ was only on the air for 1 hour, with their studio in the Haber Print Shop building. After the news, Ev. Williams played the piano. One afternoon he had Marge Hill and I harmonize 2 songs on his show “Drifting and Dreaming” and “Dream Train”.

I planned to attend the Rural Normal School for teachers, but the school was closed the year I graduated from High school. I went to work at the Bonita Candy Factory on East First St. I became one of a group of young people who went to dances and roller rinks, where I met Neil, the love of my life. After he bought the South Side Dairy business from Walt Sievert, we married in 1936. I continued to work; the milk-bottling business was all hard work, long hours, little money. When we heard of an opportunity to go farming in the town of Springvale, we took it. We had 2 foster babies at the time, and (because) I was expecting our own first baby,  they were placed elsewhere.  I still remember those two babies.

 

We ran Allie and Eva Stearns farm for two years, but came back to this area after Neil’s dad died suddenly.  Neil’s mother moved to town, and Neil ran the farm.  His brother Jim stayed with us. The subject of the Army came up, and Bob R. said something. Neil decided to move out. After farming at two places (Varings and Kelroys) we settled on the Mullins farm, which we bought 5 years later.

Here is another little piece written about the farm that I grew up on, and she starts it off in her usual way....with a poem

As you’ve been digging into long-ago days, here is something I must have written a while back:

There’s Blessings left for me

Of days that used to be

I live in memory

Of days on Reinhardt Road

An old unpainted barn

That kept the cattle warm

A corn-crib that told the reason

Full or empty you’d know the season

Water pipes below the frost line

Kept water-cups filled for thirsty cows

High on a pole an automatic yard light

Kept wild critters away through the night

The granary was a two-story building

The upper floor was reached by a stairs

Whose wooden steps hugged the outer side

Beneath was the hen-house, kept in fresh straw

Tracy drove the pick-up truck full of grain [she did not…it was Peggy]

From the combine to the granary to be emptied

By dad, into grain bins.

The granary was the place where gunny bags were filled with grain to be ground for cattle feed. This job needed two people. The girls helped willingly. [we did?] The boys were too young to help as yet. When dad came in with a load of corn to be fed into the belt of the silo-filling machine, the girls kept the boys on the porch, away from that area. In all of our farming years the only accident was when Dick stuck his finger into some moving part. He cried a lot, so we took him to Doc. Thiesen; it was bruised but not broken. A good record for few mishaps, which were mostly whooping cough, chicken pox, mumps or measles. Am I just remembering the good times???? We worked together, getting all the farm chores done, sharing the driving kids to St. Joes school in Fond du Lac. The brooder-house in the grove near the house got a lot of attention in the spring. The baby chicks had to be closely watched for diseases, the house kept warm and clean, and kept supplied with water and chick mash. There was a huge old blossoming Black Locust tree in the grove near the house, which perfumed the air.  Melrose school, near Pier cemetery, was 2 miles from the farm, so we drove them the last extra mile to town to St. Joes Grade School.

The Hazen Martial Band

Anyone interested in local history, knows the name Chester Hazen. He is credited with building the very first cheese factory in the State of Wisconsin.

But if you dig a little deeper, you will find another amazing story of the Hazen family. There actually were NINE Hazen brothers who all made the trek to Wisconsin in very early days.

Their claim to fame actually starts in New York, growing up in Lewis Co. New York. Their father was a drum major during the War of 1812, and he was determined that all of his sons would learn to play a musical instrument. His enthusiasm carried the family to the Presidential elections of the time.

In 1840 William Henry Harrison finally succeeded in receiving his party's nomination for President. The campaign slogan "Tippecanoe and Tyler Too" was heard throughout the land. Tippecanoe referred to Harrison's military defeat of a group of Shawnee Indians at a river in Ohio called Tippecanoe in 1811. Democrats laughed at Harrison for being too old (at age 67) for the presidency, and referred to him as "Granny," hinting that he was senile. Said one Democratic newspaper: "Give him a barrel of hard cider, and ... a pension of two thousand [dollars] a year ... and ... he will sit the remainder of his days in his log cabin."






The opposition's taunting actually backfired. Harrison's Whig party took advantage of this and declared that Harrison was "the log cabin and hard cider candidate," a man of the common people from the rough-and-tumble West. They depicted Harrison's opponent, President Martin Van Buren, as a wealthy snob who was out of touch with the people. (deceptive campaign tactics even back then, because Harrison was really the wealthy aristocrat, while Van Buren came from poverty)

Never-the-less, the "Log Cabin" campaign gained momentum, and it caught the attention of the Hazen family. Campaigning in 1840 was a large social event not to be missed, and the Hazen Martial Band was formed. It was composed of the nine Hazen brothers, and Warren Florida.

The Hazen Band was an important factor in the log cabin campaign of 1840, traveling through Western New York in a log cabin on wheels and playing almost continuously for public meetings, winning the reputation of being the best martial band in that state.

This undated photo of the Hazen Band, shows a team of horses pulling the log cabin that the Hazen Band used all over New York, during the 1840 campaign of William Henry Harrison. Image from a photocopy. 

Harrison won election as President, caught a cold and died a month after his inauguration. By the time of the next election, the Hazen family was planning a move to Wisconsin.

In 1844, a company of twenty-four from New York state, among whom were the Hazen brothers of the famous martial band of Springvale, landed at Milwaukee in June. A team of three pairs of oxen was purchased, wagon decked, boxes and trunks loaded, when it was found that but three could ride. There were eight women in the company. Did they wait for a parlor car? No, indeed. They uncomplainingly took turns in walking. They left Milwaukee Monday morning and Saturday night found them within three miles of what is now Oakfield, the wagon stuck in the mud and the oxen too tired to travel further. One of the men remained with the team and the others bravely resumed their journey. Every rod seemed a mile to the weary, foot-sore company. After what seemed to be hours, the log cabin of Lorenzo Hazen came in sight and the company were gladly received. Too tired for supper, they took boots, bundles of clothing, foot rests, anything they could lay hands on for pillows, and with puncheon floor for feather beds, were soon oblivious to their surroundings. Three of the Hazen brothers were soon keeping house in single room shanties with puncheon floors and troughed roofs, which had the faculty of letting most of the rain find its way to the room beneath. Their furniture was homemade and the good housewives did all their work for one summer out of doors by camp fires. Their bread was baked in a kettle. As the summer of 1844 was very rainy, such outdoor work was no light task.

The Hazen brothers first settled near Oakfield, but within a year they had moved to Springvale township.

Each of the nine Hazen brothers made a name for themselves, as evidenced by the reunion article found from 1884, forty years after they first came to Wisconsin.

The Hazen Reunion

"The past week has been one that will be long remembered by the different members of the Hazen family in this vicinity and all their numerous friends. The Hazen family consisted of nine boys and it was thirty years on Christmas Day since they were all together at Calvin Hazen’s in Springvale. The day and evening was an enjoyable one and many were the pranks and jokes of by-gone years that were retold. Many costly and valuable presents were made. One of the brothers gave all the rest elegant gold pens. The occasion will never be forgotten by those who participated. The day following they met at the residence of John Hazen, and among other things they re-organized “Hazen’s Martial Band” and filled the air again with fife and drum music. Their father was a drum major in the War of 1812, and took delight in teaching _____ use of those warlike instruments of torture. In 1840 the nine boys (one brother died since) were pronounced by General Worth to be the best military band in the United States. But glory was cheap in those days."

"On Saturday last they all met at Sanford Hazen’s in this city and for the first time in forty years all lodged under the same roof. While in the city they went in a body and had themselves photographed in a group.

"The Hazen families are well known here and for that reason we know it will interest our readers to learn something of their history

"The great-great-grandfather of the present family, Edward Hazen, was born in Rowley, Mass., 1660, “9th mo., 10th day.” Samuel, the great grandfather, was born 1698, “7th month 20th day;” Edward, the grandfather, was born at Groton, Mass., 1737 “5th mo. 2nd day” John, the father of the present family, was born at Swansey, New Hampshire, 1786, “6th mo. 17th day” His family consisted of 9 boys, eight of whom are yet living. They were all born at or near Copenhagen, Lewis Co., New York. Lorenzo, the 5th son, with his family came to Wisconsin in 1843 and the remaining eight brothers came the next year landing in Milwaukee on the 2nd of July, and on the 4th left Milwaukee with two ox teams, and as there were 22 in the party, most of them made the entire journey on foot to Oakfield – then known as “Wilkenson’s settlement” where they arrived on the 9th of July after camping one night near the center of a piece of woods twelve miles in extent and the last day were ….dled to cut their way through the stand of timber.

"At that time Government land was plenty in this Co. and all preempted and settled near Oakfield, where they resided some time. Sewell B. moved to Minn., in 1859 and has lived at Winona most of the time, until the past summer; he now lived in Madison, Wis., with his son George B. When a young man he made the first chilled car wheel at Troy, NY. Calvin, in 1846 sold his place and moved into the town of Springvale, where he now lives. During one of the storms of last July his barn was blown down and he and Sewel narrowly escaped with their lives, being buried under the falling timber.

"Alonzo in 1846 also moved into Springvale and from there in 1857 to Brandon where he bought a mill, and in 1860 he moved to Eau Clair Co., where he has since resided. He has an interest in the woolen mills and has built some of the best mills in Eau Claire Co.

"James, a physician, returned to Milwaukee in 1846 where he practiced two years, when he moved to Waukesha. After staying there two years he moved into this county and died in Fond du Lac in 1853.

"Lorenzo, after farming two or three years moved into Fond du Lac, where he has lived about ten years. He was a delegate to the first Constitutional Convention of Wis. In 1846. He next moved to Ripon, where he lived some ten years, holding the office Justice of the Peace most of that time. In 1864 he moved to Medford, Minn., and in 1876 was elected County Judge of Steele Co., which office he still holds.

"John, in 1846 moved into Springvale where he now lives. He has been quite a magnetic healer and has done much good.

"Sanford, after one year in Oakfield, returned to Copenhagen, NY. In 1857 he again came to Wis. And settled in Green Lake Co. In the fall of 1872 he moved into Ripon, his present home.

"Chester, in 1845 settled on the farm in Springvale, where he now lives. He was the pioneer dairyman of Wis., having put a dairy of 20 cows on his farm in 1849. In the summer of 1850 he commenced the manufacture of cheese, which he has always continued. In 1864 he built the first cheese factory in Wis. And in 1868 the first Dairymen’s Association in the state was organized in this county, of which he was elected president. In 1872 the Wis. State Dairyman’s Association was organized, he being president the first three years. At present he is president of the Northern Wis. Agricultural and Mechanical Association, and is a very successful farmer. His PO address is Brandon.

"Loren E. is a professor of music and an inventor. His occupation has been varied, and he has lived in Wisconsin, Minnesota and New York. His present residence is in Beaver Dam, where he is practicing medicine and giving medicated and electric baths.

"The ages of the eight brothers range from Sewel B., 74 years and 1 month, to Loren E., 54 years, 5 months and _ days. The aggregate ages of the eight – 525 years and 4 months. The heaviest one weighs 206 pounds, and the lightest 141 pounds. Aggregate weight of eight, 1,332 pounds. The tallest is 5 feet 10-1/4 inches, the shortest is 5 feet 5-1/2 inches. The eight can count 35 children and 47 grandchildren.

'We challenge the state of Wisconsin or any other state, to produce a family of eight brothers of equal height, weight and age, or eight boys who have made better men.

Ripon, Wis. January 3, 1884.

label those photos!

Once in a while I stumble across a photo that is a real treasure........not because of the picture itself, but because of what is written on the back of the photo.

This photo of a large group of women, is filed in the Alto Township file.  What is the group?  I really don't have a clue, but when I flipped the photo over, there in all it's glory, is a list of the people in the photo.

and here is the back

The back reads:

Back row: 1. Mrs. John Prange, 2. Mrs. Dirk Dykstra, (Our Missionary in Arabia) 3. Mrs. Henry Bossenbroek, 4. Mrs. Albert Loomans, 5. Mrs. Rudolph Kastein, 6. Mrs. Harvey Kastein, 7. Mrs. Will Veleke, 8. Mrs. B. G. Vande Zande, 9. Mrs. Will Glewen from Mina, 10. Mrs. Mose Vande Zande, 11. Mrs. Frank Straks.

2nd row: Mrs. Will Wessels, Mrs. James Westerveld, Mrs. Henry Vander Bosch, Mrs Henry Boersen, Mrs. John Kemi, Mrs. Tom Neevel, Mrs. Aalt Schouten, Mrs. J. W. Kastein, Mrs. Henry Lemmenes, Mrs. Ed Bruins, Mrs. H. J. Pietenpol (in back of her is her daughter-in-law Henry's or Will's wife), Mrs. Matt Duven, Mrs. Lydia Ter Beest, Mrs. Dick Schouten, Mrs Matt Rens, Mrs. Dick Hartgerink, Mrs. Dores Kastein, Mrs. Manus Scholten, Mrs. Chris Boom (Bertha V.Z. mother) Mrs. Henry J. Bruins, in back of her is Mrs. Henry Veenendaal, Mrs. J. W. Westerveld, Mrs. Wm. Schouten, Mrs. J.H. Straks, Mrs. Manus Veleke.

3rd row: Mrs. Dick Mouw, Mrs. Henry Prange, Mrs. B.W. Glewen, Mrs. G. J. Hekhuis (his 2nd wife), Auntie Vande Ber (she lived with Mose V.Z.s), Mrs. Gerrit Te Beest, Mrs. Reyer Schouten, Mrs. Dirk Bruins, Mrs. Dirk Ter Beest, Mrs. J. W. Glewen, Mrs. Johannes Bruins Gr.Granpas 2nd wife, Mrs. Dirk Straks, 

Front row: Mrs. Anthony Boom from N.D., Mrs. Henry Veleke, Mrs. Ed Lemmenes, Mrs. Garrit Vande Bosch, Mrs. Bert Vossekuil, Mrs. J. G. Neevel, Mrs. Gerrit Vande Zande, Mrs. Aaron Hagens, Mrs. Chris Glewen, Mrs. J. H. Kastein, Mrs. Adolph Neevel, Mrs. Hattie Meenk, Child Gordon Vande Zande, Mrs. Ed Van Beek, Mrs. Jake W., Mrs Gerrit Damsteegt.

This picture was taken by Great Uncle Gerrit Vande Zande's place on Hwy. 49 (now Roger & Catherine Kasteins home). My mother A(g)nes Duven Vande Zande wrote this on May 6, 1953

cream collector pic

This photo fell out of a book as we were working in the library this morning.  The back is labeled "Cream Collector, 1913".

The signposts read  "Eden 5 mi.     Oakfield 5-1/2 mi."