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When I was about 17, this would be in 1957, the Menomonee Falls Fire Department sponsored a "lets practice burning down the building" activity which was a common thing to do in those days. Fire departments from around the area would get together, in this case under state fire personnel direction, unless it was a local barn in the woollies when help was not needed, and practice different techniques in putting out a fire. Ultimately the goal was to burn down the building. This particular building was located in the Menomonee Falls Village center on Main Street just east of the water falls and its proximity to other building called for a more organized approach. On this particular day, the temperature was below freezing. You had your department's fire equipment on boots, coat, and hat advertising "your" department, and along with the other fire departments practiced different fire fighting techniques. Once the practicing was completed, the fire was started for the last time and the building left to be consumed by the flames. At this point personnel manned the nozzles, just in case, and I believe the real reason the event. If I remember correctly it was a terribly cold day, the temperature getting down into the 20s. You might be thinking, my goodness, didn't you get cold as we were out in these elements for probably six hours. No, at least I did not. It would seem that we were totally encrusted in ice and ice is a good exterior insulation as the cold wind cannot get in and your body heat does not rapidly escape. It is not that we didn't have on our longjohns, a pair of pants or two, sweat shirts and the like. I believe my ears were the only part of my body complaining about the situation. After we were through we celebrated the part of the event, at least the Germantown Fire Department always practiced Gleütlichkeit in almost everything we did. We all went to the bowling alley down the street at Appleton Avenue, don't remember the name, and in the bar along with the Menomonee Falls Fire Department personnel and others practiced our favorite activity, that is, building up your arm muscles by hoisting a few beers and socializing. Don't remember all who participated but do remember Butch Walterlin, Kenny Schaetzel, Gene Arnold, Billy Wetterau, Kenny and Jerry Vorpagel, and my brother Oliver who probably at this time were considered the crazy ones. Everyone went home that night very tired and exhausted but feeling a community spirit and camaraderie highlighted by the word "we." Pilgrim Road did not always go all the way north to Freistadt Road. On 12 July 1920 Mrs Eva (Beuscher) Beck, wife of John, and three of their children, Archie (14), Loraine (11), and Harvey (8) were crossing the railroad tracks on Pilgrim Road by the cemetery and their car was hit by a train. All occupants were killed. Three years later in 1923 the wood tressel bridge was completed over the rail road tracks and highway and Pilgrim Road traffic was diverted over it. At this same time Pilgrim Road was closed at the railroad tracks. Traffic on Pilgrim Road came as far north as Mequon Road, turned right and proceeded east to Fond du Lac (highway 55), took a left on to the highway and continued north. At the Pilgrim/Mequon intersection, the roadway continued north in gravel form up to the railroad tracks where a wooden barrier was in place allowing a person to walk through but vehicles could not pass. This allowed access for people walking to Last Home Cemetery from the village. On the south side of the tracks, east side of Pilgrim Road, was located Last Home Cemetery. On the west side of Pilgrim Road, south of the tracks, was located a farm. Daily this walkway was used by the paper boy on his bicycle to deliver the Milwaukee Journal to the farm. From Fond du Lac south to the railroad track was more of a trail than a road. From Fond du Lac north the road was called Pleasant Hill Road. Come the year when the railroad bridge was removed, at that time Pilgrim Road was extended straight over the railroad track to Fond du Lac Road. Pleasant Hill Road had its name changed to Pilgrim Road and Pilgrim Road then ran from Freistadt south to Menomonee Falls and beyond. Now traffic flowed on the highway and Pilgrim Road as it had in 1920 before the bridge. When a young boy reaches the ripe old age of ten, he begins to get that urge to construct forts. His first fort is probably a snow fort rolling many round snow balls and stacking them one on top the other and filling in the crevasses. At some point the neighbor boys and girls or even your brother and sisters come by and a snowball fight develops. Some join you inside the fort while the others attack. Attack meaning a snow ball fight ensues where the projectiles are sent back and forth until everyone's arms are tired and a halt is called. Seems that for every snow fort there is one good snowball fight. While later skirmishes may happen, they never reach the same exhilarating emotional high as the first defense of the new fort. In the summer during hay season other materials become available, namely hay bales. Later in the year when all is quite on grandpa's farm you go up into the hay mow and rearrange the bails. You do this in such a way to create a cave, with some small windows, then close the entrance hole with a bail and instantly you have a fort. This is a quiet fort as no one challenges you. This fort is your space when you go to the farm and remains until grandpa needs the hay bails for feeding and then next year you do it again. But the fort, I mean *the fort*, happens but once in your life time. For each it will be different. At the time you have an inkling that this is the fort but it is only an inkling. In years to come, then you know it was *the fort*. When I was 12, or there about, my cousin Richard who we call Dick and I made *the fort* and this did not happen over night. Now my Uncle Allen, Dicks father, owned two side by side lots on Park Avenue in the Village of Germantown, Washington County, Wisconsin. This was a block and a half from my house at Church Street and Hwy. 55 as the crow flies. Three block if you followed the streets. On one of these lots was their house and the other had grass in the front but the back was woods, dense dark woods. From time to time we had played in the trees there but it was a fleeting thing, an activity lasting an hour or two and that was it. But then one day we decided to build a fort soon to become *the fort*. This was to be a big event and much planing was involved. We were going to be like Daniel Boon and go out into the wilderness and make our mark. We put on our work shoes although we really had no special work shoes but at the time our snickers became our work shoes. We chose extra heavy pants and shirts for they had to protect us from the briars and thorns and thistles that infested these dark woods. We took gloves and hats. We hung our boy scout hatchet from one side of our belt and put our six inch hunting knife on the other side. We sharpened the hatchets and sharpened the knives. Were we ready? Yes, we were ready. On this beautiful sunny morning with its effervescent blue sky, nary a cloud anywhere, I put on my wilderness outfit and traveled the hundred miles of wilderness to find the perfect spot for our fort. I went down Church Trail, took a left and went on the Main Trail to the railroad tracks by Gehl's Diary did an about face and headed whence I came for if someone was following me I meant it to be difficult. After several days came to Park/Johns Trail and took a right for there was no trail to the left only a lumber yard and feed mill built many years earlier. Years before this the railroad had put tracks through and in this direction was also the railroad station. Heading north on Park some two weeks later met up with Dick who was suitable attired for strenuous outdoor work. We were now close to the hallowed woods which we had found and selected many years previous on one of our bear hunts to this area. Indians were much less of a problem now as Chief Black Hawk had been asked to move further west. When asked, he said certainly I will move and the next day he and his tribe were gone. We knew we were in the area when we spotted the open prairie and behind the majestic Elm trees. Figured another four or five hours and we would be at our hallowed grounds. Come five that afternoon when the sun was on our left we arrived. The majesty of the moment caused us to stop and take in the beauty, the green prairie leading to the barely distinguishable deer trail leading into these dark foreboding woods. Although there was little time remaining before the sun would close it eyes, we decided to follow the deer trail and determine where the fort would be located. Found the ideal spot beneath and surrounding a 100 foot tall American Elm tree. This was the perfect spot as it was protected by deep impenetrable underbrush, thorny vines and trunks of previously fallen trees. Above all it was dark as the canopy of branches and leaves was so thick that the rays of the sun barely made it through. Weeds and grasses did not grow here. No one ever going by on the outside would know that a fort existed here on the inside. We felt good. We had found our spot. We followed the trail back out just as the sun was about to set. Quickly we built a fire not to keep warm but to keep the varmints away, both four legged and those that slid on their bellies, and there seemed to be many in the area. We got out our beef jerky and chowed down for the day. By this time it was dark. The stars were shining bright, the moon was full as there was not a cloud in the sky. We opened our bed roll, a blanket, cut some grass for a pillow and laid down feeling comfortable as we had accomplished much that day. Found the big dipper, followed it to the north star. Every so often a shooting star would sped by. What a glorious day we had. Woke the next morning as the sun had just risen. The morning was cool, dew was everywhere and we knew this day was our day, our day to build our fort. Checked our equipment, honed the hatchets and knives one last time and headed to the Elm. Being careful as we did not wish to leave a noticeable trail we found the old Elm for you could not miss it being two to three times taller and rounder than all its neighbors. Using our hatchets we cleared the saplings and thorny vines for 5 feet round the trunk. Taking these vines and saplings we wove them with those saplings standing round the perimeter. Our fort was taking shape. We needed to be a able to see out for how could we defend ourselves if we could not see who was coming. So up the tree we went. Getting towards the top we found ourselves with a clear view in all directions. To the northeast was my house, Dick could see his, to the southeast was Gehl's smoke stack, to the south was the TownBowl, to the west were trees where the Pickle Factory had been and to the northwest was the old Schwalbach house on the hill. We could see in all directions. Yes, this would be our lookout post. At ground level it was dark and foreboding. We were hidden from the rest of the world. This was our world. We were king, we were conquerors. Many a day that summer was spent in *the fort*. In the year 2000, fifty some years have now gone by. My Uncle has died. Dick and I are both married he with five daughters. As I drive by the land where our fort had been a new owner now has control. There are no woods. There isn't even a tree, just grass. But, on that spot where grass now stands in my mind will always be *the fort*. In an email written by Donald Schulteis to Earl Habermacher, son of Jacob and nephew to Joseph Habermacher, was written: I remember one time, when I was 8 or 9 years (1940s), my Dad had me take the spark plug from our lawn mower over to your Uncles garage to have it cleaned. In those days you did not relace them, you cleaned them. Even though the garage was right next door, I had never really been over there. I had looked at it from afar but never been in the building. Had chased after foul balls that landed in the wild area behind the station, and had driven my bike on the blacktop driveway, but that is as close as I had been. Was a bit apprehensive to go inside, but the big door was open, and I had no excuse for not doing so. As I went inside, I did not see anyone so looked around. On the walls hung replacement parts, on the north wall fan belts of many sizes, service station related posters, a girlie calendar next to the telephone on the north wall just to your left after entering, and many old parts sitting on the floor along the walls, good for reuse. I believe there was even an old engine or two in the back. The one thing that struck me was everything was oily. If I remember correctly, your Uncle secured the spark plug in a bowl like contraption with a see through cover, and turned it on. Sand was blasted at the plug to remove the carbon. This cleaning did not last a few seconds but more like several minutes. Your Uncle stopped the machine, checked the plug, started it again until finally it met his newness appearance. Don't know if your Uncle charged me or not, but I have a feeling $.10 or $.25 cents may be in order, but I don't think he did. Beautiful memories. The Village was blessed to have the Germantown Volunteer Fire Company sponsor a Fireman's picnic and parade. The first was held on Labor Day in 1907. In the late 1940s early 1950s also a Halloween Parade was sponsored by one of the civic organizations. First the big parade, the Sunday Parade at the Annual Fireman Picnic. The picnic would run from Friday night through Sunday night. Setting up for the picnic would begin several weeks before and culminate with a fervor of activity the weekend before. Tents had to be rented. Empty 55 gallon drums with two by six planks acquired and delivered to the park. Then came the chain gang activities. Tent by tent each had to be set up. The 55 gallon drums were put into position on the four corners and the 2x6s, two each put on each side. The beer tent was probably the largest tent, no it was the largest tent as it had the most patrons and did the most business. That was the physical layout which by design had to be completed the weekend before and took much of that weekend. The more help the faster it went. The year 1968 found less than adequate support and that was the last year the picnic was held. It was on to Schetzel's barn on Freistadt Road, where the equipment was stored, to pick up such items as the Big Six, money pitch stand, milk bottles and bowling pin. These were brought back to the park and placed in their assigned stands. Each stand was assigned a number of fireman and their wives to manage activities. One of the group was put in charge. By Thursday before picnic weekend all was set up ready for action. Concession items did not show up until Friday. Friday evening the doors were open, the beer flowed and merriment began. Come Sunday was parade day. Floats were pulled in by farm tractor or pickup truck and even horses. These arrived in the late morning. Participants arrived around eleven. Earlier parades, those that ended at Buescher, then Siegl, later Boyung Park marshalled at the Feed Mill amd Duerrwaechter area then proceded up Broadway, east on Fond du Lac, south on Church Street to Main Street, taking a left there and on to the park. When the picnic was held in Firemans Park, staging took place on Fond du Lac between Main and Pleasent Hill and up Pleasant Hill. Forward meant taking a left on to Main Street, down Main Street to Park Avenue, a right on Park Avenue and up to the park. Parade participants dispersing at the park and floats proceeding on from whence they came. There were categories and prizes in each category. You would see numerous children of all ages riding bicycles, pulling coaster wagons, pushing baby carriage or just walking. All were in outstanding costumes, Abraham Lincoln, Little Boe Peep, red, white and blue being the colors of choice but the full range of colors could be found. The floats generally advertised the company who paid for their existence. All the fire vehicles were there with sirens wailing, some even from neighboring departments. The fireman walking in columns of two in their uniforms strutting, bands from local high schools, cub scouts, boy scouts, girl scouts, marching units, a few horses and generally a politician or two in their convertibles could be seen. Those who were not in the parade were sitting and standing along the curb watching as the parade went by. People would come to see it from miles around. This was not just a Germantown thing, every community had theirs but on different weekends each hoping for good weather. All would go to each others parade/picnic. Great community spirit. Great fun and much excitement was had by all. Published in the Menomonee Falls News on Thursday, 03 September 1931, delivered to Jacob Habermacher and shared with us by his son Earl. "The 24th annual picnic of the Germantown Fire Company will take place next Sunday at Siegl's Park, Germantown. The festivities will begin with a parade at 12:30 P.M. Large number of entries are scheduled for the parade. The company will give away $100 in gold in prizes at 10:30 in the evening. Music will be furnished during the afternoon by the Saukville Military Band and music for the dance in the evening will be by Thills' Crystal Melodists. It is no exaggeration to say that the fire boys have prepared a splendid program for the day, and will leave nothing undone to make the day and the activities one long to be remembered by those who attend. Keep Sunday, September 6th as your date to be with the fireman of Germantown at Siegl's Park." In later years, a big money raiser was the Car Raffle. This went on for years. After a while it was considered gambling but even then, for a few more years, it was still held. You paid a dollar for a comb and along with the comb you received a free ticket for a car raffle. The Milwaukee Journal was pretty much against this practice producing editorials and caricatures. One such caricature can be seen below.
Almost forgot, flags lined the streets. These were not little bitty flags but 2x4 foot flags on a six foot poll positioned ever 30 feet along Main, Church, and Park. Each house also had their own flag. Quite spectacular. Dan Sennott remembered, "Do you remember when there was competition between the local fire departments? Teams had to pull a horse drawn ladder trailer about 500 yards along with many other games. I competed in a run of 100 feet and then climb to the top of a ladder that 5 firemen were holding with a bucket in my hand. The hardest competition was running 50 feet' pick up a nozzle, run another 50 feet, break down a fire hose and attach the nozzle."
Donald Schulteis added "Oh, I sure do. I don't remember seeing the horse drawn ladder trailer but I do remember the 100' run and up the ladder. The first person doing it had the best chance as everything was dry. As each competitor took their turn water was splashed from the bucket getting the ground wet as well as the rungs on the ladder, and the bottom of your shoes. In your exhuberance, you missed the first rung, more likely slipped off, and boy did it hurt. I practiced this but never ran it in competition as I couldn't get up the ladder fast enough. Dan said, "The hardest competition was running 25 feet' pick up a nozzle, run another 25 feet, break down a fire hose and attach the nozzle." Don replied: This was my specialty. For this event there were four participants. Each ran one leg. The last leg which I ran, the person ran, picked up the nozzle ran it to the end of the coupled hose, put on the bakes, placed the nozzle on the ground, put on the boots, the long fireman's jacket, the classic fireman's hat, then the two hoses were decoupled and the nozzle attached to the decoupled hose. I did this two years (1957-58) and both years we came in first place. We had this event down to a science. The clothes had to be placed just a certain way, the hose with just sufficient slack and most important, set the nozzle before you spun it on. All the other fire department were vying for second place. The team was disqualified if the nozzle was not turned on sufficiently; had to be so may turns. When you did it just right, it took two people to uncouple it. It was always funny as the last thing you did was to spin the nozzle on to the hose. You did this in one motion, holding the hose coupling in your left hand and the nozzle in your right. You would seat the nozzle to the coupling and force the nozzle to spin on, and at the same, time throw it forward as the time stopped when the nozzle hit the ground. The funny part came when the nozzle wasn't seated properly. When you spun the nozzle on and threw it forward, the hose went forward but the nozzle went flying to your left. You always hoped this happened when you were practicing not during competition. Our team was composed of Kenny Vorpagel, Kenny Schaetzel, my brother Oliver and myself." In the late 1940s situated along North Fond du Lac Public Road on the east side of the village was a canning factory. What they actually canned I have no idea as I never saw inside but I suspect peas and maybe more. Of this I only remember two thing, the pea vine stacks and the pea vines. If I remember correctly, and this is pretty vague, there were two maybe more of this vining equipment which created the stacks of pea vines. The stacks look similar in shape to farmer's straw stacks but longer. Would suspect sometime after the harvest season, the pea vines were removed and probably used as a soil conditioner. My remembrance though is not of the vining equipment or the factory but the pea vines. Opened back trucks with side panels would be stacked high with the pea vines in the farmers field and driven to the factory. As I never saw this process, I have no idea how the vines were cut and placed into the trucks. BUT, I do remember the vines. As a boy of nine or so who loved to eat raw peas, watching these trucks go by the house loaded with peas on their way to the factory, it was something to see. There were times the vines were laying over the sides and swaying in the breeze. You hope and boy did you hope that some would loosen and fall and at times they did but not very often. You would then scuff them up, run back to the house, sit on the front porch, pick the pods off the vines, slit the pods open and eat the peas. We should have been their quality assurance testers. Sometimes the peas were picked a little to soon and were not fully developed. At other times they were picked a little to late as the peas were large but on the hard side and a bit bitter. But most of the time they were just right. What a joyous day these days were. As we grew older we would drive up and down the roads on our bicycles looking for dropped vines best found around corners. One time when I was pretty small my mother decides to treat my brother and sisters and I. She took with her a large bowl and went to the factory coming home with it leaped with fresh peas. She told us "don't eat to many or you will get sick." These were delicious peas and we ate to many and yes to many peas at one time causes problems. But I only remember the peas, as I can still picture the bowl in mom's hands as she came home that day. There are people who had an influence in your community and need to be acknowledged and thanked. For me, one such individual was Harry O. Jensen. He lived in Goldendale just south of the church. I joined the Germantown Legion Baseball team sponsored by the Edger Zimmerman Pot 321 when I was 14 years old. This would be 1954. The only reason I remember the year is I have a copy of my Player Certificate of Eligibility. As I read it now, it was a contract, "I, the undersigned agree to devote my entire services as a baseball player in the American Legion Junior Baseball to the Germantown Legion Club of the Edger Zimmerman 321 Post for the current season and to confirm to all rules and regulations governing my services now in force or which may hereafter be adopted by the club and further agree until after the termination of my eligibility for American Legion Junior Baseball (1) to devote my services as a baseball player exclusively to American Legion Baseball and to high school or amateur baseball not conflicting with American Legion baseball, and (2) not to participate in any All-Star game not sponsored or approved by the American Legion until after my team is eliminated from Legion completion and (3) I will faithfully abide by the rules and regulations of the club....". The form had my picture in a baseball uniform, my finger print, and was signed by my grade school principal attesting to the fact that I was in eight grade, was born in 1940 and that the enrolment at the school was 138. Why the latter I don't know. Harry O. Jensen signed it as the Post Athletic official. We practiced two nights a week and played on a Saturday or Sunday. We started practicing early in the year, probably early May and as I remember some days it was so cold you put your baseball mit on over your hand gloves. On these days you did not want to bat for if you did not hit the ball solid, boy did it sting and sent shivers up your arm. I started out in the outfield for all you needed to be able to do was run, catch a ball, and hopefully have a strong arm. This year I was a bit young for the team and never started a game. But we all played, for some of us, only the last three innings, but we did play. High school players were the starters. Some names through the years would be: Billy Gierach, Kenny Schaetzel, John and Ted Lemke, Larry Rinzel, Dick Banzy, my brother Oliver, and other I don't remember/ League teams were not necessarily local although I don't remember who they were. I remember going to Oshkosh to play and many night games but they were not in Germantown. Remember a tournament sponsored in Germantown by Pepsi Cola in which Germantown won the event. For many years Mr. Jensen was the focus which caused Legion ball in Germantown to exist. Twice each week he was there to manage the practice. He would cart part of the team to each of games held outside Germantown. He scheduled the special night games against the areas better teams. He gave much of himself receiving little in return other than seeing the enjoyment the players must have shown. I never thank him them. I do now. It is nice to know someone is inquiring about Rintelman house. I don't know if you are aware of it but Mrs. Rintelman just died this past year [2000]. My sister Margaret died a few years ago and the Wake was at St. Mary's in Menomonee Falls. This woman came up to me and introduced herself as Joyce Rintelman, now married. She then said her mother would like to talk to me. I was surprised that she was 100 years old and sitting in the first pew. We had a very nice visit and I believe about six months ago I read a death notice. In regards to the farm being built on a hill, I thought it very interesting. I would drive the horses when we picked up hay and it made it very easy to drive right into the second floor. Directly to the south of the road to the second floor was a very large root cellar. I remember Art raising a lot of potatoes. I had the job of taking the cows from his farm all the way down Main Street to the pasture located at the end of the street and pick them up for the trip back at night to be milked. Without Art Rintelman we would have been without milk many days. As far as the house to the west I vaguely recall my parents living there for a short period of time. My sister Mary Ellen may have been born there. I had the job of baby sitting Michael numerous times and my mother did a lot of house cleaning for Mrs. Schmitz. At that time Joe owned the 1111 West Wells Street Bar. It had the longest bar in the city. He also ran for assemblyman in Washington County so I got to go along to all the county fairs in summer while he was campaigning. I was in the house many times but I do not remember many fireplaces. The time period was the 1950s. Details are hard to remember but highlights readily come to mind. Affiliation with the Boy Scouts of America came about in the Village of Germantown in the late 1940s, more likely early 1950s. The Germantown Rotary Club sponsored it existence and built a log cabin like one room building in Fireman's Park pretty much centered northeast of the swing area and southwest of the tennis court. The single entrance door was facing west and through it you entered a large room maybe 25 by 25 feet. There was a window on the north wall and the south wall. There was a second smaller area say 8 by 25 feet separated from the main room on its west. Entrance to this room from the main room could be made either on the left or right side. These were archways, there were no doors. In the small room was position a cast iron stove used to heat the building in the winter months. Where the starter wood came from I don't remember but the building was heated with coal gathered along the railroad tracks running through the village. At this time the freight trains running through the area were coal powered and stating their journey from Milwaukee. Their coal bins were full to the top, sometimes a little more, and the movement/shaking of the cars on the tracks caused them to shift and every once in a while a briquette of coal fall out. These are what was picked up by a boy scout, placed into a burlap bag and carried back to the cabin. The exterior walls of the building were wood and looked like wood logs running up and down not side to side. These were not real logs just their outer edge affixed to a wood backing. The inner walls were knotty pine boards. I remember two boy scout leaders, Mr. Kannenburg and John Walterlin. After John came Frederick Mehre. Troupe 54, say ten boys, met once a month. During the cold winter months, two scouts were assigned to heat the building. This required them to arrive at the cabin an hour or so before the meeting was to begin, start a fire in the stove and tend it for that meeting. The main room was warm but on really cold days, not comfortably so. The meeting was started by the group saying out loud the boy scout pledge followed by discussing topics at hand. For me anyway, this is getting to detailed for me to remember. I mostly remember project activities. Each scout had to acquire a board (1/4 inch plywood) 14 inches by 12 inches. On this board was traced in pencil the boy scout symbol. Using a coping saw, each scout cut the symbol out and sanded and varnished the wood. Now came the hard part. Using a small diameter rope, like your mother's wash line, the scout made different knots and using staples, affixed these knots to the varnished board. You needed around 8-10 knots. As you may suspect, no scout knew that many knots so they had to use their boy scout manual and go to the section on knots which showed how to tie many different knots. From this list of knots the scout choose those that were to make up their board. The several that come to mind are the sheep shank, half hitch, and square not. We were so proud when it was finished and were able to show our handiwork to our parents. Several months before Christmas, the project was to create a candle Christmas birch log center piece which each scout gave to their parents at Christmas. Several 4-5 inch birch tree limbs had been cut and brought to the cabin. Each scout then using a hand saw, hand drill, hammer, rubber mallet, chisel and nails began to construct what was to be their beautiful hand made Christmas center piece. You looked at the available limbs, choose the one you liked, straight, good white bark and pleasing to look at. Using the hand saw you cut from the limb your 18" long piece. Now you needed to choose the top side and the bottom side. As your 18" piece of birch was not 100% straight, you placed it on the floor and slowly turn it. The bottom side was chosen then the two ends touch the floor and the center did not. On the bottom side was affixed the legs, two pieces of 3/4inch wood 1" wide and 4" long. To attach the legs you needed to chisel out a 1" wide section of the log running crosswise four inches from each end. You placed the 1" wide leg and used it as a template marking with a pencil along its outer sides. Using the hand saw, on these lines you cut into the birch ½ inch. Using the mallet and chisel, you removed the wood between the cuttings making sure the cut out area was straight. The legs were placed into the cut out area and affixed the leg to the log using a hammer and a nail or two. You did this to one side and then the other. You were so pleased with yourself until you placed the log right side up and found the legs were not flat to the floor. Back to the drawing board. You took one leg off, sometimes splitting it. Using the saw and chisel, you deepened one side of one leg until the legs were flat or reasonable so. Then you either made a new leg or using the old one, re-affixed it. The engineer at work! On the top of the birch log was to be position three candles either red or green in color. At the exact center on top the log was positioned one candle. Say three inches on either side was positioned the second and third candles. You marked these spots in pencil with a small x. Using the hand drill and bit just larger than the candle you drilled a hole into the log about 3/4 to 1 inch deep. The farther into the log you went with the bit, the harder the drilling. It became evident quite quickly that you needed help here. At some point in the drilling process the log started spinning along with the turning of the drill. To compensate for this you stood with your two feet straddling the log to keep it from spinning. That worked OK until you went deeper into the log and need more presser to turn the drill. Straddling the log you were out of position and could not muster the strength necessary to turn the drill. You invited two scouts to help you, one holding each side, and the drilling was complete. Placing the candles into the newly drilled holes, some holes may have been a bit to large so for these holes you put thin cardboard on two sides and pressed the candles in between the cardboard. It only took one boy scout to encounter the following problem and the rest learned quickly. You held the candle low when forcing it into the wooden hole for if you held it towards the top, there was a very good chance you would bust the candle. One scout always did.
Construction of the center piece was complete. To "garnish" the presentation, you used the end of branches from Christmas trees and placed these along the sides of the center piece after it was placed into presentation position. My brother Oliver and I both made one. One was placed on the kitchen table and the other in the living room on the mantel above the fire place.
One year over the winter we provided food for the wild life in the area. With a 3 foot mesh fence with 2" by 4" rectangled holes, a 18 inch circle was made and the ends secured. This would be placed with one hole side secured to the ground with "y" sticks and inside the hole would be placed corn cobs. Each scout picked their area. I choose a wooded area on the Witzlib farm south of Fresitadt Road south of the zoo railroad tracks. Today if you continue to walk east on Williams Drive, you would walk into the area. If I remember correctly in November, before the snow fell, we positioned the feeder. This meant trudging with the feeder in one hand and dagging a gunny sack full of corn in the other to where you chose to position it. You secured the feeder to the ground and poured in the corn, admired your handiwork and went back home. Several weeks later you went back to see how things were going, was there anything eating? No, eating did not begin until the ground was frozen with a cover of snow. Then every two weeks you made the trip, disregarding the weather condition Sometimes it was snowing, sometimes the wind was howling, sometimes the temperatures were in the minus degrees. And sometimes it was a beautiful sunny day although the beautiful days were rare. Each time you visited the feeder you checked the tracks. Generally you found bird tracks, sometimes rabbits, sometimes others. You looked of deer tracks but never did find any. Come spring the project was complete. Once each year scouts spent one week in the summer at a boy scout camp in the Fond du Lac area called Camp Shagenappi. As a family we would drive there and boy that was a long trip. I don't remember checking in or checking out or what happened for most of the time I spend there. What I do remember is the rustic cabin we lived in, daily cleaning inside the cabin and manicuring the immediate area surrounding the cabin's outside, swimming in the Lake Winnebago, the camp fires at night and the baseball game. There was a big camp fire each night when all the scouts came together. It is at this time when one maybe more cabins were identified as the best maintained cabin(s) that day. If we ever won, I don't remember, but we did try hard. I believe the camp stay went from Sunday through Saturday. One activity include a baseball game. All the boys, yes only boys there, who wanted to play baseball came together at the baseball field. Firstly the boys were positioned in the outfield and a camp conseler hit fly balls.. They were wanting to see who could catch a ball. Had some experience here and I was chosen to play the outfield, I believe center field. Who won I have no recollection. All I remember, it was fun. There was a down side, homesickness and it started on Tuesday. By Saturday I was so happy to see Mom and Dad again. One year when John Walterlin was the scout master, the troupe went on an ice fishing expedition. We didn't go far, just to the swimming quarry (west of Park Avenue). The scouts cut holes into the ice, baited their hooks, tied the line to a stick pole and fished. Not may fish were caught but we did try hard. Getting on into the afternoon, Scout Master John built a fire and prepared venison stew. The venison came from a deer he had shot that fall. It was the best stew I have ever eaten. It could be though that we had not eaten for hours, the cold fresh air, the rigors of fishing, or, maybe the stew was really that good. Once a month on a Saturday morning the scouts would go from house to house in the village and collect newspapers. These papers would be tied into bundles and placed near the curb. In the afternoon the same scouts would hop on to a truck driven by John Walterlin and go and pick up the bundled papers stacking them in the back of the truck. The truck with its cargo of papers and boy scouts was taken to a wooden building near the Walterlin quarry where the papers were stored. Believe the building was used when the quarry was in operation. At some point when the price of old newspapers was high, the stored papers were put on to a truck and taken to Milwaukee and sold. |
