Ahrens, Walter. A Manitowoc musician. Walter Ahrens proudly recalls his father's musical career. He highlights 15 years of work on WOMT radio, and as a "big band" member. Listen carefully and you'll be able to hear some favorite tunes from over the years. Includes discussion of music, dancing and entertainment.
	Bartel, Al. Immigrants and religion in Manitowoc County. Al Bartel describes the conflicts between the High Germans and the Low Germans, differences in their religious practices, and the impact of religion on daily life and work.
	Bergmann, F.J. Personal recollections and early days of Reedsville. Mr. Bergmann colorfully describes his forefathers' German heritage, early struggles in Indian territory, and farm life.
	Bergner, Elmer. Law enforcement and politics in Manitowoc County. Elmer Bergner recounts moments from his long and illustrious career as the first traffic officer and then sheriff of Manitowoc County. First elected on the Progressive party ticket, he joined the swelling ranks of Democrats when the former party was dissolved.
	Berkedal, Edward. Early roads. Edward Berkedal reminisces about his work as a road construction engineer and highway commissioner. His narrative provides us with a colorful portrait of early road building in the Manitowoc area.
	Beyer, Ruth. Manitowoc County homemaker. A discussion of county agents, home economics, county homemakers and nationalities.
	Bohn, Larry. Car ferries and railroads. Larry Bohn details early freight hauling in the Manitowoc area. Timber was the primary resource hauled by rail and ferry. He vividly recalls the loss of cargo from and the sinking of Ferry #4 during a bad storm.
	Bowers, Mary. Mrs. Almon Jaeger interview. Mrs. Jaeger, a descendant of the Wilhemy family, nostalgically reflects about her family's settlement in the area and life in Manitowoc throughout the years.
	Bowers, Mary. Ralph Plumb interview. Ralph Plumb details the history of the Plumb family and the Plumb & Nelesen Co. Opened in 1873 as a retail business, the company diverted to wholesaling in 1893. Mr. Plumb includes an interesting description of the first library above the post office on the corner of 8th Street and Maritime Drive and the $25,000 Carnegie Library building at the corner of Chicago and North 8th Streets.
	Boyd, Rufin. A Norwegian family in Manitowoc. Mr. Boyd recounts the frightening journey of the Boyd forefathers through Indian territory to the Manitowoc area. His description of the development of growing unity among various nationalities and religious affiliations is indicative of the tradition of many Manitowoc area residents.
	Brockman, Fred. History of Valders. The Brockman family started the Valders Journal in 1940. Most settlers in this community were of Norwegian descent and people today continue ancestral traditions, particularly those associated with food preparation and consumption.
	Buchholz, John. Manitowoc County agriculture. John Buchholz, former Manitowoc County Agricultural Agent, describes early farms, farming conditions, and farm life in Manitowoc County in picturesque detail.
	Burger, Henry E. The Burger family and shipbuilding in Manitowoc. Henry Burger immigrated to Manitowoc in the 1840s from Germany. The H. B. Burger & Sons Company originated as the Greene Rand, Burger Shipyard, which built wooden boats. Interesting details about shipbuilding in Manitowoc.
	Crain, Dorothy. Mrs. Florence Buerstatte interview. Mrs. Buerstatte relates stories about growing up in Manitowoc and vividly describes the development of the Carnegie Library and the Opera House.
	Crain, Dorothy. Mrs. Nettie Blair interview. Dorothy Crain recollects the life of 95 year old Nettie Blair. A teacher and a life-long avid reader and library user, Mrs. Blair often frequented the old Carnegie Library located on the corner of 8th and Chicago streets.
	Delsman, Quirin. Personal recollections and history of Smalley Manufacturing Co. A one time manager of Smalley Manufacturing Co., Mr. Delsman traces the company's production of farm machinery, begun in 1857.
	Gillespie, Ruth. Entertainment in Manitowoc. Ruth Gillespie reminisces about the Opera House in Manitowoc and other entertainment places. In particular, she details her father's (Steven Pech) work as manager of the Opera House from 1904-1921.
	Ihlenfeld, Vining. History of Manitowoc. An early history of the Manitowoc area beginning in 1830 continuing to 1976, discussing politics, local authors and the image of the area.
	Kadow, Lillian. Theater and radio in Manitowoc. Mrs. Kadow takes us on a nostalgic tour of theatrical presentations at the Mikado Theater and on WOMT radio programs.
	Kittell, Teresita, Sister. "Ghost parishes" of Manitowoc County. Sister Teresita Kittell vividly traces several Catholic and Protestant parishes that no longer exist, from establishment to their "ghostly" remains today.
	Kolar, Frank. Tour of submarine USS Cobia. Mr. Kolar fondly conducts a tour of the "life and times" of the historic USS Cobia submarine.
	Kunz, Frederick. Brewers and breweries in Manitowoc. When, where, and who stewed the brews at the first brewery in Manitowoc? Frederick Kunz deliciously details all in this tale of Manitowoc history.
	Lettenberger, Herman. Kiel, St. Nazianz, and the Germans of Manitowoc County. Herman Lettenberger reminisces about German immigrants, including his family, who settled in the Kiel and St. Nazianz area.
	Lodl, Emma. Early life in Manitowoc. Emily Lodl reminisces about her family's Czechoslovakian origins, their lives and work on farms and in factories. Other topics include boat launches and shipping in Manitowoc.
	Lund, Gordon J. History of Lakeside Packing Company. Lakeside Packing Company was founded by Albert Landreth, known as the "Father of the Pea Canning Industry in the Midwest," in 1883. Farmers prepared the land for planting, maintenance, and combining of peas for canning by Lakeside employees. German prisoners, during WWII helped tend crops for two years. This practice was continued as 400-500 seasonal workers were hired each year from July to November, in addition to the 100 employees who worked on a regular basis.
	Lyman, Robert. Mills and milling in Manitowoc County. Water power was the first energy resource used in Manitowoc County. The 250 foot drop in the Manitowoc River between Cato Falls and Lake Michigan provided power for 10 mills along its banks. These early saw mills were later converted to grist or flour mills. Mr. Lyman also reminisces about the Devil's River campground, restored mill buildings and equipment, and shipbuilding in the Manitowoc area.
	Mangin, Leslie J. Manitowoc athletes : and other topics. Mr. Mangin vividly describes the popularity of softball and basketball activities in Manitowoc County. Games were so well attended there was often less than standing room only. A special train was run between Sheboygan and Manitowoc to transport fans to games.
	Manitowoc (Wis.). Committee on Aging. Senior citizens remember. These comments from Manitowoc County senior citizens were recorded by Dion Kempthorne and Gail Fox as a part of a program on the value of oral history sponsored by the National Council on the Aging with the support of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Locally this course was sponsored by the City of Manitowoc Committee on Aging in cooperation with the University of Wisconsin Manitowoc County Center. Each of the respondents recall some the events, characters, or experiences that they felt were worth preserving.
	Olson, Lloyd. Lake Michigan car ferries. Lloyd Olson, employee of the Pere Marquette Railroad (Chesapeake & Ohio in 1945) from 1927-1970, enthusiastically discusses the role car ferries played in shipping freight to the East coast. Shipping via car ferry across Lake Michigan cut days of shipping schedules. Various ferries used to ship freight and changes in shipping and manpower schedules are explored.
	Regli, Martha. German Immigrants and experiences on the Great Lakes. Martha Regli speaks of her life growing up in Manitowoc around the turn of the century, including sailing with her husband on the Great Lakes on an ore boat.

	Rudolph, Verna. Manitowoc and family history. Verna Rudolph relates stories about her family's settlement in Manitowoc and their farming, letter carrier, and teaching activities in the area.
	Schmitt, Joseph. The Schmitt Family. Mr. Schmitt vividly describes his family's settlement in the Manitowoc area and proudly recounts the national and international fame of the Schmitt Brothers Quartet (barber shop singing). He fondly recalls appearances of the group on the Ed Sullivan, Arthur Godfrey, Lawrence Welk, and many other shows, and winning the coveted International Champions of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America award in 1951.
	Schuette, August. Manitowoc and the Schuette Family. August Schuette speaks of his family's early years in Manitowoc and the Schuette Department Store.
	Schuette, Henry. The John Schuette Family and Manitowoc, Wisconsin. Henry Schuette recounts his great grandfather's (John) service in the English navy during the Napoleonic Wars. This merchant family started several businesses in the Manitowoc area, including Schuette's Department Store, Oriental Milling (White Swan flour), Manitowoc Savings Bank (1884), a canning company, and a light plant in the 1880s. The light plant was taken over by the city of Manitowoc in the 1910s and is now known as the Manitowoc Public Utilities.
	Senglaub, Viola. Reminiscences. Viola Senglaub relates stories about her family's immigration from Germany and early life in the Manitowoc area. Interesting tales about her grandmother's herbal garden used to gather ingredients for teas and medicines.
	Spevacek, Clarence. Two Creeks and the Spevacek Family. Mr. Spevacek details the settlement, development, and disintegration of Two Creeks. Farming and the Pfister-Vogel Leather Co. were the only industries developed and the community did not survive when the tannery closed.
	Tetzlaff, Albert. Politics in Manitowoc County. Mr. Tetzlaff briefly discusses his work as Manitowoc County Clerk and changes in the political process during his tenure in office.
	Tour of Manitowoc Maritime Museum. The many ships that roamed the Great Lakes are vividly described in this tour of Manitowoc's famous Maritime Museum.
	Tracy, Melvin. History of St. Nazianz. Melvin Tracy and Anselm Platten trace a fascinating account of the people who settled and developed the St. Nazianz area.
	Valitchka, Roy F. Newspapers and news reporting in Manitowoc County. Mr. Valitchka neatly chronicles the development of news reporting and English and German language newspapers published in Manitowoc. He comments on his interviews with Senator Joseph McCarthy.
	Valleskey, Leslie J. An early Manitowoc County family. Valleskey forefathers immigrated to the Manitowoc area from Germany in the early 1850s. The lives and careers of many of the Valleskey clan are affectionately and proudly detailed by Leslie J. Valleskey.
	VanderBloemen, Herb. Fishing and conservation in Manitowoc County. Herb Vanderbloemen talks about his role in enforcing the new commercial fishing laws, enacted in 1940, and his role in developing conservation clubs, lake access, and the purchase of land for conservation purposes so that future generations would be able to enjoy Wisconsin's natural resources.
	Wentorf, Hubert R. History of Two Rivers. Hubert Wentorf discusses the settlement and development of Two Rivers. It was founded in 1836 by John Loew who built a saw mill on the shores of Lake Michigan. Lumbering and commercial fishing, as well as other early industries developed at this site, are also explored.
	Willert, Henry. Two Rivers and the Rogers Street fishing village. Mr. Willert reminisces about the rise and decline of the fishing industry in the Two Rivers area and warmly describes the Rogers Street memorial to that industry.
	Witt, Lloyd. Blacksmithing in Manitowoc. Lloyd Witt reminisces about his family's blacksmithing activities at their shop on Plank Road now called Menasha Avenue. In its heyday, Plank Road, as the shortest route into Manitowoc, was a toll road which collected 10 cents per farmer or traveler per trip.
	Young, Elmer. Memories of a teacher. Personal reminiscences of teaching in Wisconsin and Manitowoc schools. Later he became principal at Lincoln High School. Athletics at Lincoln High are also discussed.
	Zoch, Claude. History of sports in Manitowoc. Claude Zoch warmly recalls sports activities at Lincoln High School. He triumphantly describes Lincoln High School's first basketball game held in 1924 and won by a score of 22 - 19.

Please send comments and suggestions to: mplref@mcls.lib.wi.us
Last Updated: 11/26/07