In This Issue: July/August 2013

by Jim Dittmann
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Digital Edition: July/August 2013

From The Editor

We are living among history every day.  We all know it – but when we take the time to really dig deep, we create a far greater appreciation for what has happened in the short history of our country.  The community of Beaver Dam itself is only 172 years old from when it was first settled.  In a time where we have all the information in the world at our fingertips, we seem to know less and less about our community, our neighbors and our family history.

Taking the time to recognize and dig deep into what has happened in our community can open a whole new appreciation for where we live, work and play. It also allows us to understand how important everyone is in making a community great.  The people who built this community over the last 172 years are no more significant or special than any of us.    

I know – this all sounds like a nice perfect way of looking at things, but haven’t you always wanted to have the ability to see the present in that way?  History provides us with that ability, and more importantly, we are the history.  

My own adventure of just how inspiring it can be began this spring when my fiancé and I bought our house in town, moved in and started renovating.  We were excited at the possibility of finding some history when we tore out walls, already knowing the house was around 130 years old.  After a month and a half and almost every wall gone, we had found nothing.  A little deflated, we continued our renovation project getting to the last bit of plaster that was to be removed by the stairs.  At last we found a carving on a beam that read May 21st 1864.  Our motivation skyrocketed.  Karyssa spent hours in the library learning as much about our home and street as she could.  

Here are some of the highlights:  German immigrant Henry Jansen and Prussian immigrant Agnes Wolf married in 1870 in Milwaukee County.  Sometime between 1877 and 1890 they moved with their four children to what was then 109 Haskell Street.  This is where Henry ran a boat livery, which his youngest son Thomas (Damian) would one day own along with Alvin Guenther as the Jansen & Guenther Boat Line.   Henry owned the home until his death in 1917 and Thomas continued to live at 209 until his death in 1932.  After Thomas’s death, his daughter Eleanor and her husband Andrew Glassman took ownership until sometime before 1943. 

I encourage our readers to learn about your home, your community and the people who lived there.  Knowing who lived in our homes before us creates a sense of belonging and pride, which is the most important part of community.    

Look Below for everything In This Issue:

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Thumb_plasma Feature Artist: Randy Kurtz
One must pause to take in so much intricacy woven into this work. 

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Thumb_effigyjd Mounds
Under our feet are millennia-old remnants of pre-historical “building projects” 

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Thumb_img_0425 The Must-Skis
Their love of the sport brought the tradition of waterskiing back to the area. 

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Thumb_local_20l_20hh_2018jd Growing Home: Habitat For Humanity
With each nail driven a splendid message of Welcome is closer to home. 

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Thumb_stillw Farmer to Neighbor
See how local food builds community by meeting your local farmers. 

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Thumb_carlw Legend & Lore: Volksfest
The sights and sounds – aromas and good cheer – AH sehr gut! 

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Thumb_gullw Viewfinder: Stacy Heiling
Pictures are worth more than a thousand words, they are memories. 

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Thumb_gallowsw The “Special Duty” of Civil War Veteran William Coxshall
Dodge County Historical Society For Civil War veteran William Coxshall, it was an especially harrowing experience. 

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Thumb_angels_20in_20the_20city_20_1_ An Autobiography: For My Children
Palesnik 

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This & That 

Trust Your Car to the Man Who Wears The Star Read more

The Wandering Man

Never Think You Are Someone Who Doesn’t Count Read more 

Legacy

Amy Jennings: July / August 2013 Read more 

Thumb_sally_20the_20space_20beaverw Stump The Beaver
July/August 2013. Beaver Archives: Sally the Space Beaver. Gideons Bibles birthplace, Beavers as Pets, and The Beaver’s busy schedule. 

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Parting Thoughts

July / August 2013 Read more 

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