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Volume X X X IV, Issue 4 October 2006

Aviation in , with Michael Goe ·

'ComJng Event Wisconsin has a significant and interesting aviation history. It begins with Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin, continues, with World . What: Slide & Lecture War I hero General , airline inventor Alfred presentation: Aviation Lawson, air mai1 pilots, aircraft builders, inventors and eccentrics, in Wisconsin and culminates with the contributions of , who founded the world' s largest general aviation organization-the · I When: Thursday, Experimental Aircraft Associa.tion in Hales Corners in 1954. October 19, 2006, Sponsored by the Brown Deer Historical Society, in taridem · with the Wisconsin Humanities Council, we are excited and 7:00 pt~ pleased to announee that ol.ir Ottober meeting will feature a Where: Brown Deer presentation by Mr. Michael Goe.' Based on his award-winn.ing book, Forward in Flight. Public -Libra_ry; The Historv o[Aviation in Wisconsin, Mr. Goe will pre~ent . an entertaining and locally focused view of Wisconsin's ventures into flight: Comm.unity Room - Mr. 9oc is a.veteran print and radio journalist. .His is the author/editor of numerous _ 5600 W. Bradley Road scholarly and popular articles and over 70 books on Wisconsin. historical subjects, including aviatio1i, business and conse1:vation, as well as numerous cities. co~mties, . villages, and regions. Eight of his books have received Awards of Merit rrnm the Call 414-355-5758 Wisconsin Historical Society including Powder,.People and Place (2003) and Forward in / Flight ( 1998), the definitive history of aviation in Wisconsin. Goe is also a member.of Bring a Friend! the board of directors of the Aviation Hall of Fame in Oshkosh. He is the founder and _ Rejreshme11tsfal!owing president of the New Past Press, Inc., which specia'lizes .in publishing historical books by , . the program. - Wisconsin authors. .

From the President's Desk Patricia Wagner

Do you read the " Remember .When .. :?" columns in Air Force in World >Var I. Commercial pilo!s of that time the newspapers? They list interesting events occurring took flying lessons at the Holterhoff Flying 'S ervice. years ago. Sometimes we remember, these pieces of This, and many other stories will be part of the slide history and pause to recall where w~ were that very day. show and. lecture presented on Thursday, O.ctober 19, at Many of you may rem ~ mber 35 years ago, in November 7:00 pm in the Brow1i Deer Public Library. Hear hoW' our ·of 1976, when a meeting of interested people was held to community played a part of Wisconsin' s aviation history. begin the process that ultimately led to the founding of Be there! the Brown Deer Historical Society. Th ~ purpose of the Aside, I want to thank all those who helped to make the Society was to save and obtain-a piece of history: the Village' s Independence Day celebration ~ great success 1884 Browi1 Deer School House. It continues to including our Bingo Tent. Thanks also to Dorothy Kittleson preserve history for the community through the Museum ·and Bernice Knurr for graciously managing and greeting-a . and the 4th Grade Living Schoolhouse pro'gram. record number of visitors to the· 1884 School Museum. Something else very interesting began in Brown Deer We are looking for old photos of the Airport, the planes, 79 years ago. h1 1927, the Brown Deer Airport began in pilots, and other events i;, the history of Brown Deer. If,you August on a' piece of farmland leased from Ed Gengler. have some, or know of someone who does, please give me a Sta1ted by ·Bi 11 W i 11 iams, it was taken over just a few call. We will be grateful for your h~lp. P. W. / years fater by F1;itz Holterhoff, a veteran ·of the German jPag~ October 2006 Did You Know ... ?

The Brown D~er Historical Society is 35 years old this year! · On July 29, 1972, the Little WJ{ite Schoolhouse was carefully moved to where it sits today. The funds to ' In the fall of 1971 , residents of Brown Deer, move the school were provided by ,Vi11age busi_ness ~ s , includirtg some who had' attended the 188 ~ Brown organizations and i11dividuals. This included donation-s Deer School in the early l 900's, (known as the Little that covered its exterior restoratioi1, being completed in White Schoolhousej approached Dorothy Kittleson, 1973, and its interior restoration, completed in 1976, . who was then the Comm_unity Affairs committee chairman for the Brown Dee r Junior Woman's Club. The Society offic~ally incorporated on November 3, They encouraged her to organize a Brown Deer 1972, and is recognized as a non-profit organization. Histo1:ical Society in an effort to save, move and Through the Brown Deer Historical Society, the restore the 1884 School. At the time, the School was community continues its support.of this important in danger of being destroyed at it's original location. piece of Brown-Deer hi ~ tory.

Sponsored by the Brow1; Deer Junior Wo111ai1's Club, 35th Anniversary Celebration Considered an9'with Dorothy as its coordinator, the Brown Deer ' . Historical Society was created 0 11 November 23 , . A special anniversary celebration is being con s_ ider~d 1971. to commemorate the 35th year of the official incorporation ofthe Brown DeerHistorical Society .. The Sch9ol house was donated to.the Village of This celebration would·take place some time next year, Brown Deer by its owner, Joseph Gill, on June 5, 2007. Please consider being a part of the planning of 1972-on the condition that it would be fr10ved. The this celeb~·ation by contacting Presid~nt Patricia Village pi·ovided the current site of the Schoolhouse Wagner with your stories, ideas and offers to help. in Village Park after the Brown Deer Historical (41 1-355-5758). Society promised to assume the responsibility of moving and restoring it.

The 1884 Brown Deer-School replica was awarded 2nd Place in the 4th of July Float ~on.test. Society members LeRoy Knurr and Earl Kittleson constructed and decorated the float. ·

Head '(eacher_Dorothy Kittleson speaks with visitors to the- 1884 Brown Deer School on the 4th of American Flags invite people July Open House. to visit the 1884 School.

The Brown Deer Historical SoGiety is a ta?C exempt 501 c (3) designated non-profit organization. Contributions are tax deduotible anJd are always welcomed. ·. We are grateful for your support. [Page 3 October 2006 31st Fall Term of 4th Grade Livjng Schoolhouse Program " . ' Tlie 31st Fall term of the 4th Grade Living Schoolhouse Program at the 1884 Bi·own Deer School began on September 25, 2006 and will continue into October. - Five-classes from Dean School, Brown· Deer, and two classes from St. Eugen€ School, Fox Point will attend. "A School D~y in 1884 in a One Room School" is experienced by the foutih graders. They read stories from McGuffey Readers and recite from.recitation o~n~hes .at the front of the room. After studying spelling words in the Webster Speller, they engage in a Sp~lling Bee: Arithmetfc problems are done with chalk,at}d· slates, and on the blackboard. They begin th~ day singing "America" and end the day singing "Clementine." - Head Teacher Dorothy Kittleson welcomes former D(ian School 4th Grade teacher Susao Caruso to the teaching staff. (Teachers must be former classroom teachers to be involved with the-4th Grade Living Schoolhouse Program.). ·

Featured. Special _Displays and Cqllections:

,• ' . This is a local collection of American Indian artifacts, some arrowheads and ax heads. Th_e smallest ax head was fom1d on the Ebeti Farm, Woo_dside acres. The ~rrow heads were found on the Ebert Farm and other land they farmed since I 919. Henry Ebe~ framed the oi1es he found in the fields near Good Hope Road and Green Bay Road along the River. Remember, if you ha.ve an interesting historical collection that you wish to share, we'd be happy to assist you ii1 g~fring it display€d for the. public-to view. These were all on display at the Village Hall. ·

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We appreciate our members. They continue to support and maintain th ~ value of our history. New m.embers are always welcome! Consider inviting a friend or neighbor to join the Society. Catl Patty Wagner at 355-5758 for more information I Page 4 October 2006

. The Historical Society by-laws have been reviewed and revised. The changes require discussion by the So.ciety Membership, prior to the action of their approval '!nd implementation. You are The following member names invited to attend the discussion po1iion ofthe Membership - .were inadveitently left ofr meeting at 6:30 pm on Thursday, Octooer,19, 2006 in the the July issue Membership listing: Brown Deer Library Community Room: Copies can be obtained by calling President Patricia Wagner at 414-355-5758. • Tom & Lois Dolan Copies of the revised. qy-laws will be av·ailable, and you are • Alan D. Eisenberg welcome to arrive early for the purpose of reviewing. • Dorothy & Earl Kittleson . • Jane Nefzer The Membership meeting w ill adjourn promptly at 6:45 pm. The • Mr.-& Mrs. Willi~n Spransy Board wi ll then meet and approve the_by-laws. • Bruce & Dawn Thomas ' Board Positions Available ' ' In Memoriam to the following members: The Board of Directors will meet immediately after the Membership meefng and featured program to discuss and Dorothy S. Gengler consider a slate of potential Board members. ·, Dell Grehn Rae Ann Diderrich Meixner Any and all Society members are eli gible to be on the Brown Deer Historical Society BQard. Positions have a tenure of one We thank <;ind welcome 11 11 year. The Board of Directors is an important and necessary body who are donors of time, money, for the Society as it' directs all .areas of fund raising,,management, ~ei ll ec ti ons and expertise, . programs/pla1111ing, upkeep of our Sch9ol house _and display of suppo1tiog our efforts collections. t all Patti Wagner at 4 14-355-5758 if you would like to keep history a li ye. to be co.nsidered for a position on the Board.

Aviation History in Brown Deer

The following is an excerpt from the l\Iichael J. Goe book entitled, Forward in Flight: The History of Aviation in Wisconsin, Copyright 1998, Wisconsin Aviation Prall of Fame ;_ind New Fast Press, Inc., page 130. The actua! book, obtained on loan from tl1e Br9wn Deer Libra1?', was presen~ed to tl1e library by l'vlr. Fred W. Lueneberg, who is mentioned in the following article ..

Brown Deer Milwaukee-Holterhoff Airport, commercial, rating - . Five miles N . Altitude, 68,1 feet. T-shaped, sod, level, natural drainage; landing strips 2,500 by 603 feet N./S. and 2, 500 by 692 fee E./W. HOLTERHOFF FLYING SERVICE, ··INC. on hangar. Pole line along road on N. Facilities for servicing air craft, day only. ( 1931) The Brown deer Airpo1t began in August 1927, when Bill Williams force-landed his J-1 Standard ion the Hunke! farm on Brown Deer Road in Milwaukee County. Williams thought the smooth and level Hunke! Farm would make a good airpo1t, but farmer .Hunke! preferred to keep the ground in hay. Williams then 1i1oved down the road to Ed ,, Gengler who was w illing to lease some of his land for an airfield. In 1928, Williams, who was flying his new OX-5 Swall ow off the field, was joined by Fritz Holteroff gnd his Canuck. Wi lliams then left Brown Deer to become chief test pilot for theJnvincible airplane in Manitowoc and Holterhoff Airpo1t came into being. Holterhoff was a veteran of the German Air Force, one of several Milwaukee-area pi lots who had flown for the Kaiser in World War I. He built a maintenance shop, a hangar big enough for six planes and acquired the Wisconsin franchise for American Eagle Aircraft. - ' continued on page 5 .... I Page 5 October 2006 Aviation·History in BrOW1:1 Deer continued·.

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The dual cockpit, OX-5-powered "Eagles" were billed as "T\1e Fa$test, Strongest and Safest Aeroplanes il1 Their Class." Holterhoff was able to sell at least six American Eagle.s before ' the Depression alf but grounded the company. · Holterhoff.started a flying school ai1d among the instructors in ·J 928-29 were Clyde Lee_and Thor Solberg, who later became rivals in the short-lived transAtlantic race to Norway. Starting on the same day, both Lee and Solberg made forced landings on the way to Newfoundland. Lee landed on the beach and was able to continue, but Solberg went down in the water and abandoned his flight without reaching the open sea. Back in Wisconsin, Fred Holterhoff was joined by Carl Roeffler and together they formed a partnership with the Weeks Aircraft Company of Mil\Vaukee. Holterhoff died in an automobile crash in_ 1932, but eh Weeks-Holterhoff Company remained in business under Koeffler's management and added a franchise from the Great Lakes Aircraft Company. During the mid and late 1930:s , the operation was in ~he hands of "Sarge" Richter, Ralph Kofler and Roy Duggan, followed by Warren and James Toll. -By 1938, Ben Towle and his Badger Airways operated. the field . He was one of Wisconsin's first Piper Cub deal~rs. Badger sold a J-3 Cub to Jules and Max ·sagunsky of Saukville. They put it to work delivering guitars and other musical instruments thro~ghout the state. The Sagunskys sales approaclfwas to place an ad for their instruments in farm publications. When a farmer responded, Jules or Max would pinpoinnlie ,location, fly the Cub there, and CQmplete both the sale and delivery on landing. Max used this experience to prepare for his future career as - manager of the Outagamie Coun ty Airport. - ' In the st11nm~r of 1938, Joe Jordan and Herman "Fish" Salmon made B.rown))eer their ba-se airpo1i. Using a Spartan C-3 and a Ryan B-1 , Jordan and Salmon made the air show tour, whth Salmon making hundreds of jumps before leaving Wisconsin to become a test pilot for Lockheed. Other pilots connected witht he Brow1; Deer Airpoti inc.luded Clarence Bates, Chuck Gardner, Garth Smith, Charl_es Christenso1}, Ed Weber, George Hathaway, and Miriam Edgerton Hathaway. . ' Fred and Rod Lueneberg were at the Brown Deer Airport right from the start. They were the farm boys leaning 'on the fence watching the planes land in the lat- 1920's. In short time, they were washing planes and running errands. By 1934, Fred was charging "fifteen minutes of flight ~nstruction" as the price of a ' wash, and it took only until the summer of 1936. Holterho~f Flying Service, .Jnc. to get enough time to solo. Two more years and Milwaukee Wisconsin he had his Private Pilot's license, which then _ required fifty hours of solo time. Luenberg A Flying School of Dis~inction cont1mted to fly and earned his Commercial · ·, Aeroplanes Passenger Service Certificate after two more years . . Engines Aerial PJ10tography The Brown De_er Airport was closed to all by Repairing Aei·ci-Advettising Civil Air Patrol aviation at the start of World Sales Modern Flying Field and War U. It opened briefly after the war, but Service · Repair Shops . closed when the Capitol Drive Airpo~i opened. American Eagle Distributors For Wisconsin ,

Presenting America's mosfcomplete line of aircraft -- an American Eagle for every ~eed and every purse. Six Models '. j Page 6 October 2006 -. Historical Collage Radke Family Photos/ ,- - We are so very grateful to the RADKE family for sharing their photos with us. Scans were made of these photos, and they were then returned to tlie family. Please look at these carefully, and consider sharing some of your old family photos or stories. History is defined by what we remember,

1942: The Brown.Deer Radke's, left to right: Rudy Radke, Lydia Radke, Elsie & Ed Radke, Joanne Walter Radke Garage in background, formerly ' Radke, Walter Radke and Otfo Radke (Grandpa) Otto Radke's blacksmith shop. Jennie, Joanne, and Elsie Radke In foreground

1928, Jennie Radke poses by the car. Rowing on the Milwaukee River, l 920's: J .. Baehmann, Lillie Kapp, and Theckla Brunner

Matriarch Johanna Radke, relaxing on the lawn, 1930's. Brothers Bill and Rudy Baehmann beside their car, circa-early l 920's. f Page 7 October 2006 Histori~al Society Membership's D_ue ·

Please note the insert in this issue of the Brown Deer Historical Society Newsletter. We are attempting.to ·get on an annual schedule of appealing to current membership to renew by reminding them in October of each year. Fill out the form completely ap'd return it using the directions printed. Your annual dues help suppo1t the production and printing of this newsletter: which is incl tided with your merrybership. If you have recently paid your annual Society dues, we ask that you consider sharing this membership application with neighbors or friends. Annual ques are reasonable anti you get the satisfaction of knowing you have directly helped maintain and suppo1t the history of the Village of Brown Deer and our featured 1884 Brown Deer School house, plus other programs. The membership year runs from Jmrnary - December. .. easy to remember. • ·

4th of July Bingo. a Great Success! A big "Thanks" goes to Bob Moranski, who made the Society's annual Bingo fund raiser asuccess. Also, "Thanks" goes to Society Board member Tim Schilz who donated new bingo equipment this year and thousands of bingo chips. Seed-com is no longer used to mark bingo cards, as we W€re lostng the battle with squirrels or other critters that would venture into our storage· area for 'corn rights'. Tim wanted to voic·e an apo logy to a few bingo callers who struggled with opening and closing tJ;e new, but rather stiff, bingo cage door. We'll work on tbat and the readability of ball numbers for next year! Even with the humorous confusion with calling numbers back & forth , and also .the new bi11go balls jumping out of the machine and falling· op the floor, it was ~ lot of fun, with everyone doing their part to make the e-vent a success. The following workers are thanked and recognized for'their time and help: he' f'our Call ers: . Tim Scbilz Mary Kust Joe Kluca1·ich Ed Schneider

The Member-Workers on 1st shift: Kathleen Schilz Joi-in Gibbs Jerry Litzau Hazel Jenning~ The Member-Workers on 2"d shif.t: LeRoy Knw:r Les Hagensick Rox H

The Member-Workers on 3rd shift: . - '"caro l Ruhland Frank lnbusch ' Marianne. Bach Naomi Picard Herb Madlung Bruce Thomas Dawn Thomas

1884 Brown Deer School is 122 Years Old! The 1884 Brown Deer School was ready for use on July 7, 1884. it served grades from one to eight from 1884 to 1922 - for 38 years. After its use as; school, it was used as a church by the St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran · co1igregation, then as A l Witt Sheet Metal Co1npany until it sustained a fire .. .then used for storage by owner Joseph Gill.. ' · · A.s previously stated in this newsletter, Joseph Gill donated the school to the Village of Brown Deer on June 5, 1972; after tl~e Brown 'Deer Historical Society p_romised to move, restore and maintain the 1884 School on the Site in Village Park. The School was moved on July 29, 1972 and completed interior and exterior res~oratio;1 in 1976. The 4th grade Living School house Program began in May 1976. As previously stated in this newsletter, it is now .n its 31st year of c lasses held in May September and October. - . ' Over 20,000 4th grade students from public, private and parochial schools from Br-own Deer, Milwaukee and surrounding suburbs have attended the Program. Head Teacher and founder Dorothy Kittleson 'has been teaching since its b'eginning. Eight other teachers have served intermittently with Dorothy throughout those years. -

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Joseph & Rose Klucarich 3 511 West Pelican Lane Brown Deer WI 53209

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2006 Historical Society Be sure to visit the BD Historical Society.booth at.the Officers Granville-Brown Deer Chamber ofCommerce - President .. .. Patricia Wagner Vice President ...... 3rd Annual_ Secretary ...... Bernice Knurr Treasurer ...~ .. .. Bob Moran s~i Bu~iness ~ Co111111unity

Board of Directors EXPO Barbara Bechtel Joe Ebert La Verne Ebe1i Leroy Knurr Thursday, ·october 12 . Joe Klucarjch Tim Schilz Alexian Brothers Pavilion, 9225 N. 76th_St. Dorothy Kittleson s:oo-8:00 pm · ~~~~- B~oii,."V Public invited ~ ~f,1 . ~ Kathleen Schilz ... . Newsletter Free admission P ll..~ Jj ~ Dorothy Kittleson .. Historian -- . ~ . Sue Sustar ...... Membership C'ffAM'O~~

Please cont ~ ct the editor at' 4 l 4-3S5-41•82 or kschi [email protected] with a_ny corrections, contributions, or comments. While every effort is made to be perfect, we are 9nly human. Article deadline for next edition:. December 8, 2006. Submit e lectronica lly to editor.