Sheboygan County Stained Glass Update

The Newsletter of the Sheboygan County Historical Research Center Volume XXIV Number 1 October 2013 Sheboygan County Stained Glass Update In 2004, SCHRC started a project dealing with the beautiful stained glass windows in Sheboygan County churches. At the time a number of churches were in danger of being demolished. We felt it imperative that these churches be documented. The project began with a survey or census of churches and buildings with stained glass – we discovered 114 sites, far more than anticipated. But, the good news is that more than forty of the buildings have been photo- graphed inside and out with special care given to the stained glass windows. The project is ongoing. At present we have two volunteers working on photographing the remaining structures. This project is expected to last an- other three to five years. All the photos have been entered into the collection. A book documenting the windows in Grace United Church of Christ in Kohler is in the works. A book documenting a cross section of the win- A church window from old St. dows will be created at we get closer to the end of the project. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Millersville. (The image above is from Our Lady of Angels Church, Armstrong.) The Sheboygan County Historical Research Center is located at 518 Water Street in Sheboygan Falls. Open Tuesday through Friday, 9:00am – 4:00pm and Saturdays from 8:30am to 12:00 noon. Closed November 28, 2013 for Thanksgiving. Phone: 920-467-4667 E-mail: [email protected] Website: schrc.org 1 assaying office. John was directed the Kansas City massacre, who a His Fond Hopes to take his burden to W. A. Pfister year ago exposed the Nazi spy ring Have Dwindled and get his opinion on the subject. and was one of the chief witnesses Assaying Jeweler Puts a Pin in His As soon as Mr. Pfister saw it he responsible for the conviction of Dream of Easy Wealth began to disillusionize the discov- the spies. His life has been in peril erer of the Wilson gold mine, in at least 100 times, but he always spite of his insistence that the stuff managed to escape death. Sheboygan Press, no date given _______ glittered when the sunlight struck it. It took considerable time to Turrou wrote “Confessions of a The most disappointed man in the convince John that this find con- Nazi Spy” which was based on his entire county of Sheboygan today sisted of mica and iron pyrites and personal expose’ of the case and is beyond the peradventure of a that his monopoly stock company was filmed just recently under his doubt John Kuemmet of the town of $10,000,000 capital at ten cents technical supervision. The occa- of Wilson who yesterday was un- a share was an air castle. But at sion for the interview was a press der the impression that he had dis- last slowly and disgruntled he conference at the Schroeder Hotel covered a Klondike on his farm. wended his way homeward, sore at in Milwaukee Friday for newspa- his luck, taking his find along with per men . Several days back while ploughing him. his field with the smiling sun shin- “I don’t recall the man’s name, but ing resplendent in the heavens, Every jewelry shop in the city has he was supposed to be a killer and shedding his effulgences on things specimens of iron pyrites brought bootlegger from Springfield, and all about the terrestrial globe, fill- in by people from all parts of the we picked him and his woman up ing it with scintillating splendor, county who were under the im- in a sand dune area just outside of even to the darkmost corners, John pression that they had discovered the city. I don’t recall the date ei- stumbled over a piece of rock an easy road to wealth, but thus far ther, but off-hand I’d say it was in about a foot square and several none have grown rich by their the spring of 1930 and as I remem- inches thick. John at first was dis- finds. ber it the man had faked his death posed to say something not to be somewhere in Illinois, but the de- found in a Methodist minister’s Iron pyrite, known as fool’s gold, was partment believed him still alive also known as German gold, due the and traced him to Sheboygan.” lexicon, but when he noticed the large number of German’s who brightness of the rock as the glit- thought they’d gotten rich with the Subsequent investigation disclosed tering molecules returned the ersatz stuff. that Mr. Turrou’s memory is pretty smile of the sun, his eyes began to ———————————————————- good because the Press files dis- bulge out in amazement and won- close that on March 9, 1930 a der. Sheboygan Press, Sat. May 6, 1939 group of FBI agents arrested one Stealthily looking around to see Herman Davis, alias Albert that he was unperceived John Leon Turrou Recalls Blewett and Helen Clark, alias picked up the rock, hid it for safety Nabbing Bootleg ‘King’ Bessie Spaulding, at a cottage at under his vest and then ran to his Black River near Lake View. Da- home to make further investiga- Ace Man in Lindbergh Case vis was a former “King” of the tions. His wonder and surprise has fond memories of bootleggers of southern Illinois grew as he noticed tiny yellowish Black River and was making moonshine at streaks meandering through the Black River as well. By Walter J. Pfister substance under observation. He He had been a fugitive from jus- thought he had discovered gold. “Sheboygan? I’ll remember She- tice for a year or more. He had en- Taking a friend into his confidence boygan as long as I live because deavored to give the impression he went back to the filed of dis- that’s where I made my first arrest that his enemies had done away covery and found that there was of any importance as a member of with him and the Clark woman by more like it. Hitching up his fast- the FBI. “ leaving a note saying that he was est team he started for town, going “taken for a ride”. A body was to the German bank to make a de- It was Leon Turrou speaking— the found in the Sangamon River posit of his find. But, here he met man who found the Lindbergh ran- shortly after the disappearance and his first reverse. The bank was not som money in the Hauptmann gar- identified as Davis’ . But the G- in a position to accommodate him, age, who helped put the finger on men persisted and Mr. Turrou “got having mad no provisions for an Pretty Boy Floyd and Richetti in his man” here a year later. 2 Turrou was an orphan his fathering dying two The Researcher is the months before his birth and his mother dying at his official newsletter of the birth. He was born in Poland and adopted by a cou- Sheboygan County ple who traveled very much. Turrou was exposed Historical Research to new languages and by the time he was a teenag- Center, 518 Water Street, er he could speak 8 languages. He was left by his Sheboygan Falls, parents in the Orient at the age of 13 and from then Wisconsin. on was on his own. It is published six times While a wounded war veteran in a French hospital per year in August, he met his future wife. After the Armistice they October, December, married and had two children. His wife decided to February, April and June. visit her mother in Siberia for two months, but in reality the trip lasted 3 1/2 years. The Research Center is the local history archive A massacre had occurred in the village where his for Sheboygan County wife was visiting and all residents were reported and areas surrounding the dead. Unconvinced, Turrou got a job as an inter- county. It is a repository preter on an expedition to Russia. On arriving he for paper records of all sent a messenger to the Siberian village to verify kinds. the existence of graves of his family. But, the messenger returned with his wife and children, serious- The Research Center is a ly starved but alive. sister organization to the Sheboygan County They were soon restored to health and then Turrou Historical Society and came back to America and later launched his career Museum which collects as a super sleuth. the artifacts of the county. Leon G. Turrou If you file it, it comes to Legacy Society News the Research Center. If Special thanks go to our newest Legacy Society members, Ronald Laack, Janet you dust it, it goes to the Radue and the Sheboygan County Medical Society. Thanks for your support! museum. New Membership Year Has Started SCHRC Board of Directors The Research Center’s new membership year began September 1, 2013. Rick Dodgson Sometime within the month of August you received a letter asking you to renew your membership. Please know your membership is valued and the dol- David Gallianetti lars you give make possible critical services at SCHRC. Steven Gallimore Membership dollars pay for educational programs, collection preservation, Robert Gorges storage materials, daily operations, special projects, building maintenance and upkeep and much more. Nancy Jusky Membership dollars help the Research Center support our community. Membership dollars create a vibrant and thriving organization. Larschelby "Schel" Kidd Randy Schwoerer We need you to #1 Renew now; #2 Consider increasing your membership level; #3 Consider making an added donation.

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