Preservation Racine News
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PRESERVATION SPRING 2021 RACINE NEWS Volume 22 WITH GRATITUDE AND APPRECIATION Wayne LaFrania lives in and has carefully restored one of Progress in the Graphic Arts; The Story of Western and Racine’s most significant landmarks, Engine House No. Western at War. 4. This engine house was the first masonry fire station to be built on the northside of Racine and according to noted The Booklets architectural historian H. Russell Zimmerman, it is “one of southeastern Wisconsin’s finest remaining late The first booklet tells the history of the company and its Victorian fire stations …”. modest beginnings in 1907 in a rented basement space on State Street in On September 30, Racine. The 2012, Wayne original five graciously opened employees were E. his house, located (Edward) H. at 1339 Lincoln Wadewitz, Roy A. Street, for that Spencer, W. year’s Tour of (William) R. Historic Places, “A Wadewitz, Racine Sampler.” Catherine Bobgarts At that time, and William Bell. Wayne mentioned Mr. Bell remained that he had several at Western for a items that he would short time, but the like to donate to others spent their Preservation entire careers at Racine’s archive. Western. Recently, Wayne stopped by my Edward Wadewitz, house with several a young 1940s–1960s bookkeeper, took Western Printing over West Side brochures and other Printing Company material, and two operating in the framed oil paintings building’s basement that once hung in below a millinery the Board Room of shop, and stocked Western Printing with two battered and Lithographing old presses, some Company on fonts of old type Mound Avenue. Wayne worked for executive, John W. and a hand operated cutting machine. Within a year, Roy (Jack) Kaiser for 35 years. When the company was being A. Spencer, a journeyman pressman, joined Edward sold, Jack gifted the paintings to Wayne. The brochures followed by Edward’s brother, William. This booklet are: The Story of Western 1907-1964, 57 Years of follows Western’s growth from that original $10.00 a month rented space to a second State Street store front, to Mr. Wadewitz as secretary-treasurer. Roy was responsible Dr. Shoops’s building across the street, to the new for the print shop and operated the equipment. E. H. building on Mound Avenue and then expansions into the Wadewitz was responsible for sales and bookkeeping. old Massey Ferguson property, J I Case Company Roy Spencer served as president of the company from the buildings along Root River and the Signal Shirt Company beginning until his retirement in 1935 for health reasons building nearby. but served as a member of the Board of Directors of Western until his death. Then, encouraged to serve Racine The second booklet, The Story of Western, reviews the as mayor, he became known as the “father of the company’s growth across America, including subsidiary Goodwill Movement” in Racine. Racine had been companies, i.e., Whitman Publishing Company, Western enthusiastically celebrating our country’s birth, from Playing Card Company, Artists and Writers Guild, Inc., K. K. Publications, Story Parade, Inc. and Guild Press, Inc. This booklet talks about the phenomenal growth of the company, the modern equipment used and the prize-winning publications and connections to characters and personalities. The third booklet, Western at War, published in 1942, reviews Western’s operations during WWII, recording photographs and names of employees deployed for the war effort, pointing out the many women who filled vacant production positions during the War and also highlighting the printing Western provided to the government, especially producing much needed maps. The First Oil Painting – Roy A Spencer The two oil paintings are of Roy A. Spencer and E. H. Wadewitz. Roy Spencer was born November 7, 1880 in Mount Pleasant Township, Racine County, a son of William D. and Louise (DeGroat) Spencer, a farming family originally coming from Connecticut and New York. Except for several years as a young boy, Roy lived his entire life in Racine. The family moved to North Dakota to farm, but the hard farm work took his father’s life and the family moved back to Racine in 1893 with meager savings and no income. Roy was the eldest of five children: Elma, Grover, Abbie and Harold, becoming the “chief support of his widowed mother and breadwinner of the when the Wisconsin legislature made July 4 a holiday in family.” Leaving school after seventh grade, he began his 1861, but during the Great Depression, there was labor career as a carrier for the old Racine Journal, advancing to strife, as well as strikes and unrest. In April of 1937 the pressroom and becoming a journeyman pressman. Mayor Spencer called together a group of about 25 Roy was about 27 years old when be bought into leaders in industry, labor and business to plan a common Westside Printing Company, becoming successor of project that would help bridge their differences. The result William Bell and a partner to Edward Wadewitz. In the was a grand July 4th celebration, including a spring of 1909, they were joined by C. H. Van Vliet, parade, fireworks and carnival rides. Racine’s parade when the company name changed to Westside Printing continues to be one of the biggest and most colorful in Company until 1910, when the company name became Wisconsin. Roy Spencer served as a member of the Board Western Printing and Lithography Company. Mr. Spencer of Directors of Western until his death. Roy and his wife is listed as president, Mr. Van Vliet as vice-president and Mabel had two children. Page 2 The Second Oil Painting – Edward H. Wadewitz made a mistake not becoming a professional baseball player, when he had the opportunity. He was employed at Edward H. Wadewitz was born February 22, 1878 in the various businesses out east and after he returned to village of Waubeka, in the township of Fredonia, Racine, until he purchased Westside Printing Company, Wisconsin, where German settlers formed a community, which had been established two years before by John with German being their primary language. He was the Geller. In 1906 E. H. married Nettie M. Joslyn of Fond du son of Henry (a mason) and Augusta (Muehlberg) Lac, Wisconsin. They had three children, Eunice, (who Wadewitz, and one of four sons and a daughter (Otto, Al, died at three years old), Robert and Winifred. Edward, William and Laura). The family moved to Iron Mountain, Michigan, where E. H. continued his E. H. Wadewitz passed away January 15, 1955 and Roy A. Spencer passed away December 16, 1956. Both of these men left an indelible mark on Racine. On January 17, 1955 the Racine Journal Times said of E. H. Wadewitz “No one person has ever done more for this community in which he lived. Any man who builds a large and successful enterprise from a small beginning, provides thousands of jobs and large payrolls, shares profits with his employees and otherwise treats them well, makes a great contribution to the growth and welfare of any town.” For the greater Racine community, funds were raised to build the Western Lodge at the Racine YMCA Camp Anokijig, in Plymouth, Wisconsin, the Court of Honor at Graceland Cemetery, a residence cottage for youth living at the Taylor Home, furnishings for the Mound Cemetery Chapel, garden and memorial fountain at Mound Cemetery, support for the YWCA and the YMCA, the Roy A. Spencer Memorial Primate Building at the Racine Zoological Society and more. We thank Wayne LaFrania for his gifts. Vivian Merlo schooling, but now in English and taking on work to help supplement the family income. E. H.’s father’s death in 1892 caused him to leave school after the seventh grade and take on work to help support the family. In 1893 the family moved to Port Washington and in 1894 or 1895 E. H. came to Racine, finding work at his uncle’s Racine Trunk Company. In 1900, at twenty-two years old, E. H. went to Williamsport, Pennsylvania to the Potts Shorthand College, where he studied, until he returned to Racine in 1894. Through Y.M.C.A. programs and during college, E. H. was recognized as an outstanding athlete in both baseball and basketball, and once wondered if he E. H. Wadewitz House, Main Street page 3 Made In Racine - Dishwashers Well, enough about the history of the dishwasher ... let's move on to this Racine-made contraption! As you can see When I was young, I hated to do dishes, and as a matter on the nametag, it was manufactured by THE RACINE of fact, I think I can speak for everyone when I say that ROTARY DISHWASHER COMPANY, of Racine, we ALL hate to wash dishes by hand, right? Well, some Wisconsin. This particular unit came from an old hotel in entrepreneur in Racine must have felt the same way many Milwaukee that was torn down, according to the person years ago, and attempted to do something about it. Of all from whom I purchased it about twenty-five years ago. It the necessary chores that must be dealt with on a daily is my opinion that these units would have been marketed basis, washing dishes is not exactly our top priority. So, I to hotels, hospitals, institutions, and larger restaurants, can proudly say that a local company helped to remove rather than to residential households. the drudgery of washing dishes by manufacturing a rotary dishwasher. Whether it worked or not was a different This dishwasher is unique, and quite unusual. How does it matter! actually work, you may be asking? I can tell you this upfront...it was operated only by human muscle power, But, this Racine-made product was not the first and not by electricity! Let's start at the beginning...a dishwasher on the market by any means.