Wisconsin Magazine of History Portrait of the 'Nswshoy As A Young Man JOHN G. CAWELTI Mason C. Darling and the Groti;tk of Foni du Lac EDWARD L. GAMBILL Richardson Romancs(^uc \n V^xsconsin RICHARD W. E. PERRIN Wisconsin's Lost Missionary: TKe Mystery of Father Rene Menarci A. A. A. SCHMIRLER Historicai Societies: Their Magazines and Their EtJitors JAMES H. RODABAUGH Published by the State Historical Society of Wisconsin / Vol. XLV, No. 2 / Winter, 1961-1962 STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF WISCONSIN LESLIE H. FISHEL, JR., Director Officers WILLIAM B. HESSELTINE, President GEORGE C. SELLERY, Honorary Vice-President JOHN C. GEILFUSS, First Vice-President GEORGE HAMPEL, JR., Treasurer E. E. HOMSTAD, Second Vice-President LESLIE H. FISHEL, JR., Secretary Board of Curators Ex-Officio GAYLORD NELSON, Governor of the State MRS. DENA A. SMITH, State Treasurer ROBERT C. ZIMMERMAN, Secretary of State CONRAD A. ELVEHJEM, President of the University ANGUS B. ROTHWELL, Superintendent of Public Instruction MRS. SILAS SPENGLER, President of the Women's Auxiliary Term Expires 1962 GEORGE BANTA, JR. HERBERT V. KOHLER WILLIAM F. STARK JOHN TORINUS Menasha Kohler Pewaukee Green Bay GEORGE HAMPEL, JR. ROBERT B. L. MURPHY STANLEY STONE CLARK WILKINSON Milwaukee Madison Milwaukee Baraboo SANFORD HERZOG GERTRUDE PUELICHER MILO K. SWANTON ANTHONY WISE Minocqua Milwaukee Madison Hayward Term Expires 1963 SCOTT CUTLIP MRS. ROBERT FRIEND JOHN C. GEILFUSS WILLIAM B. HESSELTINE Madison Hartland Milwaukee Madison W. NORMAN FITZGERALD EDWARD FROMM MRS. HOWARD T. GREENE JAMES RILEY Milwaukee Hamburg Genesee Depot Eau Claire J. F. FRIEDRICK ROBERT GEHRKE DR. GUNNAR GUNDERSEN CLIFFORD SWANSON Milwaukee Ripon La Crosse Stevens Point Term Expires 1964 THOMAS H. BARLAND JIM DAN HILL MRS. VINCENT W. KOCH FRED I. OLSON Eau Claire Superior Janesville Milwaukee M. J. DYRUD E. E. HOMSTAD MRS. RAYMOND J. KOLTES FREDERICK SAMMOND Prairie du Chien Black River Falls Madison Milwaukee FRED H. HARRINGTON GEORGE F. KASTEN CHARLES MANSON WILLIAM STOVALL Madison Milwaukee Madison Madison Honorary Honorary Life Members WILLIAM ASHBY MCCLOY, Winnipeg PRESTON E. MCNALL, Madison MRS. LITTA BASCOM, Madison DOROTHY L. PARK, Madison MRS. LOUISE ROOT, Prairie du Chien Fellows Curators VERNON CARSTENSEN (1949) HJALMAR R. HOLAND, Ephraim MERLE CURTI (1949) SAMUEL PEDRICK, Ripon The Women's Auxiliary OFFICERS MRS. SILAS SPENGLER, Menasha, President MRS. MILLARD TUFTS, Milwaukee, Vice-President MRS. WILLIAM H. L. SMYTHE, Milwaukee, Secretary MRS. E. J. BIEVER, Kohler, Treasurer MRS. CHESTER ENGELKING, Green Bay, Assistant Treasurer MRS. RAYMOND J. KOLTES, Madison, Ex-Officio VOLUME 45, NUMBER 2/WINTER, 1961-1962 Wisconsin Magazine of History Editor: WILLIAM CONVERSE HAYGOOD Front Seat 78 Portrait of the Newsboy as a Young Man: Some Remarks on the Alger Stories 79 JOHN G. CAWELTI Mason C. Darling and the Growth of Fond du Lac 84 EDWARD L. GAMBILL Richardsonian Romanesque in Wisconsin: Vernacular Expressions of a Great Architectural Style 95 RICHARD W. E. PERRIN Wisconsin's Lost Missionary: The Mystery of Father Rene Menard 99 A. A. A. SCHMIRLER Historical Societies: Their Magazines and Their Editors 1J5 JAMES H. RODABAUGH George Clarke Sellery, 1872-1962 124 Readers' Choice 126 Bibliographical Notes 148 Accessions 150 Contributors 156 Published Quarterly by the State Historical Society of Wisconsin THE WISCONSIN MAGAZINE OF HISTORY is published not assume responsibility for statements made by contribu­ quarterly by the State Historical Society of Wisconsin, 816 tors. Second-class postage paid at Madison, Wisconsin. State Street, Madison 6, Wisconsin. Distributed to members Copyright 1961 by the State Historical Society of Wisconsin. as part of their dues (Annual membership, $5.00; Family Paid for in part by the Maria L. and Simeon Mills Editorial membership, $7.00; Contributing, $10; Business and Profes­ Fund and by the George B. Burrows Fund. Wisconsin news­ sional, $25; Life, $100; Sustaining, $100 or more annually; papers may reprint any article appearing in the WISCON­ Patron, $1000 or more annually). Single numbers, $1.25. SIN MAGAZINE OF HISTORY providmg the story carries Microfilmed copies available through University Microfilms, the following credit line : Reprinted from the State Histori­ 313 North First Street, Ann Arbor, Michigan. Communica­ cal Society's Wisconsin Magazine of History for [insert the tions should be addressed to the editor. The Society does season and year which appear on the Magazinel. that there would be some noise. By the time we recovered from that, the bright light had almost disappeared on its way to the moon. One could not keep from looking to see if the FRONT SEAT moon had ducked, too." Not everyone has this opportunity to wit­ ness a great historical drama of his time, nor have those so privileged always recorded their impressions. But when they have, as did thousands of young men in the years 1861- 1865, we can today share with them a front seat on the past. Because we are uncovering, OME of you might remember that I quoted reading, and studying the letters and diaries S from a letter from my father-in-law a year of the ordinary Civil War soldier, we are just or so ago. Since I want to quote him again, now beginning to understand that war, as a you should know who he is. His name is war. We know something about pioneer life 0. M. Richards and he and Mother moved to in Wisconsin because some of our forebears Florida about four years ago after a lifetime wrote letters and diaries which have been in northeastern Ohio, where he operated a preserved. Yet even now, the wonders of small feed mill. On January 26, they decided fifty years ago are slipping away because we to drive to Cape Canaveral for a good look do not have enough of this written material. at the moon shot (Ranger). Here is his front We scurry around with tape recorders trying seat description: to tap the memories of our elder citizens, but "We walked down the beach to the fence this is not enough. Who can describe La which keeps the missiles in and the people Follette oratory fifty years later? Who can out. I had brought our glasses but had forgot gauge the frustration of depression thirty our little radio. So we found some people years later? Who remembers accurately the who had a radio and traded sights thru our exhilaration of VJ-Day fifteen years later? glasses for a chance to listen to their radio. Front seats are everywhere, for history is We could easily see twelve installations. Every­ a continuous, all-encompassing drama. The one of course had a different idea as to front seat which historians look for—and which was Ranger and which was Glenn. But so often do not find—is the one occupied by soon the radio called our attention to vapor the sensitive nonprofessional observer who escaping from the one third from the end. records his impressions simply because they Then we knew which one to watch. We had are important to him. been there barely a half hour when the count Local historical societies should make sure down got down to twenty. It went right along that first hand impressions of local events from there without hold. Suddenly there was are made and preserved: school board meet­ a great flash of light which was almost blind­ ings, party caucuses, local reactions to nation­ ing. Instantly, everything was covered with al and international events, centennial cele­ a great dense mass of smoke and nothing else brations. These observations will not alter seemed to happen. Then slowly, like an old the course of history nor radically change its retired feed man getting out of bed in the interpretations. They will, however, give morning, the rocket began to show above the meaning to history because they will reflect smoke and start into the sky. For only a few what ordinary men, each from the vantage seconds we saw it whole—then another ex­ point of his own front seat, have seen and plosion which left only a bright light—much thought and recorded. like a bright star. The second stage had The State Historical Society will welcome ignited and blown off the first stage. About such front seat reports on significant events— that time while we were so busy guiding the observations which will make our history missile an overwhelming whush enveloped us live for our grandchildren. and for an instant we did not know whether to run or duck. Somehow, we had forgotten L.H.F., jr. 78 PORTRAIT OF THE NEWSBOY AS A YOUNG MAN SOME REMARKS ON THE ALGER STORIES By JOHN G. CAWELTI article on Alger, we are confronted with the paradox of a widely known and respected author whose books are almost totally unread.^ The usual explanation of this persistence CUBLITERATURE is, in general, short- of Alger's reputation stresses Alger's associa­ ^ lived. It fills some immediate need, ex­ tion with the theme of success, the rise of the presses some passing idea or fashion, and poor young man from rags to riches. Thus, then fades into an obscurity only occasionally it is argued that as "the dream of success" disturbed by curious historians in search of has persisted as a theme in American culture, information on popular attitudes. Sometimes, so has the name of Alger, its chief exponent. however, a writer of subliterature retains his The trouble with this explanation, as more hold over a culture, and defies the forces of sophisticated observers have noted, is that time and change over a long period of time. Alger was neither the only, or even the chief Such is the case with Horatio Alger. Despite exponent of success, nor did his stories em­ generations of criticism and condemnation, body the values of individualism, enterprise his name lives on as a household word, and and vigorous competition with which they are his books, though largely unread, continue usually credited.^ The social and economic to be objects of reverent sentiment in many values reflected in Alger's stories were not circles.