By Glenda Winders
When visitors come to the east side of Wisconsin, it's often to visit students in Madison, see a football game in Green Bay or spend a weekend in Chicago. That being the case, they might very well overlook the Fox Cities, a collection of communities clustered along the Fox River and Lake Winnebago. That would be a shame because each one of them has something unusual to offer, especially the historic and high-energy city of Appleton.
Appleton began as a settlement in the mid 1800s, when fur traders from Europe came to trade with Fox River Indians, and grew up around Lawrence University, which was founded by abolitionist Amos Lawrence. When Lawrence's father-in-law, Samuel Appleton, gave the school library $10,000, the townspeople showed their gratitude by taking on his name.
Today several organizations work hard to keep the city's stories alive and visitors entertained, starting with the History Museum at the Castle. With both permanent and rotating exhibits, this museum, housed in an ornate former Masonic temple, spotlights the local people and industries that put Appleton on the map.
One such person was Harry Houdini, who adopted Appleton as his hometown after his father brought the family from Budapest and became the city's first rabbi. At his exhibit visitors can wrestle with a straightjacket and learn to do several of the illusionist's tricks.
Another smaller display features writer Edna Ferber, and there is an oversized bust of Sen. Joseph McCarthy that was moved here from the courthouse "because it riled people up," according to Kathy Voight, community engagement manager for the museum.
"We took it because he was a part of our history," she said.
"Food: Who We Are, What We Eat" will celebrate Appleton's cultural diversity until fall of 2014. Other highlights include an ice-fishing shanty and exhibits on papermaking and printing. A scavenger hunt provides fun for kids as they learn, and a Houdini walking tour starts at the museum.
More of Appleton's history can be found at the Hearthstone Historic House Museum, the first house in the world to be lit with hydroelectricity using Thomas Edison's direct-current system. Docent Clare Hilgendorf recounted the night of Sept. 30, 1882, when townspeople gathered to see what would happen when the lights were first turned on. She said they proclaimed that it lit up "as bright as day."
The mansion was designed by William Waters, who built the Wisconsin building at the 1893 world's fair in Chicago, and it was home to paper magnate Henry Rogers and his wife and daughter. In its heyday it was a state-of-the-art dwelling with hot and cold running water and central heat along with the electric lights.
It took its name from the painted tiles that surround the fireplaces and tell stories from Shakespeare's plays and Sir Walter Scott's Waverly novels — an effort, Hilgendorf said, to show off the literacy of the owners. In addition to regular tours, the house becomes haunted in October and celebrates a Victorian Christmas in December.
This area is nicknamed "Paper Valley" because in the 1880s there were more paper mills here than in the rest of the world put together — 42 on the Fox River. The Paper Discovery Center housed in the old Atlas Paper Mill documents this heritage but in a very modern way. The tour begins with a lively film and then moves on to exhibits that show how paper developed and how it is made now.
The most fun comes at the end of the tour when participants get to make their own sheets of paper. The operation is simple, but it explains clearly how paper is manufactured on a larger scale.
The influence of papermaking is also evident at the Bergstrom-Mahler Museum in nearby Neenah. Evangeline Bergstrom began her collection of glass paperweights as a child and continued when she married her paper-entrepreneur husband. Her pieces became the core of a collection that also includes Germanic glass donated by Ernst and Carol Mahler. Ernst was the inventor of what we now know as tissue paper, and he had given the collection as a gift to his wife.
The museum opened in the Bergstroms' home a year after Evangeline's death in 1958, and it has since expanded to accommodate the growing number of visitors and exhibits. In addition, temporary exhibits showcase the work of contemporary glass artists.
Another nod to the past is Vince Lombardi's Steakhouse in the Radisson Paper Valley Hotel, which honors the legendary Green Bay Packers coach. Vince Lombardi Jr. worked with the hotel to create this one-of-a-kind restaurant that houses some 400 of his father's artifacts, among them letters from Presidents Ford and Nixon, family photos and hand-drawn football plays. Leather, wood and white linen make up the clubby ambience, and the meaty entrees are complemented by an extensive wine list.
But while these cities celebrate their past, they also live squarely in the present.
"It's an exciting time to be in Appleton," said Jennifer Stephany, executive director of Appleton Downtown Inc.
The Fox Cities Performing Arts Center is one reason why. The 10-year-old venue can seat 2,072 people in the main auditorium and 350 in the Kimberly Clark Theater — a "black box" for more intimate performances. This small theater is also the only place in Wisconsin to offer t-coil technology that enables hearing-impaired audience members to tune in.
So far the center has hosted 23 Wisconsin premieres of major plays. Tara Brzozowski, director of marketing and public relations, said the venue is popular with touring companies because it offers such amenities as dressing rooms on the same floor as the stage, loading docks that are convenient for moving sets and extensive insulation to protect from outside noise.
Even though the building is huge, its facade was designed to fit in with the nearby boutique storefronts so that it doesn't overpower the neighborhood that has embraced it. The theater does daytime theater for schools and provides live art that ranges from Japanese drummers and African dancing to pop musicians in addition to the plays.
Another cultural venue is the Trout Museum of Art which has hosted exhibits that ranged from Katharine Hepburn's costumes to Sir Winston Churchill's paintings. The space also hosts Jazz at the Trout and studio art classes.
Outside in Appleton the farmers market takes up six blocks of prime city streets every Saturday, moving inside the adjacent City Center Plaza during the winter. In the summertime every third Friday of the month means "Art on the Town," when stores stay open late and the mayor opens his office to greet visitors. Artists and entertainers strut their stuff outdoors, and the occasional "PARK(ing) Day" is especially fun — stores, musicians and artists rent parking spaces and set up shop along the curb.
More outdoor fun can be had at Fox Cities Stadium, also in Appleton. This is the state-of-the-art home of the minor-league Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. Since the team is a farm team for the Milwaukee Brewers, the loyal locals get to watch their favorite players develop and advance.
The Fox Cities bill themselves as eastern Wisconsin's shopping place. Appleton is home to the Fox River Mall, the second largest in Wisconsin after one in Milwaukee. But it was the smaller, more unusual stores that caught my attention, such as Urban Evolution, where demolished barns and factories are turned into floors, tables and beds. Or the Harp Gallery, where the staff refurbishes antique furniture to be used in a modern home. The Fox River Antique Mall is a melange of 165 stalls that offer everything from kitchen utensils, artwork and toys to clothing, dishes, musical instruments and Packers memorabilia. Vintique in Neenah features retro clothing such as prom gowns, house dresses and leather jackets.
The Kerrigan Bros. Winery in Freedom is also worth a stop. Winemaker (and champion cheese-carver) Troy Landwehr produces wines made from such fruits as pineapple, cranberries, lemons and tomatoes — along with such staples as their dry white Niagara. Browsing in the gift shop — which Landwehr says is the largest wine-related gift store in the state — is as much fun as tasting the wines.
IF YOU GO
History Museum at the Castle: www.myhistorymuseum.org
Hearthstone Historic House Museum: www.focol.org/hearthstone
Paper Discovery Center: www.paperdiscoverycenter.org
Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass: www.bergstrom-mahlermuseum.com
Vince Lombardi's Steakhouse: www.vincelombardisteakhouse.com
Fox Cities Performing Arts Center: www.foxcitiespac.org
Trout Museum of Art: www.troutmuseum.org
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers: www.milb.com
Urban Evolution: www.urbanevolutions.com
Harp Gallery Antiques and Furniture: www.harpgallery.com
Fox River Antique Mall: www.foxriverantiques.com
Vintique Boutique: www.vintiqueboutique.com
Kerrigan Bros. Winery: www.kerriganbrothers.com
Glenda Winders is a freelance writer. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
View Comments