Issue 13 - Spring 2024
Letter from the President
By Bear Wheeler
Coming out of the odd winter that we had, the mild temperatures coupled with the lack of precipitation has left us scratching our heads. One thing the weather did allow though is that work progressed on the museum this whole time. Our funding is keeping ahead of our “projects” and away we go. This is really taking a collective effort to get this done in the time frame we have set. We are projecting to be open Memorial Day weekend of 2025. As done in the past, we will have an occasional open house so the public can see the progression of the building. I have put Greg Mejak and Bryan Spransy at the helm of the day-to-day schedules for the museum, so that workers can come and do their jobs, and that the loose ends are gathered and taken care of. The project is running much smoother now, and I am thankful. Debi Mejak is working away keeping the project funded by chasing after grants and other sources of capital. She is working on a wonderful project with another person which will be used as a fundraiser as well as something that people can enjoy. Debi also schedules different events with the help of others in the organization, to keep us in the public eye.
Earlier this winter, we had the walls underneath the windows insulated which required some trim to be removed and then the wainscoting taken off for the insulation to be installed. Then it was put back on in reverse order. That project was handled by Dan Wink who donated his labor. Towards the end of spring, the place will be all insulated and the outside will also be buttoned up, ready for paint in the summer.
1923 Post Lake Pavilion
This newsletter has the feature article about the Bob-O-Link Roller Rink in Post Lake. It was originally built in 1922 as a dance hall by Floyd Williams. In the 1930’s heavy snow caused the roof to collapse and John Rogers bought a domed roof from the Chicago World’s Fair and added it to the repaired building. In the late 30’s Lew Spines started the roller rink there. Different owners then operated the roller rink/dance hall for the rest of the building’s life. In the mid to late 1970’s the building was remodeled and was scheduled to reopen on October 28, 1978, but tragedy struck and the place caught fire and burned down on October 26, 1978.
Thank you for all the support that everyone has shown us over the years, we are almost there. We look forward to meeting you at the various events we’ll be at this year.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Brat Barn, Saturday, May 25, 2024
Music in the Park, Wednesday, July 3, 2024
Brat Barn, Saturday, August 31, 2024
Preserving Our Heritage: A Journey to Restore Grange Hall
By Debi Mejak and Angel Zarda
The Elcho Historical Society, a 100% volunteer-run organization, is thrilled to announce we have raised $150,000 towards our goal of $350,000 to restore the historic Grange Hall. This remarkable achievement is a testament to the unwavering support of volunteer fundraising efforts, grants, and the generous spirit of our community.
The Elcho Historical Society was gifted the Grange Hall building, located at W10555 County K, which will become a community museum and event space. The plan is to open in 2025 just in time to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of our nation.
This building has a long and distinctive past. It was erected in 1913 by Modern Woodmen of America for their offices. In 1932, the structure was purchased by the Grange movement. It became a meeting place for farmers to socialize and discuss various topics of the day. It also provided so much more for the area in the way of entertainment and social activities. There is a stage where movies were shown, local plays were performed, and other entertainment was provided. The building was sold in the 1960's to a private individual who then gifted it to the Society in 2019.
In 2022, a new roof, foundation, full basement with windows, and staircase were completed. This year gutters were installed, the front wall rebuilt, and windows and doors were restored or replaced to reflect the original build. The siding on the south wall will also be replaced by year end. While we have made great strides, there is still much to accomplish to ensure its continued legacy as a vibrant hub for our community.
Help us preserve our roots, make a donation today.
With your generous support, we can continue to breathe new life into Grange Hall and preserve it for future generations. Your donation, no matter the size, will make a significant impact in restoring this treasured piece of our community's heritage. As a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, all donations are tax-deductible and there are several convenient ways to contribute:
- Donate online on our website: elchohistoricalsocietyinc.org
- Send a check made payable to the Elcho Historical Society to: PO Box 412, Elcho, WI 54428
- Follow our progress and stay informed on Facebook: Elcho Historical Society
Together, we can ensure that Grange Hall continues to serve as a beacon of history and a vibrant gathering place for generations to come.
If you have any questions or wish for further information, we would be happy to connect with you. Please reach out via email to: info@elchohistoricalsocietyinc.org
The following is an excerpt from “Our Cottage” written by Bea Murton Hoehn whose family has a cottage on “The Point” in Summit Lake which was purchased in 1918. It has stayed in their family for four generations now. She was born November 7, 1904, and passed on September 4, 1987. She married Frank “Lefty” Hoehn on August 19, 1930. This portion of her life story was most likely written in the 1960’s. It is written from Bea’s point of view.
Her daughter Judy Redding and Granddaughter Jennifer Redding Barnum have contributed to the publishing of this article. Thank you for sharing your family history with us.
Hilarity at the Bob-O-Link
By Bea Murton Hoehn
Compiled by Judy Redding and Jennifer Redding Barnum
The entire family discovered the roller-skating rink one summer. And because the children were too young to drive the car, we took them over to the pavilion.
The first time we went in, I was overjoyed. We had all skated on the sidewalks around the courthouse when we were very young, but that was a good many years ago. This was truly exciting! We all got our skates and after a few shaky steps from post to post, we dared to join the fringes of the skating throng. It was truly fun to skate on a smooth floor with the best of the music in our ears, so that we sensed a rhythmic flow as we became a part of the movement going endlessly round and round. Sometimes, an announcement over the loud speaker joined the din of the music, but I found it hard to understand and learned very quickly to ignore it, as I concentrated on the immediate task of staying on my feet.
Judy Redding and Julie Clauson at the Bob-O-Link
We soon discovered that the placards on the stage announced to the skaters the type of skating event that was in order at the moment. When the placard announced a “Backward Skate”, Lefty, sensing my eagerness to join the skaters, suggested that backward skating was just out of my class and would eliminate me. I agreed, but instead of joining him on the bench, I stood beside the post, feeling very cheated at having to stay off the floor. I watched the skaters going out onto the floor, but they all seemed to be going forward. “Heck,” I thought, “If that’s all they’re going to do, I might as well join them.” Like a youngster, with a last-minute invitation, I rolled out onto the floor. I was so intent on staying upright and daring occasionally to cross my right foot over the left in what I thought was pretty fancy skating that I hadn’t noticed the rather important fact that everybody on the floor was now skating backwards—except me! Every time I rolled past Lefty, I peeked at him to see if he had noticed the fancy steps I was daring to take at every corner of the hall. He seemed to be waving at me, although I learned later, he was really motioning for me to get off that floor before they threw me off, and so I waved back and took another turn around the floor. Lefty told me afterwards that the following announcement blared out over the air; “If that woman can’t skate backwards, she’ll have to get off the floor”. There was no doubt who the woman was that they meant. In the first place, all the other skaters were young boys and girls, and I was the only grey-haired person out there who could qualify for that aged term; and secondly, Lefty said everyone on the floor was skating backwards, except me. And so, he had tried to warn me. But his good intentions were of no avail! The bouncer had no trouble spotting me, and when he skated up to me and pointed an unmistakable thumb toward the benches, I caught on, and rolled off the floor—one lesson wiser on the rules and regulations of a skating rink.
Bob-O-Link Skating Rink
Our second lesson took place on a night during the week, when Evelyn and I were at the lake with our five youngsters. They begged us to take them skating; so, I put on a different dress, hoping to conceal my identity. They allowed us to rent skates and the seven of us descended on that floor like a swarm of locusts, or at least the kids descended, while we emerged a bit more slowly. Evelyn seemed to enjoy the skating as much as I, and the two of us were out on every occasion, except the backward skate, both of us now having profited by my previous experience. I was happy to have another woman on the floor, although Evelyn is a lucky blonde; so I still had the only grey head bobbing around among the many, fresh, young heads.
Bob-O-Link Ad from 1940
When the placard announced a “Couple Skate”, Evelyn and I were delighted that there were two of us to make a couple. So, again we joined the graceful pairs on the floor, crossing our hands and so intent on keeping time with each other and the music and not getting tangled with any of the gliding skaters, that we failed to hear the announcement that our youngsters heard on the sidelines; “If those two women don’t get men, they’ll have to get off the floor”. It was immediately obvious that we’d be unable to produce any men, and again the bouncer with the pointing thumb appeared, and the two of us rolled off the floor. At least misery had company this time.
As I remember those lessons, it seems incredible that I should be part of a third lesson, but so it was.
One Saturday night when there were five couples of us at the cottage for the weekend, we all decided to go skating. I’m surprised that the management allowed us out on the floor, for ten poor skaters barely able to stand up on ten pairs of shaky skating legs must have caused no small amount of concern as the lively, young skaters darted in and out among us. Things were going along rather smoothly until the placards announced a “Threesome Skate”. By that time John was feeling a little more at home on his skates; so, he suggested that Lefty and I join him to make the “Threesome”. Never dreaming that the third lesson was about to begin, I was thrilled over the idea of taking part in much an exciting skating number. The three of us managed to stay in step and were mentally congratulating ourselves on our agility when a whistle blew. It didn’t mean a thing to us; so, we skated blithely on, until a few pokes in the back made us realize that the men should advance to the next girl. By the time they got up enough steam to forge ahead, the whistle blew again, and our two oldsters were always behind. They finally caught up with one attractive young girl who said, “I might be able to hold one of you fellows up, but I can’t possibly hold up both of you.”
Bob-O-Link Poster donated by Tim Bruch
A few whistles later, our two elder skaters had mixed up the whole line and their chances of ever catching up to where they should be seemed slim indeed! But John had an idea. A straight cut across the empty center of the floor would put him into correct position and with a minimum of effort. In exactly the middle of the floor, John’s skates went out from under him. He went up and then down with a great clattering as his tobacco pouch, money and glass case fell around him. He was up before the bouncer arrived, but the entire routine had been upset, and the watchers on the sidelines were in gales of convulsive laughter as the “Threesome Skate” ended in bedlam and confusion.
And so ended the third lesson, but the moral is yet to come. We overheard two young boys talking about the roller-skating rink. “You ought to go over there,” one of them said, “it’s a riot. There are two old dames who come over and skate. One’s kind of blonde and other one grey, and you should see them skate. We get behind them and stamp our skates, but they don’t pay any attention, they just go on skating round and round.”
I guess they meant us.
Elcho Historical Society Inc.
Spring 2024 Thank You!
Items Donated
Otto Tiegs -1930's car jack
Summit Loader Services - stump removal, surface grading & debris clean up
Jule & Walter Nell Raith - wood stoves & chainsaws
Dick & Sue Burby - Brochure display case
Tim Bruch - Bob-O-Link poster & Old Elcho picture on frame
Nancy Pelzer - 1924 highway map, Grange officer photos, Grange manual,
Karen Parise - paintings for Elcho Calendar (3)
Badger Metals - furnace for Grange Hall
Chris & Chriss Feliciano - western gun belt
Maria Herbst - dehumidifier & plant containers
Greg & Debi Mejak - insulation for Grange Hall
Dan Wink - insulation labor
Kwik Trip - brat barn food & supplies
Monetary Donations
Sarah Star - Los Angeles, CA
Debi & Greg Mejak - Elcho, WI
Paul Reichenbacher - Appleton, WI
Terry & Mary Maves - Elcho, WI
Nancy Pelzer - Ames, IA
Michelle Kincaid/boys basketball - Elcho, WI
Laura J Nikolai-Svetlik - Merrill, WI
Building Renovation
Anonymous - Elcho, WI
Bear & Amy Wheeler - Elcho WI
Suzanne Irwin
WPS Foundation - Green Bay, WI
Andy L & Leone Sheldon Charitable Trust - Milwaukee, WI
Elwyn Remington Foundation - Antigo, WI
Membership Renewals
Duernberger Painting - Antigo, WI
John Liss - Elcho, WI
Pat & Mary Ann Evans - Patrick - Elcho, WI
Perry Michiel - Elcho, WI
Marleen Bloomberg - Antioch CA & Elcho, WI
Barbara Weaver Krause - Pelican Lake, WI
Les Anderson - Three Lakes, WI
Connie & Helmut Kiesling - Lily, WI
New Members
Deanne & Lawrence Schroepfer - Elcho, WI
Fred & Karen Mueller-Hagedorn - Pelican Lake, WI
Tim Bruch - Summit Lake, WI
Steve Bradley - Antigo, WI
Larry & Barbara Monnot - Lily, WI
Phyllis Chaffer - Elmhurst, IL
In addition to the specific individuals listed above we would like to THANK all those that supported and worked on our Brat Barns, Music in the Park, craft fair fundraising events and the museum restoration project. We couldn't have accomplished what we did this year without all your generous time and effort.