MENOMINEE NOSTALGIA

Dear George, 

According to Thomas Wolfe, “You can’t go home again” — truly a paradox since we think of home as a safe place to which we can always return. Wolfe reminds us that change is an ever-present feature of reality. Thus, the world we return to is never what it used to be and we ourselves have inevitably changed as well. Still, “going home” remains emotionally powerful because it involves reconnection with one’s past, if only through one’s memories. 

I left my home town for college when I turned 18 in 1955. While I wasn’t to be a full-time resident again, I’ve visited regularly ever since. In certain ways Menominee is exactly the same as it was in the 1950’s. The magnificent natural environment is unchanged, with the town’s southern border stretching along the Menominee River and its eastern edge along the Green Bay shoreline. The three auto bridges to Wisconsin remain in place. The layout of streets is identical, and virtually all of the buildings are the same. And many of the important landmarks remain, e.g., the courthouse, the library, the marina, the Presbyterian Church, Henes Park. 

I made a list of 70 important places in my youth. About a third of them are still there. Ten have relocated to other parts of town or to Marinette across the river, e.g., the hospital, the newspaper, my high school. Over half of the significant places of my youth are gone. Thinking about these losses, I decided to poetically commemorate some of Menominee’s places from my youth that no longer exist. 

Love, 

Dave 

             The Sheridan Road Business District (now First Street) 

THE LUNDGREN REXALL DRUGSTORE 

Uncle Kent’s store was right on the Square 

Weekdays Steven and I would eat there 

Read the new comic books 

Batman battling with crooks 

And vegetable soup, more than fair 

THE LLOYD THEATER 

The Lloyd, my first movie at night 

“Meet Me in St. Louis” — a delight 

Margaret O’Brien, so swell 

Judy Garland, a sweet belle 

The World’ Fair, an incredible sight 

MONTGOMERY WARD 

Montgomery Ward carried home goods stuff 

Suspenders, black trousers with a cuff 

They had lawn mowers and tools 

Fake furs and fake jewels 

Endless kitchenware, more than enough 

THE A&P GROCERY 

The A&P carried yummy things to eat 

Creamy pastries, avocados, pig meat 

We were often low on cash 

So my mom would make hash 

But sometimes she’d get me a treat 

WASHINGTON GRADE SCHOOL 

First grade, Washington school, downtown 

The best times were on the playground 

Playing boys chase the girls 

Kiddies racing in whirls 

When the bell rang, we had to calm down. 

KIRBY STREET CANDY STORE 

The candy store, half a block from school 

The lemon gum drops made me drool 

Each piece cost a penny 

One nickel, you’d get many 

And caps for my cap gun, so cool. 

COMMERCIAL BANK 

I saved my savings at the Commercial Bank 

Whose interior was large but dark and dank 

I brought a nickel each week 

Since my income was bleak 

But years later, a small fortune in the tank 

THE VOGUE 

The Vogue was my mom’s favorite store

For dresses and scarves and much more 

Not as fancy as Green Bay But it didn’t take all day 

And she always found something she wore 

THE MENOMINEE HOTEL 

The hotel was right there on the Bay 

Known by salesmen as a fine place to stay 

Our glee club sang there 

For the Lions Club’s fare 

I can still hum those tunes to this day 

THE MENOMINEE HERALD-LEADER 

In wartime we lived by the Herald-Leader 

Though I wasn’t a newspaper reader 

The editor was Jean Worth 

Filled with wisdom and mirth 

With a great hunting camp on the Cedar 

G.I. SURPLUS STORE

G.I. Surplus, my number one store 

They sold gas masks, machetes, and more 

I’d buy camping gear there 

Khaki caps I could wear 

And the weapons we used to play war 

POST OFFICE 

We lived by the post office in the war 

A most handsome building, one floor 

Mother sent me there for stamps 

Letters to Navy camps 

That errand was my first big-kid chore 

THE MENOMINEE THEATER 

The Menominee was close to the Bay 

Saturdays, the kids’ matinee 

They charged just a dime 

Double feature each time 

Charlie Chan was the most, I would say 

 

                 North on Sheridan Road 

DR. SETHNEY’S OFFICE 

Dr. Sethney worked in his abode 

Near the drugstore on Sheridan Road 

We’d go there for shots 

Or when troubled by spots 

 Lundgren births were among his case load 

PRODUCERS DAIRY 

Producers Dairy was right on our street 

Three blocks from our house, that was neat 

I’d stop after school 

Chocolate chip made me drool 

And the butterscotch cones, oh so sweet 

M&M BREWERY 

The Brewery made Silver Cream beer 

A golden brew that fostered much cheer 

The tough teens drank Silver Cream 

Mostly jocks on the football team 

But myself and my group had beer fear 

THE D.A.R. BOYS CLUB 

I’d go to the DAR after school. 

Pick and I played a few games of pool 

Then basketball with Jack 

Who could dribble behind his back 

We aspiring pros found this cool 

DR. SEIDL 

Dr. Seidl was Menominee’s vet

We’d go there for care for our pet 

Mike got porcupine quills 

In his nose, gave us chills 

Dr. Seidl yanked them out, no vet sweat 

    West on Ogden Avenue (now 10th Ave.) 

COONEY’S GAS STATION 

Harry Cooney’s was next to the Square 

We entrusted our cars to his care. 

But they never checked the oil 

Caused the engine to boil 

Our poor Lincoln, a total repair 

THE OFFICE SUPPLY STORE 

Age four, my Mom took me to the store 

A pencil, an eraser, sometimes more 

Ogden Ave, a long walk 

We were quiet, no talk. 

Even so, this trip made my heart soar 

TENNIS AT ROOSEVELT SCHOOL 

Tennis practice was at Roosevelt School 

Two hours per day was our rule

Jerry Boucher was the best 

I was lumped with the rest 

But being on the team was so cool 

ST. JOHN’S CATHOLIC CHURCH 

The O’Hara’s would take us to mass 

A ritual of a very high class. 

Our family weren’t Catholics 

At best Lutheran mavericks 

But I hoped for a heavenly pass 

FIRE STATION

Dad would take me to the fire station 

I’d slide down the pole, such elation 

Then I’d climb on the truck 

Like a muckety-a-muck 

Firemen, to me, meant salvation 

DAIRY QUEEN 

The Dairy Queen was at the center of town 

I’d hop on my bike and ride down 

The vanilla was swell 

And the chocolate…well, well 

When the Dairy Queen closed, pout and frown. 

ST. JOSEPH-LLOYD HOSPITAL 

We were born at St. Joseph-Lloyd Hospital 

And returned now and then when still little 

Steven busted his arm 

Which we viewed with alarm 

But they sculpted a cast, made him fittle 

THE GATEWAY CAFE 

The Gateway. our teenage hangout 

Near the hospital, right on our route 

A grilled cheese and French fries 

Chocolate malts for the guys 

Football nights, we were always about 

BOWLING 

Our gang would go to the alley to bowl 

My pal Steppke, three hundred was his goal 

But one hundred for me 

Was a source of much glee 

I never could get on a roll 

ZEPHYR GAS 

At the bridge, the gas nineteen point nine 

Two gallons made teen cars run fine 

Gas wars, just ten cents 

Even so, an expense 

Still we drove there and waited in line 

THE OGDEN AVE. FAIRGROUNDS 

The fairgrounds were the circus’s lair 

Featuring lions and tigers and one bear 

We would go there at dawn 

Watch the elephants’ brawn 

Then trapeze artists flying through the air. 

                 The West End

BOSWELL GRADE SCHOOL 

Boswell kindergarten, my five-year-old job 

A nervous twit, terrified by the mob 

I walked there with Sally 

My five-year old pally 

U.P. winters, we small fry would sob 

BOURGEOIS’ GROCERY 

We got groceries at Franny Bourgeois’ store 

I accompanied my dad on this chore 

Potato sausage was home-made 

Liver sausage, the highest grade 

Mother cooked it up, made our hearts soar 

THE IDEAL DAIRY 

The Ideal on the west edge of town 

Open daily from dawn to sundown 

Two dips for a nickel 

As cheap as a pickle 

Lemon flake, we would have a meltdown 

             Broadway and Stephenson (22nd St. and 14th Ave.) 

MENOMINEE HIGH 

Age twelve, I was off to high school 

Basketball and swimming in the pool 

I did okay at art 

English grabbed at my heart 

But in woodshop they thought me a fool 

GARBELL’S SODA SHOP 

Garbell’s, across from M.H.S. 

A retreat from our academic stress 

Pinball games in the rear 

We would gather round and cheer 

Earl Powell, pinball king, such finesse 

BIKE SHOP 

The bike shop was right by our school 

Its owner, so handy with a tool 

He’d patch our inner tube 

Give the bike chains a lube 

Our repaired bikes would ride like a jewel 

BEYERSDORF’S GARAGE 

Herb Beyersdorf took care of our car

His garage right on Stephenson, not far 

He’d get our boat motor running 

This man had such cunning 

Without Herb, life would be too bizarre 

TRAUTNER’S GROCERY 

A Trautner stop riding home on my bike 

This grocery with treats that kids like 

A Milky Way, a Babe Ruth 

To satisfy my sweet tooth 

Two more miles and I'd greet my dog Mike