“Pages from the Past” – About
Posted: Sussex Sun, by published Day/Week/Year
By Fred Keller, Sussex Village Historian
Compiled and transcribed by Michael R. Reilly
The entries are by year of publication in the Sussex Sun /Living Sussex Sun newspapers then by month and date. Not all weekly “Pages from the Past” articles contain all of the following format. Most of 2008, and those published so far in 2009 have been added; much additional work is required .
Pages of the Past by Fred Keller
Source: The Weavings, SLAHS Quarterly Newsletter, Volume 9, Number 4, Friday, November 20, 2009
Since the 1980’s I have had a feature in the Sussex Sun that weekly tells what happened, or what was news back 5, 10, 25, 50, and 100 years ago. It is called “Pages from the Past”. I have often been asked just how I compile this column, and from what sources.
In the October-November part of the year, I do my research, originally using the Waukesha City Public Library files on the Waukesha Freeman for the 100 years ago, and then the Menomonee Falls Library for the 50 years ago and in the early years for the 25 years ago. However, since 3 years ago, I have only used the Menomonee Falls Library for the 50 and 100 years ago by reviewing the films of the Menomonee Falls Newspaper. In addition, the 100 years ago has been augmented by the Jeremiah Smith 192-page scrap book that this Lisbon kept from 1866-1910. Another source was area cemetery records.
Today I get my 5,10, 25 years information from old Sussex Sun. The end product is 52 typed pages, one for each week for the coming year.
I try to have a lot of names, especially in the 5-10-25-50 years so people can identify with it. When there is no news for a particular week I will often go into prices of items offered for sale.
I tend to get a lot of feed back on this column. One thing I try to avoid is wedding anniversaries unless they involve 40-50 years as there are just too many divorces.
The October-November research and typing up push is very intensive and time consuming as a lot of information is weighed…should it be included, or should it be discarded, and then there is the final product., 52 typed pages handed in, with one being used each week the following year. It has been over 25 years that I have been doing this. I do despair that when I quit doing this intensive work that no one else will be able to pick it up for the future. —Fred
100 years ago
50 years ago
25 years ago
10 years ago
5 years ago
If anyone has the time to transcribe/copy earlier published columns, please contact the SLAHS.org website Editor (Mike Reilly) at slahsinc@yahoo.com . The columns can be found at the Pauline Haass Public Library, or at the SLAHS Museum. Column material should be sent to the email address above in an email or attachment format that could be copied and pasted into website pages (see published pages for 2008 and 2009 as examples)