Pages from the Past
by Fred H. Keller
Posted: Living Sussex Sun, October, 2014
Page from the Past: Oct. 1, 2014
100 years ago – 1914
The George McKerrow farm on Highway K and Lyndale Road is 240 acres, the second largest farm in the town of Lisbon. The largest is the WP Condon farm, which is 260 acres. Meanwhile, the third largest is the Moraine Drive farm of his brother, JW Condon.
50 years ago – 1964
Six 14-ounce bottles of Delmonte catsup cost $1.
There is a request before the Lisbon Town Board to have John Schroeder start a salvage yard on Highway J in the town. Another discussion was related to a family living in a one-third completed home. They were granted a one-year extension.
A metal Quonset storage building (20 by 32 by 14 feet high can be built on your property for $1,295.
Hamilton High School’s varsity football team is now 0-for-10 over its first two seasons.
25 years ago – 1989
In a political discussion, Lisbon Town Supervisor Dan Meissner referred to Sussex Village President Paul Fleischman as a derisive “Mayor of Sussex” over an annexation planned by Sussex.
Tom Schuldt is the athletic director at Templeton Middle School.
The Sussex-Lisbon Joint Recycling Committee is discussing setting up a collection center at the Marchese Danceland parking lot.
10 years ago – 2004
Lisbon tabled a joint compost site with Sussex.
Hamilton grad, Lance Cpl. Michael Ludin, 20, was awarded the Bronze Star for his actions in Iraq.
Sussex trustee Gregory Goetz recently donated a three-shelf warming oven to the Sussex Silver Skillet at the Community Center on Maple Avenue.
5 years ago – 2009
The Sussex Methodist Church celebrated its 125th anniversary.
A 22-day drought came to an end when 0.25 inches of rain fell Sept. 20-21.
Woodside School celebrated its 10th anniversary.
The Lannon Stonemen Land O’ Lakes baseball team won its 18th grand championship playoff honors with a 14-5 championship victory over New Berlin with former Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Scott Doffek getting the win on the mound.
Pages from the Past: Oct. 8, 2014
100 years ago – 1914
The area where the Mammoth Springs Canning Company was from 1920-66 and is today the condo development of Art Sawall, was an operating quarry by the name of Templeton Lime and Stone Company.
50 years ago – 1964
St. James Catholic Church staged a big outdoor picnic, and it rained and drizzled the whole time. The big attraction was a Ferris Wheel.
On Sept. 12, Dave Gettelman married Sandra Diefenbach. Years later, Dave became a Lisbon constable and the first Lisbon police chief. He also served as a Lisbon trustee while his wife worked many years in the Lisbon Town Hall.
Lisbon Peace Church broke ground its new Sussex location on Highway J (Maple Avenue).
25 years ago – 1989
The normal budget for the swimming program at the Sussex Quarry is $6,000, but for several years, it hasn’t all been spent. The big budget item this year is re-roofing the storage and dressing rooms, and adding a new exit ladder. The quarry has furnished swimming lessons and open swimming for Sussex-Lisbon residents since 1916. It is located behind the canning company, which rents it to the village for $1 per year. Through an oversight, the $1 has not been paid for several years.
10 years ago – 2004
The new Hamilton Fine Arts Center is now scheduling its first season.
The town of Lisbon, despite opposition, has passed a land-use map along Highway 164.
Lannon was spared a wrangling as police officer Robert Knoblauch has resigned. He was facing possible dismissal.
Melissa Tetzlaff and Tom Schwarz were the royalty at the Hamilton homecoming.
Cory Gasper is the recipient of the MVP award for the Sussex Cardinals Land O’ Lakes baseball team.
5 years ago – 2009
Kameron Cerroni, the quarterback for Hamilton’s football team and the school’s all-time leading scorer already, tore his ACL and will probably not play for the next two years. He has a scholarship to UW-Green Bay.
Boys cross country running Marcus Paulson won the Whitefish Bay Invite by 16 seconds.
Pages from the Past: Oct. 15, 2014
100 years ago – 1914
Where one finds the Centennial Oaks subdivision today on Maple Avenue, in 1914 there were two farms, the George Howard farm to the north, and the George Craven farm to the south. The Craven family had a son Earl and a daughter Myrtle, who would inherit the farm. Earl Craven died in 1964, while Myrtle lived a few more years.
50 years ago – 1964
On Oct. 15, Nikita Krushchev is replaced as the Russian premier by Leonid Brezhnev.
One of the big shopping stops for Sussex-Lisbon shoppers is the Semons Store in Menomonee Falls. Their special this week is a pound of bacon for 59 cents, while 10 pounds of cane sugar is 99 cents.
Mrs. Agnes Zillmer, wife of the late long-time Lisbon Chairman Bill Zillmer, died on Sept. 28. She lived on Maple Avenue most of her life, leaving nine children, 19 grandchildren and one great grandchild.
25 years ago – 1989
Charles Zimmerman, the Sussex fire chief for the past five years, is resigning at age 59.
Moving day has arrived at the Sussex Post Office. The postmaster of Sussex is Bernice Harris.
Joy Botts is the director of the Pauline Haass Library, housed in the former Orchard Drive School.
10 years ago – 2004
Vicki Braden is a casualty of the removal of Tammy Rocker as director of the community center. Braden resigned her Sussex trustee position just after she was re-elected to her fourth term in April.
Lisbon approved compost site sharing with Sussex.
This month, the Lisbon Fire Rescue Department is introducing a higher level of rescue call care.
The cannery site Bielinski project is stalled.
5 years ago – 2009
The Lisbon board will not pay for an attempt to incorporate, as some citizens are pushing for village status.
In a tragic event, Lannon go-getter Mark Spranger died at the age of 47.
For the second time this season, Nathan Vannararom won a football game in overtime for Hamilton, 10-7 over West Allis Central, to improve to 4-1.
Pages from the past: Oct. 22, 2014
100 years ago – 1914
On Oct. 21, there is the great battle of World War I at Ypes where 250,000 soldiers were casualties.
People in Lisbon, Sussex and Templeton refer to Lake Five Road and Main Street west as the intersection of “Schlicher Corners.” Other Schlicher families on Lake Five Road in 1914 are William, Henry and Jacob.
50 years ago – 1964
After two years, the Hamilton football won its first game, a 14-13 victory over Nicolet with Mike Reimer kicking both extra points for coach Jim Stracka’s team.
Harvey O. Wegner, 47, a Lisbon farmer from south of Sussex, passed away Oct. 7. He was a life-long resident of Lisbon and served eight years on the Sussex School Board. He and his wife had five children.
25 years ago – 1989
The Lisbon Park one-room school, which operated from 1839-1951, is planning an all-class reunion.
The Sussex E. Eggert & Sons Furniture Store had a burglary that took about $270.
Dan Wnuk and Ron Kozlowski from Lannon are co-MVPs of the Western Division of Land O Lakes baseball.
The officers of the Sussex Lisbon Business and Professional Association are Dan Loftus, Al Perkins, Lynn Zindl, Paul Schmidt, Bill Daley, Ray Bormann, John Topczewski and Guy Starz.
10 years ago – 2004
Four Milwaukee men are accused of beating a Lisbon 19-year-old with a bat.
Hamilton voters decided that board salaries will go back to $3,670 by a 24-4 margin.
Roger and June Race celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. Roger is a former Sussex trustee and, for a long time, both have been active in the Friends of the Pauline Haass Library club.
5 years ago – 2009
A cooperative effort is hoping to wipe out the graffiti on the Town Line Road (Highway 74) railroad bridge.
The 26th annual Sussex Chili Cook-Off, now sponsored by the Sussex Lions Club, is coming up. Profits from the event, which usually draws 400-600 people, are given to the Sussex Food Pantry.
The on-again, off-again proposed basketball-volleyball sportsplex is on again. It call for a 147,760-square-foot structure on Silver Spring Drive, near Templeton Middle School.
Pages from the Past: Oct. 29, 2014
100 years ago – 1914
The town of Lisbon has five railroad depots in its 36 square miles, one at Templeton on the Wisconsin Central Line, two on the Bug Line Railroad (one in Templeton and the other on Maple Avenue by Sussex Mills), on up on the Wisconsin Central Railroad Line in Colgate, and the most recent one, built in 1912. It is on Maple Avenue on the Northwestern Railroad.
50 years ago – 1964
The Lannon Fire Department Auxiliary staged a fashion show at the Lannon Hall, with 110 women in attendance. A sidelight to the fashion clothing show was a wig show.
Two lawsuits have been filed by disgruntled Butler residents over the proposed, and canceled, swimming pool at the Butler School (part of the Hamilton School District).
25 years ago – 1989
The oldest business in Sussex is Sussex Lumber, which has been in place under several different owners since 1886.
John Denzi is the newly appointed Lannon police chief.
Jim Lawiger, a long-time Hamilton teacher and coach, has been named to the UW-Platteville Hall of fame.
Playing a drive snow storm in late October, the Hamilton football team defeated Brookfield East 43-0 in their final game. Quarterback Jamie Schwalbe has set every school passing record and still has a year left.
10 years ago – 2004
Todd Van Lare of Sussex killed his wife, Sherry, with a knife. The Waukesha Tactical Squad was called to capture the killer as he barricaded himself in the basement with two hostages, a 1-year-old and a 2-year-old.
A 30-year Milwaukee firefighter, Ralph Modjecka, is the volunteer chaplain for the Sussex, Lisbon and Pewaukee fire departments.
5 years ago – 2009
Local 911 operators have received some “different” calls over the year, including a UFO sighting, to save baby ducks crossing a highway, cats up trees, corralling seven cows, a peacock fighting its reflection in a glass door, a call to help get children out of bed to go to school and a woman who complained about junk piling up in the backyard (her husband put it there).