Pages from the Past
by Fred H. Keller
Posted: Living Sussex Sun, September, 2014
Pages from the Past 09/03/14
Posted: Aug. 28, 2014
100 years ago – 1914
August 1914 is labeled “Guns of August” as Germany attacks France and the British Expeditionary Forces. This is not stemmed until the First Battle of Marne on Sept. 6-9. Basically, Germany was stopped, but it took four more years for the war to conclude with an Allied victory. The United States entered the battle in April 1917.
50 years ago – 1964
Roy D. Halloran is the principal of the Willow Springs Grade School.
North Lisbon School is the last two-room school in the extended Hamilton School District. It is being used because of the crush of extra children. It is on North Woodside Road near Lisbon Road.
A recent series busted store windows along with vending machine robberies has prompted the Sussex Village Board to think of extra police protection.
25 years ago – 1989
Sussex property values went up 17 percent this past year. That brought the total value to $12.9 billion.
Terry Bernhardt has resigned after 13 years as Maple Avenue School front office clerical aid. She is taking a job at Leids Nursery.
Bruce Zellner is the Sussex director of public works.
Sussex resident Michele Pierre has entered the Wisconsin Miss Teen Pageant.
A fire at the Zindl Oak Ridge Pheasant Farm killed 750 5-week-old birds.
10 years ago – 2004
Meagan Kula is the new recreation leader in Sussex, replacing Tammy Rocker, who was dismissed.
Chris Swartz will retire as Sussex village administrator after 15 years and a take a similar position with Shorewood with a substantial pay raise to $86,500.
5 years ago – 2009
Lt. James Gumm is the leader of Sussex’s Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department security detail.
There is dissension in Lisbon as a 3-2 vote to furlough full-time employees four days each to save money only produces an estimated $12,500.
The Sussex Village Board rescinded the requirement that the administrator must have village residency.
Pages from the Past 09/10/14
Posted: Sept. 4, 2014
100 years ago – 1914
The main mega-land owners in old Sussex (Main Street and Maple Avenue) are J. M. Champeny, G. S. Connell, the George Russell Family Estate, William L. Russell, W. Gehrke, J. C. Lingelbach and T. Hodson, plus A. Lees as you go east off Silver Spring Drive (Slant Road).
50 years ago – 1964
Sussex is without a dump site right now. Lisbon is being contacted for a cooperative use of its site.
Sussex Nursery is selling sod for 25 cents a yard.
Mike Reimer Jr. smashed three consecutive home runs for Lannon’s Land O’ Lakes team, setting a 43-year record for the league.
Lannon in the Dew Drops baseball league are in first place with a 7-1 record; Bill Dolphin is the pitching and hitting star.
25 years ago – 1989
St. Alban’s in Sussex is planning to again hold the Olde English Fair on Saturday, Sept. 9.
Lannon is the champ of the 10-team Western Division of Land O’ Lakes baseball and is beginning its road to the Grand Championship. The team was 17-2 in the league. Lannon pitcher Ron Kozlowski was the league batting champion with a .437 average; teammate Dan Wnuk followed at .421.
10 years ago – 2004
The Sussex-Lisbon Area Historical Society museum is the recipient of multiple keepsake items that were used by many depot agents of the North Western Railroad Depot, which is now the community museum. The donor is Don Feuerhak, whose father Leonard was the last depot agent (last day May 7, 1976).
5 years ago – 2009
Lake Five Road and Ainsworth Road are the factors in a pact between Lisbon and Merton on how those roads will be taken care of.
Dentist Mark Waller of Sussex Dental Practice served in Afghanistan and was recently at Camp McCoy.
Area schools are taking steps to combat swine flu.
Cornelius “Slim” Strobel, a master mechanic and owner of Sussex Auto (1963-2009), has died at age 79 on Aug. 24, 2009.
Halquist Stone hosted its 2009 Dozer Day to raise money for Hamilton education.
Pages from the Past 09/17/14
100 years ago – 1914
The blacksmith in Sussex in Don Campbell, who is located west of Maple Avenue on the south side of Main Street. He is also the Sussex postmaster. His son, Hugh Campbell, would be inducted into the service in 1917 and would come back a broken man from being gassed on French battlefields in World War I. He essentially died of his injuries in 1924.
50 years ago – 1964
A month ago, on Aug. 7, the United States Congress Gulf of Tonkin Resolution authorizes President Lyndon Johnson to “take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against forces of the US and prevent further aggression,” basically the official start of the Vietnam war.
A 10-cubic-foot refrigerator at Becker Electric in Lannon (with trade-in) costs $159.95 while an automatic washer costs $199.95 (with trade).
25 years ago – 1989
The founding coach of Hamilton girls cross country, Ken Krause, has 10 runners on the varsity, led by Tina Ruppenthal.
Ken Hottenroth, the former Sussex Jaycee president, village president and band leader, died suddenly at the age of 55 on Aug. 30, 1989, after he was stung by a bee.
Sirloin steak is offered at Berger’s Templeton Inn for $7.95.
The opening of the new Quad/Tech plant is delayed to later this year. The cost is $6 million.
10 years ago – 2004
Halquist Stone Company is celebrating 75 years. It started in Sussex on Waukesha Avenue and then shifted to the old James Weaver Quarry on Lisbon Road, with John Halquist as the founder. Today, it has more than 250 employees.
The WIAA is thinking of switching Hamilton to the Wisconsin Little 10 Conference. Hamilton School Board President Gerald Schmitz is opposed.
5 years ago – 2009
Tom Tradewell of Sussex is the national commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
The population of the town of Lisbon is up 81 people to 9,973. Other populations are 1,130 for Lannon and 10,048 for Sussex.
Nathan Vannarom’s 43-yard overtime field goal beat Mukwonago 25-22.
Lannon will play for the Land O’ Lakes grand championship.
Pages from the Past 09/24/2014
100 years ago – 1914
The postmaster of Lannon is John “Jack” Flannagan, Jr., the son of the former Lannon postmaster, John, Sr.
The one-room schools in Lisbon were Lisbon School on Highway K (where Halquist is today), Richmond School, Lake Five School, Plainview School, North Lisbon School and Sixteen School. The Sussex Main Street School is a four-room building, just recently built.
50 years ago – 1964
The village of Butler received a gift of a 32-acre park from the Butler Lions Club.
Sussex Village President John Karner is running for the Waukesha County Board for the second district. Karner points to his accomplishments of building the new Sussex Fire Department building in 1963 and the success of the Sussex Recreational Committee.
A 47-year-old Menomonee Falls man was killed by a train at the intersection of Highways 164 and V (Silver Spring Drive).
25 years ago – 1989
The fence at the Sussex Village Park lighted softball diamond will be re-set to 300 feet from its present 275. The reason? Too many home runs.
Two young men were arrested as they fled a barn fire on Woodside Road, which they are accused of setting.
10 years ago – 2004
Not only is Chris Swartz leaving as the Sussex administrator, but he has married a local bride as he leaves. Swartz lost his first wife in tragic fashion. His son, Kyle Swartz, was his best man.
A $2.3 million remodeling is occurring at the Weaver Drive/Main Street Sussex Faith Lutheran Church.
Francis “Muppy” Haasch, a Sussex Korean War veteran, died at age 72 on Sept. 19, 2004.
5 years ago – 2009
North Lisbon Road will get a much-needed improvement and paving.
The Lisbon Plank Road one-room schoolhouse had 57 alums attend an all-school reunion, partially held at the Halquist Stone Company grounds. It started in 1839-41 and closed in 1951.
Ash borer tree disease in now in Wisconsin and Sussex had its first scare, but it proved false.
In Lannon, nine property owners, including two trustees, were warned to clean up their property.