Shawano County Historical Society

10/19/2026

From the Shawano Evening Leader archives - July 20, 1987.

Schauder Shoes was located in the historic Kuckuk & Pulcifer Building at 107 S. Main Street in Shawano for decades. Here's an article about their closing.

Schauders’ closing will be the end of a Shawano institution

BY GREG SHRIVER
SEL Reporter

The year is 1938. It is the time of FDR, Stalin and Hi**er. The country is still three years away from the “War to end all Wars,” Lou Gehrig of the Yankees still maintains what would end up being a record 2,130 game consecutive games-played streak, Joe DiMaggio is only a kid phenom, just beginning to carry forth the legends of Ruth and Gehrig.

A lot of legendary history has passed since 1938, but through it all, along with a national economic base switching from agriculture, to industry, to high tech, at least one thing has remained the same in Shawano — the Schauder brothers have been fitting and selling shoes.

But very soon the Schauder Shoe Store on Main Street will turn out its lights for the last time, ending nearly 50 years of business in the Shawano area.

Brothers Frank, Roy and Glen Schauder have together owned and operated their shoe outlet at 109-111 S. Main St. in Shawano since before that “War to end all Wars.” The th*****me has maintained a month-by-month lease at this same location since day one.

It was 1938 when Frank and Roy Schauder began a Shawano continuance of the family name in shoes, initiated by their grandfather at a Clintonville location in 1880.
Glen joined Frank and Roy in the business after the war, forming what would become a seemingly inseparable partnership. But now, with no younger Schauders interested in carrying the foot forward, the family’s 107-year involvement with shoes will come to an end.

“Our kids all got better jobs,” said eldest brother Frank about the end of the family line. “It would be ridiculous for them to give that up. That’s the name of the game these days.”

Fortunately for many a healthy foot around Shawano, that wasn’t “the name of the game,” when these brothers got their first push into footwear and wear.

One generation removed from Frank, Roy, and Glen, their father Arnold continued the Schauder tradition from his own father at the Clintonville store, with two brothers of his own. Eventually, Arnold sold out his share of the business and started another store in Marshfield, opening the doors for Frank, Glen and Roy to begin their involvement with the trade.

The half century of business for Frank, Roy and Glen has not been without its share of interesting moments. It could be an understatement to say that the biggest “highlight” of the moments came when Robert Pershing Wadlow paid a visit to the store, way back in 1940.

Wadlow, as far as anyone knows, was the tallest man who ever lived. He stood 8 feet 9 inches, weighing in at 490 pounds. But it was Wadlow’s 37-AA feet which keyed his promotional rounds to shoe stores during the ’30s and early ’40s.

The giant man’s shoes were made by Peters Shoe Co., a division of the International Shoe Co., which also provided Schauders with much of its stock during this time. Upon his visit to Shawano, Wadlow provided the store with one of his enormous black shoes, and left its entrepreneurs with an indelible impression.

Wadlow’s death two years after his 1940 visit to Shawano, apparently as a result of complications brought on by his size, if anything enhanced the legacy of his visit to the Schauder store. His visit became more exclusive, and his very existence, somewhat mythical.

While the Wadlow appearance showed the lighter side of things at Schauders, most of what has gone on inside the walls of 109-111 S. Main St. over the years has been all business, bringing with it an unrelenting dedication to the customer.
For that, the brothers are most proud.

“The whole experience, we’re proud of our abilities and having been helpful to a great many people who were on the wrong track with their footwear,” Frank said. “Perhaps the best example of how completely Schauders catered to its clientele would be the presence of a fluoroscope in the store for many years. Schauders was one of the few stores to have such a machine, which actually allowed the customer and the servicing salesman to see how a particular shoe fit the foot.

“It (the machine) sat right in the middle of the store,” Frank said. “There was one viewer for the customer and one for the salesman and you could see exactly how the shoe fit someone’s foot. And yet there were still a lot of stubborn people who would say the machine wasn’t right because it wasn’t their size.”

Eventually, the fluoroscope had to be removed from the Schauder store due to its X ray-like nature. But service like this in the shoe business, or in any business, might be something of a lost art these days.

Today’s world is characterized by a “serve yourself right a way with a lesser product, skip the service and save a buck” attitude. Shoes are sold today like fast food — on the run.

With the changes in business emphasis and ethics, the brothers have been forced to sacrifice some of their values, most notably by putting some lesser quality products on the shelves, they agreed. And if they wanted to keep the business going, the partners know they might have to give up even more of what they have worked for so long.

“You’d have to give in to more of the kind of things that are going on out there today, and we wouldn’t be very proud of that,” Frank admitted. Who knows? Maybe we’d have gotten rich if we’d taken a different route on some of these things, but it wouldn’t have been nearly as rewarding.”

There isn’t any one thing which is forcing the brothers out the door. It isn’t just the competition with the dime-a-dozen shoe outlets popping up from shopping malls to quick-stop gas stations. It isn’t just that they’re tired of peddling footwear. Most likely it’s a combination of things adding up to: “Its time to move on.”
“Wouldn’t you say that 40 years is enough,” said Glen?

Frank addressed the economics a little and somewhere in his evaluation there appeared to be a depression over how the business he came to love has changed: “I think it’s typical of any business these days,” he said. “It’s getting to be a hassle. Supporting three families in a place like this is an unusual situation.”

Three brothers, three families, were the glue to the business. Things have been run exclusively by the families involved, including help from the brothers’ wives and even a little from their kids.

“One of our salvations has been to be able to do it ourselves,” said Frank. “I think we would have been hard to work for anyway. We have to know heart in it and somebody else who came along might not.”

Much of the work was handled by the brothers themselves, from customer service to public relations to balancing the books. Frank says there was some overlapping and shifting of responsibilities over the years but he also said that each brother had a specialty.

“It seems like everybody takes over a department or an area. One guy says he’s going to be the janitor and he’s the janitor for a while, and then you switch,” he said. “But we also had our areas of expertise. I worked extensively with the displays, while Roy handled our orthopedic division and Glen did a lot in the area of stock control.”
Photo caption

The Schauder brothers are calling it quits after nearly 50 years in the shoe business. From left are Roy, Frank and Glen Schauder, with Frank holding the shoe of Robert Pershing Wadlow, the giant man who visited the store in 1940.
SEL photo by Greg Shriver

10/18/2026

The Fall 2026 Preservation Press newsletter is published on our website News & Events page or, follow the link below.

Remember, if you become a member, you’ll receive a beautifully printed copy of the newsletter in the mail.

Published in the spring and fall, our Preservation Press Newsletter is available on our website. It will be listed in the main menu under “News & Events.” Take a look, it’s full of information and articles on local history.

The Fall 2026 Preservation Press newsletter is published on the News & Events page or, follow the link above. This edition is ful

10/12/2026

Shawano High class of 1951 attends reunion - from the Shawano Evening Leader

August 13, 1976

**GRESHAM—**The Shawano High Class of 1951 gathered for its 25th anniversary reunion Saturday, July 24 at the Woodland in Gresham. A total of 74 attended. Four of the classmates are deceased: Clara (Spurrier) Norton, Franklin Barkow, Barbara (Thelen) Bohr and Betty Lou Meyer.

Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Gruber and Mr. and Mrs. Clifford Casey were the honored guests.
After the cocktail hour, a chicken and ham dinner was served.

Duane Rades, Chairperson of the Reunion Committee, introduced Pat Gilson who was the master of ceremonies. Each classmate introduced himself, wife or husband and told a little about himself.

A newsletter of those attending and about the ones who replied, but were unable to attend, was distributed. The subject of having a 30th class reunion was discussed. Prizes were awarded to Doris (Theis) Witmer for sending in the first return; Lois (Rossow) Fugate and Sidney Dodge for coming the longest distance (Denver, Colo.); Mae (Bartz) Berndt for most grandchildren (youngest); Eugene Hoppe for being married the longest time; Lois (Rossow) Fugate for being married the shortest time; Willis Teetzen having the youngest child. Numerous draw prizes were awarded. Carol (Schneider) Gilson and Maynard Kunschke were the prize winners.

The rest of the evening was spent reminiscing, viewing a display of old class photos, and dancing to the music of Morrie Bentz and his band.

The Reunion Committee members were Duane Rades, Chairperson; Joanne (Umland) Morrin, Co-Chairperson, Betty (Blank) Nemetz, Marilyn Richards, Donna (Zimmerman) Nordin, Jim Runge and Elroy (Butch) Bergner.

Those attending the reunion were Doris (Theis) and David Witmer, Elroy and Beverly Bergner, Duane and Bernadette Rades, Betty (Blank) and Bob Nemetz, Beverly and Rosella Pues, Percy and Betty Schwerke, Bill and Audrey Schultz, Donna (Maltbey) and Vernie Heling, Audrey (O’Connor) and Bob Decker, Delores (Lyons) and Lyle Ninham, Willie and Shirley Teetzen, Dick and Marcie (Mackay) Gast, Donna (Zimmerman) and Bob Nordin, Lois (Rossow) and Ivan Fugate, Carol (Schneider) and Pat Gilson, Marilyn (Richards) Willis and Marie Wockenfus, Tom and Rosemary Quevillion, Shirley (Meyer) and Fred Jacobe, Harvey and Erma Hohn, Mae (Bartz) and Ordie Berndt, Lorna (Weltz) and Bill Moldenhauer, Dennis and Rita Rusch, Mildred (Opperman) and Leonard Brehmer, Dick and Diane Beane, Dorothy (Heinz) and Charles Laehn, Allan and Nancy Moede, Eugene and Lucille Hoppe, Lowell and Audrey Richter, Maynard and Maryann Kunschke, Joanne (Umland) and Mike Morrin, Bill and Joan Duwe, Richard and Susan Schuster, Charlotte (Raddant) and Wally Tagatz, Bruce Wilber, Roger and Sandra Neuman, Jim and Darlene Runge, Sidney Dodge, and Lucille (Carter) Thiel.

10/05/2026

The Wescott Estate, just north of the City of Shawano, on Highway 47.

The Wescott home is a landmark in Shawano. The home sits on a hill, behind the Alpine Shores development, directly east of Divine Savior Church.

The home is the oldest house in the area with its exterior in original condition. It was originally constructed of logs with a stone and concrete basement. Later other rooms were added. The bay windows were later added, along with the porches with a brick bracket trim. A modern wood siding renewed the home into the structure visible today. The staircases are original oak. The floors are of solid maple. Several old wood heaters with chrome foot warmers still enhance the house.

The house has a new roof and a modern bathroom. It has a new auxiliary heating system, and its own well. The kitchen has a modern gas stove, but it still also has the original cookstove with a water reservoir. The room still reflects the historical days of wood stoves, and yet may be utilized as a modern kitchen.

The following history of the home and the Wescott families was provided by Steve Smith of Zingle Realty and Auction Co. The sources were an article which appeared in the Feb. 1, 1934 issue of the Shawano County Journal, which detailed a talk given to the Shawano Rotary Club. Smith also used a history written by John Wihans, information from the Shawano Historical Society and both the Shawano County and City of Shawano centennial books.

Charles Wescott came up the Wolf River by boat in 1843. He had been recruited by Samuel Farnsworth, an explorer of the upper Wolf River for lumbering interests, to harvest the vast tracts of virgin pine in the "Country of the Menominees." Wescott agreed to come into the wilderness to set up a sawmill. All of the machinery was brought up the Wolf from Oshkosh.

The mill was built on the south bank of a beaver dam by an island in the creek that flowed from Shawano Lake (what today is the Channel). Wescott enlarged the dam to create "Pond Lake" to hold the logs for the mill. Pond Lake was later used to steam boats to give rides to Shawano Lake for residents and tourists. The sawmill and a grist mill, added in 1867, operated on that site until 1893 when the "Papermill Dam" was built, flooding the original location.

Charles built a square log cabin about 200 feet north of the dam in the 1840s (the River Heights area). He added a frame house to the west end of the cabin for his wife and children, who reportedly arrived in 1850. A short time later he built the first frame home in Shawano at the west end of what is now Anderson Ave. in the Town of Wescott. That home is reported to be a part of the house that currently stands north of Heritage Hardwoods.

Hiram Wescott, Charles' brother, arrived from Allegany County, New York, in 1853. He took over the log cabin and adjoining frame house. Hiram was engaged in lumbering and milling too. In 1855 he built the Wescott House, a hotel, at the southwest corner of what is now the intersection of Main and Green Bay streets.

In 1853, ten years after the family's arrival, organization of the County of Shawano was authorized by the state legislature. The name was later changed to Shawano. The first election was held in the Wescott home. Forty-seven votes were cast. Charles Wescott became the first county chairman. The first City of Shawano election was held 16 years later on April 3, 1871. Hiram Wescott was elected trustee. Charles served as the first postmaster, and remained in that position through the Lincoln Administration.

Eugene reported that "since there were no trout in the Wolf River, they were brought over from the Oconto River and placed in the Wolf," by Charles' millworkers.
Eldridge Wassott, the father of Charles and Hiram, was the first person to be buried in Ainsworth, near the area where Heritage Hardwoods is now located. Later his remains were moved to the Township of Wescott Cemetery, as it was called then, only to be moved a final time to Pioneer Hill in the Woodlawn Cemetery on East Green Bay Street, where his headstone dated 1861 can still be seen.

As for the house itself, William Grimmer purchased the land on which the Wescott Estate stands today. The original patent from the federal government was recorded March 1, 1864. Grimmer donated part of this parcel to be used for a school. The "Grimmer School" was located at the southeast corner of what is now the intersection of Highways 47 and 80 and County Highway H. That school was renamed the Magee School and later still, the Ainsworth School after Thomas Ainsworth whose daughter married Eugene Wescott.

Thomas Ainsworth served 50 years as superintendent of the Keshena Improvement Association, which operated all of the dams on the Wolf River used by the log drivers in the river days. He married Anna Hisky Jones, a school teacher. It is believed they built the present house where it now stands.

Ainsworth's daughter, Mary, was born in the upstairs bedroom in the southwest corner of the house, Oct. 5, 1875. In 1898, she married Eugene Wescott, son of Judge Marion Wescott. Judge Wescott was an attorney and the United States Commissioner for the Northern District of Wisconsin during Wood County's early years.

10/04/2026

This is a public service post.....we've seen some comments from our followers about AI generated content.

We do NOT use AI to write text or generate posts.

However, we do use AI to clean up some old photographs. We use other photo applications also but not to alter the photos, just to help clean them up. Last weeks post about the 1940's ladies bowling league is an example. We didn't use any AI on this photo....its authentic.

09/28/2026

Ladies Bowling League - early 1940's.

This picture was taken at the Reichel Bowling Center on Main St., (later Rades Bowling Lanes). Maybe a Halloween party?

Front row, Eleanor Reichel, Florence Oertel Eberhardt, Genevieve Martin Edinger, Agnes O’Brien, Eldora Allhiser, Mae Voy, Irma Wendorf.

Second row, Helen Kral, Mildred Menacher Schultz, Luella Krake, Iva Schauder, Dorothy Achten, Martha Nottleman, Erna Hoeffs, Marge Rusch, Betty Schauder, Marie Wolf Brennan.

Third row, Elsie Grow, Emma Rosenow, Dorothy Johnson, Lois Poppe Bonke, Gen Knope, Millie Arthur, Clara Howe, Betty Hoffenbrede Pelner, Louise Windner.

Photo courtesy Mae Voy.

09/21/2026

Who remembers the L&L Ranch?

The L&L Ranch, located at 1214 E. Green Bay Street was a well know truck stop that was open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, serving breakfasts, lunch, and dinners and was well known for its burgers and chili. Archie Schroeder owned the restaurant for over two decades and sold the property after a devastating, total loss fire. Here are a couple of photos, one from the 1950’s and another before it burned.

09/14/2026

The Larson Brick Yard - Shawano Evening Leader archives.

The Larson Brick Yard is very significant in the development of Shawano and NE Wisconsin. Many of Shawano’s downtown businesses were built with brick from Larson’s and still stand today. Likewise, many homes used these bricks which were very distinctive white or cream-colored.

We have no date for this article but we know production ended in 1946 and Shawano Paper Mills bought the property in the 1950’s Later in the decade the buildings were demolished which made way for the paper mill's water treatment plant.

Early Shawano Business Site To Be Razed After 82 Years

Wind rustling through shoulder-high grass and the dry creek of weathered boards hanging precariously from rusting nails, are the fading echoes of a once thriving Shawano County business, soon to be erased from view forever.

Few people are left that remember the bustling activity of the Larson Brick and Tile Works, just west of the city near the Shawano Paper Mills. It stands today, a disintegrating monument of rotting lumber, rusting machinery, crumbling bricks—a mere skeleton of a major industry contributing heavily to the history of Shawano.

Tracing its beginnings to the year 1890 when Charles Larson moved his small farm-based part-time brick business to the clay pit near the Wolf River, the yard suffered a lingering death, beginning in 1946, when high production costs forced it to shut down operation.

WHAT IS LEFT of an imposing wooden and brick factory building and what was once an impressive brick mansion reaching landmark status, now faces the blade of the bulldozer. Man's modern-day know-how shall forever wipe from view that portion of the past which could not adapt to the burgeoning needs of a growing country.

The property has been purchased by the Shawano Paper Mills, Inc., and clearing of the land will begin in the near future, removing the buildings which have become an eyesore and a hazard.

Not many people are aware that the brickyard was once one of the leading factories in this community and, before the war, produced by the multiple thousands baked clay building bricks which played an important part in building this country.

The facts are interesting, if not a bit startling, about the amount of production which came out of the plant. At its peak, the works was capable of producing from 13,000 to 15,000 bricks per day. A 23-man work force was required to operate it at this time.

WHEN IN operation, there was a huge 100,000-brick-capacity kiln and two smaller round kilns which held 35,000 bricks each.

The actual operation of the yard was only during the late spring through late fall and was curtailed by heavy frost and snow during the winter.

The brickyard reached its peak under the guidance of Larson's son Tom, who took over the business in 1905. Young Tom grew up in the brick-making business and when the yard ceased to operate, 56 years of brick and tile know-how had been accumulated.

Making the brick was an involved operation beginning with extracting the raw material from the clay pit, now a large water-filled pond located some distance from the factory.

An intricate system of cables and a miniature rail network was utilized, remnants of which can still be found overgrown with 26 years of weeds, brush and debris. Buckets of clay were drawn up a trestle to the second-story clay bin which fed the mixer. When the clay was mashed to a proper consistency, it was fed into molds and then cut into standard brick lengths. The embryo bricks were stacked in sheds until dried to a whitish color, ready to be placed in the kilns.

WHEN THE BURN time arrived, the bricks were repiled into the kilns leaving a little space between each to create a draft. A small fire was started to drive out the remaining moisture and then the big coal-fed fires were kindled.

Bricks were heated at temperatures of over 2600 degrees Fahrenheit until they became white hot, causing the clay to fuse into a usable building brick. The burning took five days.

The kilns were then sealed airtight and the bricks allowed to cool gradually for another three to four days.

Not much is left of the complicated equipment, much of which young Tom Larson designed and maintained by himself. Almost to the day of his death in 1956, Larson made regular trips to the yard from his home in town to care for the machinery which sat idle since 1946.

Neighbors and residents commented they often would see the tall, slightly stoop-shouldered owner moving through the vacant brick house, or checking the empty kilns, passing ghost-like through the deserted, still factory. The machinery was always ready, waiting.

THE LARSON home, next to the factory, was a massive building made almost entirely of brick. The outer shell of the large two-story mansion-like home was built of four layers of brick. It was designed to endure the ravages of time, but after his death, succumbed to the vandals' sense of fun and adventure.

The war changed a lot of things for the world and the Larson firm was soon affected by increased operation costs that swept postwar American business.

Larson, in an interview in 1952, claimed that production costs increased six times, while prices increased only two. The factory was closed and the owner began his lonely vigil over idled machinery, waiting for an economic change that would never come.

THE DEATH of a business is not a rare occurrence anymore, so the passing of one so little known, so many years ago, has little effect on us today, who hurry ever faster going to the moon.

It does provide us with a glimpse into a rich past, where free enterprise and hard work was an honorable profession paving the way to our present life of ease, comfort and studied indifference.

The last piece of a monument one man built to himself will soon disappear, mostly without notice, but the mark of his pioneering spirit will hopefully linger awhile longer with us. That, at least, we owe him.

Charles Larsen (short biography)
Mr. Larsen has a brick yard just outside the city limits of Shawano and has been established there eleven years. It is quite a large brick yard. He employs from sixteen to twenty men, makes wire cut brick, and has very good clay and about twelve dry sheds. It is a very desirable plant. Three years ago, Mr. Larsen had the plant remodeled and changed from hand to machinery. He has now the latest improved machinery and is well equipped for the making of brick. His trade is mostly home trade and he is kept busy all the time.

Mr. Larsen was born in Denmark in 1850. He came to this country in 1870, lived in New York two years, then moved to Hartland and from there to Shawano.

The brick from his yard is classed among the best brick made and it is so good that he is kept constantly running to the full capacity of his plant.

Mr. Larsen had made a long study of the art of brick making and knows every detail in that line; therefore, the brick that is turned out from his yard has no superior.

Thomas Larson was much more than a brick manufacturer. Contemporary accounts described him as an inventor who developed an improved brick-making machine, and by 1913 his brick works was considered one of Shawano's leading industries.

09/07/2026

The school year is starting so let's look at the FIRST GRADE classroom AT SHAWANO'S LINCOLN SCHOOL 1947.

ROW 1: Allan Gueller, unknown, Gary Peterson, Bill Meyer, unknown

ROW 2: Tom Steinke, Leland Hill, Leroy Dickson, ? Fischer, Pat Splitgerber, Bette Stuewer, unknown.

ROW 3: (in house) R. Widdifield, Sandra Richards, Pat Klose, Charles Huebner, Pixie Brackob, Barbara Buth, Teacher Rachel Nommenson

09/03/2026

This 100-year-old Shawano County Fair poster from 1926 is beckoning you to the 2026 fair.

Come visit the Shawano County Historical Society booth. We'll be set up in the Farmer's Exhibition Building.

The 1926 poster uses artwork from Bertram Dorien Basabe. Born in 1868, he was an artist who lived in the United Kingdom and United States and is known as an illustrator in the early 1900’s where his paintings were mostly used for calendar art. Much of his work was produced by Joseph Hoover and Sons Calendar Company as well as the American Art Works Company all as calendar prints.