Newell and Ann Meyer

5 March 2024

Once upon a time, in the heart of southeast Wisconsin, nestled amidst rolling hills and whispering woodlands, there existed a place of quiet beauty—a sanctuary created by two souls who understood the language of nature. Their names were Newell and Ann Meyer.

Their sanctuary was a canvas where oak savannas met wetlands, where former agricultural fields surrendered to the wild embrace of prairies. Here, sandhill cranes trumpeted their arrival in spring, their calls echoing across the landscape. And beneath the snow, a red fox moved with grace, its amber eyes fixed on unsuspecting prey.

Newell and Ann were artists, attuned to the subtle hues of dawn and the whispered secrets of twilight. They had purchased the first eighty acres in 1976 in Eagle Wisconsin, envisioning a summer retreat—a place where their creativity could flourish alongside the wild inhabitants of the land. Newell, a sculptor, shaped wood and stone into forms that seemed to breathe. Ann, a painter, captured the play of light on canvas, her strokes echoing the rustle of leaves.

Lifelong Milwaukee residents, they sought refuge here, away from the city’s hustle and bustle. Their dream was simple: to create an oasis of quiet beauty. Under the open sky, Newell’s sculptures stood like guardians, and Ann’s paintings adorned the walls of memory. And they lived on, not as mere names, but as whispers in the wind, as brushstrokes on the canvas of eternity.

Ann Meyer passed away in 2004 followed by Newell in 2006, leaving their entire estate of 374 acres to the Nature Conservancy of Wisconsin, their legacy forever etched into the very soil they loved. Many of Ann’s paintings and several of Newell’s sculptures were subsequently donated to the Eagle Historical Society where they are on display in our museum, and Ann Meyer’s art collection is shown in beautiful detail on our website at Ann M Meyer Artwork (eaglehistoricalsociety.org)

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Popularity Contest 1941

30 January 2024

Most of us remember the popular kids in high school.  We had several chances to vote for them on football homecoming court, junior prom court, etc.  In 1941, the junior class at Palmyra High School held a popularity contest for the entire school and crowned the winners at a Popularity Dance held at the local gym, with music provided by Palmyra’s own Jimmy Douglas Orchestra.  Admission was just 50c per couple, or 40c if purchased in advance.

There were six categories of contestants and preliminary vote was held the week before narrowing contestants down to three final contestants for each category.  The final vote was held a day later and the results published in the school newspaper, the Palsoft Sagacity.

Of a possible 83 votes the results were:

Best Looking Girl

 

Best Looking Boy

LuVerne Martens (Eagle)—41   Harold Adams—43 (Little Prairie)
Arlene Janney—37   Lyle Northey—28
Phyllis Nitardy–6   Arnold Holcomb—12

Most Popular Girl

 

Most Popular Boy

Arlene Janney—41 (Zion)   Bob Ketterhagen—44 (Palmyra)
Evelyn Wappler—26   Bill Heinzelmann-29
Barbara Burnham—16   Edward Ginner–10

Ideal Girl

 

Ideal Boy

Carol Steinhoff—40 (Eagle)   Ben Eller—35 (Palmyra)
Avis Steele—26   Harold Adams—28
Evelyn Wappler—16   David Atchley—20

You can read the original article in the Eagle Quill newspaper February 7, 1941 Page 4.

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15 Years in 20 Minutes

9 January 2024

It has been nearly 140 years since the first European settlers arrived in Eagle and many articles and information have been published about them. This video is about more recent times – memories of the past fifteen years from 2008-2023 reduced to 20 minutes.

Over that period, young kids have grown into adults… many of us have aged… and some have passed onto eternity. It’s an honor to record these sounds and images for people to view many years from now.

Click here for video

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1941, Eagle Wisconsin (4)

29 November 2023

By November 1941, it became clear that the U.S. would be dragged into the war in Europe.  The Defense Department ran ads in newspapers across the nation (including Eagle) encouraging young men to enlist in the armed services.  These are a few samples from the Eagle Quill newspaper in November 1941.

Even Popeye joined the enlistment effort

Eagle families prepared to send their men into war. Women were going to have to replace the men to keep factories running.

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Happy Thanksgiving

23 November 2023

Happy Thanksgiving from your friends at the Eagle Historical Society!

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