The Start of a Tradition

Writing Letters to Santa

By the 1880s, the practice of writing a letter to Santa Claus had become popular among American children. And while this was great for the little boys and girls of the Country, the increasing number of letters being sent during the holidays put a much greater strain on the U.S. Postal Service.  

From his early years playing in church bands and studying mandolin, to picking up the drums to perform in early jazz orchestras and with military bands in the 1910s and 1920s, to a long career as a leader of his own dance band, Clifford Hoene was perhaps one of the most experienced and prolific Wausa-area musicians of his time.

A picture from the 1932 Wisconsin Valley Fair reveals an usual time in the musical history of Marathon County. For six years, this group of young women challenged traditional roles for female music, by performing across Central Wisconsin using the saxophone.

In 1939, the Wausau Daily Record-Herald published an article, and some members of the public did not catch on that it was a fake story and that it was April Fool's Day.

Although only around six years apart, the two public gatherings on Wausau's Third Street shown in these postcards reveal the changing attitudes towards German-Americans in the 1910s.

In 1979, Ed Schoenberger constructed his public art installation, "The Pinery," which led to vigorous discussion and debate.