With this year being the 75th anniversary I thought it might be interesting as well as fun to look back at Greendale’s beginnings from the viewpoint of its own residents and local news stories of the day. Every Thursday through the end of the year, I will be posting humorous, relevant or just interesting stories from Greendale’s original newspapers.
The following selected stories are copied exactly as they were originally written (including some misspellings) unless otherwise noted. Some may be shortened with “…”. They will be in bold and italicized type.
Also, just a reminder - Greendale first opened to residents on May 1, 1938
Find out what's happening in Greendalewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
GREENDALE REVIEW – Wednesday, November 29, 1939
AUTO OWNERS ATTENTION!
Find out what's happening in Greendalewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
When you get your automobile license plates be sure you register from your Greendale address. This is suggested because the village receives a share of automobile license taxes based on the number of automobiles registered within the village.
Distant Phone Calls Cut for Thanksgiving
L. F. Fox, manager of Hales Corners and Greendale exchanges of the Wisconsin Telephone company, announced that reduced long distance telephone rates on calls from Hales Corners will be effective on Thanksgiving day, Nov. 30. The low night and Sunday rates for long distance calls will apply throughout the day, from 7 p.m. Wednesday to 4:30 a.m. Friday.
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GREENDALE REVIEW – Wednesday, December 13, 1939
Dog Ordinance Argued; Garner to Health Board
How to curb the dog nuisance was one of the several important matters coming before the Board in its regular meeting, Tuesday night, December 5.
Decision to seek more stringent regulation of dogs and means of enforcing the ordinance, came as the result of accumulating complaints, climaxed by the appearance of Mrs. Ben Schmelzer, 5706 Carnation Court, who told the trustees that conditions in that neighborhood were becoming intolerable. Village Manager Reeder cited dogs as the “No. 1 problem of our village police”, when he submitted his monthly report. …
… In addition to citing the dog problem as a matter requiring considerable police work, Village Manager Reeder stressed the traffic problem in his report for November to the village board.
Five traffic cases were recorded on the police docket, he reported, pointing out that the number was not as significant as the fact that three of the five involved injuries to persons. But the traffic situation is showing improvement, he says. Failure to observe parking regulations resulted in warning tickets being issued to 30 motorists in the village. Most of these grew out of the “No Parking” regulation at the community building. Mr. Reeder advised the board, however, that he thought this situation would lessen, since people are becoming accustomed to the new parking arrangement at the school.
The fire department had to respond to only one alarm in November. Little damage resulted from the fire, which spread from a chimney at the rural home of Arthur Weber on Loomis Road.
Report of Public Works
Reporting activities of the Department of Public Works, Reeder said that the traffic sign erection has been completed in accordance with enacted amendments to the traffic ordinance. A large number of roadside boundary markers also have been installed along highways in the rural area, increasing safety.
The report called attention to completion of the new municipal service building and its occupation and use by the village maintenance department. Flood lighting for the parking area about the building has been put into operation. Studies are being made of the feasibility of installing lights along several foot paths leading to the community building, in compliance with instructions by the board. It is hoped to include the work in the WPA program. …
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GREENHILLS TENANT ADVISOR VISITS GREENDALE
Greenhill’s tenant relations advisor, Miss Zinke, who also serves as recreational director, visited our village recently.
Miss Zinke was greatly impressed with our large recreational program, which is more extensive than that at Greenhills.
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Greendale Decorated for Holidays
Scenes from the Nativity depicting the shepherds, the guiding star, and the manger itself, drawn on the windows of the mercantile buildings, together with the community tree and Santa comprise the Christmas decorations this year.
These drawings were the work of the ninth grade of the Greendale school.
Santa, who proved so popular last year, made his reappearance again on the roof of the mercantile building.
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SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN!
On Wednesday, December 15, at 9:30 a.m. Santy, Me-tik and the live reindeers will arrive in Greendale and go directly to the school parking area.
School children will greet the jolly, old fellow, dressed in red and white, and tell him about those toys they are so eagerly anticipating.
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POST OFFICE INSTALLS CANCELLING MACHINE
Due to the steady gain of outgoing mail, Greendale is to have a cancelling machine. Postmaster Edward Bengs has purchased a machine, and it will be installed for use about December 16th. Special attention is called to stamp collectors that the first cancellations to be made by machine will fall on the Greendale Post Office’s first anniversary.
With Christmas just around the corner, you are urged to do your holiday mailing in time to assure delivery before Saturday, December 23rd; and if possible, send your printed greetings as first class mail. Large numbers of Christmas greetings, mailed in unsealed envelopes at the third-class rate of postage (1-1/2c), are disposed of as waste each year because they are undeliverable as addressed, due to removal of the addressee or other causes. Such greetings are not entitled to the free forwarding privilege accorded those mailed in sealed envelopes at the first-class rate and consequently, the senders in many cases never know that the greetings were not received by the addressees. If greetings are mailed at the First-class rate, be sure to have your return address on the envelope, and of cours personal letters may be enclosed with greetings.
In sending parcel post be sure to pack carefully, label, and tie parcels securely.
The rate on letters in the village is one cent for first class mail, three cents outside the village or any point in the United States. Cards may be sent in unsealed envelopes at the third-class rate of one and one-half cents to any point in the United States.
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Next week – Our Drug Store – Pride of Greendale.
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NOTE: Due to the fact that the Greendale Patch will cease operations next week, the “Greendale Review – Revisited” will continue as a separate blog at this address:
thegreendalereviewrevisited.blogspot.com
The blog is not up and running just yet, but will be soon with past posts as well.
Also there will be a link to the blog on the Greendale Celebrations website:
greendalecelebrations.org
Thanks to the Greendale Historical Society, for which I am a member, for providing the original newspapers.
Steve Peters
