Note: I was under the impression that the Greendale Patch was going to end on October 15. It looks like it has not, so I will continue to post the Greendale Review – Revisited here as long as I can.
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.
Find out what's happening in Greendalewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Also, just a reminder - Greendale first opened to residents on May 1, 1938
GREENDALE REVIEW – Wednesday, January 10, 1940
Find out what's happening in Greendalewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
CAUTION!
Complaints have been received at the management office of the clatter and noise caused by emptying ash cans which have been filled with ashes wetted down too much. This causes the ashes to form a solid icy mass which cannot be dislodged without considerable pounding.
Households are asked to wetten ashes only enough to settle the dust, if this nuisance is to be abated.
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NOTICE!
Children are requested to refrain from throwing stones and walking on the ice rink, when it is in the process of flooding and freezing.
When the rink is ready, a recreational leader will be in attendance to supervise skating.
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Post Office Advances to Third Class in First Year of Service
Greendale’s Post Office started to operate as a third-class office on January 1, 1940. Commonly known as one of the busiest fourth-class offices in the country, Greendale was advanced six months before the end of the fiscal year, by special permission of the Postmaster General’s office at Washington D.C. Although July 1st is the usual date for such changes, Postmaster Bengs explains that the postal inspectors found “unusual conditions” prevailing at Greendale that warranted an early change from fourth to third class.
Miss Mardelle Ball will continue as Post Office clerk, while Mrs. E. Bengs will continue as early morning sorter with her husband, to handle heavy incoming mail at 5:00 A.M. Miss Ball, who has been a clerk at the Post Office since it opened in 1938, knows practically every member of Greendale’s 572 individual families, by sight, according to Bengs.
The holiday business was almost double that of 1938. Sorting was started at 3:00 A.M. instead of the regular time of 5:00 A.M. so that the mail would be “set” for the opening time of 8:30 A.M.
The newly installed cancelling machine carried the heavy Christmas mail in stride, and was put into operation “just in time” according to the postmaster.
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First Snowfall Amounts To About Three Inches
The first snowfall of the year amounting to about 3 inches, occurred on Sunday, January 7th. Equipment was called out at 5 p.m. to sand icy pavements and walks, according to Walter E. Kroening, Village Engineer. Later in the evening, it was necessary to do some plowing where snow had drifted.
Snow was removed from all public walks on Monday morning with the help of four of Greendale’s unemployed. Public walks include the major walks along Northway and Broad Street and interconnecting paths from one section of the village to another.
It is the responsibility of each resident to keep his walk free of ice and snow. Early effort in this direction will eliminate hazardous conditions and prevent accidents.
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CALENDAR SALE SUCCESSFUL
Through the combined efforts of all the village organizations the sale of the Greendale calendars was highly successful.
Ninety dollars was raised to be distributed among the unemployed, for the purpose of making the holiday season a happy one.
Through the sale of Christmas trees, sold exclusively by the unemployed in the village, each man earned approximately eight dollars.
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LOCAL DOCTORS OFFERED RENEWAL OF LEASE
With the report that the prepaid medical insurance plan sponsored by the Medical Society of Milwaukee County, is working very successfully here in Greendale, comes the announcement, from the Greendale Medical Union, that Drs. H. J. Dvorak and L. M. Fischer have been offered a renewal of their lease, for the offices above the Post Office, which they have occupied for the past year. Both the doctors have been practicing in Greendale since the spring of 1938, when Greendale was first opened to occupants.
New X-Ray Equipment Installed
It is also reported that a new Westinghouse X-ray machine for the use of patients in Greendale will soon be available, in addition to the new Jones basal metabolism machine just recently installed. Both machines are offered to the residents at prices far more reasonable than can be obtained elsewhere. The new x-ray machine is capable of taking every type of picture in the diagnostic field of medicine and surgery.
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Village officials made a good record in the month in connection with lost and found property. Out of seven cases, the officers were able to locate lost property or the owners of found articles in five.
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Dry Goods and Variety Store Runs Successfully
Greendale’s dry goods and variety store has just finished a most successful six month period, reports Harvey A. Wegner, manager.
Opening in June 1939, the store has tried to fill the dry goods needs of every resident. This method has been very successful. The stock carried is second to none for a store its size, and every department has experienced a huge turnover.
The recent Christmas sales were far greater than anticipated. Special clerks were employed to handle the increase in business. A huge variety of Christmas toys and goods were especially arranged for the season’s trade. The day before Christmas found the store jammed with people in the last minute rush of shopping. “So well did the residents respond to the opportunity of doing their Christmas shopping in their own store that it is my earnest desire to make this store most complete, and attractive to the people of this community, so that they can depend on it for all their needs,” said Wegner. Besides being attractive to the residents of Greendale, visitors from many states have come to admire the store and sigh for a similar one in their community.
A Somewhat erroneous opinion seems to be held by some people that the variety store is an enlargement of a 5 & 10 cent store. This idea is not correct since the store is fundamentally a variety and dry goods store in the popular price field. “We try to carry any merchandise the people ask for”, states Wegner.
The candy department is one of the best stocked departments. However the ladies’ and children’s wearing apparel, the household hardware, cosmetics, notions, piece goods and toy departments are also very complete.
Besides the manager, the store employs three Greendale sales ladies. Mrs. Crandall, assistant manager, and Misses Alice Voight and Emilie Geschwill.
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Next week – Short Circuit in System Causes Power Failure.
NOTE: If the Greendale Patch ceases operations, 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
