News From This Week’s Past: Nov. 17 – 24

All items are from the Door County Library’s newspaper archives, and they appear in the same form as they were first published, including misspellings and grammatical errors.

The Expositor Independent,

November 16, 1877

We hear that Thomas Clark, who left Bailey’s Harbor this spring in a covered wagon for out west, is laying sick in Kansas.

The Independent,

November 12, 1886

A counterfeit $5 gold piece was passed in at A.W. Lawrence & Co’s store this week. The piece is an excellent imitation, the general appearance and weight being just about the same as the genuine. It passed through several hands at the store before being detected and was only detected by the piece accidentally falling on the floor, there being no “ring” to it. Parties receiving gold and silver money will do well to test the same by trying the “ring” although this is not always a sure test with silver.

The Democrat,

November 15, 1894

We have a real live kindergarten in town. It came early in the season and is likely to become one of the permanent features of the city. It is as yet in somewhat of an embryo state but has demonstrated the desirability of its continuance. Its utility would perhaps be more generally appreciated if, as in other cities, it was made a part of our public school system. As conducted at present it is a private enterprise, the instructress being dependent for her pay wholly on the number of pupils attending. Many children are deprived of the benefits to be obtained by attending this school by reason of the extra expense to their parents. There can certainly be no objection to making the kindergarten a feature of the public school and maintaining it at the public expense thereby giving all the privilege of patronizing this institution without extra expense.

Door County Democrat,

November 17, 1906

MURDERED IN CHICAGO

Augusta Reh, of Fish Creek, Shot In Lincoln Park.

Miss Augusta Reh, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Reh, who lives on a farm south of Fish Creek, was murdered in Lincoln Park in Chicago, on Thursday evening, Nov. 8th. The crime was committed by a man by the name of Carl Grant, who committed suicide immediately after shooting Miss Reh.

Fear that he would be separated from the Reh girl, whom he is said to have loved, is believed to have prompted the man to kill her and then commit suicide….The body of Miss Reh was sent home, arriving in this city Saturday evening, where it was met by members of the family and taken to the town of Gibraltar, where the family reside, the following day.

Miss Reh had been employed in Chicago during the past three years. She was a young lady 23 years of age, well thought of, and had a large number of friends.

Door County Democrat,

November 16, 1917

KILLED BY HIS AUTO

William Schmeiling of Brussels Pinned Under Auto When It Turns Turtle.

Wm. Schmeiling, a resident of the town of Brussels, was killed in an automobile accident Wednesday evening, his Ford car turning turtle and pinning him under it in the ditch.

The car was a new one, Mr. Schmeiling having had it but a short time, and not being used to driving, it is possible that he lost control of the machine, and going off the road into the deep ditch, the car naturally turned turtle. He was found with his head and one foot protruding from beneath the car, the machine resting across his back.

Wm. Schmeiling was 33 years of age, a single man, living on the farm of his mother two and a half miles from Kolberg. Since the death of his father a few years ago he had operated the farm. He is survived by his mother and three sisters.

Door County News,

November 18, 1926

Search For Lost Gibraltar Man Is Abandoned

SISTER BAY–No traces of Frank Hanson, who mysteriously disappeared on Monday night of last week, has been found. The search was abandoned after Friday.

The theories advanced are numerous. He may have wandered to the bluff at Ephraim and fallen over into the bay. Or it may be that he penetrated the dense swamp, where he would be effectually covered by the underbrush.

The man was not mentally bright and was of a timid nature. He was known to be scared in the dark and it is believed became panic stricken on the night he left the Ohman place and lost his bearings or sense of location and wandered aimlessly away.

Door County News,

November 17, 1938

CONSIDER THE AIRPORT

A petition to the county board for a county airport will be or has been presented to that body in its annual meeting this week and its favorable reaction to the petition is hoped for by many. The advantages of an adequate county airport cannot be stressed too strongly, enabling Door county, as it would, to the have the fastest possible freight and passenger service. As time goes on our summer residents are going to use air transportation more and more if they are able to find a place to land – either that or move to a summer district where they can land a plane.