Neenah Historical Society

06/18/2026

We are excited to announce and welcome Andy Braunel to the Neenah Historical Society!

He has taught for 33 years as a middle school teacher in the Neenah Joint School District and is excited to explore this new chapter of his life. As the new Museum Coordinator, he will focus on developing our museum collections as educational tools for students of all ages.

Welcome to the team!

06/17/2026

Take a look at this 140-year-old map of Neenah. Originally released in 1886, this map shows some of the changes the city had already made, including the removal of part of the peninsula where the original Council Tree stood.

A couple other noticeable differences include:

- the lack of Shattuck and Arrowhead Parks
- S. Commercial Street was Cedar Street North of Winneconne Avenue and Langrange Avenue South of Winneconne Avenue
- Congress Street was Whiteneck Road

What other changes do you notice?

📸From our Flickr: From the Munroe Studios photograph collection. Reproduction done in 1982. Neenah map from 1886.

06/11/2026

Congratulations to the Neenah High School Seniors of 2026! Happy 50 years to the Class of 1976! Here are your yearbook pages to reminisce.

Scanned with out CZUR Scanner!

06/10/2026

Sunday, May 31st, the Neenah Historical Society welcomed over 140 guests to the historic Octagon House at our Annual Family Day event. A Ford Model A Car group came out to visit and showed off their collection. Making a reappearance was Vintage Firetruck 47. Several visitors began or continued their collection of stamps and stickers for the 2026 Museum Passport Program. The start of a great summer season!

Photo Credit: Eric Kilman

05/29/2026

Spend Sunday, May 31st from 11am-3pm at our Family Day! This free come-and-go event allows you weekend entry to the historic Octagon House, where you can see the Growing Up Neenah Exhibit, hands-on interaction with historic objects, and a chance to play some historic games. This is also your chance to catch a glimpse of vintage vehicles. Hope to see you there!

05/26/2026

The Museum Passport Program has officially begun!

Stop by any participating locations to get started. Once you get at least 4 locations stamped, enter to win the grand prize!

For additional information and to download your own copy of the passport, visit our event page: https://www.neenahhistoricalsociety.com/programs-events/2026/5/26/museum-passport-2026

See you soon!

05/22/2026

On Thursday, May 21, 2026, the Neenah Historical Society hosted fifth graders from Neenah Lutheran for an end-of-year field trip! They walked through the exhibit and played with stilts, hoops and graces, and a simplified version of 9-pin. Thanks for visiting! And please, come again!

05/21/2026

The Neenah Historical Society will be closed on May 25, 2026, in honor of Memorial Day.
📸From our Flickr: Memorial Day parade on May 30, 1942.

05/15/2026

On the Northwest Corner of Isabella St and Adams St sits the Lincoln Manor Apartments. They adopted the Lincoln name in honor of the school that used to stand there.
The Lincoln School, originally known as the Second Ward School, opened in 1893 for $15,000. The first principal was Mrs. Isa LeTourneux. It operated as a school until it closed in 1969 due to high costs of updating the building for current safety standards. Several plans for the building were tossed around, but the building and land were sold to George Cowling who decided to demolish the building and construct a 16-unit apartment complex in 1971.
📸From our Flickr: From the Munroe Studios photograph collection. Reproduction done in 1982. 2nd Ward School circa 1898.

05/15/2026

Did you miss the last Neenah Historical Society's Library Presentation on Neenah Sports: Big Wins and Losses? Great news! It is now on our YouTube Channel!

Buzzer beaters, upsets, record breaking seasons… Join local historian Kara Rothkegel as she highlights some of the biggest wins and losses from Neenah Rocket...