Oconto Falls Area Historical Society

10/20/2026

For those who are not on Oconto Falls Chit Chat check this great photo and info.

10/12/2026

Oconto Falls Area Historical Society Meeting
Tonight - 12 Oct 2026
6:30 - 8:00 pm.
Oconto Falls HSHS Hospital Conference Room.

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10/01/2026

Release the hounds! We received these two pictures from a Bob Pieterson with pretty much no information. Help us identify the people, place, years, and any information. Did Wisconsin have a season and bounty on predators? Are the harvested animals in the pictures just coyotes and foxes or are some wolves?

09/14/2026

Oconto Falls Area Historical Society meeting
Tonight 14 Sept. 2026
6:30 - 8:00 pm
Oconto Falls HSHS Hospital Conference Room

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08/25/2026

This is the forth of four of our Oconto Falls Main Street Historical buildings and businesses. This one will highlight the west side of Main Street From Caldwell Avenue to North Maple Avenue. As always please help us with your information, pictures and comments. Please refer to the Main Street map with the building numbering as before.
57 Presently a parking lot. The 1919 map shows a tailor shop on the very corner and a tin shop/cigar factory about ten feet to the north. Those buildings must have been removed. Before 1930 Frank Plain built a gas station here which became a Waddams/Mobile Oil and We have a picture. Norman Kurtz purchased the property and built a new Pontiac Dealership in 1950. Norman died in 1955 and GM policy would not allow his wife to be the owner. Later Bay Lakes Co-op used the building. After the building had several different occupants. The building was torn down in 1998.
55 Presently a parking lot. Was Babe Whitman Plumbing. Later sold to Frank Kirsch then to Robert McDougal. Later Ron Curran purchased and remodeled the building for an auto parts store.
56 Presently Couill Custom Creations. 1904 map show a garage here but not sure if it is the same building. Was Garhartz Restaurant. In 1947 it was owned by Everett Housner and Shirley Taycher.
Later many other uses. Later King Shoe Store. Later owned by Mrs. George Barber. Later Rural Insurance. Later Eventide Design. In the Waddams Station picture the south side of this building is in the background with a full two stories. The building was lower by seven feet at sometime.
60 Presently the two story is vacant?? Presently the One story is The Pawn Shop. Early map shows the two story as Dance Hall on second floor. The K*K held meetings here in the 1920's. Later owned by Fred (peg leg) Krueger. Later sold to Lyle Wolf and Louie Brunner They started United Hardware, Heating, and Plumbing from 1948-1955. In 1955 Wolfe bought out Brunner and added the one story addition on to the north side and became a True Value. They moved the business to Highland Drive in
1970. In 1987 Ben Franklin set up business here. In 1995 it was a Video Store in. The two story building was built prior to 1904.
61 The building was recently remodeled but looks vacant. It's on the 1904. Ewald Rusch started his tavern here in 1936. After closing on the grand opening night, Ewald and others were involved in a car accident in which three people were killed. Ewald survived and ran the tavern for many years. The business was sold to Bud Miller and he ran the tavern for years. Later it changed hands several times.
Later it was Fred's Pizza for years. Later it was a Gun Shop.
62 The building was recently remodeled and is now Beards & Shears Barbershop. Per Jim M in 1899 John Meyer built this as a Barbershop? However early maps show no buiding here? But 63 is shown as a barbershop on the 1904 map? John's son in law Aaron Rudolph ran it till 1975. Later Carol Francis ran it. Later sold to Arlene ?.
63 Presently Senn Insurance and Real Estate. Shown on 1904 map as a barbershop. The building was owned by the Flowers family. In 1949 it was the office of Doctor Henry Redinger Chiropractic.
64&64A Presently the Library built in 1989. Early maps show a house here. That was moved to Quincy Street in the early 1960's. 65 Presently the Library. In 1937 Paul Gauthier built a Standard Oil Service Station here and on site
64. Later Wally Paholke took it over. In 1964 Don and Carol Wellens took it over and sold the property to the City in 1989.
66 Presently the Library. The early maps show this as (Kilmers) Hardware Store. Sometime between
1905 and 1910 Kilmers doubled it's width with an addition to the south and almost doubled its length.
We have a great picture! Jim M stated at sometime the Blacksmith on the north side of Kilmers caught fire and burned Kilmers and the meat market to the north of the Blacksmith. Jim states the businesses rebuilt but Kilmers went out of business in 1936 and Magnin Hardware bought Kilmers inventory. The property was sold to the City in 1989.
67 Presently the Library. The early maps show a two story Blacksmith shop and single story Meat Market as does the picture. Unsure but one or both of these buildings later had Dave Kuhn Radio Store 1938 to 1954. And Saint Aubin Photography later Mortell Photography. The property was sold to the City in 1989.
68 Presently the Library. The 1919 maps show (James ONiell) furniture store. Later used for storage by Schwietzer Firestone and later other uses. Torn down in the 1980's.
69 Presently S&L Ford building. Early maps show a livery; unsure if any original structure remains.
Was La'Porte Auto. Ladin Brothers Auto bought the business in 1948. Later (James) ONiell Super Service Center. Later ONiell Chrysler Plymouth. Later a resturant for one year in 1960. Later Schweitzer Firestone. In 1973 Peterson Ford.
70 Presently S&L Ford. Early maps show a house which became (James) O'Neill Fureral Home in the
1920's. Later owned by Soulek. Later owned by Glenn Meverden. Later Peterson Ford
71-72-73 Presently S&L Ford. Early maps only show a total of three house with site 71?? All houses were purchased and removed by Peterson Ford.
75 Presently S&L Ford. 1919 map shows Falls Elevator owned by Anderson& Nennerhausen. Later A.J. Peterson Feedmill. Later Bay Lakes Cooperative. Later purchased and removed by Peterson Ford.

08/19/2026

The Oconto Falls Area Heritage Center, Inc. and Historical Society are selling, Chairs (Middle School size) $10.00, 4 drawer File Cabinets neutral tones - $15.00 and Tables with adjustable legs $20.00.
Chairs - #1 type 18 various colors
#2 type 51 Dark blue 31 Light Blue
#3 type various colors 34
#4 type Dark Blue 27
File Cabinets - 31
Tables - 23
Amounts listed can be tax deductible donations, as the Oconto Falls Area Heritage Center Inc. is a non-profit 501 c 3 entity.
If interested, please respond below or private message.

08/15/2026

08/11/2026

08/10/2026

Oconto Falls Area Historical Society Meeting
Tonight 10 August 2026
Oconto Falls HSHS Hospital Conference Room
6:30-8:00 pm
We Hope to see many there sharing their local history knowledge with us. It's always exciting to hear things from other's perspectives.

Send a message to learn more

07/15/2026

This post is the third of four of our Oconto Falls Main Street Historical buildings and businesses. This one will highlight the west side of Main Street from Central Avenue to Caldwell Avenue. As always please help us with your information, pictures, and comments. Please refer to the Main Street map with the building numbering as before.
42 Presently unknown occupants and commonly referred to as the Shellman Building. The original building was built in 1882 as the Company Store. The 1904 map does show a general store. It burned in 1934 and was rebuilt to present form. Former businesses. Jess McCaully Butcher Shop, Falls Hardware from 1937 (Owner A.J. Peterson),Lehner&Lehner others Behling, Larry Jeske, Vance Wangnerlawyers), Doctor Fred Titel (dentist), Shellman Publishing, R.E.A. Store.
43 Presently unknown occupants but still has the Falls Flying Dragons Sign. Built 19teens by Otto Wottner. Not shown on 1919 map? Had bowling alley in basement, on main level Grant Peterson Variety Store. Then Ben Franklin. Then owned by Gresti Family which ran a fitness center till 2018.
Should be about 100 years old.
44/45 Presently Oconto Falls Insurance Center in front owned by the Stazak family. Jim M. states this building was built prior to the 1871 Peshtigo Fire as The Hotel Schrubbe which he says it survived. It was Oconto Falls first hotel and We have a great early picture of it! It had it's own livery that was located where Una's is now. Later the hotel became The Tourtilott Hotel. Much later Emil Spiegel built the front as it is presently which hides most of the original Hotel. Businesses included Wahl Sporting Goods, Thorp Finance, Wisconsin Finance, grocery store, and meat market. There might be some rental apartments in back. Spiegel ran a grocery and meat market. In 1954 Jerold Witt purchased the grocery and meat business and moved it in 1960 to Una's present location. Martin Drug was there for awhile. From the side parking lot you can check out what should be the oldest building in Oconto Falls. It could be about 155+ years old and still have original structure under the vinyl siding.
46 Presently Una's Unique Resale Mall. In the 1920's William Kadlec and Wesley Christensen built a building on this site for their trucking company that hauled goods for the local paper mill. Later a Mr.
Thomson remodeled the building into a Chevrolet dealership. He was killed in 1952. GM had a policy of no female owned dealership so the dealership was terminated. Mrs. Thomson sold the building to Allen Tisch and Merdon Drews and in 1953 operated Tisch& Drews Trucking. They moved and as stated earlier Jerold Witt remolded the building into a Piggly Wiggly Grocery Store. Later that moved to Highland Drive. Later Car Quest was there. Later Product Motor. While this building was Thompson Cheverolet a photo shows a single story building to the north. It's also shown in the Piggly Wiggly colored photo. A Business sign on it is visible but not legible. Best guess is that the small building was added into the larger. Dale Seeling thought it was a liquor store at one time. The 1919 map shown it as a meat market.
47 Presently maybe vacant. Shown on the 1904 map. In 1920 it was Riemers Resturant and bakery.
Other businesses were Henry Lerquin Jewelry, Effenberger Jewelry, McCauley Butcher Shop, forgotten businesses, cash store, and Red Owl which closed in 1990( George Anderson Owner later Bill Presl).
Should be an original building. 48/49 Presently Beachside Frozen Custard & Grill. One of the newest businesses! Shown on 1904 map. Unsure of businesses before WW2. AfterWW2 was Bahcalls Mercantile and Clothing managed by Bud Anderson, other managers, and lastly Lil McDougal. Then Martin Drug. Then Mag's Decor.
The colored picture of Main Street from the 1960's, which was a post card, may show the Red Owl logo on this building??? Should be an original building.
50 Presently is an apartment building. Referred to as The Flatley Building for William and Theresa Flatley. Shown on 1904 map. The 1919 map shows motion picture theatre and furniture store/telephone exchange which were the Flatley's. The Flatley's lived in the upper level. Later they added a funeral parlor. John Crooks with Sadie Flatley Becker managed the funeral parlor. Later it's believed Greg Flatley managed the furniture store. Later Albert Soulek managed the furniture and funeral businesses and bought the businesses in 1956. He moved the funeral business to Central and Franklin and it's now Jones Funeral Home. Later Albert sold the furniture store to Kent Soulek. Kent died in 1967 and Dave and Pat Trudell ran it till they closed in 1978. Should be an original building.
51 Presently J's Smokeshack BBQ. Shown on 1904 map as two separate buildings. South Saloon and north barber. On 1919 map south pool room and north music. Later it became one building and Andrew Olson put in a bowling alley. Later operated by Harold ( Shortie) Valentine who died in 1948.
Robert (Ridge) Lemonrande purchased/operated till his death in 1979. Later Cliff and Elaine Anderson purchased operated it but later quit the business. Later it was Barb Q Rib and Tavern. Should have some of the original buildings
52 Presently Beam Chemical. Shown on 1904 map. Started by Marion Becker and later sold to Ralph Lemonrande. Later sold to partner Orrie Peterson and still operated by his son Chris Peterson. Was also N.E.W. Finance. Then Wisconsin Finance. Then Thorp Finance. Should be an original building.
53 Presently Vacant? Mostly known as Magnin Hardware building. Shown as a livery on 1904 map.
The 1919 map shows it as store, photographer, and jeweler. Herb King started his shoe store in this building in the 1940's and ran it till 1960. He relocated north of Caldwell. Earnest Magnin started Magnin Hardware here in 1936 by buying out Kilmer Hardware (located where the library is now). His son Orrie (Chub) joined him after WW2. Magnin Hardware expanded taking over Kings Shoe Store half in 1960 and discontinued business in 2009. Should be an original building
54 Presently a rental house. Shown on 1904 map as a boarding house. Meta Wagner owned and rented rooms for many years. She was murdered in 1957 while fishing by the Oconto Falls dam. Should be an original building.