The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1922-09-07
DEDICATION OF LIBERTY POLE

fourth liberty pole in the town o.
Meeme, about two miles south OF
School Hill, took place last Sunday
forenoon Several hundred people were
present. The first liberty was erected
in 1852, The pole, steel shaft, stand,
on a concrete base The dedication
consisted of hosting to the top a new
flag while the band played The Star
Spangled Banner.
Chairman Schneider of the town
board, acted as master of ceremonies.
When uniformed and armed com
pany from the Kiel post of the Amer-
can Legion, in command of l.. NJ.
Nauth, post commander, formed near
the pole, with the white uniformed Kiel
Junior band assembled near the speak
er'S stand, Mr.. Schneider gave the
word, the hundreds dotted their hats,
the strains of the national anthem
broke out, the flag was hoisted to posi-
ton and Post Chaplain Carl Walmann
read the prayer of dedication. The
final ceremony was the firing of a vol
ley salute by the legion
Under the direction of Miss Lillian
Chloupek, county superintendent of
schools, the crowd sang "America" as
IA preliminary to the platform pro-
gram.
First of the speakers to be intro
duccd was Judge Michael Kirwan, a
Mceme boy. He spoke extemporane-
ously with no effort at oratorical style
but his talk was one that was as nearly
ideal for the occasion as could have
been selected He talked of the old
days of the people who had founded
the town, who had erected the first lib
erty pole, who had implanted in their
children love for liberty, for educa-
tion, for justice, for right living
"Whcn l was invited to speak on
this occasion,' said Judge kirwan, II
hesitated because of press of work; |
might not be able to spare the time.
But felt that if the old town in which
had spent the happiest days of my
life wished yet to recognize me must
accept.
81 am going to talk to you inform
ally, conycrsationally telling you
something about the early days in this
town of Meeme.
"Manitowoc county was organized in
1886 and eight years after, still under
a territorial form of government, Wis
consin not yet having been admitted to
statehood, Meeme came into being. The
county then had three school districts,
and No 3 included, part of what is
now Manitowoc, the town of Manito-
woe, the towns of Meeme, Centeryille,
Newton, Schlcswig, and Eaton
"Thus early" said the judge,
"there was manifested an interest in
education. have had some connec-
ton with school matters and | believe
that the public schools are among the
institutions we should cherish most
highly"
From this point the speaker told of
the geographical divisions of the
county from time to time, and re-
marked that Meeme was parent town
as it was one of the first four of the
county,
Judge Kirwan discussed early set
tiers. He mentioned Michael and
Andrew Herr as the first settlers in
the town The first marriage was of
Nicholas Dittmar and Miss Eckhardt.
Hubert Simon and Andrew Philips
were the first white children born in
the town, in 1913 The first clearing
was done in 1913 by a man named
Edison, who kept a hotel at Philips
Place, now Spring Valley.
"Therc was no -four mill in the
neighborhood when | was a boy. The
nearest one was at Towards Grove,
1t took my father two days to make
d trip there, one to 90 and one to
come, using oxen, which were the sole
means of transport in that day"
The Judge recalled that William Vitz
was the first man to build a mill in the
town, though the effort was disastrous
for him financially lie paid tribute
to Henry Wits, son of William, who
was the head of the biggest institution
in the county (the Aluminium Goods
company of Mantowoc) when he died,
but who made his first wages driving
AN OK team in Mecmc.
Judge Kirwan recalled Civil war
recruiting, naming Peter Mulholland
and Fred Abel as the first from
Mccmc to enlist lie recalled the
"Indian scare" of later year, He
spoke Of the important part Meeme
has always taken, and been given, in
the political affairs of Manitowoc
county, Of It's sons that were given
political preference He named Peter
Muholand, Nicholas Dittmar, John
Curcy, John Nagle, and County Chair
men Bohnc, Conway Connell, Lorfeld,
and Schneider
Judge Kirwan closed with a school
boy recollection. Meeme at the time
had FIVE school districts, Bohne, Mul-
holland, Dittmar Danforth, Pritchard,