Title: Myer Katz Papers
Date: 1980-1985

Creator:

• Katz, Myer, 1910-1993

Unique Identifier: MSS P

Quantity: 2.2 cubic feet

Physical Description: 6 archives boxes

Repository:

La Crosse Public Library
Contact Information

Archival Location:

La Crosse Public Library (Map)

Abstract:

The papers consist of research materials, notes, and drafts generated by Katz during preparation of his book, Echoes of Our Past , a collection of vignettes about La Crosse history.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.lcpl-mssp

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28417013

Donated by Myer Katz, October 1985

(Accession No. 1985.012)

Materials in this collection are available for patron use.

[Identification of item], Myer Katz Papers, MSS P, La Crosse Public Library Archives, La Crosse, WI

Processed by Amy Groskopf, February 1986

Arranged in two series:

Series 1: Business Aspects

Series 2: Subject Files

The Myer Katz papers consist of research materials used and drafts of articles written for Echoes of Our Past , a book containing vignettes on La Crosse history. The papers have been divided into two main sections.

The first contains materials generated in preparation of the book called BUSINESS ASPECTS. This included notes on general organization, drafts of the preface and introductory notes, a bibliography, publicity blurbs, and proofs.

The SUBJECT FILES contain notes, newspaper clippings, and preliminary and final drafts of the vignettes that make up Echoes of Our Past . Each story was published originally in the La Crosse Tribune as part of Katz’s local history column, which also bore the title, “Echoes of Our Past”. Clippings of each article as it appeared in the Tribune are included in the files. A number of the vignettes cover similar topics. The stories about Frank Burton, Mamie Cummings and David Darst, for example, all involve murders, while major La Crosse fires are covered in the essays about the Cameron Hotel, Gund Brewery, Park Store, Third Street, and paddle wheeler War Eagle. There is a large file on the Mississippi River as well as individual files on the river boat War Eagle, Wagon Bridge, and river pirates. In addition many stories cover more than one specific topic. The Copeland Avenue and Cameron Park files contain biographical material on Frederick Copeland and Peter Cameron, respectively, while the Mons Anderson file contains information on business and home, as do the Easton family and Albert Hirshheimer files.

The papers conclude with a section entitled “Chronological history of La Crosse”. It contains notes for, and drafts of the chronology that makes up the last chapter of Echoes of Our Past .

Myer Katz was born in 1910, in La Crosse, Wisconsin. He was educated at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and at George Washington University in Washington D.C. Further graduate studies were pursued at the University of Minnesota, University of Chicago, and American University. Katz worked as an educator and research biologist before joining the family business, W. U. Katz, an industrial metals firm located in La Crosse.

A longtime student of La Crosse history, Katz did a great deal of lecturing and writing on the subject, including writing regular features on local history for the La Crosse Tribune. In 1985, he published Echoes of Our Past , which contains a selection of the articles he wrote on local history. One of Katz’s interests was Jewish history and La Crosse’s Jewish community. Katz died in 1993 in La Crosse, Wisconsin.

(Clipping file)

La Crosse--Biographies--Katz, Myer

The photographs included in this collection have been photocopied, the copies placed in the files. The original prints have been added to the Archives Room picture file.

• Katz, Myer, 1910-1993
• La Crosse (Wis.)--History
• Wisconsin--History, Local

	Series: Business Aspects
Box 1   Folder 1	Notes on "Echoes" file
	Book preparation
Box 1   Folder 2-3	Bibliography
Box 1   Folder 4	Dust jacket
Box 1   Folder 5-7	Organization of book
Box 1   Folder 8	Photographs
Box 1   Folder 9	Preface and introduction
Box 1   Folder 10	Publicity blurbs
Box 2   Folder 1 Box 1   Folder 11-16	Proofs
	Series: Subject Files	⇧
Box 6   Folder 5-8	Chronological history of La Crosse, 1680-1980
Box 2   Folder 2-4	Anderson, Mons
Box 2   Folder 5	Burns, Timothy
Box 2   Folder 6-8	Burton, Frank assassination
Box 2   Folder 9-10	Cameron, Dr. Dugald drowning
Box 2   Folder 11-12	Cameron, Emma
Box 2   Folder 13	Cameron, Peter
Box 2   Folder 14	Cameron-Ellis killing
Box 2   Folder 15-16	Cameron Hotel and fire
Box 2   Folder 17	Cameron Park
Box 3   Folder 1-2	Clarke, Joseph
Box 3   Folder 3-5	Copeland Avenue
Box 3   Folder 6-7	Cummings, Mamie
Box 3   Folder 8-9	Dack, Martin
Box 3   Folder 10	Darst, David
Box 3   Folder 11	Dexter (the fire dog)
Box 3   Folder 12	Easton family
Box 3   Folder 13	Fire Department
Box 3   Folder 14-15	Fourth of July celebration
Box 3   Folder 16-17	Garland, Hamlin
Box 3   Folder 18-19	Gile, Abner (and Gile Mansion)
Box 3   Folder 20-21	Gund Brewery, 1897
Box 3   Folder 22-23	Hirshheimer family and La Crosse Plow Company
Box 3   Folder 24	Indian evacuation
Box 3   Folder 25	La Crosse Bar Association
Box 4   Folder 1-2	La Crosse Club
Box 4   Folder 3	La Crosse Medical College
Box 4   Folder 4-5	Levy, John and Fredericka
Box 4   Folder 6-7	Mayors of La Crosse
Box 4   Folder 8-10	Mississippi River
Box 4   Folder 11-12	Myrick, Andrew
Box 4   Folder 13-14	Onalaska
Box 5   Folder 1-2	Park Store fire, 1903
Box 5   Folder 3	Pictured cave
Box 5   Folder 4	Piracy on the Mississippi River
Box 5   Folder 5	Plank Road
Box 5   Folder 6-7	Riverside Park cannon (Spanish Cannon)
Box 5   Folder 8-10	Stoddard Hotel
Box 5   Folder 11-12	Street names
Box 5   Folder 13-14	President Taft's visit to La Crosse
Box 5   Folder 15	Third Street fire
Box 5   Folder 16-17	Trees
Box 5   Folder 18-19	Valentino's
Box 5   Folder 20 Box 6   Folder 1	Wagon Bridge
Box 6   Folder 2-3	War Eagle
Box 6   Folder 4	Women's rights, 1909