Project Memories is primarily the work of
Stoughton Historical Society members and
dedicated volunteers Kathy Thode and her
husband George.
Kathy interviews local
senior residents about their childhood, youth and teen
years in or around Stoughton. These personal accounts provide
invaluable insight into a history few books expound upon. Though
admittedly biased by personal perspective, these narrations also
express the individual feelings and temperament of the moment.
Documented
with both pen & paper, and tape recorder, the story formats are
blended together into a cohesive historical accounting as they are
transcribed into a computer record.
Before finalizing, the person
originally interviewed has the opportunity to review, edit and augment
their story. Once finalized, a copy is provided to the interviewee and
two copies are kept in the Stoughton Museum’s permanent files.
Video
interviews are also being added to the collection. These videos are
shown periodically on Stoughton Channel 12 local cable network and
may, in the future, be incorporated into a museum’s display.
Over
the past several years there have been over 50 audio interviews plus a
half dozen video conversations. A number of accounts have also been
contributed by persons now living in other parts of the country who
were once Stoughton residents
The
long range plan is to compile a booklet, or book, to permanently
preserve these accounts and make them available to the public at large.
Anyone
interested contributing their notes or being interviewed can contact:
George and Kathy Thode, 873-9851 or send your memories to: 1124 Hwy 51
and 138, Stoughton, WI 53589.
 E x c e r p t s
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"At
about age four, I ran away with my niece! I put her on the wagon and
took off. I was one year older than she was and I must have been mad at
someone. We walked down by the cemetery (Riverside). I was terrified of
the metal bridge by the dam but I was going across it when they caught
up with us." — F.L. |
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"There
was a miniature golf course on West Main Street between the old Maloof
house and where Larry Wene had a little Standard service station. This
area is now 301 W. Main. The course was a real nice one with brick
walks and little streams."— B.S. |
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"One
time I got caught skipping school for the afternoon. I spent two weeks
helping the janitor sweep out the high school after school. We called
it ‘two weeks on the broom’. Sadly, the high school has been torn
down."— B.S. |
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"A
story about police Chief Cliff Kriedeman. He was a huge man who dished
out fair and fitting punishment. ‘Our son and friends went out one
Halloween and came back right away. The Chief had caught them throwing
eggs, so every Saturday, they went to the dump and threw stones from
one side to the other and then went over and picked them up again, and
threw them back to the other side. They did this every Saturday for a
month."— H.A. |
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"We
butchered our chickens after they quit laying eggs at the end of
summer. We were able to store eggs for quite a while. We got an earthen
jar, put the eggs in and covered them with a solution that looked like
liquid starch. We put a cover over the jar so the eggs didn’t float to
the top. My job was to dip my hands in that slime and get out eggs for
breakfast."— C.H. |
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"Sol
Wigsmoen and Earl Heron were self appointed ‘town constables’. Some
prankster would tell them that traffic was getting snarled so they
would go out in the street and grandly direct traffic until an officer
came along."— unk |
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"The
kids forgot to take the rice out of the package and threw the whole
package at us. My mother bought the best wedding cake in town – it cost
$2.50."— J.E |
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"We was married in my folk’s front room. His mother cried so hard that his sister said ‘shut up ma’. (1942)"— H.E |
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