Plain Wisconsin Collection

PL1 South view of Plain before 1910, small foreground buildings are Cramer brick kilns.

PL2 Main St., 1923

PL3 Bird’s eye view, 1908

PL4 Alma Ave., Cramer Bros. store sold to Philip Bettinger, 1921, Pete Peters tavern, Joseph Kramer shop (now Delmar Rings.

PL5 St. Luke’s Ave, Clover Hill cheese factory, now Meixelsperger apartments

PL6 Ease view of Plain, cornfield covers Nachreiner Ave.

PL7 North side Main St., “Trolley”, Joseph T. Ruhland Feed & Sawmill; Luke Ring Blacksmith shop; Cramer Bros. store.

PL8 Wachter Ave., Pat Walsh Saloon, Reuschlein Bros. store, Franklin Town Hall

PL9 Reuschlein Bros. store, dance hall second floor; Plon Bros. Saloon; Butcher shop

PL10 Main Street

PL11 Residence section

PL12 Cedar St., 1910

PL13 Busy Day, Plain

PL14 East Main St. on shopping Day

PL15 South side Main St., c. 1900. Joseph Volk Saloon; John Ring, Joseph Beck, Joseph Stautner, This building moved & became home of Louis Hetzel. Schwartz Saloon & Hotel, George Weizer, George Grauvogel, Gruber’s Tavern, Mixelsprecher’s Bar, John Alt Jr. Beck & Nachreiner Store.

PL16 Wachter Ave., L-R: Pat Walsh Tavern, Reuschlein Bros. Store & dance hall, Creamery

PL17 A winter day butchering hogs, Joe Frank Sr., Joe Frank Jr., Alfons Frank, John A. Frank,

Frank Rack, Otto Frank

PL18 Dr. P.H. Fowler, MD

PL19 Annie Rineland?, Annie Frank Haas, Ada Portner, Gisela Frank Kramer, Albert Thering, Clara Thering, Anna Thering, John A. Frank, Francis Bayer, Emma Frank Martin, Alphonse Frank, Spike the dog. Back, left is Joseph Frank’s bake oven.

PL20 Frank Schreiner, Edward Gruber, Ignatz Schreiner.

PL21 Mike Ring’s General Store, L-R: Mike Ring, Adela Beck Hetzel

PL22 Main Street Garage, Jack Ederer, Frank Martin

PL23 Mary Soeldner Frank, grandmother of Iris Umhoefer

PL24 Ray Ring Drug & Soda Fountain, Frank Martin, Bill Reuschlein, Ray Ring

PL25 Clara Beck, Giesella Frank, Mabel Walsh, Adela Beck

PL26 Plain Cyclone, May 21, 1918, Joseph Laubmier, Mrs. Elizabeth Beck

PL27 Plain Cyclone, May 21, 1918, Unknown

PL28 Plain Cyclone, May 21, 1918, Cemetery

PL29 Plain Cyclone, May 21, 1918, Casper Volk barn

PL30 Plain Cyclone, May 21, 1918, A. Rolette resturant, rear view

PL31 Plain Cyclone, May 21, 1918, ruins of 3 rd St. Luke’s church

PL32 Plain Cyclone, May 21, 1918, Steeple among the ruins

PL33 Plain Cyclone, May 21, 1918, Albert Liegel garage, rear view

PL34 Plain Cyclone, May 21, 1918, Debris from cyclone

PL35 Plain Cyclone, May 21, 1918, Debris from cyclone

PL36 Plain Cyclone, May 21, 1918, John Brechtl farm

PL37 Plain Cyclone, May 21, 1918, Priest’s house

PL38 Plain Cyclone, May 21, 1918, Power house

PL39 Plain Cyclone, May 21, 1918, Unknown location

PL40 Plain Cyclone, May 21, 1918, Sister house

PL41 St. Luke’s School & Chapel, 4 th church built, dedicated Oct. 1920

PL42 Interior, St. Luke’s Chapel, later converted to library space

PL43 Interior of Present St. Luke’s church

PL44 Interior of present St. Luke’s church

PL45 Rectory, Rev. George Pesch

PL46 3 rd St. Luke’s church, left altar

PL47 3 rd St. Luke’s church, main altar

PL48 3 rd St. Luke’s church, right altar

PL49 St. Luke’s church dedicated in 1940

PL50 St. Luke’s church, L-R: School 1920, Church 1940, Rectory 1922

PL51 First St. Luke’s church built in 1861

PL52 St. Luke’s church built in 1885. 2 nd Rectory 1888, 1 st School 1876, converted to a horse barn in 1888, 1 st Rectory 1875, changed to Convent & school in 1888. Church demolished in 1903 to make way for new church.

PL53 St. Luke’s completed in 1904, destroyed by cyclone in 1918.

PL54 St. Luke’s school built 1894, Dominican Sisters arrived in 1895. Convent now part of private residence.

PL55 School built in 1894 with addition added in 1900

PL56 Sister’s residence built in 1926

PL57 Holy Name Society rally of Sauk, Juneau, Richland counties, 1929

PL58 Holy Name Society members

PL59 St. Anne Council of Knights of Columbus formed in 1957. First officers elected. L-R, standing: Clarence Young, Ray Liegel, Herb Ruhland, Bob Young, Frank Haag, Ralph Soeldner, Vic Liegel, Mike Liegel. Seated: Louis Bettinger, Edward Kraemer, Rev. Edmund Bettinger, Joe Voelkel, Rev. Clement Haines, Albert Kraemenr, Rupert Schultz.

PL60 Father Pesch’s funeral

PL61 Lourdes Grotto on St. Ane’s Hill, built b the John & Mary Dischler family

PL62 Section XIV of the Way of the Cross on St. Anne’s Hill

PL63 Father Pesch, arrived in Plain July 1909, died June 7, 1918.

PL64 First Solem Communion classes of 1918 and 1919. Because of 1918 tornado, that year’s class had to wait a year and combine with 1919 class for this rite. This house is the John B. Liegel home, now the home of Erna Ringelstetter

PL65 Knignts of Columbus, L-R, Standing: Edward Crowley, ?, ?, Ralph Soeldner, Mike Liegel, Herb Ruhland, Albert Kraemer. Sitting: Louis Bettinger, Rev. Clement Haines, Joe Voelkel, Edward Kraemer, Rupert Schutz.

PL66 St. Luke’s Catholic School (see PL66a for descriptions)

PL67 Chapel on Council Bluff, now St. Anne’s Chapel

PL68 Beginning of dedication procession July 1928

PL69 Some of more than 1000 people who joined the procession

PL70 Procession as it climbs St. Anne’s Hill, July 192

PL71 Pilgrims who climbed the hill for dedication. Note men & women in separate groups, was the custom at that time.

PL72 Same as PL71

PL73 Before 1910

PL74 Before 1910, with superimposed airplane

PL75 c. 1960

PL76 c. 1960

PL77 1921

PL78 Southwestern view, 1921

PL79 Beginning of Westbrook subdivision, c. 1970

PL80 Swimming Pool

PL81 Plain Brass Band. L-R, seated: Adella Beck Hetzel, Clara Beck, Lucinda Liegel Ascherl, Esther Weiss, John Weiss. Center: Walter Liegel, Anthony Young, Joe Bauer, Philip Bettinger Sr., Louis J. Bettinger. Back: Alphonse Kraemer, Alois Ruhland, Henry Reuschlein,Walter Neuheisel, Joseph Ferstl.

PL82 John Meier, Cashier Plain State Bank, 1922-31

PL83 Adella Beck & Mike Ring, in Ring’s General Store

PL84 Adella Beck & Mike Ring, in Ring’s General Store, 1924

PL85 Ice house, Reuschlein Bros. store & J.J. Haas Saloon, both built in 1900. Plon’s Butcher Shop and icehouse.

PL86 Philip Bettinger Sr., & Agnes Walsh in Bettinger’s General Store

PL87 Joseph Ferstl in Blacksmith Shop

PL88 Philip Bettinger Sr., & Agnes Walsh in Bettinger’s General Store

PL89 Fred Schreiner Blacksmith Shop, Main St., 1924. L-R: Fred Schreiner, Ed Gruber, Ignatz Schreiner at the anvil.

PL90 Wachter Ave., looking North.L: Pat Walsh Saloon, Reuschlein Store. Right: Frank Haag residence, Franklin Town Hall

PL91 Water tower before it was taken down

PL92 FS Cooperative, now gone

PL93 Sunnyside School

PL94 Kraemer building at Main St. & Wachter Ave.

PL95 Farmer’s State Bank

PL96 Palace Bar

PL97 St. Patrick’s Church, Loreto

PL98 Plain Municipal Building

PL99 Plain Fire Protection District building

PL100 Plain Fire Protection District truck

PL101 U.S. Post Office

PL102 Mike Ring Storefront, Main St., when owned by Schluter & Young

PL103 Franklin Town Hall

PL104 Arsenic and Old Lace, 1965. L-R: Standing: LeRoy Heiser, Bob Young, Joe Voelkel,

Lawrence Brechtl, Duane Kraemer, Joe Wankerl, Mortimer (dummy), Ralph Soeklner,

George Liegel, Bill Weiss, Richard Schmid, Victor Liegel, Ed Paulus, Rev. LaVerne Meier.

Seated: Ray Liegel, Bill Laubmeier, Clarence Young. Play was presented in January 1965

by an all-male case of members from the Knights of Columbus.

PL105-PL122 Scenes from Arsenic & Old Lace, 1965.

PL123-PL149 Bicentennial Pageant, Guard Theater, 1976, St. Luke’s Plain presentation

PL150 Road near Plain

PL151 Joseph (Seep) Lechner with 2-headed calf in front of Ring’s Bar

PL152 Baseball team, 1953. Back: Don Meister, Ed Paulus, Al Feiner, Damian Kraemer, Bill Weiss, Bob McNurlen, Clarence Young. Front: Gene Alt, Harry Pulvermacher, Don “Stickles” Nachreiner, Dave Alt (bat boy), Bill Feiner, Johnny Beatty, Cal Sorg.

PL153 St. Luke’s Parish women in front of old grade school. Mrs. Ed L____, Mrs Henry ?, Mrs.John Wetzel, Mrs. Lawrence Needham, Mrs. Wm Reuschlein, Mrs. Anna Ringelstetter, Mrs. Joe Weis Sr., Mrs. M. Ring, Margaret Laumier, Mrs. Hilda Schultz.

PL154 Painting of Main St., Plain, 1910, by Fr. Gary Wankerl, Acrylic on Canvas, painted 2003.

PL155 Painting, P.H. Fowler, M.D., “Came to Plain in 1905 and gave 58 years of his life unselfishly for the welfare of the people in this community.”

PL156 Painting, Sir Edward Kraemer, K.S.G., 50 years village Trustee of Plain

PL157 Parsonage, 1924

PL158 Busy Day

PL159 Priest House ruins, tornado

PL160 St. Lukes School & Chapel 1921

PL161 Village, c. 1916

PL162 Catholic Church

PL163 St. Ann’s Hill, 7-26-28, women

PL164 Philip Bettinger & Agnes Walsch, inside store

PL165 Clover Hill cheese factory

PL166 Interior St. Lukes Chapel

PL167 St. Lukes

PL168 Fr. Pesch at the parsonage, built by Rev. Duren for $1,300 in 1888

PL169 Interior St. Luke’s

PL170 Interior St. Ann’s Chapel-Shrine

PL171 St. Luke’s church started in 1903, red brick, completed in 1904 and first mass celebrated Easter Sunday, 1904. Completed & equipped for $26,000.

PL172 Fr. M.F. Weishar, Loretto, 1918

PL173 St. Luck’s church

PL174 Village of Plain