Midwinter Strawberries and Roses

Caroline C. Morris

Catalog Number: 2017.fic.973     

In 1927, La Crosse resident Marian Dorset struck out for the sunny West Coast, taking a train for “4 days & 4 nights” before arriving at Alameda, California. She was so delighted by what she found that she sent home a postcard of “Midwinter Strawberries and Roses in California.”

California was the land of dreams for many Americans in the early twentieth century, and particularly for those Americans who lived in cold winter climates. By the 1920s, Hollywood had introduced Americans to California’s sunshine, glamor, and endless opportunities for re-invention. But the Golden State promised something even more alluring: happiness.

For a Wisconsinite, strawberries and roses were the perfect illustration of “happiness.” Wisconsin winters are long and dark, but fresh fruit and flowers abound in California year-round. Pasadena’s civic boosters understood the powerful appeal of fresh roses in winter, which is why they began staging the Rose Parade on New Year’s Day in 1890, a tradition that continues today. What better way to show off California’s paradise than parading aromatic flowers down the street in January? California’s strawberry industry grew by leaps and bounds in the 1920s as non-Californians developed a taste (and had the disposable income) for fresh produce in winter. After several months of eating root vegetables and sauerkraut, no wonder Americans from northern states went wild for California strawberries.

Not all were content with tasting California from afar; some, like Marian Dorset, wanted to experience it first-hand. Trains regularly brought thousands of visitors to the state, hoping to enjoy a bit of the “California Dream” for themselves. Marian Dorset took the Oriental Limited on the Great Northern Burlington Route, which ran from St. Paul to Seattle, then down the Pacific Coast to California. On the way, she enjoyed watching sunsets out of the back of the Observation Car and saw “some most wonderful sights.”[1] Once in Alameda, she rented an apartment and had access to the Pacific Ocean, the San Francisco Bay, and all the strawberries and roses she could get her hands on. If she was looking for happiness, one presumes that she found it.

This article was originally published in the La Crosse Tribune on March 12, 2016.

Ribbon Announced Union Membership

By Robert Mullen

Catalog Number: 2015.016.01     

At the beginning of the twentieth century unionized workers proudly displayed their membership by wearing colorful ribbons to Labor Day parades and union activities. This ribbon, from the La Crosse Typographical Union No. 448, is a classic example of the elegant ribbons worn a hundred years ago.

The La Crosse Typographical Union No. 448 was organized in 1901 under the auspices of the International Typographical Union (ITU). It consisted of printers who worked for newspapers and job printing shops. At the time there were four daily and twelve weekly newspapers being published in the city as well as eleven shops that did job printing for other businesses and organizations. The union’s aim was to ensure that the wage and working standards established by the union were met by the employers of printers. These shops were allowed to imprint the union label on their work and often received the business of other unionized industries.

The ribbon features vertical red, white and blue stripes with “La Crosse Typographical Union No. 448” imprinted in silver ink. A brass and celluloid pin holder imprinted with “printers” is attached at the top and a brass shield holding the enameled ITU emblem hangs below it. A metallic gold fringe finishes the bottom of the ribbon.

Reversing the ribbon reveals a second black ribbon on the back of the pin. That side was worn when attending the funeral of another union member. This century-old ribbon is in perfect condition and appears to have never been used. It was donated to the La Crosse County Historical Society by the family of the late Irwin Talg, the last president of the local printers’ union. Mr. Talg worked for many years as a linotype operator at the La Crosse Tribune.

By 1980, technologies in typesetting and printing had changed dramatically, and most of the work in publishing a newspaper was being done from the keyboard of a computer. The union had too few members to continue, so they asked for their charter to be revoked by the national union. 

This article was originally published in the La Crosse Tribune March 5, 2016.

This object can be viewed in our online collections database by clicking here.

Softball Leagues

by Caroline Morris

Catalog Number: 2015.025.01

Next year is here, baseball fans. Pitchers and catchers reported a few weeks ago, and now the full squad is practicing at spring training camps all over the country. Too early for baseball for you? Let’s get warmed up with some softball.

Wisconsin has a proud tradition of amateur softball leagues. By the mid-20th century, softball was a regular feature summer evenings and weekends, and it was not just for kids. La Crosse boasted several softball leagues through the years, including a league organized by the American Legion for which the La Crosse Rubber Mills fielded a team. Other teams in the league included the Peerless Brewers and Al’s Snowcaps.

An unknown employee of the La Crosse Rubber Mills Company wore this uniform while playing for the Rubber Mills softball team, probably some time between the late 1940s and the 1970s. The white letters and orange trim must have popped against the black background in the waning light of a summer evening.

In the mid-twentieth century, businesses often sponsored softball or bowling teams, providing equipment and moral support for the employees who volunteered to play in their time off. Employers liked the arrangement because it provided the company with good advertising, a civic presence, and healthier employees. Employees liked it because it was fun.

This article was originally published in the La Crosse Tribune on February 27, 2016.

This object can be viewed in our online collections database by clicking here.