I was lucky enough to meet with Bob Dodsworth, who founded the Mazomanie Historical Society in 1966. Bob explained that the historical society and the library, while independent entities, share a building that used to be the railroad depot. The structure was built by the Milwaukee and Mississippi Railroad Company in 1857, and it was restored to its original form in 1993, which was when it began its new life as a library and research center.
The Mazomanie Historical Society also maintains a museum, which is housed in a building that served as an electrical generation plant in its first life. Today the museum consists of four rooms and an attached jail (no longer in use!), and displays permanent exhibits about Mazomanie’s settlement and development, as well as rotating exhibits.
The Mazomanie Historical Society has over 500 postcards, which I was permitted to leaf through and examine. Bob Dodsworth said the postcards have been slowly trickling in since he founded the society in 1966, and that today some are even found on eBay. The collection really does run the gamut, though there are some repeaters—the high school, in particular, seemed to be a popular choice.
On the back of the above postcard (stamped 1908), someone wrote a note to the receiver; the sender and the receiver must have attended together.
Various downtown views of Mazomanie were also popular postcards.
Above is a postcard, dated 1911, showing a Mazomanie street car traveling through downtown.
And here are another couple views of downtown. The upper is dated 1910, and the lower is undated.
Here is the Mazomanie Public Library and Historical Society Research Center in its previous incarnation as a busy railroad depot, 1909.
Sometimes the postcards took a more serious turn, such as these that depict the damage done by two deadly tornados.
This postcard of Hitler is one that offered no clues on the back about where it came from.
And, to end on a more lighthearted note, here is proof (in case anyone has forgotten) that photo doctoring was possible pre-Photoshop! On the back, the sender wrote to the receiver that he thought the corn was “grown near where you grew up.”
Special thanks to Bob Dodsworth for welcoming me to the Mazomanie Historical Society, filling me in on its origins and collections, and giving a personal tour of the museum!
Images of postcards courtesy of the Mazomanie Historical Society.
The Mazomanie Historical Society has over 500 postcards, which I was permitted to leaf through and examine. Bob Dodsworth said the postcards have been slowly trickling in since he founded the society in 1966, and that today some are even found on eBay. The collection really does run the gamut, though there are some repeaters—the high school, in particular, seemed to be a popular choice.
On the back of the above postcard (stamped 1908), someone wrote a note to the receiver; the sender and the receiver must have attended together.
Various downtown views of Mazomanie were also popular postcards.
Above is a postcard, dated 1911, showing a Mazomanie street car traveling through downtown.
And here are another couple views of downtown. The upper is dated 1910, and the lower is undated.
Here is the Mazomanie Public Library and Historical Society Research Center in its previous incarnation as a busy railroad depot, 1909.
Sometimes the postcards took a more serious turn, such as these that depict the damage done by two deadly tornados.
This postcard of Hitler is one that offered no clues on the back about where it came from.
And, to end on a more lighthearted note, here is proof (in case anyone has forgotten) that photo doctoring was possible pre-Photoshop! On the back, the sender wrote to the receiver that he thought the corn was “grown near where you grew up.”
Special thanks to Bob Dodsworth for welcoming me to the Mazomanie Historical Society, filling me in on its origins and collections, and giving a personal tour of the museum!
Images of postcards courtesy of the Mazomanie Historical Society.
Entry compiled by Marisa Hirsch.
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