MEETING MINUTES
Wednesday, February 14, 2014
Thompson Community Center
CALL TO ORDER BY CHAIRPERSON TOM SUTTER
TOTAL ATTENDANCE: 83
OFFICERS AND BOARD MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE:
Tom Sutter, Christine Williams, Laura Leimer, James Richter, Mark Moderson, Gwen Sargeant, Linda Muldoon, Brian Schneider, David Buss, John Marx, and Karen Probst.
REVIEW OF UPCOMING MEETINGS AND PROGRAMS:
March 1st History Fair at the Appleton Indoor Farmers Market 9am to 12:30 pm
March 12th Appleton Bicyling History , by Gwen Sargent
April 9th Appleton- Then and Now, by Scott Mahnke
May 14th Hoffman Construction, since 1892, by Paul Hoffman and Miles Girouard
APPLETON HISTORICAL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONAL INFORMATION:
· Officers and Committee Chairs for the organization are as follows:
A. President - Thomas Sutter
B. Vice President - Christine Williams
C. Secretary – James Richter
D. Treasurer – Laura Leimer
· Committee Chairs for the organization are as follows:
A. Mark and Karen Moderson, Principal Organizers
B. Brian Schneider, Technical Resources
C. David Buss, Research Specialist
D. Gwen Sargeant, Public Relations and Web Page
PRESIDENT SUTTER ANNOUNCEMENTS:
A. Thanks for the gracious comments he received regarding his and wife Janet’s presentation at our January meeting.
B. Introduced the organization’s officers and board members.
C. Wanted to give special recognition to a dedicated civil servant that is also an AHS Board Member. Karen Probst has just completed 28 years of service with the Appleton Public Library and has retired.
D. We are featured as this month’s special: 1928 Wisconsin Magazine on Appleton.
E. Special thanks is also extended to Gannett Publications for regular coverage in their Bulletin paper.
F. Just a reminder that previous meeting presentations can be found on YouTube, and our Meeting Minutes with Program Summary are on our Web Page.
G. Door Prize – Two Car Wash Tokens provided by Bergstrom Automotive. Drawing was done by Pat Boldt and the winner was Gloria Bjornerud.
H. Final reminder to renew your annual membership if you have not yet done so.
AHS COMMUNICATIONS REPORTS:
Christine Williams, Vice President, and Communications Committee Member:
1. Gave a summary of upcoming AHS programs through May (See List Above). Urged those attending to pickup fliers on our 2014 events and post them through the community.
2. Made special note of our 8th History Fair at the City Center will be held March 1st.
3. Encouraged us to attend a program on the historic Appleton Milk Strikes that will be presented on March 19th at 7:00 p.m. at the Outagamie Museum.
Gwen Sargeant, Board and Public Relations Committee Member:
1. Gave an overview of next month’s program that she will be co-presenter of on the History of Cycling -1869 to present.
8th AHS HISTORY FAIR PREPARATIONS:
James Richter, Co-Chairman, along with Mark Moderson, Co-Chairman, reported that plans are complete for our 8th History Fair. The event will again be held as part of the Appleton Downtown Winter Farm Market at the City Center in downtown Appleton.
A wide array of exhibits and artifacts will be displayed. Our Central Theme for this event is Appleton’s Historic Dairies, which includes producers of Milk, Ice Cream, Cheese, and Whey. All are urged to attend.
COMMENTS FROM THE COMMUNITY:
Each meeting the AHS Officers and Board Members receive some good suggestions from our members and guests. Also some ideas come from the general public, for example:
A. A recent donation from the estate of amateur, local historian Jerry Wirtz, provides AHS a wealth of facts about Appleton History. Jerry even created an Appleton History Multiple Choice Quiz. We are looking at running a question or two at upcoming monthly meetings.
B. Dan Balliet, retired Appleton Junior High School Teacher, suggests we should develop a “Family Club of those with more than 100 years of local history”.
PROGRAM- The 125 Year History of Appleton’s the Boldt Company – presented by Oscar and Tom Boldt
Oscar J. Boldt’s Background:
Oscar joined the construction business in 1948 and for over 65 years Oscar has been active in the operations of The Boldt Group Inc. Oscar has a B.S., Civil Engineering - University of Wisconsin and was in the US Army/Air Force – Serving as a navigator and bombardier on B-24’s flying 18 missions out of Italy. USAAF, 1943 – 1945 15TH Air Force 2nd LT.
Tom Boldt’s Background:
Representing Boldt's fourth generation of family leadership, Tom Boldt stands as the bridge between a groundbreaking past and a rich, exciting future. Tom has been a visionary and committed thoughtful leader, Tom embraced evocative philosophies such as sustainable building and lean philosophies years before they entered the public consciousness and industry conversations. His passion for learning and discovery served him well at Minnesota's St. Olaf College, where he earned his BA, as well as L'Universite de Paris 3 and L'Institut Catholique de Paris, both in Paris, France. We are delighted to welcome Oscar and Tom Boldt.
About the Boldt Company:
The firm was founded in 1889 by Martin Boldt and named Martin Boldt and Sons. The Boldt Group, Inc. and its subsidiary companies: The Boldt Company, Oscar J. Boldt Construction, Boldt Technical Services, Boldt Consulting Services, and Paper Valley Corporation. The headquarters are in Appleton, Wisconsin with over a dozen regional offices. The company operates throughout the country with the heaviest concentration of activity in the Midwest, South, and West.
The Boldt Company Past and Present: (Tom Boldt Portion)
.
A. A They are happy to report that the economy is improving and the construction industry is a major indicator of this.
B. B Tom stressed that today they will be focusing on the company’s history before 1950.
C. C Dan Boldt emigrated in 1851 from Wilson, Germany. (Wilson was in the Mecklenburg Region).
D. D Dan was a farmer originally and came first to Slinger, Wisconsin.
E. He then moved to Brillion where he owned a farm and raised 3 sons and 2 daughters.
F. From 1888 to 1889 two of his sons moved to Appleton. Dan later moved to Appleton and passed away there in 1901.
G. Martin Boldt, one of Dan’s sons, and Tom Boldt’s Great Great Grandfather, started the Boldt Company. They were known as Martin Boldt and Sons and operated from an office at 1114 Spencer Street with carpentry as their specialty.
H. Next office was in a building at 806 W. College Avenue where we are meeting tonight.
I. Martin had three kids including Oscar C. Boldt.
J. Martin was like his heirs also very active in the Appleton community.
K. Back then the firm advertised themselves as “reasonable and reliable contractors”.
L. Many of the houses built during Martin’s tenure are still standing, including:
1. 412 to 416 W. Fifth Street
2. 602 S. Walnut Street
3. Butter Grocery, 204 N. Richmond Street
4. 834 W. Prospect Avenue
5. 836 W. Prospect Avenue
M. The firm diversified into other areas including having a patent for a bowling pin which was sold by Oscar C. Boldt to the R.C. Herren Co., Canada, on March 21, 1917, for $4,000.00.
N. The firm also patented a more sanitary grocery counter.
O. As the firm grew they evolved into Commercial Buildings.
P. During the Depression the firm built the huge Modern Bakery. With funding shortfalls they became a partner in the firm, and stayed in the bakery business for many years.
Q. Oscar J. Boldt joined the company in 1948, and was married to Pat Boldt in 1951.
R. Back in the 50’s Oscar thoroughly enjoyed working on cars as a hobby.
The Boldt Company Past and Present: (Oscar Boldt Portion)
AHe joined the company 66 years ago.
BOscar like most of the Boldts likes to take things apart and put them back together again.
CHe graduated from High School in 1942 and then went to school in Madison where he obtained an Engineering Degree.
DHe returned to Appleton and joined the company in 1948.
EHe got involved in building gas stations.
FAn early structure that he managed construction of was St. Timothy’s Church in Menasha, which they built for $136,000.00.
GThey then built the Ripon College.
HBuilt the Thilmany Paper Plant in the company’s earlier years, and have been their principal contractor ever since.
IThey then got involved in building hospitals, starting in northern Wisconsin and then in Wausau. Then went to Memphis, Tennessee, and then several communities in that area. This was followed by building another hospital in Saudi Arabia.
JIn 1979 they got into Lean Construction, which features continuous improvement.
KThe Fox Cities Performing Arts Center was one of their first projects of this type.
LShortly thereafter they went into California with a number of large projects for the Sutter Co. This advanced into doing a Hospital for Sutter in Sacramento, the Sutter Medical Center.
MThey returned to Wisconsin to build two large buildings at the Milwaukee Children’s Hospital.
NTheir company finds great success in taking new college graduates and teaching them to be Project Managers in two years.
OThey have now got into Biomass.
PA next project was St. Luke’s Hospital in Milwaukee for $150,000.000.00.
QOscar said “if it sounds like I like this business, I really adore it!”
RThe most employees the firm has had on payroll at one time was 3,100. Currently they have 2,000 staff- the difference is they now manage a lot of their subcontractors.
SLast year the firm did $712,000,000.00 in business, and hope to reach $800,000,000.00 this year.
TSuccess comes with a big investment in machinery of $30 to $40 million.
Conclusion:
Oscar closed by saying that “their take on construction is to leave your imprint on it!”
Respectfully, James L. Richter
AHS Secretary, 3/14/14