Tales from the old-timer

Old Peshtigo Story

Peshtigo was a “town of immigrants” back when my dad was young. The area north of what is now US 41, Maple St., was “Swede Town,” which included Norwegians also, and there was a Swedish Lutheran Church on Beebe Ave. and a Norwegian Lutheran Church on Noquebay Ave. South of Maple Street was “French Town” and across the river on the west side was “German Town.”

West side Catholics outnumbered east side Catholics, and they won the territorial dispute as to where the church should be. The congregation bought an old Congre-gational Church near Triangle Park and Contractor Edmund Dupuis put it on rollers and towed it to the location on Oconto Avenue, a great achievement, where it eventually became the home of the Peshtigo Historical Museum. A new building was put up elsewhere on the west side.

A French-Canadian nicknamed “Che John” (Little John) was born in French Canada Jan. 1, 1864. He came to Peshtigo with his family about 1895, 24 years after the great fire. Peshtigo was a booming sawmill town with plenty of jobs for these immigrants, but Che John, being one of Peshtigo’s alcoholics, had no steady work. He was a “pig sticker,” or itinerant butcher by trade, my Dad told me, at a time when town families often raised one or two hogs for home consumption. Chickens roamed freely in those days.

Tavern patrons, for a laugh, would sometimes call Che John off the street to offer him a shot of whiskey, with an angleworm at the bottom of the shot glass. He would down the drink, worm and all, as he had a craving for alcohol in any form, and he would drink it in any form, whiskey, brandy or gin.

What else would Che John do on Christmas Day, Dec. 25, 1909 but to get drunk, even drunker than usual, to celebrate? He got so drunk that Police Chief Zimmerman lodged him in the city hall’s tiny jail cell. The French community told it that the Police Chief himself had had a few that day, and that he “forgot to build a fire,” and the nighttime temperature was said to have reached twenty degrees below zero. Che John was dead in the morning, frozen to death in his cell.

The death certificate states that death occurred at 4 A.M. Dec. 26, 1909. It was signed “James Twede, Coroner.” There is no physician’s signature on the document.

There was no uproar, no scandal, no investigation. The Frenchmen, meeting on the street that day, would shrug their shoulders with Gaullic resignation, and say, “Che John, he froze to death.”

I personally checked the records listed here, and my dad told me about Che John’s sad Christmas story.

Recent stories, opinions and photos

Issue Date	Department	Headline
06-19-2013	Front Page	Co. Forwards $10.8 Million Capital Improvement Plan
06-19-2013	Front Page	County Board Will Act On 911 Upgrade, Appointments
06-19-2013	Front Page	Town Peshtigo Okays Purchase Of Fire Truck
06-19-2013	Front Page	Peshtigo School District Hike Health Insurance Contribution
06-19-2013	Front Page	Marinette County Pay Study Updated
06-19-2013	Sports	Coleman Duo Tops M-O Baseball
06-19-2013	Sports	Doubleheader Split Caps Busy Week For Marinette
06-19-2013	Sports	Oconto Captures State Title
06-19-2013	Sports	Rangers Roughed Up In State Semifinals
06-19-2013	Perspectives	From our readers
06-19-2013	Perspectives	Tales from the old-timer
06-19-2013	Perspectives	Country Cousin
06-19-2013	News	WSU Dean’s List
06-19-2013	News	Earn Marian Honors
06-19-2013	News	Athelstane Fund Raiser is July 13
06-19-2013	Community - Wausaukee	Athelstane Fund Raiser is July 13
06-19-2013	Community - Wausaukee	Dig Into Gardening at Wausaukee Library
06-19-2013	Community - Wausaukee	National Guard Unit Guests at Co. Council
06-19-2013	Community - Wausaukee	Wausaukee to Mark Holiday on July 6
06-19-2013	Community - Crivitz	4th Quarter Honor Roll for Crivitz High
06-19-2013	Community - Crivitz	Carol Ann Lemke Piano Students Perform in NPA
06-19-2013	Community - Crivitz	Crivitz Library Lists Activities
06-19-2013	Community - Crivitz	Crivitz Museum Open
06-19-2013	Community - Coleman	Coleman Elementary Attendance, Honor Roll
06-19-2013	Community - Coleman	Coleman High, Middle School Student Honorees
06-19-2013	Community - Coleman	Coleman Library Summer Topics
06-19-2013	Community - Coleman	Students Achieve Perfect Attendance
06-19-2013	Obituaries	Betty A. Vanderberg
06-19-2013	Obituaries	Arthur E. Sparapani
06-19-2013	Obituaries	Honey Smaney
06-19-2013	Obituaries	Shad A. Rabe-Dalton
06-19-2013	Obituaries	Timothy R. Popkey
06-19-2013	Obituaries	Henry R. Perreault
06-19-2013	Obituaries	Karen L. Paris
06-19-2013	Obituaries	Wanda M. Jashinsky
06-19-2013	Obituaries	Daniel C. Jackl
06-19-2013	Obituaries	Dorothy M. Hotzel
06-19-2013	Obituaries	Genevieve Gustafson
06-19-2013	Obituaries	Linda M. Gospodarek
06-19-2013	Obituaries	Sister Muriel Demers
06-19-2013	Obituaries	Angelo M. Cruz
06-19-2013	Obituaries	Eugene O. Chevalier
06-19-2013	Obituaries	Leonard Brissette
06-19-2013	Obituaries	Eleanor Bourgeois
06-19-2013	Obituaries	Francis L. Boehm
06-19-2013	Obituaries	David A. Bierhals
06-19-2013	Obituaries	Thomas G. Bertrand
06-12-2013	Front Page	NEW UNITS
06-12-2013	Front Page	Federal Court Rules Flag Was Okay
06-12-2013	Front Page	Jail Inspection Says Maintenance Needed
06-12-2013	Front Page	Goodman Father, Son Cited In Marijuana Bust
06-12-2013	Front Page	County Continues Discussion On Coroner, Elderly Services
06-12-2013	Sports	Wickman Repeats As MVP
06-12-2013	Sports	Tough Start For Marinette Legion
06-12-2013	Sports	Pitching Gem Gives Redbirds 2-0 Record
06-12-2013	Sports	Wausaukee Makes Way To State Baseball Meet
06-12-2013	Perspectives	From our readers
06-12-2013	Perspectives	Tales from the old-timer
06-12-2013	Perspectives	Country Cousin
06-12-2013	News	Self Defense Law Topic of Meeting
06-12-2013	News	OWI Unit To Porterfield
06-12-2013	News	Yard Sale For Scholarships
06-12-2013	News	On Dean’s List
06-12-2013	Community - Wausaukee	Big Diggers at Wausaukee Library
06-12-2013	Community - Wausaukee	Wausaukee Parade Events on July 6
06-12-2013	Community - Wausaukee	Legion Council At Silver Cliff
06-12-2013	Community - Wausaukee	Lions to Clean HWY 180 June 15
06-12-2013	Community - Crivitz	Church Unit Sale June 20-21
06-12-2013	Community - Crivitz	Crivitz Playground Work Day June 23
06-12-2013	Community - Crivitz	Fly Flag June 14
06-12-2013	Community - Crivitz	Gospel Music at Living Waters Church
06-12-2013	Community - Coleman	Timeless Restorations Car Show is June 29
06-12-2013	Community - Coleman	Yard Sale For Scholarships
06-12-2013	Community - Coleman	Resignation of Principal on School Board Agenda
06-12-2013	Community - Coleman	Pantry To Give Food in Pound
06-12-2013	Obituaries	Eugene M. Yuma
06-12-2013	Obituaries	Matthew T. Wisniewski
06-12-2013	Obituaries	Claude A. Wilcox
06-12-2013	Obituaries	Boston Z. Walters
06-12-2013	Obituaries	Thadeaus Sopkowicz
06-12-2013	Obituaries	William W. Schmitt
06-12-2013	Obituaries	Jane L. Schmidt
06-12-2013	Obituaries	Dr. Henry J. Reidinger
06-12-2013	Obituaries	Margaret Raminger
06-12-2013	Obituaries	Emma K. Parker
06-12-2013	Obituaries	Mary Ann Panske
06-12-2013	Obituaries	Douglas C. Otto
06-12-2013	Obituaries	Roland W. Neumann
06-12-2013	Obituaries	Richard Leaveck, Jr.
06-12-2013	Obituaries	Richard Leaveck, Sr.
06-12-2013	Obituaries	Sandra F. LaRock
06-12-2013	Obituaries	Bonnie Kopish
06-12-2013	Obituaries	Gertrude Klingsporn
06-12-2013	Obituaries	Dudley G. Harris
06-12-2013	Obituaries	Wayne W. Johnson
06-12-2013	Obituaries	Dottie Fricke
06-12-2013	Obituaries	Marvin Eschner
06-12-2013	Obituaries	Eleanor Crowley
06-12-2013	Obituaries	Judy Budzis
06-12-2013	Obituaries	Floyd J. Berger
06-12-2013	Obituaries	Carol C. Barrette
06-06-2013	Front Page	300 Year Old Log Makes Table, Desk
06-06-2013	Front Page	New Community Center To Open Soon in Crivitz
06-06-2013	Front Page	Yes, Family Dollar Is Coming To Coleman
06-06-2013	Front Page	Kathy Cleven Is New Marinette City Treasurer
06-06-2013	Front Page	Auditor Gives Peshtigo Clean Bill Of Health
06-06-2013	Sports	Peshtigo Cage Camps Slated
06-06-2013	Sports	Vaulting To State Gold
06-06-2013	Sports	Rangers Roll Into State Tourney
06-06-2013	Sports	———— Clip Crivitz ——————————————————————— Redbirds Turn 5 Hits Into 7-0 Wishigan Win
06-06-2013	Perspectives	From our readers
06-06-2013	Perspectives	Tales from the old-timer
06-06-2013	Perspectives	Country Cousin
06-06-2013	News	Birding Hike at Arboretum
06-06-2013	News	Fair Premium Books Available
06-06-2013	News	Church Rummage, Bake Sale June 6
06-06-2013	News	Lions to Clean Hwy. 180 June 15
06-06-2013	Community - Wausaukee	Athelstane Picnic, Parade July 13
06-06-2013	Community - Wausaukee	Lions to Clean Hwy. 180 June 15
06-06-2013	Community - Wausaukee	Lawrenz Opens Counseling Center
06-06-2013	Community - Wausaukee	Front 40 Group Forum June 12
06-06-2013	Community - Crivitz	Rev. Hannemann Retires From Area Churches
06-06-2013	Community - Crivitz	Free Fishing For Kids June 15
06-06-2013	Community - Crivitz	Community Ed Summer Classes
06-06-2013	Community - Coleman	Pioneer Church Offers College Bible Courses
06-06-2013	Community - Coleman	Coleman Wrestling Meat Raffle June 22
06-06-2013	Community - Coleman	Brazeau Emergency Services Picnic July 27
06-06-2013	Community - Coleman	Pound Club Sets Yard Sale June 13, 14
06-06-2013	Obituaries	Todd F. Wagner
06-06-2013	Obituaries	Michael A. Stumbris
06-06-2013	Obituaries	Jacqueline A. Smith
06-06-2013	Obituaries	Betty Scott
06-06-2013	Obituaries	Jimmie L. Sandifer
06-06-2013	Obituaries	Dorothy B. Rafferty
06-06-2013	Obituaries	Pandora C. Powell
06-06-2013	Obituaries	Kristopher S. Mohr
06-06-2013	Obituaries	John D. Leaveck, Sr.
06-06-2013	Obituaries	Allan J. Kamps
06-06-2013	Obituaries	Edith M. Jones
06-06-2013	Obituaries	Ellen Jensen
06-06-2013	Obituaries	Dorothy M. Hotzel
06-06-2013	Obituaries	Sophie Hertig
06-06-2013	Obituaries	Jeremy Heller
06-06-2013	Obituaries	Jerome D. Gillis
06-06-2013	Obituaries	Genevieve M. Giese
06-06-2013	Obituaries	Margaret A. Gartzke
06-06-2013	Obituaries	Oscar J. Falk, Jr.
06-06-2013	Obituaries	Michael T. Downs
06-06-2013	Obituaries	James A. Dughie
06-06-2013	Obituaries	Joseph F. Dudek