A blast from Port’s past

Old photographs, letters and historical documents — as well as copies of Ozaukee Press — were unearthed Monday during a history lesson of sorts at the Port Washington Historical Society’s Research Center.

A group of city officials and Society members, as well as a group of people who happened to be at the center, watched as two time capsules found at the Port water plant were opened for the first time in decades.

“This made it worth waking up today for me,” Chris Scalone, a new volunteer at the center, said.

The time capsules dated to 1947, when the water filtration plant was first constructed, and 1985, when the facility was renovated.

The original time capsule was opened, then resealed and placed back in the walls of the facility in December 1985, when the renovations were completed, Water and Wastewater Supt. Dan Fisher said.

The time capsules were found behind the date stones at the plant, which is in the midst of a $21 million update. 

“We knew about the 1947 box but not the 1985 one,” Fisher said, noting that a space was chiseled out of the cornerstone to hold the original time capsule.

As he pulled items from the two copper boxes, Mayor Ted Neitzke told the group, “The history teacher in me is geeking out.”

Among the items in the original box were a 1948 letter regarding the plant design and a bulletin about the city’s centennial celebration in 1935.

There was a copy of the city’s annual report, a list of wages paid to officials and water plant workers, as well as a photo of Water Supt. Jack Miller taken when he served in the military during World War I.

There was a letter from Mayor Charlie Larson with the salutation “To posterity” that described the $500,000 water plant project, which Larson wrote was “a definite necessity as drinking water was frequently muddy and not usable.” He wrote about a referendum held for the project “which was entirely my idea as was the immediate construction of the plant, the other members of the council being too conservative to act so quickly.”

Larson chastised one member of the council, Ald. Math Brabender, for being “generally obstreperous but can be cooperative if he makes his mind up to be that way” and advised anyone considering a run for mayor to rethink that “because the job is thankless, carries considerable responsibilities and has as its boss every citizen of the community, many of whom make it their duty to act in the capacity of general superintendent. In addition, the pay is small, the loss to a man in his private business or profession is considerable.”

The box also contained Ozaukee Press papers, one with headline “Action! Knock Down Old Power Plant to Start Filtration Unit” and another that read “Crash! Goes Pump Station Chimney.”

The 1985 box held letters from Mayor George Lampert, President Ronald Reagan, Sen. Bob Kasten and Gov. Tony Earl as well as other city officials, the 1986 city budget and an envelope with photos of Water Supt. Dave Ewig and his family.

There was information about the city’s sesquicentennial celebration, including Ozaukee Press’ sesquicentennial edition, and the paper’s Nov. 21 issue celebrating the Port Washington High School football team’s state championship.

“This is fantastic,” Neitzke said while thumbing through the newspaper, announcing the top teams in a Harbor Hills bowling league.

Both boxes held a J&H Heating business card, he said, noting the company made the boxes for the time capsules.

The items found in the boxes were left at the Research Center, where the Historical Society was to catalogue them.

They will then be repackaged and sealed to be placed back in the walls of the water plant.

There, they will be joined by another box — this one from 2025.

“It would be cool if they could make it so we could tuck both (the other boxes) inside. We’ll just have to take a thumb drive with a bunch of stuff on it and put it in,” Neitzke joked.

Neitzke said he plans to write a letter for the newest time capsule, following the lead of past mayors, and Public Works Director Rob Vanden Noven agreed to write a letter as well.

Those attending brainstormed a few items to place inside the box — perhaps menus from area restaurants, information about this year’s water plant project, and a copy of Ozaukee Press.

Noting the “regular cadence” of 40 years between plant renovations, Neitzke said, “2065 seems a long way away.”