Great Decisions, a project of the Foreign Policy Association, is a grassroots world affairs education program which brings millions of Americans together throughout the nation to discover and discuss foreign policy issues. Over the course of eight weeks, scholars introduce a variety of issues, and participants are invited to explore their own views and those of the group.

Great Decisions has been offered at Manitowoc Public Library each February and March since 2007. Great Decisions is sponsored locally by the League of Women Voters of Manitowoc County, the Manitowoc Public Library Foundation, Friends of Manitowoc Public Library, Silver Lake College, University of Wisconsin-Manitowoc, Lakeshore Peacemakers, and other generous donors.

The Home Front: Manitowoc County in World War II is a digital collection of photographic images, oral histories, published sources and documents, artifacts, and other resources which help to document and explain the history of Manitowoc County, Wisconsin during the period from 1939 to 1947—both the more universally shared home front experiences and activities as they played out in this specific county, and those more unique activities which especially defined the area during the War.

In many respects life on the “home front” in Manitowoc County during the World War II years mirrored that in countless other American communities. Men enlisted or were drafted. Women went to work. People coped with rationing and bought war bonds. There were scrap drives and victory gardens, black-out drills and USO dances.

But some of Manitowoc County’s World War II experiences were unique, at least for a fairly small county in the nation’s heartland. Most notably, the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company built 28 submarines for the U.S. Navy, side-launching them into the Manitowoc River and sending them via inland waterways to the Gulf Coast at New Orleans. Manitowoc Shipbuilding also produced LCT landing vessels which were tested in practice “invasions” on Lake Michigan beaches in the northern part of the county. Burger Boat Company built vessels for the Navy, including wooden minesweepers. Other companies in Manitowoc, Two Rivers, and other county communities manufactured war goods ranging from airplane parts to condensed milk in camouflaged cans. Employment boomed. A federal project built hundreds of housing units to accommodate some of the newcomers, and bus lines were established to transport workers to Manitowoc from other northeastern Wisconsin cities. Submarine crews stationed in Manitowoc for training as their vessels were being built brought more diversity to the community, and the Coast Guard had a strong presence. Hollywood celebrities came to tour the shipyards and promote war bond sales. German prisoners of war worked on county farms. Manitowoc even claimed credit for establishing a new “Citizenship Day” observance that for a time gained national recognition.

Among the resources included in this collection are 38 issues of The Sojourner, a unique monthly newsletter that was published in Two Rivers, Wisconsin from April 1942 through December 1945. The Sojourner documents home front activity in Two Rivers, Wisconsin as well as stateside and overseas postings and experiences of Manitowoc County servicemen, particularly those from Two Rivers. More than just a hometown paper, The Sojourner provided a forum for local military personnel to keep in touch with “home” and with each other through letters in the newsletter, which was mailed to more than 600 Two Rivers servicemen stationed around the globe. The “entity” responsible for creating this newsletter and keeping the ever-changing mailing list up to date was a group of young women — mostly girls—from Two Rivers, Wisconsin, who called themselves the “Civic Understudies.” The Two Rivers Vocational School printing instructor served as an “advisor” for this publication, although it was not an official school publication. Initially, the Civic Understudies did their own fund-raising by holding dances etc. to support the publication. The local Veterans of Foreign Wars post provided additional financial support. The first two issues were not titled. The Civic Understudies held a contest for servicemen to name the newsletter. A Two Rivers resident collected, compiled, and organized the newsletters in 1992.

Collection Background:
The Home Front: Manitowoc County in World War II is a joint project of the Manitowoc County Historical Society, the Wisconsin Maritime Museum, the Manitowoc Public Library, and the Lester Public Library in Two Rivers. These institutions began planning the project in 2003, with the goal of preserving and improving access to images of life in Manitowoc County during the war years. The actual work of gathering, identifying and publishing the items to the “State of Wisconsin Collection” site began in the summer of 2004 and continued through 2008. Funding and in-kind contributions for the project were provided by the four participating institutions along with the Manitowoc and Lester Public Library Foundations and the Ruth St. John & John Dunham West Foundation, Inc. The Two Rivers Historical Society underwrote the cost of digitizing The Sojourner.

The “Home Front” does not exist as a distinct physical collection of materials. Rather, the documents, photographs, newspapers, and other resources being digitized for the “Home Front” collection have been drawn from the general holdings of libraries, museums, historical societies, and other agencies and organizations in Manitowoc County, or borrowed from private individuals. Organizations providing special assistance to this project include Kiel Public Library, Holy Family Memorial Medical Center, Manitowoc Herald-Times-Reporter, and the Two Rivers Historical Society. 

Stompin’ at the Creek was a
phenomenal event that brought
together 500 people from
Wisconsin and neighboring
states to create something greater
than themselves.

Clay StompTM Artist Joel Pfeiffer
brought children, teens and adults
together to mix the clay, mold it
and carve it into wonderful art that
will serve as a testament to
cooperation for years to come.

Two works of art were created.
These phenomenal works of art
now hang at the entrance to the
Manitowoc Public Library Youth Department, and on the south side of the Rahr-West Art Museum.

Visit Manitowoc Public Library and the Rahr-West Art Museum to see – and touch – for yourself!

Stompin’ at the Creek was sponsored by the Manitowoc Public Library Foundation, the Rahr-West Art Museum, Rahr-West Art Museum Association, the City of Manitowoc Parks & Recreation Department, Holy Family Memorial, Manitowoc Noon Rotary, Sunrise Optimists and Sunrise Rotary.

Brainstorm is a 1,100 sq. ft. mural
painted directly on the wall and
ceiling of the Youth Department
Rotunda. The project began
September 9, 2002, with
community meetings designed to
seek input and inspiration. It
continued with public drawing
sessions out of which came many
of the elements of the final mural.
Finally, the images were drawn on the wall and painted in acrylics. Ultimately more than 1,000 community members participated in the process of creating the mural. Brainstorm befits our Library, for it signifies a search for knowledge and wisdom. The finished piece was dedicated January 16, 2003.

Brainstorm was funded by the Manitowoc Public Library Foundation and by the Wisconsin Arts Board with funds from the State of Wisconsin.

Caryl Yasko is a muralist, painter, sculptor, speaker and public art innovator who believes that public art should not only be appreciated by the public, but created by the public, as well. In addition to Brainstorm, while in Manitowoc, Caryl created Pride, a seven paneled mural which hangs in the City Council Chambers at the Manitowoc City Hall.

Our story begins with a brainstorm.
It is the brainstorm of the Cosmic
Weaver, weaving ribbons of a
story from the strands of our
spiral galaxy.

The joyous Celestial Dancer
picked up those ribbons and
tossed them out over the
heavenly waves. She caught
a Tale Boat in which a mother was reading to her child. The Celestial Dancer pulled the little boat along, carefully between the buoys and over the waves, on a venture fueled by imagination. It is an adventure in the Library, a journey toward wisdom.

The fleet of little boats was captained by the Explorer, who was guided by the North Star. He looked out over the Milky Way (note the cows), and beyond the Northern Lights. He dreams. He explores. And he continues on his journey.

Along the way he meets the Jester, the gargoyle of the Lake, who plays tricks on the voyagers. We see a little girl, perched on a richly jeweled Lio-Phant, pointing to what lies ahead. But wait! In the stars we see her reflection, pointing us back from where we came. Which way shall we go? Our Explorer, however, will not be fooled, and presses on, though trouble lies ahead.

The little puppet in a bathtub*, our seafarer, is troubled with doubt and dismay; his creativity is blocked. With the help of our Weaver’s ribbons, he surmounts his difficulties and sails over the wave** and into the light, in spite of the storm and the lightning conjured up by the Manito-witch gargoyle.

Our seafarer is triumphant. He’s on top of the world, dancing on the planets, because he’s well on his way to wisdom! Supported by the community, encouraged to discover, he stores his knowledge in his piggy bank, and tosses it over the moon to his friend, who’s jumping for joy because he knows that with the knowledge to be found at the Manitowoc Public Library, we can go everywhere!

And so the cycle of knowledge is complete – and it begins again.

*Yes, someone sailed a bathtub to Manitowoc from Ludington – on a $5 bet!
**The wave, influenced by the Japanese artist Hokusai, is a tribute to our Sister City, Kamogawa, in Chiba Prefecture, Japan.

Brainstorm was created by Artist Caryl Yasko in 2003.
All images Copyright 2003 Caryl Yasko.
All mural photos Copyright 2003 Patrick J. Young.

Manitowoc Public Library dangled
Trophy Fish in the community in
2002, 2003 and 2004 in
conjunction with other animal or
water related events throughout
Manitowoc. Every fish was a
winner. After all they each came
in at 4’ or 5½’ long. Fish were
decorated then returned to
Manitowoc Public Library. From
there Trophy Fish were hung
from street light poles or
otherwise displayed throughout
the downtown. Finally, they
were auctioned and the money
raised used to support community
organizations.

The guidelines were simple. Catch
a 5-1/2’ x 2’ or 4’ x 2’ plywood
Trophy Fish at the Manitowoc
Public Library Circulation Desk
and let your creativity shine!

Artists were asked to decorate
their plywood fish anyway they
liked, keeping in mind that it was
important to decorate both sides
because they would hang (as they
would from a hook) on decorative
light poles along Eighth and Quay
Streets in Downtown Manitowoc.