The WSAH Annual Autumn Meeting was held on Saturday, September 15, 2018 at Baer Park in Cross Plains, Wisconsin in conjunction with the 36th Annual Hill & Valley Antique Car & Americana Show. Eight officers, directors and members were in attendance, plus two guests.
Jim Morris and Jessica Zdanowicz have completed scanning all 41 issues of the previous WSAH newsletter, The Spark, and all issues of the current newsletter, the Carhart Chronicle. Jim and Jessica have posted these scans to the WSAH website for ready access by members and website visitors alike.
Joe Kapler, Curator of Cultural History at the Wisconsin Historical Society (WHS), was a special guest at the meeting and gave a detailed presentation outlining how the WSAH can be more involved with the WHS. Joe’s presentation included a description of their large new building and the types of artifacts that the WHS is seeking as donations. George Tesar circulated a list he had prepared of the items, which includes automobiles, motorcycles, scooters, bicycles, small and stationary engines, tractors and light-to-heavy equipment, parts, tools and related memorabilia such as magazines, sales literature, repair manuals, and company records from both large and small concerns. The Society is not short of space, according to Joe, and the WHS wants to digitize printed and photographic artifacts while retaining the originals. The WSAH has long been affiliated with the WHS.
Michael Keller affirmed by email that he wants to step down as the WSAH Vice President. Michael feels there are others who do much more and are more deserving of the position. A successor is in mind, and an email will be sent to all members for input. The election will likely be handled by email without waiting until the next Chapter meeting.
Jim Morris will check with the Milwaukee Public Museum about the possibility of the WSAH having a meeting there in early December and being able to view the Schloemer Motor Wagon exhibit, for which the Chapter made a sizable donation in 2015. The Schloemer Motor Wagon was one of the first gas-powered automobiles in America.
