Books and Gifts
The Oconto County Historical Society gift shop contains a selection of books and gifts available for sale. Click on any item below to view and purchase the product from our online store.
Books & Media
A Centennial Tribute Townsend Time 1916-2016 by Kathleen Marie Marsh
$23.00
Enjoy taking a leisurely stroll into the past in this overview of the history of Townsend. Kathleen Marsh spent a decade researching the topic and has logged thousands of hours to write this book. Enjoy!
Commercial Fishermen Great Lakes Style by Bob Ojala
$20.00
This book is not about the fishermen but is a collection of real-life stories and photos from the fishermen. The stories describe the families’ history and involvement in their businesses and tells both the hardships and humorous tales of their lives while fishing the Great Lakes.
Copper Artifact Resource Manual, Northern Wisconsin by Monette Bebow-Reinhard
$15.00
Artifacts are useless if you do not know where they were found. This edition contains the long-awaited data from Northern Wisconsin contained in tables gathered over the last decade. Now in its 2nd Edition, find materials from 24 counties in the heart of Wisconsin’s vacationland.
Doty, The First 100 Years by Andrew Stemp
$25.00
There are many stories to be told from the 100-year history of the Town of Doty in this book. Enjoy this book that looks back at the rich and interesting history of the Town of Doty.
Family, Faith, Farming-The Crawfords of Couillardville by Leon P. Janssen & Gene Medford
$8.00
The story of one of the families of Couillardville, WI. This community typifies many rural areas settled in the late 1800s. Descendants of Couillardville’s early families started gathering in 2002 to reminisce. This grew into an annual event and published books about the early years.
Firestorm at Peshtigo, a Town, Its People, And the Deadliest Fire in American History by Denise Gess and William Lutz
$19.00
On the night of October 8, 1871, an eerie red glow surrounded the town of Peshtigo. Then, suddenly, with a roar that sounded like a freight train, a whirlwind of fire swept in from the forest. Everywhere, the air was filled with fire! Balls of fire seemed to fall from the sky, causing trees, buildings and even the people to burst into flames. The town of Peshtigo was completed destroyed by the raging firestorm.
From the McCauslin to Jab Switch, A History of Logging In Oconto County by Della Rucker
$25.00
The forests from the McCauslin in the north to Jab Switch (another name for Oconto) on the bay have shaped this county’s landscape, its people, and its heritage. This book details that story and thus fills a void in the county’s written history.
Frontier Fishermen, The Samuel Thomas Family by Peter A. Stark
$10.00
In the late 1800’s, commercial fishing was second only to lumbering, as the most important industry in what is now Oconto County. The Samuel Thomas family was among the earliest modern era commercial fishermen along the west shore of Green Bay. This book tells the story of those pioneer settlers. Their story represents the many challenges, successes, and tragedies of the early settlement of Oconto County.
The Great Peshtigo Fire-An Eyewitness Account by Rev. Peter Pernin
$16.00
On October 8, 1871, the same night the Great Chicago Fire raged some 250 miles to the south, a massive firestorm destroyed the small farming village of Peshtigo, Wisconsin, in what remains the deadliest fire in U.S. history. Peter Pernin, a parish priest in Peshtigo witnessed the fire, its devastation, and its aftermath. His words offer invaluable and enduring record for historians and scientists and every day citizens alike.
The Great Peshtigo Fire-Stories & Science by Scott Knickelbine
$16.00
In this book you will explore what happened before, during and after the fire. You will discover what a firestorm is and how one starts. You will find out what northeastern Wisconsin was like in 1871 and why fires broke out so easily. You will hear stories about some of the adults and children that survived. The citizens of Peshtigo thought the end of the world had come that evening on October 8, 1871. You will also see how lessons learned from the Great Peshtigo Fire are helping America stay safer from fires today.
A History of Lakewood, Wisconsin by Tom Thielke
$25.00
Not long ago, Tom Thielke realized that the stories of the people of Lakewood were going to be lost if nobody collected them. At the annual Lakewood reunion, which his two sisters coordinate, he was able to get many people interested. He has gathered stories and pictures to capture the community of Lakewood.
A History of Oconto Falls Volume I, 1839-1900 by Diane Nichols
$20.00
This early history from 1893 to 1900 has been compiled using area newspapers, county board proceedings, atlases, various maps, county plan books, other histories, the autobiography of Almira Volk, and an unpublished journal of Almira’s daughter, Maria. It strives to give as complete a history as possible using primary source material.
A History of Oconto Falls Volume II, 1901-1910 by Diane Nichols
$25.00
The history of Oconto Falls continues with this writing of Volume II. In it one observes how a small unincorporated village steps into the twentieth century with confidence as a bank is founded, a high school added to its educational system, and the village incorporates. As before, it is hoped this history will be of interest to present and former Oconto Falls residents, as well as genealogists and lovers of history.
Humorous Fishing Stories from the U.P., Volume 2 by Robert R. Hruska
$10.00
This collection of Humorous Fishing stories brings back to life, experiences from the author’s background of adventures in the U.P. and some Canadian Fly-in fishing trips.
Jabswitch Monikers Oconto Nicknames by Phyllis “Phiddy” Duschene
$15.00
Enjoy this book by Phyllis “Phiddy” Duschene about the people of Oconto and their nicknames. There is no place like home. A place Phiddy loved dearly.
John & Almira Volk, Early Pioneers of Northeast Wisconsin by Diane Nichols
$10.00
John and Almira Volk came from New York to the Midwest in the mid-1800s. They moved 14 times in 30 years before finally settling in Oconto Falls with their 8 children. Almira’s autobiography, written at age 87, tells of their many journeys. These writings give us a glimpse of common folk from the 19th century who chose to show us their world.
Machine Shed Memories, A Chronicle Of Rural Life In Wisconsin by Leon Janssen and Gene Medford
$30.00
Leon Janssen started collecting stories of Couillardville in 2001 from the neighbors who attended the Machine Shed Reunions in Couillardville. While parts of this story are built on historical records, most of this book recounts life in this special community as seen through the eyes of those who were given the gift of growing up in this special place on early.
The Mills at the Falls by Diane Nichols
$8.00
Like many towns in northern Wisconsin, Oconto Falls began as a sawmill site in 1845. Having the Oconto River run through it, however, gave it additional advantage as that river also fell over a falls of considerable height. The history is explored in some detail and with accompanying photos, tells the story of one town’s major industry from 1845 to 2019.
More Humorous Hunting Camp Stories by Robert R. Hruska
A U.P. Sequel Vol #3
$10.00
Each story is a bonafide true experience written in the humorous way of the Yooper! The “Stories from the U.P. Deer Camps” are true in the image of the U.P. hunter. They all took place in different locations in the U.P., particularly Menominee County, Michigan.
Morgan A Small Wisconsin Township During the late 1800s and early 1900s by Dawn Hessil-Thom
$16.00
This book brilliantly summarizes the history of Morgan, from the late nineteenth century to the present, animating those early European settlers, who lived and died in Morgan.
Morgan: The Next Generation, Sequel to Morgan by Dawn Hessil-Thom
$18.00
This book is written to preserve Morgan and a way of living that produced strong resilient human beings.
My Mother Kept a Scrapbook: The True Story of a WWII POW by Gerhard Johnson as told to Kathleen Marie Marsh
$14.50
Captured during the ill-fated offensive in Italy in January 1944, Army Private Gerhard Johnson did not expect to ever see his family again. As a prisoner of the Nazis, he endured 15 months of hell, deprived of the most basic human needs – food, water, shelter, sanitation, and medical care. Determined to come home to the only woman he had ever loved, Gerhard lost over one-third of his body weight while somehow managing to survive. This is his story. Meanwhile, back home in Central Wisconsin, his mother wrote letters, sent Red Cross parcels, and filled a scrapbook in an amazing effort to keep her absent son alive as long as she possibly could. This is her story too.
Oconto Park Avenue Circus by Rosemary Rice
$20.00
It is our hope that the information contained here will give the reader a glimpse of this time in Oconto’s history of the performances of Oconto’s Park Avenue Circus.
The Oconto River Sackers From a Civil War Private’s Packet by Diane Nichols
$15.00
This volume contains all the original material which was printed in the Oconto Pioneer by editor George Ginty regarding the Oconto Rivers Sackers. This group was organized in October of 1861 at the second company out of Oconto County. At Camp Randall in Madison it became Co. F of the 12th Wisconsin Regiment. The Company proceeded to the western front in Kansas, to Vicksburg for that city’s siege and surrender, and then east to join Sherman’s march to the sea.
Peek at the Past, The Writings of Junice Peek and a Glimpse at the early years of Lakewood, Wisconsin by Junice Smyth Peek
$16.00
The writings of Junice Peek and a glimpse at the early years of Lakewood, Wisconsin.
Pensaukee Voice of a Landscape by Monette Bebow-Reinhard
$20.00
Welcome to a small town that could be any town, USA, but this one is in Wisconsin, a state half sheltered by great waters. Welcome to Pensaukee, home of the first commercial sawmill west of the Great Lakes, now a national historic site.
Remembering the Oconto Brewery by Pete Stark
$20.00
The Oconto Brewery was an icon of the Oconto community for over 100 years. Beginning in
1858, each successive brewery owner made improvements to the machinery, buildings, products, and marketing. This book chronologically traces the history of ownership, marketing, and products of the Oconto Brewery. Enjoy this historical, nostalgic book and have fun remembering!
Soda and Water Bottles of Oconto County by Pete Stark
$20.00
Oconto County’s soda and water bottlers never reached the prominence of their national soda competitors, but they filled a niche that provided a locally produced product aimed at local consumers. It’s important that these historic Oconto County businesses be remembered.
Tales From The Rivers, In The Footsteps Of Lewis and Clark, 200 Years Later, My Journey of 2003-2006 by Ken Altergott
$14.00
In 2000 a group of Lewis and Clark history enthusiasts organized a group, the Discovery Exhibition of St. Charles, to recreate the epic journey of Lewis and Clark for the 200th anniversary from 2003 to 2006. Authentic reproductions of boats, equipment, clothing, and living conditions were used to replicate the expedition on the exact days as the original. Oconto native, Ken Altergott, joined the group and wrote about the four year experience.
The Truth About Townsend Volume II, 1940-1980 “Poor Man’s Paradise” by Kathleen Marie Marsh
$22.00
More of the compelling historical narrative chronicling the amazing tenacity and grit of a tiny Wisconsin Northwoods community.
The Truth About Townsend Volume III, 1980-2010 “Bust to Boomers” by Kathleen Marie Marsh
$22.00
Compelling finale of a series relating the history of a tiny northern Wisconsin town’s rebirth from a dying resort area into a baby boomer’s retirement sanctuary.
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