In addition to Harry Houdini (1874-1926), another famous resident of Appleton, WI, was Republican US Senator Joe McCarthy (1908-1957), the famous anti-Communist whom lots of people seem to have forgotten about. But I remember just as clearly where I was on 2 Dec 1954, when I heard about the momentous US Senate censure of McCarthy, as where I was when I heard about the 1963 assassination of US President John F. Kennedy (in Illinois, in both cases). Had McCarthy not been censured in 1954 and then died of alcoholism in 1957 (at age 48), he might still today be earnestly ferreting out "card-carrying members" of the US Communist party. McCarthy is reportedly buried at Appleton's St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery, and I wonder, Gail, how he is memorialized at Appleton's Outagamie County Museum ............John (in metro Chicago) ______________________________________________________________________________ _ Subj: Re: [WIMILWAU] Houdini Date: 2/2/2007 12:30:02 P.M. Central Standard Time From: genereau@vbe.com To: wimilwau@rootsweb.com Houdini grew up in Appleton. He was born in Budapest. His father was Appleton's first rabbi. When Edna Ferber first started to write, she lived in Appleton, and interviewed Houdini. At the Outagamie County Museum on College Avenue, here in Appleton, there are exhibits all about Houdini. Many of his "tricks" are explained and there's his original handcuffs, straight-jackets, billboards, etc. Every year on Halloween, a séance is held. He was a great believer in debunking spiritualists but promised if he got to the "other side", he would contact people on Halloween, that's day he died from a ruptured appendix. He led a very fascinating life. Gail in Appleton <SNIP> > Thanks Mary. This was great. Houdini was from Wisconsin. Was he > from Milwaukee? > At 09:08 AM 2/2/2007, you wrote: >>http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=560542 ______________________________________________________________________________ _

Hi John, Senator McCarthy's bust was in the Outagamie Courthouse for many years. Then they remodeled and didn't know where to move the bust, it was very controversial. I do believe the bust is now with other McCarthy memorabilia at the Outagamie County Museum. You can see his grave from the street at St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery on Prospect Avenue. Every year a mass is held at the gravesite by many who remember Senator Joe. My mother-in-law who lived in Milwaukee always attended in the 1970s and 80s. Now, it's usually a handful of elderly people who remember the Senator and those days. Next time I go to the museum, I'll look for the bust. Gail in Appleton In addition to Harry Houdini (1874-1926), another famous resident of Appleton, WI, was Republican US Senator Joe McCarthy (1908-1957), the famous anti-Communist whom lots of people seem to have forgotten about. But I remember just as clearly where I was on 2 Dec 1954, when I heard about the momentous US Senate censure of McCarthy, as where I was when I heard about the 1963 assassination of US President John F. Kennedy (in Illinois, in both cases). Had McCarthy not been censured in 1954 and then died of alcoholism in 1957 (at age 48), he might still today be earnestly ferreting out "card-carrying members" of the US Communist party. McCarthy is reportedly buried at Appleton's St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery, and I wonder, Gail, how he is memorialized at Appleton's Outagamie County Museum ............John (in metro Chicago) _______________________________________________________________________________