Prior to 1835 - The Muskego area was first settled by the Potawatomi Indians- Mus-kee-Guaac- meaning “sunfish”. It would later be settled by European immigrants- many from Norway, England, Ireland and Germany.
The town of Muskego (1838) evolved into the City of Muskego in 1964, with the election of its first Mayor Jerome J. Gottfried. Mr. Gottfried served as mayor 1964-1968 and 1970-1982 and had previously served as a town board member
Did you know that in the late 19th and early 20th century Muskego and the multiple resorts and cottages on Little Muskego Lake were the vacation and day trip destination for people from Milwaukee. According to one of the historical markers in Muskego, “as many as 42 cars carried Sunday riders back to Milwaukee from Muskego Beach Amusement Park”. Muskego Beach Amusement Park established in 1861- 1967, from 1968-1978 it was operated by Willard Masterson, under the name DandiLion Park.
Mike Weber (MHS 71 alumni) stated that his former home on the corner of Hwy 36 and Muskego Dam Road was an interurban line stop
Beginning in 1904 the “Electric Interurban line connected Muskego to Milwaukee, East Troy and Burlington. If any of you walk along the Muskego Recreational Trail, you are walking on the abandoned “Muskego Lakes Line” branch route. This rail system also carried Muskego Area teenagers to either the “old” Mukwonago HS or West Milwaukee HS to complete High School.
One of your Classmates, Jeff Smith stated his mother and brother attended these HS while living in Muskego.
Muskego did not have its own 9-12 school until 1956. Prior to that time Muskego-Norway students who wanted to pursue a High School Diploma had to travel to either West Milwaukee HS (via the interurban and Milwaukee transit) or the “old” Mukwonago High School. From 1956-1965- MHS housed students 9-12. Elementary (K-8) students attended one of the Muskego District Schools.
Jeff Smith (Class of 71) stated that his sister Penny was in the first graduating class of “59” and was one of the valedictorians!!! Jeff’s mother and two sisters had attended Mukwonago HS. While his brother attended both- because West Milwaukee HS had a great athletic program and after the wrestling season he would switch to Mukwonago, because the school year ended 1 month earlier!
During the fall of 1965- Our class was the first class to inhabit the NEW Muskego Junior High, as 7th graders. This new school gave us a theatre; two gyms (main and axillary); home economics and industrial skills education; band, chorus; physical education and Spanish classes; and we got lockers and changed classrooms throughout the day. We felt so grown up!!
Most of us had completed our elementary education (K-6) in one of the multiple Muskego-Norway grade schools: Tess Corners; Muskego; Mill Valley; Lake View. (Norway/WindLake); Denoon (Muskego District #5, closed in 1969; Oak Grove (District /Joint #7, closed 1965); Durham Hill on North Cape (Joint #6/Consolidated #9, closed 1970); Muckey School, the first frame school in the district - 1860 (Hwy 24 – near Muskego Park- brick building replaced log building destroyed by fire 1948- closed 1968. Diane Washa (MHS 71) attended this school for some grades). Some of our classmates attended parochial schools such as Sacred Heart School in St. Martins (closed in 1969 reopened in 1977- ?), several of our classmates were students there – Jill Fonaas, Joanne Stache and Barb Chase to name a few. I don’t know if St. Leonard’s or St. Paul’s Lutheran Schools where around during the 50s and 60’s? And some of us moved into Muskego from Milwaukee or other communities- I am glad my family made the move!!
According to the several MHS “class of 71 historians” our classmates some of the grade schools had kindergarten others not- but all of them remember developing great memories and lifelong friendships!!
Our Class (MHS 71) would complete 9th grade at MJHS and move into the adjacent MHS as 10th graders in 1968. As the city of Muskego grew- our class saw the building of Bay Lane grade school- we even had to move one of our “Homecoming Dances” to Bay Lane- due to one of the frequent “boom threats” of the late 60’s.
Bay Lane School was named by one of our class members- Leonard Young, He then went on to teach in Muskego after graduation from college. At the reunion you may want to ask Leonard to tell you how he got to name the school.
Muskego Norway currently has 4900 students in :
3 elementary (K-4) schools- Bay Lane; Lake View; and Mill Valley
2 middle (5-8) schools- Lake Denoon and Muskego Lakes
1 high (9-12) school -Muskego High School
More facts to come!!
Most of the class of 1971 members were “invented” during 1952 and 1953- Here is a travel through time to let us know what other “inventions” happened during this time period. These inventions and the members of the class of 1971 have all had a major impact on the world. If these “inventions” would not have happened the world would be a different place!!
1952-1953
The class members of MHS Class of 1971 were conceived-invented and born during this time period.
Correction Fluid- a white fluid applied to paper to mask errors in text was invented by Bette Nesmith Graham was invented in 1951. It wasn’t under 1956 that it came on the market- as “Mistake Out”.
1952 – Dr. John W. Hetrick created the first safety cushion for cars- this design was patented in 1952. The original design was improved on and in 1957, Dr. Allen S. Breed marketed the “airbag” to Chrysler.
1952, the bar-code was invented and patented by Norman j. Woodland.
1952- Dr. Forest Dewey Dodrill, invented the Dodrill-GMR heart – the world’s first artificial heart.
1953 saw the first successful cardiopulmonary bypass surgery performed by Dr. John Heysham Gibbon using a pump known as the heart-lung machine.
1953 saw the invention of the “felt marking pen” and WD-40- both of these inventions have been used by the class of 71 throughout their lives.
Chemists at NCR corporation invented ”carbonless copy paper” in 1953.
1953 also saw the first color televisions in stores selling for $1,175. And American began their love of the “buy now pay later” mentality, when car dealers began selling autos “on -time payments”.
1953- The Corvette sports car came to market
The “transistor radio” by Texas Instruments were sold in the USA for the first time in 1953.
Casino Royale (by Ian Fleming), the first James Bond novel was published in the United Kingdom
More Class of 1971 trivia coming to you in the upcoming weeks.
Muskego High School Class of 71 –
Trivia Installment #2- November 2020 edition
Hello to all- as promised here is another “journey” through our birth year, and a “Cost of Living” comparison to our graduation year. Next time I will cover our pre and grade school years and the birth of what we knew as Muskego High School.
Many of us were born during 1953- This was quite the year in history. I remember learning about many of these events while a student in MHS history class. At the time, I thought these happened before I was born- I guess I was wrong.
The Nationalization of Iran. In 1953, after two years in power, Mohammed Mosssadegh was ousted from power during the second coup of 1953. Shah Mohammed Reza Pahkavi returned to power with the help of the CIA.
The Korean War ends after three years and one month.
Dwight D. Eisenhower was inaugurated President and Richard Nixon, Vice President. They won the election with 55.2% of the popular vote and 442 electoral votes.
The USA’s highway system and NASA were created during his 2 terms. Social Security was strengthened, and the US Armed Forces were fully desegregated, and the first modern civil rights laws were passed.
The first Polio Vaccine was developed. During 1952, 52,628 cases of polio were reported in the US with 21,000 paralytic cases. After years of development and testing, Jonas Salk ‘s inactivated vaccine was released for field trials in 1954. 1.3 million children were involved in these trials.
Does this sound like something we are experiencing during 2019-20???
Joseph Stalin – USSR leader dies. Nikita Khrushchev replaces Stalin as the leader of the USSR.
Earl Warren appointed to the US Supreme Court and would remain a Chief Justice until 1969 (2 years before we graduated!!). It was during his tenure on the Court that segregation of public schools was determined to be unconstitutional. He also headed the committee investigating the assassination of President Kennedy.
Queen Elizabeth II crowned queen of England. Her coronation was the first such event to be broadcast on television. She is now the longest reigning English monarch.
After ninety years of French-colonial rule- Cambodia becomes independent from France.
The first successful ascent to the summit of Mount Everest, was done by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. According to reports they stayed at the summit for about 15 minutes, needing to descend due to the ill effects of low oxygen.
Double Helix model of DNA shared with the world- by Francis Crick and James Watson. This began the study of chromosomes and how they control heredity.
“Cigarette smoking is reported as causing Lung Cancer’.
Boston Braves move to Milwaukee
Ian Fleming releases the first of his “James Bond” series- Casino Royale.
1953 Cost of Living:
1971 Cost of Living:
Yearly Inflation Rate- USA 0.82%
Yearly Inflation Rate USA- 4.3%
Cost of a gallon of gas 20 cents
Average Cost of a new home. $9,550.00
Average wages per year $4000.00
Average wages per year $4000.00
Cost of a gallon of gas 40 cents
Average Cost of a new home. $25,250.00
Average wages per year
$10,600.00
Popular films of 1953:
Popular films of 1971
From Here to Eternity
The French Connection
The War of the Worlds
How to Marry a Millionaire
Dirty Harry
Shaft
A lot of important discoveries occurred during the MHS Class of 71 birth year!!I wish I would’ve paid more attention to all these things while in school!Little did I realize how fast America, the world and the members of the MHS Class of 71 were changing.