Title: Landsmann Printing Office Records
Inclusive Dates: 1883-1951

Creator:

• Landsmann Printing Office

Call Number: Green Bay Mss 56

Quantity: 5.5 c.f. (13 archives boxes)

Repository:

Housed at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Archives and Area Research Center; owned by the Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections

Archival Locations:

COLLECTION MAY BE STORED OFF-SITE: see catalog entry to request materials and for additional information.

UW-Green Bay Cofrin Library / Green Bay Area Research Ctr. (Map)

Abstract:

Records of a small job printing shop which also, from 1884 to circa 1922, published a German-language newpaper, Der Landsmann. Included are ledgers, other financial records, subscription records, and miscellany such as clippings on the Bennett Law, school censuses for Green Bay (1886 and undated), and a few records of the Germania Life Insurance Company.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-gb0056

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The Landsmann Printing Office was established in Green Bay in 1883 as a small print shop and publisher of Der Landsmann, a German-language newspaper. The first issue of Der Landsmann, which appeared on November 15, 1883, listed George Schleyer as editor. Henry Emmers joined Schleyer as co-editor on March 18, 1884. Sometime between 1885 and 1892 Anton C. Lehmann and Albert C. Robinson bought the shop and became editors of the newspaper. The exact date of sale is unknown, but Robinson's name appears in the financial records of 1886. Lehmann was city clerk in Green Bay during the 1880s and also an agent for the Germania Life Insurance Company. Joseph Mies bought the business in 1911 or 1912. Mary Mies was listed as proprietor in the Green Bay City Directory of 1937.

The last date of publication of Der Landsmann is unknown and the microfilmed file of the newspaper in the State Historical Society of Wisconsin Library is incomplete. The latest issue is dated 1922 and subscription records also end in 1922. In addition to publishing Der Landsmann, the printing office printed stationery, cards, calendars, statements, and similar office supplies for local businesses. Some special printing, such as school record books and report cards for parochial schools in Wisconsin and neighboring states, was done during the 1930s.

The company was incorporated in 1961 with 250 shares of common stock valued at 100 dollars per share. Harold W. Ruf was president and Fred Gronnert was secretary-treasurer. Officers in 1977 were Richard Novitski, president; Natalie Wiza, vice president; and Gloria Novitski, secretary-treasurer.

The records document the company's financial operations from 1883 to 1951, with the most complete records covering the period from 1883 to circa 1910. Included are a small amount of correspondence, several types of financial records, job books, subscription records, and a few miscellaneous records.

The CORRESPONDENCE, 1884-1929, is very sparse and concerns advertising in Der Landsmann and payments for subscriptions. About one-half of the letters are in German.

FINANCIAL RECORDS include ledgers, 1883-1911, which summarize the entries in the day books and cash books and include records of the company's general fund, stock and materials, office expenses, postage and freight expenses, wages and individual accounts. The individual accounts are indexed. The day books, 1887-1908, cash books, circa 1884-1896, and income and receipt ledgers, 1884-1885, show daily income from printing jobs, subscriptions, and advertising; and expenses for rent, supplies, wages, and freight. Special accounts list the jobs and prices of printing for businesses and religious institutions. The bills, 1941-1950, are statements for printing done during that period.

JOB BOOKS, 1891-1951, provide a record of the company's job printing. They list the quantity, date, price, and type of material printed. SUBSCRIPTION RECORDS, 1883-1922, listing the names of subscribers to Der Landsmann, are generally arranged by place of residence including most counties in Wisconsin, most states, and Germany. Filed under MISCELLANEOUS RECORDS are clippings, circa 1856-1898, from German and English newspapers, primarily from Milwaukee and Green Bay, which concern the city of Green Bay, Anton C. Lehmann (one of the editors of Der Landsmann and Green Bay city clerk in the 1880's), and the Bennett Law requiring all children in Wisconsin to have some instruction in English. These clippings have been photocopied; the originals have not been retained. The scrapbook contains a verse in German, a list of birthdays in the Weismuller and Felicitas families, and a few clippings. Records from the Germania Life Insurance Company show a list of policy holders, premiums, and the duration of coverage. A small amount of business correspondence is also included.

Acquisition Information

Presented by Fred Gronnert and Richard Novitski, Green Bay, Wisconsin, July 1970. Accession Number: M70-208

Processing Information

Processed by Margaret Hedstrom and John Fleckner, March 1978.

Box   1 Folder   1	Series: Correspondence, 1884-1886, 1890-1892, 1896, 1908-1912, 1922, 1929
	Series: Financial Records	⇧
	Ledgers
Box   1 Folder   2-4	1883-1893
Box   2 Folder   1-3	1893-1900
Box   3 Folder   1-3	1900-1910
Box   4 Folder   1	1907-1911
	Day Books
Box   4 Folder   2	1887, May - Sep.
Box   4 Folder   3-7	1894, Apr. - 1902, Jan.
Box   5 Folder   1-5	1902, Feb. - 1908, Jul.
	Cash Books
Box   5 Folder   6	circa 1884, Sep. - Dec.
Box   5 Folder   7	1888, Jan. - 1893, Sep.
Box   6 Folder   1	1893, Sep. - 1896, Dec.
Box   6 Folder   2	Income and Receipt Ledgers, 1884-1885
Box   6 Folder   3	Wage Records, 1919-1927
	Special Accounts
Box   6 Folder   4-6	Religious Institutions, 1934-1939
Box   6 Folder   7	Green Bay Engraving Company, 1936-1948
Box   6 Folder   8	Kaster Company, 1938-1943
Box   6 Folder   9	Theatre Tickets, undated
Box   7 Folder   1-6	Bills, 1941-1950
	Series: Job Books	⇧
Box   7 Folder   7-9	1891-1904
Box   8 Folder   1-7	1904-1923
Box   9 Folder   1-4	1924-1935
Box   10 Folder   1-3	1936-1951
	Series: Subscription Records	⇧
Box   11 Folder   1-5	1883-1901
Box   12 Folder   1-2	1899-1922
Box   12 Folder   3	Miscellaneous, 1883-1887
Box   12 Folder   4-5	Bills, 1884-1892
	Series: Miscellaneous Records	⇧
Box   12 Folder   6	Clippings, circa 1856-1898
Box   13 Folder   1	Scrapbook, undated
Box   13 Folder   2	School Censuses for Green Bay, 1886, undated
Box   13 Folder   3	Germania Life Insurance Company Records, 1887-1894