Title: William A. Titus Papers
Inclusive Dates: 1835-1951

Creator:

• Titus, William A., 1868-1951

Call Number: Oshkosh Mss AA; PH 1144; (T569); (T57); (T571)

Quantity: 5.2 cubic feet (13 archives boxes), 91 negatives, and 0.1 cubic feet of photographs (1 folder)

Repository:

Housed at the Archives & Area Research Center, Polk Library, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh; owned by the Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections

Archival Locations:

UW-Oshkosh Polk Library / Oshkosh Area Research Ctr. (Map)

Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)

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

Abstract:

Papers of William A. Titus, a Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, businessperson, historian, author, and Republican politician, of which business papers comprise the largest segment. Business papers cover his investments in the Standard Lime and Stone Company, mining property in Wyoming and Ontario, and real estate in Milwaukee, Chicago, and the northern lakes region of Wisconsin. Also covered in the collection are Titus' interests in political issues, Indian artifacts from Mexico and the southwestern United States, and work as a historian with the State Historical Society of Wisconsin.

Note:

There is a restriction on access to this material; see the Administrative/Restriction Information portion of this finding aid for details.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-osh00aa

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William Albert Titus, who was born in the town of Empire, Fond du Lac County, on August 30, 1868, followed family tradition when he practiced farming with his father near the town of Eden, Fond du Lac County until his seventeenth birthday. Desiring a formal education, Titus, along with his mother and the family minister, persuaded his father to permit him to attend Fond du Lac High School between the harvesting and the planting seasons so that his schooling would not interfere with the farming operation. In 1891, Titus graduated from high school.

During the following ten years, Titus taught rural school throughout Fond du Lac County and worked as an advertising agent for the Yeast Foam Company throughout the Middle West. In his unpublished manuscript, “Wisconsin as I Have Known It,” Titus described the advertising techniques that he applied to merchandize his wares during the 1890s, observing,

He [the advertising agent] was to hire two boys in each village or city, one for each side of the street, whose work it was, under the supervision of the agent, to place a wrapped single cake of the yeast against each front door in the town. While the boys were doing this, the agent tacked up waterproof advertising signs wherever he found a place. The agent was to call on each grocer in the town and examine his stock of yeast. If any of the yeast was found to be stale or wormy it was to be taken up and replaced free of charge by fresh stock which was shipped to the agent at designated places. The company employed 'spotters' and if an agent was found to be drinking to excess or otherwise indulging ... he was called in and either reprimanded or discharged, depending on the seriousness of his offense.

In 1892, he was the unsuccessful Republican candidate for Fond du Lac Superintendent of Schools. Following his election defeat, Titus attended the University of Wisconsin and the University of Chicago studying history, anthropology, commercial law, and Hebrew literature. However, he failed to fulfill the academic requirements for a degree at either institution. Abandoning his studies, Titus became affiliated with a Fond du Lac lime and stone company. In 1902, he helped organize the Standard Lime and Stone Co. of Fond du Lac, serving as its secretary-treasurer until 1920 and then occupying its presidency until 1940. Since this collection reflects Titus' varied interests, his career may be described in four phases.

Politician. During the 1912 presidential election, William A. Titus endorsed Theodore Roosevelt's candidacy, attended the Bull Moose Convention at Chicago, and became Fond du Lac County chairman of the Progressive Party. Implementing Medill McCormick's strategy, Titus enhanced Roosevelt's candidacy when he maneuvered the state Republican convention into supporting Governor Francis McGovern's re-election campaign by preventing an endorsement of any other gubernatorial candidate. McGovern had been one of Roosevelt's original strategists at the national Republican convention. After Roosevelt's defeat, Titus supported every Republican candidate for President from 1916 until his death.

While he always classified himself as a Progressive and praised Governor Robert M. La Follette Sr.'s “constructive and purifying legislation” regulating the railroads, he assailed La Follette's opposition to America's intervention into World War I; opposed the Senator's 1924 campaign for the Presidency; and vilified Governor John J. Blaine's alleged programs enlarging the state bureaucracy, multiplying expenditures, and increasing taxes. During his two terms in the State Senate (1920-1928), Titus denounced the expansion of state commissions, boards, bureaus, and departments, and condemned government spending, earning the title of “Watch Dog of the State Treasury.”

According to Senator Titus, he prepared two constitutional amendments, which the electorate sanctioned by referendum. The first amendment, incorporated into the constitution (section 10, article V), permits the Governor to veto any section of an appropriation measure without vetoing the entire bill. The second amendment (section 10, article VIII) authorizes the state government to raise taxes and appropriate money to preserve and propagate Wisconsin forests. Participating in community politics, he was appointed to the Library Board (1912-1913), elected to the Board of Education (1914-1922), and appointed to the Fond du Lac Relief Board (1932). While he was President of the Board of Education in 1917-1918, Titus initiated the program of supplying free textbooks for Fond du Lac children, and inaugurated a project to furnish separate rooms and special teachers for developmentally and intellectually disabled pupils. He obtained state recognition and support for this new program for teaching disabled pupils.

During World War I and World War II, Titus subordinated his political partisanship and volunteered his talents to the Federal government serving as Fair Price Commissioner under Hoover's Food Administration (1917-1918) and United States Re-employment Committeeman under the Selective Service Board (1942-1947). Titus also was a member of the University Board of Visitors (1913-1923). Besides his unsuccessful campaign for Fond du Lac County Superintendent of Schools, Titus suffered election defeats for a run for congress in Wisconsin's 6th congressional district, and Fond du Lac mayor during the 1922 and 1930 primaries. Titus was prepared to campaign for Governor in 1926 to vindicate his opposition to the Blaine Administration, but he could not mobilize sufficient support to wage a gubernatorial campaign.

Businessman. Following the organization and incorporation of the Standard Lime and Stone Co. of Fond du Lac, Titus expanded his business enterprises, becoming President of the Citizens Loan and Investment Co. of Fond du Lac (1930-1938). He bought farm acreage and real estate property in the Red River Valley (North Dakota), Green Lake County, Sheboygan County, and Vilas County (Wisconsin). Titus records that he also purchased stock in the Copper Belt Mines and the Michigan Copper Mines near Lusk, Wyoming. Buying five hundred and ninety-two acres of marble quarry near Sault Ste. Maria, Titus wanted to develop a marble and Portland cement operation in the region, but the depression of the 1930s prevented the venture. Titus owned the Cass-Wayne apartments (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) and purchased additional stocks and bonds in the Founders Security Company, the Emmett Municipal Irrigation District, and the Standard Lime and Stone Co. He organized the Norlake Realty Co. to develop and sell property in northern Wisconsin. Following the depression Titus abandoned many of his business enterprises and liquidated many investments.

Historian. Developing his interest in Fond du Lac and Wisconsin history, Titus was selected Curator of the State Historical Society (1920-1947), serving as Vice President (1938-1940) and President (1940-1946). He wrote books and published articles for newspapers and periodicals regarding local and state history. His published works include “Nils Otto Tank” in the Wisconsin Magazine of History (vol. 22, no. 4) and History of the Fox River Valley, Lake Winnebago and the Green Bay Region (three volumes). Titus' unpublished writings include “Wayside Sketches” and “The Westward Trail.”

Author. Besides his historical scholarship, Titus published a book of poems called Vagrant Verses and wrote a book entitled Wisconsin Writers, Sketches and Studies. Some public schools in the state used Wisconsin Writers as a textbook to familiarize students with Wisconsin authors and their literary contributions.

The papers of William A. Titus reflect his life as businessperson, historian, author, and Republican politician, of which business papers, especially of the Standard Lime and Stone Company, comprise the largest segment. Many other letters and financial papers pertain to his other investments: the Copper Belt Mines Company in Wyoming, mining property in Ontario, and real estate in Milwaukee, Chicago, and the northern lakes region of Wisconsin. His papers are divided by six series: Correspondence; Studies and Speeches; Articles on History; Business Records; Genealogy, Biography and Miscellaneous Materials; and Photographs.

The CORRESPONDENCE, 1835-1951, is arranged chronologically by month. The correspondence relates to Titus and his business enterprises, political affairs, family matters, and historical and literary interests.

Political issues and interests are reflected in the correspondence between 1912 and 1930. During this period he: supported Theodore Roosevelt for the presidency in 1912; was a member of the Fond du Lac school board (1914 to 1922); assailed Senator La Follette's opposition to the United States' intervention in World War I; served in the state senate (1921-1929); and unsuccessful bids for superintendent of schools in Fond du Lac County; a seat in congress; and a nomination as the Republican candidate for governor. Correspondents include several Wisconsin and national political figures. He corresponded with politicians such as Congressmen Frank B. Keefe (November 26, 1946), and Michael K. Reilly (June 7, 1932), Governors Francis McGovern, E.L. Philipp and Walter Goodland, and public figures such as Theodore Roosevelt (February 7, 1918), Guy D. Goff (September 7, 1917), and Gifford Pinchot (April 16, 1919).

As a collector of Indian artifacts from Mexico and the southwestern United States, Titus exchanged letters with other collectors. As a writer on state and local historical topics and a member of the Board of Curators of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin, he carried on extensive correspondence with the directors and other staff members of the Society. He conducted correspondence with Louise P. Kellogg, Edward P. Alexander, and Clifford L. Lord. In addition, Titus pursued his literary interests in corresponding with the author, August Derleth.

Some family letters are also found in the correspondence. During World War II a series of letters, 1943-1945, written by his son Robert, describe experiences in the United States Navy from boot camp to the occupation of Okinawa. In a letter dated 1945 August 26, he describes the American occupation of Okinawa following the Japanese surrender. Robert Titus catalogued the appalling conditions upon the island, asserting,

The [American] officers in many cases were arrogant. They had good sleeping quarters from the time of the landing while the privates slept on the ground with bugs and lizards and snakes. That was to be expected, but when the first cots came in for the men, the officers grabbed them so as to have something to pile their clothes... also the first thing we had to construct was a recreation room for the officers when the men did not even have a place to wash and clean up decently. Finally a visiting marine sanitary engineer corrected that condition as soon as he saw it.

A few other letters were written by a grandson, Donald W. Titus, a member of a tank corps in the Pacific theater during World War II.

Titus also collected miscellaneous autograph letters and documents, most of which are dated prior to 1910. Among these are documents signed by George Boyd and Aaron Vanderpoel, James G. Percival, James D. Doty, and John Lawe; and letters signed by U.S. Secretary of the Navy George Bancroft (January 6, 1846), T.C. Chamberlin, Lyman C. Draper, Lucius Fairchild, Asa Gray, Edward E. Hale, Julian Hawthorn, T.W. Higginson, Emerson Hough, Rupert Hughes, Edward Salomon, U.S. Senator Philetus Sawyer (January 20, 1882), Henry R. Schoolcraft, and William E. Smith. Autographs scattered through the correspondence after 1910 include letters written by Edgar Rice Burroughs (1925), Joseph C. Lincoln (1925), and Harold Bell Wright (1917). The letter from Higginson is of interest as it explains the general abolitionists' strategy against slavery (October 18, 1857).

The STUDIES AND SPEECHES include Titus' studies concerning Indian tribes in the Upper Mid-West and Great Lakes Region, national affairs, and his senatorial speeches and campaign literature. “Mellon Treasury Plan” describes the Republican tax program of the 1920s. “The New Republic: As Related in 1976” discusses the future of the United States in relationship to the depression of the 1930s. The campaign speeches and political literature is from Titus' 1920 and 1924 senatorial campaigns and his 1922 congressional campaign.

ARTICLES ON HISTORY. These boxes contain some of Titus' articles, speeches and research notes regarding Fond du Lac and Wisconsin history, and non-Wisconsin history. Titus' original papers contained manuscripts of many of his published articles. In every case where the State Historical Society Library has copies of the articles, the manuscripts were not kept.

BUSINESS RECORDS. This box includes Titus' business records delineating his commercial and investment transactions. Business records include documents concerning the Copper Belt Mine Company, Standard Line and Stone Company, Citizens Loan and Investment Company, Norlake Realty Company and the Cass-Wayne Apartments.

GENEALOGY, BIOGRAPHY, AND MISCELLANEOUS MATERIALS. These folders contain Titus' collection of clipped autographs and signed cards (including Edward P. Bragg, Henry Cabot Lodge, Charles Francis Adams and General W.T. Sherman), documents and certificates (such as his certificate of merit in Genealogy), and miscellaneous articles (such as an unpublished article entitled “A Blue Heron Nesting Place”). Autobiographical manuscripts by William A. Titus give his recollections and an appraisal of his life, especially his service as legislator and historian including, “My Idea of the Outstanding Achievements of My Life,” “William A. Titus, Fond du Lac, Wis.” “Wisconsin as I have Known It” discusses Titus' experiences in relationship to state history. “After Many Days” reviews Titus' legislative record. “Personal Contacts through Five Decades” describes Titus' mother and the family physician. Also includes genealogical material on the Titus family.

The PHOTOGRAPHS in the collection document William A. Titus; his family and their homes in Fond du Lac and Eden, Wisconsin; his work and co-workers at the Standard Lime and Stone Company; and events in and around Fond du Lac, including a GAR (Grand Army of the Republic) parade, as well as events and people at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Also included are images of properties owned by Titus in other states and family vacations to the Pacific and Atlantic coasts. Additional images include Native American artifacts collected by Titus now in the collections of the Wisconsin Historical Museum.

Access Restrictions

Copy prints for some of the negatives are available. Access to negatives requires permission of the Visual Materials Curator and three days notice.

Acquisition Information

Presented by Mrs. Clarence Richards, Rhinelander, Wisconsin, August 15, 1956; 1961; and 1968. Several items presented by William Titus, 1944 and undated. Accession Number: M61-157, M68-153

Oshkosh Mss AA	Series: Correspondence
Box   1	1835-1921
Box   2	1922-1928
Box   3	1929-1933
Box   4	1934-1941
Box   5	1941-1945
Box   6	1946-1951, undated
	Series: Studies and Speeches	⇧
Box   7 Folder   1	“The Indian Tribes of Great Lakes Region”
Box   7 Folder   2	“The Indian Scare in Wisconsin”
Box   7 Folder   3	“The Fox Indian Wars”
Box   7 Folder   4	“Sons of the Soil: A Story of the Black Hawk Uprising and After”
Box   7 Folder   5	“Makers of Early Taycheedah History”
Box   7 Folder   6	“Our Presidential Elections”
Box   7 Folder   7	“Popularity As Opposed to Honest Achievement”
Box   7 Folder   8	“The New Republic: As Related in 1976”
Box   7 Folder   9	“Mellon Treasury Plan”
Box   7 Folder   10	Campaign speeches and political literature, 1920, 1922, 1924
	Series: Articles on History	⇧
Box   8 Folder   1	Non-Wisconsin history
Box   8 Folder   2	Fond du Lac history
Box   8 Folder   3	Wisconsin history
Box   9 Folder   1-5	Wisconsin history (continued)
Box   13 Folder   1	The Fox-Wisconsin Waterway: original manuscript / with corrections by Dr. Maud H. Mendenhall
	Series: Business Records	⇧
Box   10 Folder   1	1906, 1909-1910, 1912, 1914-1919
Box   10 Folder   2	1920-1926
Box   10 Folder   3	1927-1929
Box   10 Folder   4	1930-1939
Box   10 Folder   5	1940-1944
Box   12 Volume   1	1902-1939
Box   12 Volume   2	1903-1906
Box   12 Volume   3	1906-1909
Box   12 Volume   4	1907-1909
Box   12 Volume   5	Expenditures and receipts, 1923
Box   12 Volume   6	Proceedings, 1928-1929
Box   12 Volume   7	Cass-Wayne Apartments, 1914-1918
	Series: Genealogy, Biography, and Miscellaneous Materials	⇧
Box   11 Folder   1	Poetry
Box   11 Folder   2	Autograph collection
Box   11 Folder   3	Documents and certificates
Box   11 Folder   4	“My Idea of the Outstanding Achievements of My Life”
Box   11 Folder   4	“William A. Titus, Fond du Lac, Wis.”
Box   11 Folder   5	“Wisconsin as I have Known It”
Box   11 Folder   6	“After Many Days”
Box   11 Folder   7	“Personal Contacts through Five Decades”
Box   11 Folder   8	“The Boy I Used To Be”
Box   11 Folder   9	“The Biblical Seventy”
Box   11 Folder   10	“Reflections on Arriving at Four Score Years”
Box   11 Folder   11	“If a Man Dies, Shall He Live Again”
Box   11 Folder   12	Name and family of Titus / compiled by the Media Research Bureau
Box   11 Folder   13	Miscellaneous articles including “A Winter Adventure”
Box   11 Folder   14	Programs and membership cards
Box   11 Folder   15	Newspaper clippings delineating his political activities
	Series: Photographs	⇧
PH 1144	Copy prints
	Negatives Access Restrictions: Access to negatives requires permission of the Visual Materials Curator and three days notice.
(T569)	Original 4 x 5-inch nitrate negatives
(T57)	Original 5 x 7-inch glass plate negatives
(T571)86-91	Original 5 x 7-inch nitrate negatives