The Myer Katz papers consist of research materials used and drafts of articles written for
Echoes of Our Past , a book containing vignettes on La Crosse history. The papers have been divided into two main sections.
The first contains materials generated in preparation of the book called BUSINESS ASPECTS. This included notes on general organization, drafts of the preface and introductory notes, a bibliography, publicity blurbs, and proofs.
The SUBJECT FILES contain notes, newspaper clippings, and preliminary and final drafts of the vignettes that make up
Echoes of Our Past . Each story was published originally in the
La Crosse Tribune as part of Katz’s local history column, which also bore the title, “Echoes of Our Past”. Clippings of each article as it appeared in the
Tribune are included in the files. A number of the vignettes cover similar topics. The stories about Frank Burton, Mamie Cummings and David Darst, for example, all involve murders, while major La Crosse fires are covered in the essays about the Cameron Hotel, Gund Brewery, Park Store, Third Street, and paddle wheeler War Eagle. There is a large file on the Mississippi River as well as individual files on the river boat War Eagle, Wagon Bridge, and river pirates. In addition many stories cover more than one specific topic. The Copeland Avenue and Cameron Park files contain biographical material on Frederick Copeland and Peter Cameron, respectively, while the Mons Anderson file contains information on business and home, as do the Easton family and Albert Hirshheimer files.
The papers conclude with a section entitled “Chronological history of La Crosse”. It contains notes for, and drafts of the chronology that makes up the last chapter of
Echoes of Our Past .
