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Abstract
| Miyamoto discusses the following topics: Introductions, born at Gundersen Clinic (est. 1930) lived in apartment above Guggenbuehl and Nekola Department Store (1231-33 Caledonia Streets), La Crosse, Wisconsin—Mother’s background before she met Miyamoto’s father, moved to La Crosse, Wisconsin at nineteen, working at the Auto-Lite factory (1911-1959, Gillette and Rose Streets), work tasks, shift management—Father’s service in the 100th Infantry Battalion, U. S. Army, (predominantly Japanese American unit from Hawaii) during World War Two (1939-1945), father’s transfer to Camp McCoy (est. 1909) for basic training, missions in the Pacific Islands interpreting Japanese communications, father shot in shoulder and discharged from U.S. Army, parents meeting in La Crosse, Wisconsin—Childhood, social life, spending time with friends and classmates at local sporting events, school dances, and The Sweet Shop (est. 1921, 1113 Caledonia Street), Northside neighborhood, La Crosse, Wisconsin, comparing teenage years to scenes from the movie American Graffiti (1973), drag racing cars on Main Street on Friday and Saturday nights for entertainment, dining at Country Kitchen (2120 Rose Street, closed in 2006), student rivalries between Central High School (located on 16th and Cass Streets from 1907-1967) and Logan High School (est. 1928, 1500 Ranger Drive)—Riviera Theatre (1920 – ca. 1967, 1213 Caledonia Street), La Crosse, Wisconsin, seeing the Wizard of Oz as a child at the theatre, seeing color film for the first time, being afraid of film character the Wicked Witch of the West—Childhood, recreation, swimming at the North Side Beach, La Crosse, Wisconsin, spending days at the beach, getting sunburnt, sunburn remedies, taking vinegar baths, playing recreational softball at Copeland Park, fishing on the Black River, visiting the county fair and circus—Religion, being baptized and confirmed at St. Luke’s Methodist Church (1022 Caledonia Street), La Crosse, Wisconsin, attending church camps in the summer at Pine Lake, Wisconsin, friendships with Catholic children, attending different grade schools than Catholic friends, Catholic parents not allowing their children to talk to other children who were non-Catholic—Being Japanese American, friendships with people of other races, families of color on in the Northside neighborhood, La Crosse, Wisconsin, the Moss family, first encountered racism while playing high school football, players on other teams using racial slurs—School, extracurricular activities at Logan Junior High School (1450 Avon Street) and Logan High School (est. 1928, 1500 Ranger Drive), Student Council President and Class President, respecting football coaches, Joe Thienes (1926-2013) and Jack Fent, Athletic Director Ron Johnson, Assistant Principal and basketball coach Rod Martin (1908-1990), Logan High School being on the “other side of the tracks,” students coming from blue collar families—North La Crosse, solidarity, feeling of community within the neighborhood, shared experiences of blue collar families, community caring for one another, community bond throughout the North and Lower North Side of La Crosse, Wisconsin—Community gatherings, picnics with neighboring families in Copeland Park, Northside neighborhood, La Crosse, Wisconsin, or at County Park in West Salem, Wisconsin—Auto-Lite factory (1911-1959 Gillette and Rose Streets), 1959 lay-offs at Auto-Lite, mother loses her job, community grief caused by factory closing, Miyamoto family discussed moving to Iowa, staying in La Crosse, Wisconsin because of community connections, mother worked three jobs to provide for her family, late 1950s—Miyamoto’s early employment experiences, shoveling snow for business community on Caledonia Street, La Crosse, Wisconsin, Manke Hardware Store (1905-1967, 1302 Caledonia Street), M. Lokken & Son Grocery (1918-1955, 1300 Caledonia Street), Neumeister’s Butcher Shop (Central Market, 1226 Caledonia Street), Guggenbuehl and Nekola (1231 Caledonia Street), Nelson’s Clothing Store (ca. 1907-1983, located at 1205-1207 Caledonia Street), and Berg’s Pharmacy (1927-1963, 1228 Caledonia Street), delivering newspapers for Milwaukee Sentinel (est. 1837), working at The Sweet Shop (est. 1921, 1113 Caledonia Street), Sandy’s fast food (1958-1979, bought by Hardee’s Food Systems Inc.)—U.S. President John F. Kennedy (1961-1963), memories of the day President Kennedy was assassinated, November 22, 1963—1965 Flood in La Crosse, Wisconsin, city of La Crosse preparing for the flood, using sandbags as a preventative measures, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse college students’ assistance to the upper Northside before and during the flood, damage on the Causeway, damage to businesses Northside businesses, severity of the flood—Fast food management employment with Hardee’s Restaurant chain (est. 1960) throughout Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, Indiana—Memories of the train depot on the Lower Northside, La Crosse, Wisconsin, visiting mother’s family in Alma, Wisconsin by train, meeting actor Alan Ladd (1913-1964) on one of the trains, love of the movie Shane (1953), actor Lloyd Bridges (1913-1998) visited La Crosse, Wisconsin—Telephones, party lines, waiting for other neighbors to finish their phone conversations to use the shared line—Doctors’ house calls, transition from house calls to visiting the hospital when in need of care —Listening to the radio, listening to sports on 580 WKTY (est. 1948), announcers Charlie Kearns (1924-1981) and Mike Kearns (b. 1952), listening to rock stations, 102 Eagle. |
| Content | 00:00:20—Introductions, born at Gundersen Clinic (est. 1930) lived in apartment above Guggenbuehl and Nekola Department Store (1231-33 Caledonia Streets), La Crosse, Wisconsin |
00:01:20—Mother’s background before she met Miyamoto’s father, moved to La Crosse, Wisconsin at nineteen, working at the Auto-Lite factory (1911-1959, Gillette and Rose Streets), work tasks, shift management |
00:02:36—Father’s service in the 100th Infantry Battalion, U. S. Army, (predominantly Japanese American unit from Hawaii) during World War Two (1939-1945), father’s transfer to Camp McCoy (est. 1909) for basic training, missions in the Pacific Islands interpreting Japanese communications, father shot in shoulder and discharged from U.S. Army, parents meeting in La Crosse, Wisconsin |
00:04:20—Childhood, social life, spending time with friends and classmates at local sporting events, school dances, and The Sweet Shop (est. 1921, 1113 Caledonia Street), Northside neighborhood, La Crosse, Wisconsin, comparing teenage years to scenes from the movie American Graffiti (1973), drag racing cars on Main Street on Friday and Saturday nights for entertainment, dining at Country Kitchen (2120 Rose Street, closed in 2006), student rivalries between Central High School (located on 16th and Cass Streets from 1907-1967) and Logan High School (est. 1928, 1500 Ranger Drive) |
00:09:50—Riviera Theatre (1920 – ca. 1967, 1213 Caledonia Street), La Crosse, Wisconsin, seeing the Wizard of Oz as a child at the theatre, seeing color film for the first time, being afraid of film character the Wicked Witch of the West |
00:12:10—Childhood, recreation, swimming at the North Side Beach, La Crosse, Wisconsin, spending days at the beach, getting sunburnt, sunburn remedies, taking vinegar baths, playing recreational softball at Copeland Park, fishing on the Black River, visiting the county fair and circus |
00:14:50—Religion, being baptized and confirmed at St. Luke’s Methodist Church (1022 Caledonia Street), La Crosse, Wisconsin, attending church camps in the summer at Pine Lake, Wisconsin, friendships with Catholic children, attending different grade schools than Catholic friends, Catholic parents not allowing their children to talk to other children who were non-Catholic |
00:17:00—Being Japanese American, friendships with people of other races, families of color on in the Northside neighborhood, La Crosse, Wisconsin, the Moss family, first encountered racism while playing high school football, players on other teams using racial slurs |
00:21:30—School, extracurricular activities at Logan Junior High School (1450 Avon Street) and Logan High School (est. 1928, 1500 Ranger Drive), Student Council President and Class President, respecting football coaches, Joe Thienes (1926-2013) and Jack Fent, Athletic Director Ron Johnson, Assistant Principal and basketball coach Rod Martin (1908-1990), Logan High School being on the “other side of the tracks,” students coming from blue collar families |
00:24:10—North La Crosse, solidarity, feeling of community within the neighborhood, shared experiences of blue collar families, community caring for one another, community bond throughout the North and Lower North Side of La Crosse, Wisconsin |
00:25:56—Community gatherings, picnics with neighboring families in Copeland Park, Northside neighborhood, La Crosse, Wisconsin, or at County Park in West Salem, Wisconsin |
00:27:15—Auto-Lite factory (1911-1959 Gillette and Rose Streets), 1959 lay-offs at Auto-Lite, mother loses her job, community grief caused by factory closing, Miyamoto family discussed moving to Iowa, staying in La Crosse, Wisconsin because of community connections, mother worked three jobs to provide for her family, late 1950s |
00:32:10—Miyamoto’s early employment experiences, shoveling snow for business community on Caledonia Street, La Crosse, Wisconsin, Manke Hardware Store (1905-1967, 1302 Caledonia Street), M. Lokken & Son Grocery (1918-1955, 1300 Caledonia Street), Neumeister’s Butcher Shop (Central Market, 1226 Caledonia Street), Guggenbuehl and Nekola (1231 Caledonia Street), Nelson’s Clothing Store (ca. 1907-1983, located at 1205-1207 Caledonia Street), and Berg’s Pharmacy (1927-1963, 1228 Caledonia Street), delivering newspapers for Milwaukee Sentinel (est. 1837), working at The Sweet Shop (est. 1921, 1113 Caledonia Street), Sandy’s fast food (1958-1979, bought by Hardee’s Food Systems Inc.) |
00:36:10—U.S. President John F. Kennedy (1961-1963), memories of the day President Kennedy was assassinated, November 22, 1963 |
00:37:55—1965 Flood in La Crosse, Wisconsin, city of La Crosse preparing for the flood, using sandbags as a preventative measures, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse college students’ assistance to the upper Northside before and during the flood, damage on the Causeway, damage to businesses Northside businesses, severity of the flood |
00:39:25—Fast food management employment with Hardee’s Restaurant chain (est. 1960) throughout Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, Indiana |
00:40:30—Memories of the train depot on the Lower Northside, La Crosse, Wisconsin, visiting mother’s family in Alma, Wisconsin by train, meeting actor Alan Ladd (1913-1964) on one of the trains, love of the movie Shane (1953), actor Lloyd Bridges (1913-1998) visited La Crosse, Wisconsin |
00:46:50—Telephones, party lines, waiting for other neighbors to finish their phone conversations to use the shared line |
00:47:55—Doctors’ house calls, transition from house calls to visiting the hospital when in need of care |
00:49:40—Listening to the radio, listening to sports on 580 WKTY (est. 1948), announcers Charlie Kearns (1924-1981) and Mike Kearns (b. 1952), listening to rock stations, 102 Eagle |
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