Sources

As I pointed out on the first page of this growning web document, I am not a historian, and none of these pages are meant to represent a history of Manawa. I don't even live in Manawa, and haven't for more than twenty years now.

But I did live there for about fifteen years, and it gave me a familiarity of the town that brings on a romantic nostalgia when I look at old photos of the place. If you'd told me back in 1980 that I'd say anything like that, I would've rolled my eyes at you.

So it's a little funny, given the history disclaimer and the rolling eyes, that I really get quite a kick out of collecting old photos of the town, comparing them to one another, looking for clues as to when the photos were taken, what they show, and so on. Life's like that.

I wouldn't be able to come to half the conclusions I've made without some sources of information, and in the interest of satisfying your curiosity, here's a list of the sources I've found so far:

History of Waupaca County, Wisconsin

compiled by J. Wakefield
A history of the county, recording of the minutes of county meetings, and collection of oral history.

Mainstreet Marketplace (www.mainstreet-marketplace.com)

Deserves its own mention for the wonderful resources it provides in a series of very well-made web pages.

Compiled by Evelyn M. Wegener
Published for the town's centennial celebration in 1974, this collection of Mrs. Wegener's historical columns, written for the town's weekly newspaper the Manawa Advocate, was a treasure trove of information.

Rootsweb (http:www.rootsweb.com/~wiwaupac)

Information posted on this site was a great help corroborating much of the information I pieced together from other sources. The plat map alone made this an excellent find.

Waupaca County Histories

Edited by John M. Ware, and published in 1917
Portions of which were helpfully transcribed by Paula Vaughan and posted on the Rootsweb web site
(http://www.rootsweb.com/~wiwaupac/CityInfo/MA2.htm)

The Waupaca County Post

An article transcribed from the Post, and helpfully posted on the web site of Mainstreet Marketplace, provided one of the many explanations for Manawa's name.

The Waupaca Republican

Articles transcribed from the Republican, and helpfully posted on the web site of Mainstreet Marketplace, provided me with the dates that telephone service came to the area.