This Badger History was written and printed in 1948. The October issue has a feature titled “Wisconsin Women I Admire” by Karen Kittleson. One of these is Frances E. Willard who is prominent in Janesville history.

Karen Kittleson was in grade 7 in the Norwegian school at Albany when she wrote the feature about women she admired 61 years ago. Her teacher was Mrs. Woodrow Pryce. Brodhead area people know the Pryce family.

November in Wisconsin History is a timely subject. On November 1 in 1937 the Winnebago treaty was signed and lands ceded to the United States government. In 1896 on Nov. 1 the first rural free mail delivery was established at Sun Prairie.

On Nov. 3 in 1762 French and Indian War ended by a peace agreement.

In 1799 James Duane Doty was born (he later became governor) of Wisconsin.

I was very impressed by instructions given the young students on collecting and recording history to be sure it is accurate on record in years to come. We are now using their information 61 years later and appreciate the information listed very conveniently.

In 1904 the Primary Election Law was approved by voters of Wisconsin.

Nov. 11, 1918 became Word War I Armistice Day. On Nov. 12 in 1849 Lawrence College opened at Appleton. In 1887 Wisconsin Veterans’ Home at Waupaca opened. In 1889 the first football contest between the University and an outside team was held. I don’t know who won.

Nov. 24, 1885 the first Farmers Institute in Wisconsin was held at Hudson. Of course Thanksgiving Day has been held in Wisconsin in November for a long time. Although the date has been moved around through the years, it was always on a Thursday.

On Nov. 26 in 1838 the first meeting of the Legislative Assembly was held at Madison.

Nov. 26 in 1898 First USS Wisconsin was launched at San Francisco.

We ordered a glow stick jumpsuit for my firstborn and the company sent glow sticks and no suit. Their customer service is nonexistent, truly a phantom. Younger son and his passel of pals decided they would dress en masse. We bought eight black hooded robes today. Parties, trick or treating, and candy. It can be fun for all ages. I simply want to play dress up. I have a couple outfits from the vintage store that will make their debut this year. Searching still for the right hat. Maybe gloves too.

The past few years I have left a bowl of candy on the front porch and hoped for the best. That will be the plan this year too. Please take a handful and leave some for the next kid. Thank you very much. When we had our awesome cool Victorian house with a wraparound porch, I enjoyed decorating and passing out treats. We pulled tricks too.

The silly trick stuff had started at our very first house when I teased a neighbor boy that I passed out vegetables. He didn’t believe me until Halloween night when I gave him a potato.

I can’t recall everything we did back then, but I do know we gave out broccoli and baggies of pumpkin guts. Passing out toilet paper backfired and was re-gifted right in our yard. We handed out Q-tips but I can’t remember what we said they were. The cotton balls we dropped into bags, pillow cases, and plastic pumpkins, we explained were ghost poop.

We gave out candy too. And juice boxes. And microwave popcorn. And fresh crisp one hundred dollar bills. Well, okay, not that. People go nutsy for Halloween. It has become quite the retail industry, giving Christmas a real run for the money. My current neighborhood is no exception. One house has the Grim Reaper pulling a huge pumpkin carriage and a giant spider web that covers the front of their two-story home.

I have a metal pumpkin out front.

My guys aren’t into carving pumpkins anymore. And really, they don’t care about the candy. It’s a social thing.

Veterans Day began as a remembrance of the 11 hour, of the 11th day, in the 11th month, the time of armistice when the Allied nations and Germany held a cease fire during World War I. Although the war officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, in France, November 11th has become Veterans Day. In November 1919, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day with the following words: “To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…”

Throughout the next several decades Armistice Day became Veterans Day through Congress and several Presidents; finally the date of November 11 was officially named Veterans Day. Veterans Day continues to be observed on November 11, regardless of what day of the week on which it falls. The restoration of the observance of Veterans Day to November 11 not only preserved the historical significance of the date, but helped focus attention on the important purpose of Veterans Day: A celebration to honor America’s veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.