Houdini Plaza in Appleton, August 4, 2022. PC: Fox 11 Online
APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — The City of Appleton is honoring one of its most famous residents, Harry Houdini.
Oct. 31 will mark the 100th anniversary of the late magician’s death.
To commemorate the event, Appleton has a special celebration planned at Houdini Plaza on Halloween which will soon feature a new addition in his honor.
“We applied to the state to be able to host a Harry Houdini Wisconsin historical marker right here in Houdini Plaza,” Appleton Downtown Inc. Executive Director Jennifer Stephany said.
Stephany said her organization worked closely with the Wisconsin Historical Society to get the new plaque.
It’s meant to recognize Houdini and the impact he had on Wisconsin’s history.
Houdini was born in Hungary, but his family moved to Appleton in 1878 when he was just four years old.
He went on to become the well-known magician and escape artist we remember today.
“You think about the history and the mark that he made on the art and industry of magic, and it’s really unmatched. And it’s really an honor for the community of Appleton and the Fox Cities to be able to honor that legacy right here in downtown Appleton,” Stephany said.
The marker will even note Houdini once performed at the Appleton Opera House.
Houdini Plaza already has several tributes to the magician, but Stephany hopes the new marker will remind people of Houdini’s lasting impact on Appleton.
“We’re proud to be able to have this in our community for years and years to come,” she said.
The full inscription of what the historical marker will read as provided by the Wisconsin Historical Society:
Harry Houdini was a world-famous magician and escape artist. Born Ehrich Weiss in Budapest, Hungary, he immigrated to the United States with his family when he was four years old, settling in Appleton in a home near this site in 1878. Houdini’s father, Mayer Samuel Weiss, was the first rabbi of Appleton’s Zion Reform Jewish Congregation. Throughout his career, Houdini claimed Appleton as his hometown. In 1897, he and his wife, Bess, performed at the Appleton Opera House. He even challenged the local police, escaping from handcuffs and a jail cell. Houdini traveled to Europe in 1900, where his performances brought him international recognition. Houdini was also an author, aviator, silent film star, inventor, and collector. He died at age 52 in 1926. Appleton proudly remembers its connection to the legendary “Handcuff King.”
Comments