Elmore Elementary School students look at artifacts, including a jacket and a skirt worn by Mary Elmore in the early 1850s, on loan from the Green Bay & De Pere Antiquarian Society, displayed at Elmore Elementary School May 30, 2023. PC: Fox 11 Online
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Pieces of Green Bay history will be on display at Elmore Elementary school.
The Green Bay & De Pere Antiquarian Society is loaning personal items once belonging to the Elmore family to the school, which carries its namesake.
In the early 1860’s, the Elmore family helped shape the city of Green Bay.
Andrew Elmore came to Fort Howard in the early 1860s. He purchased a large portion of land on the west side of the Fox River and started the Elmore and Dousman Company. Andrew Elmore was also instrumental in bringing the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad to Fort Howard which changed the future of the area in the early 1860s.
Andrew’s son James became the first mayor of the incorporated village of Fort Howard in 1873. James then went on to serve as the first mayor of the combined communities of Fort Howard on the west bank and Green Bay on the east bank of the Fox River in 1890. During his terms in office, he is credited with building a new high school on the west side of the Fox River, as well as a new bridge over that same river.
Andrew’s wife, Mary Field Elmore, of the famous Field family had been a teacher prior to their moving to Fort Howard from Mukwonago.
The school will have the following items on display: A jacket and a skirt worn by Mary Elmore in the early 1850s, a sampler completed by Mary Elmore’s sister in 1833, a sampler completed by the Elmore daughters of Andrew and Mary, a calling card belonging to Augusta Elmore and a small leather purse.
It’s part of a larger goal of the Artifacts Committee of the Green Bay & De Pere Antiquarian Society to bring historical artifacts back into the local community and neighborhoods where they can be viewed freely.
“By providing students and their families a glimpse into the past, hopefully they can connect with pride closer to their neighborhoods and value the history around them. Historical knowledge can help to shape the future for our communities,” said Kris Michell of the Green Bay & De Pere Antiquarian Society.
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