On this date James Densmore was born in Moscow, New York. Densmore was a lawyer, newspaperman, and typewriter promoter. He moved to Wisconsin in 1848 and founded the Oshkosh True Democrat (1849-1853). In 1854 he met Christopher Sholes, inventor of the typewriter. He collaborated with Sholes to issue the Kenosha Daily Telegraph. From 1855-1857 he edited the Elkhorn Independent. He returned to Pennsylvania in the 1860s, to engage in the oil business. While in Pennsylvania, he patented the first tank car for shipping petroleum. He returned to Wisconsin in 1867 and purchased a quarter interest in Sholes' typewriter invention. He also assumed leadership of the business and coined the term "typewriter." In 1873 he negotiated a contract with E. Remington and Sons to manufacture typewriters. He lost control of the business to the Remingtons and attempted to develop a competing product. He eventually sold patent rights for these to the Remingtons. [Source: Dictionary of Wisconsin Biography, SHSW 1960, pg. 99]
1865 - (Civil War) Battle of River's Bridge, South Carolina
The 25th and 32nd Wisconsin Infantry regiments fought in the Battle of River's Bridge, also called the Battle of Salkahatchie River, in South Carolina.
1920 - John W. Schmitt Born
On this date John W. Schmitt was born in Milwaukee. Schmitt became active in the union movement in 1946 when he joined Milwaukee Brewery Workers Local 9. He served first as a member of the Executive Board of the Wisconsin State Industrial Union Council. When the AFL and CIO merged in 1958, Schmitt was elected to the Executive Board of the merged organization. Schmitt's major focus throughout his union career was labor political action. Schmitt served as president of the Wisconsin AFL-CIO from 1966 to 1986. [Source: A Labor Anthology]
1945 - Janesville Woman Liberated from POW camp
On this date American troops made a daring raid into Manila to liberate the Santo Tomas prison camp. Lt. Marcia Gates of the Army Nurses Corps, the only Janesville servicewoman held prisoner by the Japanese, was liberated during this raid. She was captured when the Philippines fell in early 1942. [Source: Janesville Gazette]
1959 - The Day the Music Died
Bad winter weather and a bus breakdown prompted rock-and-roll musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper to rent a plane to continue on their "Winter Dance Party" tour. Icy roads and treacherous weather had nearly undermined their performances in Green Bay and Appleton that weekend, so after a show at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa, on February 2, 1959, they boarded a four-seat airplane. The three performers and pilot Roger Peterson perished when the plane crashed about 1:00 AM on Monday, February 3rd ("The Day the Music Died," according to singer Don McLean in his song "American Pie") . [Source: Mark Steuer; Wikipedia]
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