From: "Terry Thiessen" <tevents@dotnet.com> Subject: Schildhauer Exhibit Opens Date: Sat, 21 Jun 2008 10:34:12 -0500 Message-ID: <003101c8d3b4$420cfaa0$36ca7fd8@Office>
Edward Schildhauer - New Holstein to the Panama Canal Exhibit
New Holstein, WI: New Holstein's Historical Society has announced the
opening of its 2008 special feature exhibit entitled: "Edward Schildhauer,
from New Holstein to the Panama Canal." The exhibit, located in the Lauson
Gallery of the Society's Pioneer Corner Museum, Main Street, New Holstein,
uses original documents, artifacts and photos from Mr. Schildhauer's
personal collection. The items have been donated to the Society over the
years by members of the Schildhauer family and friends. The exhibit
officially opens to the public on Saturday, June 7. The hours of the
Pioneer Museum from now until Labor Day Weekend are 1pm - 4pm, Saturday and
Sunday.
Edward Schildhauer was the electrical and mechanical engineer for the Panama
Canal project and invented and patented the lock gate opening mechanisms and
the control panels for the lock systems for the canal that are still in
operation today. According to the Society's President, Terry Thiessen,
"most of the material, artifacts and photos that are in this display have
not been available to the general public. We received the items in a large
donation made to the Society following the death of Edward's wife, Ruth, in
1961." The display includes Edward's beaver skin top hat that he wore at
the dedication of the Canal and a cane, on loan to the Society from Edward's
grand niece, Paula Schildhauer Dickey, made from Panamanian wood taken from
the bottom of the Gatun Lock prior to its flooding and engraved with the
names of the engineers that worked on the Gatun Lock. Large panorama photos
taken by the US Government during the construction of the Canal and
digitally restored by the Printing Express staff are displayed around the
entire gallery. Each photo shows various aspects of the construction of the
locks. In addition, a collection of 15 of Edward's personal photos were
carefully restored by Dennis Ninmer of Images-N-Stone and are included in
the exhibit complete with the written descriptions provided in Mr.
Schildhauer's handwriting.
One of the most interesting items is a large wall chart of the Schildhauer -
Iverson Family Tree that was begun in 1953 as a class project by Paula
Schildhauer Dickey and was last updated in April of 2008. Mrs. Dickey
donated the chart to the New Holstein Historical Society in May of this year
as part of the exhibit being created. The document will become a part of
the Society's permanent collection of genealogical materials when the
exhibit closes in September.
In the words of Alberto Roy, member of the Blue Ribbon Engineering Committee
which studied the present state of the Panama Canal, "It happens that the
Canal owes so much to Edward Schildhauer that it is not only unfair, but
totally ridiculous how little we know about him . . . . The Panama Canal
will forever have an immortal debt with Edward Schildhauer."
More information on group rates for the Pioneer Corner Museum and the Timm
House Historic Site call 920-898-5900. Summer hours for the Timm House
Historic Site are Wednesday through Friday, 1pm - 3pm, and 1pm - 4pm on
Saturday and Sundays.