Ozaukee County and W.J. Niederkorn's History Now Available Online

In 2011, the participated in a Library Services and Technology Act grant to digitize Port Washington history books as well as photograph some of William J. Niederkorn’s personal possessions and historical documents that we have preserved over the years.

These digital items can be found at one site collected together with other Ozaukee and Sheboygan County historical items. (Click on browse Ozaukee County Local History Collection to see our items interspersed with some other items from Ozaukee County.)
 
These items are also all available through links in EasiCat — the library's online catalog of materials. Just search for the title and click on the link taking you directly to that item.

A couple books on Port Washington history include: 

• Port Washington Centennial 1835-1935: The booklet for the centennial celebration. A good overview of Port Washington History. 
• Port Washington 1835-1985: The booklet for the sesquicentennial celebration with updated Port Washington information.

The collection is also full of pieces about and from William J. Niederkorn. Not only does the collection include the book, "The Story of William J. Niederkorn," by Charles Larson, but it also includes various artifacts such as a copy of his check for $18 million from when he sold Simplicity, plaques and awards, a letter to him from President Richard Nixon, the Proclamation of William J. Niederkorn Day, as well as a few pictures of the man himself.

It is a fascinating collection that we can now proudly share online. A great way to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the WJ Niederkorn Library.

In an age when local history information is often sought out first over the internet, it is great that we can now share a core collection of materials that we find valuable here at the library with the world as a whole. We will continue to expand our collection over time to make even more valuable resources easily available for all. 

This project was funded, in part, through a 2011 Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant. The grant provided financial support to digitize and make available online local library resources.  The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation's 122,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. The Institute's mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas.