Saving the Wrong Things

As much as I love history, I'm not a big fan of 'historic preservation".  That is mainly because people choose to save stuff just because it is old--and not so much because it is "historic".  Here in Oshkosh we have a lot of houses that are designated as "historic"--not because anything of significance happened in them--but rather because they were the first to be built in the city in a certain style, or they are the last in the city that was built in a certain style.  There are entire neighborhoods that have been designated as "historic", meaning owners need to get approval from state and local bodies before doing any major renovations or changing the appearance of the home.  That often leads to no changes being made and those houses just looking older and run down.  And yet, there is nothing in those neighborhoods that explains why they are "historic".

Winnebago County taxpayers are getting stuck with a higher bill for updating the Courthouse to modern standards for security and energy efficiency because it is considered to be an "historic" structure.  The state Historical Commission has decided that only windows looking just like the old, inefficient ones can be put in the Courthouse.  The only problem is, nobody makes energy-efficient windows that look like that--so the County has to have everything custom-made--just so we can "preserve a piece of history", that nobody can really explain why it's historic in the first place.

If you ask me what "history" we should preserve here in Oshkosh I'd tell you we can start by figuring out a way to staff Ardy and Ed's Drive In so they can stay open this summer.  For those who have grown up in Oshkosh or who have lived here for a long time, we have a greater shared history with Ardy and Ed's than we do with the Winnebago County Courthouse or some home on Washington Street.  I didn't grow up here, but I still had drive-in experiences during my childhood--either with my grandparents at an A&W in Green Bay or with my Mom at The Penguin in Manitowoc--which was usually a treat for good grades on a report card.  And going to Ardy and Ed's reminds me of those great times--like an historic landmark should.

That's the kind of history we should be preserving (and if you were a Northsider--the same would go for Leon's Frozen Custard--which can boast visits by Presidents during its tenure.)  It's also why I was disappointed that nobody from the Landmarks Commission made a single comment about the City's decision to sell Lakeshore Golf Course.  100+ years of first rounds with your Dad or final rounds with your Grandfather?  Not worth saving.  A dumpy, old church behind the northside Burger King?  That needs to be "preserved" at all costs!

The sad thing is that if the Davises decided to shut down Ardy and Ed's--or Mike Schraa decided to close Leon's--only then would our "historic preservationists" step in and want to do something--and by that I mean keeping the empty building from being torn down for re-development.  But I think having a living, breathing piece of history is far better than something that just stands as a museum piece--not providing new memories for anyone.