Jim Goeltz

  • Ashland's 1929 Diamond Jubilee

    Ashland celebrated its 75th birthday with a three-day celebration in July 1929. With the opening of the cornerstone from the old court house and the laying of the new cornerstone at the new court house, the celebration was underway.

    By: Jim Goeltz
  • 1929: Ashland's Three-Day 75th Jubilee

    It was on July 5th, 1854 when Asaph Whittlesey and George Kilborn rowed a boat from LaPointe on Madeline Island to what is now Ashland. Asaph was looking for a spot for a new community and he and George ended up on the wooded shore close to what is now the foot of Beaser Avenue.

    By: Jim Goeltz
  • Ashland High Undefeated In 1945

    Coach Roy Melvin was in his third year as head coach at Ashland High School in 1945. From a successful team of the year before, Melvin realized he had some good returning talent. The 1944 team had lost in their regional tournament to Superior Central 27-25 in double overtime. Melvin thought 1945 would be a different year.

    By: Jim Goeltz
  • AHS Should Have Played The 'B' Team

    When the Ashland High School class of 1946 graduated, 4/5ths of Coach Roy Melvin’s basketball team walked down the aisle with a diploma.

    By: Jim Goeltz
  • Sailor Swims The Mariana Trench

    Editor's Note: This article was written by Jim Goeltz. Back in the 1940s when he was writing sports for the Ashland Daily Presshe sometimes used the by-line ‘Punchy’. After one of his columns one day, a local sports fan said to him: “You must have been punch-drunk when you wrote that.” He decided to use it as an infrequent by-line.

    By: Jim Goeltz
  • The Hovland Years At AHS

    In the Summer of 1940 the Ashland School board took it upon itself to hire a new coach for basketball, football, track and tennis. Former coach E. Ketner Weikal was suddenly dismissed in June 1940 after 16 years at the helm. Weikal was demoted to physical education instructor and coach of the eighth grade football team.

    By: Jim Goeltz
  • Ashland High's Warm Up Clothes

    Ashland high’s basketball team hasn’t always worn warm-up clothes. Way back, even before my time, the high school cagers wore only a numbered jersey and short pants. They didn’t have a warm-up jacket or pants. In fact, around the late ’19-teens’ there were no numbers on the shirt – just a purple and gold outfit.

    By: Jim Goeltz
  • Coach Weikal's Last Hurrah

    The current Ashland High School football team plays its home games on Weikal Field in Oredocker Stadium. Ashland high football teams have been playing football on that field since 1916. That is the year the old high school was built and the athletic field was (is) located on 11th Street where Third Avenue East ends.

    By: Jim Goeltz
  • Ben Metternich: Executive, Sportsman

    Who was Ben Metternich? He grew up in Wausau and graduated from Wausau High School around 1919.

    By: Jim Goeltz