Ford anniversary to rev up Valders

March 9, 2010

Ford anniversary to rev up Valders

William F. Christel, widely known as “Mr. Valders,” enjoyed a good party. The village he devoted his life to will throw a dandy this summer.

Christel sparked this shindig. A century ago, on March 1, 1910, the young Valders entrepreneur opened the first Ford dealership in Wisconsin. It was the eighth in the United States.


The 100th anniversary party will wait for balmier weather and the annual Valders Lions Club community picnic and car show July 31-Aug. 1. The Lions Club and Valders Fire Department, as well as the Valders Athletic Association and a crowd of volunteers, are revving up for an expanded celebration that promises to swell the always popular picnic to more than 5,000 people.

Besides a wealth of cars and colorful Valders history on display, there will be music, food and drink, children’s games and a dedication ceremony. “We expect very good attendance,” said Roger Manke, one of the sparkplugs for the affair and husband to Char, one of Christel’s many local descendents.

When the village patriarch died in 1952 at age 90, Manke said, his legacy included the Ford dealership, three canneries, three crop farms, a tavern, a cash store, two banks, 13 agricultural patents and 15 children.

The weekend event will celebrate Christel’s legacy and local history as it attracts classic car fans and collectors from a wide area. The Valders location is excellent, Manke said, pointing to the car ferry, interstate highway system and abundant area accommodations.

The Valders Improvement Corp., represented by President Bill Riesterer, left, donated $1,000 toward Valders’ Ford Celebration to be held July 31- Aug. 1. Accepting the check on behalf of the organizing committees is Pat Christel, 82, grandson of William F. Christel, who opened the first Ford dealership in Wisconsin in 1910 in downtown Valders. Photo by Carole Curtis

Manke and a growing group of volunteers have been organizing the party since August. They meet at 7 p.m. the first Wednesday of each month at the Valders Fire Station and welcome all to join them.

Lakeshore Technical College students have created a marketing program and presentation for Ford Motor Co., which has been invited to join in with sponsorship and a display of vehicles, Manke said. In return, the company may film commercials over the weekend.

In addition to car shows on Saturday and Sunday, the gala will include a parade, William F. Christel family and Ford displays, entertainment, music by the Happy Schnapps Combo and fireworks. If all goes well, the event could put Valders into the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest lineup of Model A Fords, Manke said.

Among the vintage cars on display will be Manke’s 1930 Model A and Joe and Ruth Kaufmann’s 1911 Model T touring car, once used to haul milk cans to the Osman cheese factory.

The Kaufmanns have toured the country in their 20-horsepower vehicle. Weighing 1,350 pounds, it has a crank start, brass hardware, folding windshield and original horsehair-stuffed leather seat, and it gets less than 18 miles per gallon.

The July 31 Ford show is open to all Ford cars, trucks and Fordson tractors, which also were sold at the Valders dealership. A car tour also is scheduled for that day. It will motor past pertinent sites in the area, including the original dealership in the old Christel Ford building in the center of the village on Calumet Drive, now home to M&S Auto Service.

A commemorative historical marker will be dedicated at the site. The village’s welcome signs will be amended to read “Home of Wisconsin’s First Ford Dealership,” and the state historical map will be enriched with the village’s name and newly established claim to fame.

“This will put Valders on the map,” Manke said.

Proceeds from the celebration will be used to finish the village’s Class A baseball diamond and field, as well as put the final touches on the Lions Community Park playground project.

“We have very good participation, but we need lots of help,” Manke said.

Anyone interested in lending a hand can call him at (920) 369-8122 or visit valderslions.org.

Carole Curtis:(920) 905-1755; clcurtis.inkwell@lakefield.net