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    HAMBURGER CHARLIE'S ITEMS

    HAMBURGER CHARLIE'S ITEMSHamburger Charlie's Items on Display in the Museum
    By Diane DuFour


    Visitors to the museum may wonder how the historical society came to possess Hamburger Charlie's original spatula, butter pot, and bell. Recently Diane DuFour submitted an article explaining how her family obtained the items and then donated them to the museum.

    When my family moved to Seymour in 1944 one of the most exciting attractions was the Outagamie County Fair. When we went to the fair my father, Theodore DuFour, told us to visit Hamburger Charlie's stand. He told us Charlie was from Appleton and we should help keep him in business. Little did we know that Charlie's stand would one day be ours.

    My dad taught in Seymour and also sold insurance. One day in 1953 when calling on clients he met Hamburger Charlie's family. They were selling Charlie's stand and everything he used to make and sell his burgers. My dad was interested and came home to talk it over with my mother, Leone.

    The next morning my mom told my sister, two brothers and me to clear out a space in the garage because daddy was bringing something home. We were expecting a desk and some insurance paperwork. We had a big surprise when he came home with Hamburger Charlie's stand!

    Daddy told us he planned to travel to county fairs in the area similar to what Hamburger Charlie did. These included the Brown, Shawano, Waupaca and of course, Outagamie County Fairs. That year, and for the next three or four years, my dad, mom, and my brother, Terry, traveled to the area fairs. I stayed home with my younger brother and sisters and didn't get to work on the stand. They would come home and tell us about the interesting people they met and the good times they had.

    When they stopped traveling to fairs we used many of the things from Hamburger Charlie's stand in our home. Eventually we donated several of the items to the Seymour Museum.

    Visitors to the museum can listen to Hamburger Charlie's Chant, ring his bell, and see a number of his original utensils courtesy of the DuFour family.


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