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AJP807 Special user New York City 559 Posts |
Hey Oak, welcome to the Café and the Escapology board. We're glad to have you here and I'm sure we would all like to hear any more you might come up with on your relative.
Best regards, Tony Parisi |
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Damon Regular user 108 Posts |
Hello All,
It has been a while since I’ve been to the café, nice to see Oaks name come up again, and to have K.C. involved. Let me take a moment to recap my interest in Johnny Oaks, and to clear up some misinformation out there about the date of his death. I have been collecting items and information about John H. Oaks (1889-1918), and the Oaks Magical Company for the last 30+ years. My interest started upon receiving a number of magic items from my great uncle James P. “Jimmy” Damon (1896-1979) back in 1974, many of them Oaks related. My uncle was a semi-professional magician from Oshkosh for many years, and was good friends with Johnny Oaks. Johnny Oaks and my uncle were two of the five people that met at the Athern Hotel at Oshkosh in 1915 and started the Houdini Club of Wisconsin. The organization still thrives to this day. Despite what you may read or hear, John H. Oaks died of the Spanish flu that overspread the county, and the world back in September of 1918. He had enlisted the Navy only months earlier and died at the Great Lakes Naval Training Station in Chicago. Bart Whaley’s Who’s Who in Magic has it wrong when he says 1915 or any other source that says something other than 1918 – believe me!!! And yes, his tombstone is wrong also!!! It says 1917. I have seen it, and have pictures. It was obviously put there years later and the date is wrong!!! I have typed up, and show below his obituary - word for word. More stuff to come at a later date about his career and magic company – it’s getting late! By the way, his parents started the Oaks Candy Company in Oshkosh (I think in the 1880’s); it’s still being run in Oshkosh to this day. Regards, Mark Damon (mtdamon@execpc.com) By the way, I was born and raised in Appleton, WI - 20 miles north of Oshkosh. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oshkosh Daily Northwestern, Tuesday Evening, September24, 1918 DIES OF DISEASE AT NAVY STATION EPIDEMIC OF SPANISH INFLUENZA AT GREAT LAKES, ILL., CLAIMS JOHN .H. OAKS Taken at the height of his young manhood, while training for active service for his country, John H. Oaks, younger son of Mr. and Mrs. John Oaks, who conduct a candy store at 24 Washington Street is dead at the navy training station at Great Lakes, ILL. The end was caused by Spanish influenza, which has been raging in a number of army and navy camps of this country, about 1,800 bluejackets having had the disease at Great Lakes, with several hundred deaths thus far. The death of John Oaks brings the Oshkosh total of men who have died of disease while in the war service of the United States up to seven. VISITED HOME RECENTLY John Oaks enlisted about two months ago in the navy and after taking the examination for Yeoman he was sent to the Yeoman training school at Great Lakes for an advanced course, from which he had not yet graduated when death called him. He was granted a furlough about a month ago and spent ten days in this city with his parents, returning to the station and assuming his regular duties until he was taken ill a few days ago. Sunday evening he sent a telegram to his mother saying that was ill with a cold and fever but that it was not serious she was not to worry. On Monday morning Mrs. Oaks received another telegram from an officer at the camp saying her son was seriously ill with the grip and pneumonia and that he was in quarantine. In the afternoon about 4 o’clock Mrs. Oaks received another telegram stating that her son had passed away. John Oaks was twenty-nine years of age, his last birthday having been May 9. He attended the Oshkosh High and Normal Schools and later adopted the stage as a profession, being known as “The Mighty Oaks, the Handcuff King”. For several years he followed that profession, finally giving it up and starting the Oaks’ Magic Company, in which he handled all type of magic goods and had worked up a large and excellent mail order trade. When he enlisted he sold a half interest in the company. BELONGED TO LODGES He was a member of the Masonic fraternity and the Elks’ lodge and was a member of the local state guard until the time of his enlistment. He was active in bowling circles, having been a member of the Thursday night Elks league for several years. He was a member of Trinity Episcopal church of this city. In addition to his parents, he is survived by his sister, Mrs. Walter McCarty of Corning N.Y. and one brother who at present is filling a vaudeville engagement with his wife in Canada. No definite arrangements have yet been made concerning the funeral, as word has not been received from the Great Lakes station as to the time when the body will be sent to Oshkosh but it is thought the funeral will take place either Wednesday or Thursday afternoon. |
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oakskc New user 3 Posts |
Yep, our family still has Oaks Candy going strong. We'd love to open an operation out here (we moved to the NW in '77), but the family feels that the difference in climates may affect the quality adversely (how's that for quality control?). So every year, we order our stash of candy canes, chocolates, mints, Christmas candy, and Melty Bars (can't get enough of those).
When I got a hold of my dad last night (I thought he was out of town), he confirmed that John's a relative (though I'm not sure of the exact lineage) and said he still has the article and wants to dig it up (if you've seen his office, you'd know that "dig" is the appropriate word). Being separated from the rest of the family by half a country, we have not kept up on family history and the such. This is probably the strongest link I've seen to that part of the family history. I wish I was closer to WI, I'd love to see what you have in your collection (btw, a friend's wife is from Appleton). Finding this thread has stirred some historical feelings in my dad and I. I wish I had something to contribute to it, but it looks like you know more about that part of my family than I do. It's nice to see people keep his name alive. |
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Damon Regular user 108 Posts |
K.C.
Great to hear from you. If you would like, send me your e-mail address and I will send you some information and photos of some of the Oaks things I have. If you would like to speak, we can exchange phone numbers. I would like to get a copy of the newspaper article your dad has also if it's something I don't already have in my scrapbook. I was born in Appleton in 1960, graduated from Appleton West in 1979, and moved to the Milwaukee area in 1983. Were you born and raised in Oshkosh? Look forward to hearing from you. Regards, Mark Damon mtdamon@execpc.com |
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oakskc New user 3 Posts |
Mark,
Thank you for the kind offer. Yes, please forward anything you can to me. If we ever find that article (and I will be pushing him on that), I can send you a photo of it. My dad was born and raised in Oshkosh (I believe), but moved around after high school and ended up in the Chicago area right before I was born (1974). We moved to Spokane, WA when I was 3 and I've been here ever since. Thank you for anything, K.C. |
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