Sometimes, uncovering family history feels like a stroke of luck, mixed with a keen eye for detail. In a recent online exploration, a search for city directory information on the Cudahy Family Library website led to an unexpected discovery: a 36-minute film titled “Life in Cudahy,” capturing life in this Milwaukee suburb back in 1938.
About six minutes into this vintage film, a familiar teenage face appeared. The young man was working as a mechanic at Koehler Service, a local automotive business in Cudahy. In one scene, he’s diligently working on a car, and in another, he stands in the background as a family interacts with their vehicle. The resemblance was uncanny – it had to be Earl J. Mulqueen Jr. (1923-1980), the older brother of the author’s mother. The film was available on the library’s YouTube channel.
1938 Cudahy, Wisconsin: Teenage Earl J. Mulqueen Jr., a pioneer in automotive service, works at Koehler’s Mobil station, providing early car cleaning and maintenance services.
Koehler’s Service in 1938 Cudahy was a prime example of pioneer service stations of the era. They proudly offered Mobilgas and Mobiloil to their Cudahy clientele. Station attendants, dressed in distinctive pinstriped coveralls with Wadhams Oil Company black caps and ties or bowties, were committed to providing comprehensive service. This was a time when service stations truly lived up to their name, offering a smile and thorough checks for every vehicle – from inspecting fluids and wiper blades to cleaning windows, ensuring customer satisfaction went beyond just fueling up. Koehler’s even provided emergency services, as shown by an attendant speeding off on a motorcycle with a gasoline can. This snapshot of pioneer cleaning and automotive service occurred well before the regulations of the EPA and OSHA.
Koehler’s Service Station in 1938 Cudahy, a pioneer provider of Mobilgas and Mobiloil, offering comprehensive car services including window cleaning and fluid checks.
Earl was the second eldest among the eleven children of Earl J. Mulqueen and Margaret Madonna Dailey. Growing up in a large family during the Great Depression instilled a strong work ethic in the Mulqueen children. It’s therefore not surprising to see Earl working at the age of 14 or 15. In those tough economic times, any income was a valuable contribution to the family’s well-being. Earl’s younger sister, Mary Mulqueen, who would later become the author’s mother, was around 6 or 7 years old when this film was made. At the time, Earl was likely a student at St. Frederick’s Catholic School in Cudahy or starting his freshman year at Pio Nono High School in St. Francis.
The year of the film marked the beginning of Earl’s journey in automotive service. According to his U.S. military records, his role at Koehler’s was that of an automobile serviceman. His responsibilities included greasing, lubricating, and fueling vehicles, along with assisting in more complex tasks such as transmission and differential repairs, and even engine overhauls. This early experience in pioneer cleaning and comprehensive car care laid the foundation for his future career.
Earl J. Mulqueen Jr., a young pioneer in automotive service in 1938 Cudahy, stands in the background at Koehler’s Service Station.
Just a few years after this film captured his youthful face in Cudahy, Earl enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps as World War II began. He bravely served with the 2nd Marine Division, fighting in some of the most brutal battles of the Pacific theater, including Guadalcanal and Tarawa. Tragically, he lost his left leg in May 1944 in the devastating West Loch disaster at Pearl Harbor, where a massive explosion injured hundreds of sailors and Marines preparing for the invasion of Saipan.
Portrait of Earl J. Mulqueen Jr., a WWII veteran and pioneer in automotive repair who started his career in 1938 Cudahy.
Upon his return from the Pacific, Marine Corporal Earl J. Mulqueen Jr. dedicated his final months in service to promotional appearances at War Bond drives across Wisconsin. His compelling firsthand accounts of the Pacific battles captivated audiences and significantly contributed to exceeding fundraising goals for numerous war bond initiatives.
After the war, Earl embarked on a long career in automotive repair. Once recovered, his parents demonstrated their support by purchasing Koehler Service station for him, a testament to their belief in his skills and potential. The station was then renamed Earl’s Automotive. This family detail was shared by Earl’s sister, Joan (Mulqueen) Haske. Earl successfully ran the business until around 1960, after which he moved his family to Colorado. Following the untimely passing of his wife Evelyn from cancer in 1963, Earl returned to Cudahy, resuming his work in automotive service.
The rediscovery of this 1938 film in 2020, forty years after Earl’s passing, offers an incredible glimpse into his early life and the era of pioneer cleaning and automotive service in Cudahy. It’s a remarkable testament to how chance discoveries can bring family history to life and reveal the extraordinary beginnings of ordinary people.
©2020 The Hanneman Archive
