website watertownhistory.org
ebook History of Watertown,
Wisconsin
Max Henry
Gaebler
1851 -
1920
Hans Gaebler
Rev. Max Gaebler
Ralph Gaebler
KETTLEDRUMS FROM BREWERY COPPER KETTLE
. . .
My friend, the late Max H. Gaebler, tells a
story of the early days [1862] of a
brewery located north of the city limits between sixty and seventy years
ago. Bad as was the beer, the drinkers
of that day made liberal concessions, but they balked at the worst kind so that
where it was undrinkable the brewer fed it to his hogs on the farm. When the brewer's hogs lay on their backs pawing
the air and squealing in riotous glee the passing pioneer farmers patiently
driving their oxen to town knew that another brew had miscarried. The brewery went bankrupt and its principal
asset, a thirty five gallon copper kettle, came into possession of Joe Miller,
the local coppersmith.
In 1861 an orchestra
was formed in Watertown to assist the choral society in performing Haydn's
“Creation.” Kettledrums were quite
necessary but not available. So E. C. Gaebler, the conductor, commissioned Miller to build a
pair. Miller utilized the old brewing
kettle for the body of the larger one and it was a success. Eventually the drums were sold to a musical
society in La Crosse where they were long in service. When the good people of La Crosse listened to
the sonorous roll of the kettledrum, little did they suspect its turbulent
origin . . . Wisconsin Magazine of History, Volume 4, 1921, “Chronicles of Early
Watertown” by William F. Whyte.
1890
ROGUE NABBED
Last
night about 10 o'clock a fellow making a demonstration at the window of the
dwelling of Max Gaebler was nabbed by that gentleman
and after receiving a good kicking, was allowed to decamp, joining a comrade
who stood at the gate. The scamp begged
for mercy and gave his name, which M.G. in the excitement has forgotten. He claimed to hail from Oak Grove. WR
1911
06 25 LEFT
FOR JAPAN
Hans Gaebler of Seattle, son of Max Gaebler
of this city, sailed from Seattle last week on the steamer Kamakura Mera for Japan, where he will pass his vacation.
1914
1914,
CANDIDATE FOR MAYOR
04 02 PAID ADVERTISEMENT [Ad includes pic] WG
[Ordered and to be paid for by Max H. Gaebler
at the rate of 5 cents a line.]
Max H. Gaebler,
Candidate for Mayor.
To the Voters of Watertown:
Because of the insistent
solicitation of prominent businessmen I am a candidate for the office of mayor
at the election on April 7. If elected,
I enter the incumbent duties free of promises or political debts.
My business experience, and the
fact of my being a large taxpayer, suggest careful scrutiny of municipal
expenditures and commitments. My
personal character, established through a lifetime residence in this city, should
be a guarantee for right dealing.
Your votes are respectfully
solicited.
Max H. Gaebler.
____________________________
1914
09 24 Twilight Club
member
1917
03
21 A
HANDSOME ELK HEAD
A handsome Elk head done in bronze now adorns the front of the new Elk’s
home in North First Street.
The head was a gift from Max H. Gaebler and
the head was placed in position last Friday.
The anthers have twelve “points” and each point is mounted with an
electric globe which makes a very pretty sight when the electric current is
turned on at night. Watertown
Weekly Leader, 03
21 1917. Can be seen in ../Images/WHS_006_Semrich_101.jpg
1920
Membership in Wisconsin Historical
Society
1920 Death of Max Henry Gaebler
/ b. Sept 27, 1851, d.
[ Newspaper article contains
portrait ]
PROMINENT
CITIZEN
CALLED BY
DEATH
Was
Secretary and Treasurer of the
Watertown
Table Slide Company
Since its
Organization – A Good Citizen Gone
Max
Henry Gaebler, a prominent and highly esteemed
resident of Watertown and secretary and treasurer of the Watertown Table Slide Company, died this
morning in his late residence,
Mr. Gaebler was born in Danbury, Conn.
The
son received his early education at home under the instruction of his
grandfather and had read many of the German classics before he was twelve years
old. His studies were continued in the
local high school, under the late Prof. Bernard and he was one of the first
three students to enter Northwestern College.
He also received an excellent musical education.
In his
early life he assisted his father in the construction of musical instruments
and also aided in the conduct of the music store. He acquired technical skill in piano tuning
and since 1870 devoted a great share of his time to this art and gained a
statewide reputation for extraordinary skill.
In
1889 he helped in founding the Watertown Table Slide Co., and gradually
withdrew from the other avocations and since the founding of the company has
been its secretary and treasurer and designed a great share of the special
machinery used in the plant.
He was
united in wedlock on
Mr. Gaebler was a republican in politics and he was a candidate
for mayor in 1914, and although defeated for the office received a strong
endorsement in his home ward and a large vote throughout the city. He never aspired to public office and on this
occasion was induced by his friends to make the run. It is also true of other positions of
responsibility and trust which he capably filled.
He
served as a member of the Jefferson county board of supervisors several terms
being elected in a democratic ward from 1881 off and on until 1911. He was a charter member of Watertown Lodge No. 666 B. P. O. Elks and a member of
Lincoln Lodge No. 20, Knights of Pythias.
He was
a lifelong lover and student of music and for many years served as musical
director of the Concordia Musical
Society. He was also in his early
life an accomplished pianist and violinist.
He was a great reader of current literature and was one of the most
intelligent and best informed men in this section of the state. He possessed an affable disposition and a
genial nature which drew to him many warm friends wherever he was known. His home life was all that could be desired
in a father and husband.
He
took an active interest in all that concerned the industrial life and growth of
Watertown and was always ready to lend a helping hand for anything conducive to
that end.
Watertown
loses a good citizen in the death of Mr. Gaebler, a
type of the forceful, self reliant man.
He was a man of liberal tastes and cultivation and possessed a fund of
diversified information.
Mr. Gaebler had a marked social gift and was always a welcome
addition to the social life of Watertown.
His engaging personality and address bespoke confidence and a liking
shared in by the whole community. His
nature was of the sterling kind which bespeaks confidence and wins and keeps
friends.
The
funeral will take place on next Tuesday afternoon with services in the family
home at
The
burial will be in Oak Hill
cemetery.
MAX GAEBLER HOME
____________________________________________________
Hans Gaebler
1917
NWC
CLASS OF 1907,
10th class reunion
1920
06 24 BEEBE-GAEBLER
On
Thursday, June 17, 1920, Hans D. Gaebler, son of the late Max H. Gaebler
and wife, was married at Kankakee, Ills., to Miss Helen Beebe of that city,
at the home of the bride’s parents. They
have already began housekeeping in the Gaebler
homestead in Fifth street. The groom is
one of Watertown’s best young men. He is
a graduate of the Watertown High School and of
the Northwestern College, this city, and
graduated in the science course of the state university. He also graduated from the University of
Chicago and served as law librarian there several years. He is at present reading law in the office of
his uncle, C. R. Blumenfeld. WG
04 25 GAEBLER SELECTED PRESIDENT OF
WATERTOWN HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Hans
D. Gaebler was named president of the Watertown Historical Society by the board of
directors of the organization following the annual meeting of the society last
night. Both meetings were held at the
Octagon House of Will Thomas, retiring president who did not desire
re-election.
Other
officers are: Miss Ella Wilder, first vice president; Dr. O. E. Meyer, second
vice president; John D. Clifford, third vice president; Miss Gladys Mollart, secretary, Miss Claire Herrmann, treasurer, and
Will Thomas, custodian.
The
above officers, together with Miss Jennie Lord and J. E. McAdams, constitute
the board of directors. Directors
re-elected last night were Miss Herrmann and Miss Wilder. Dr. Meyer succeeded Attorney E. F. Wieman, who declined re-election.
The
board of directors extended Mr. Thomas a vote of
thanks for the services he rendered the organization as president during the
past year.
1944
03 02 MAX D.
GAEBLER’S ORDINATION WILL BE HELD SUNDAY
Max
D. Gaebler, son of Mr. and Mrs. Hans D. Gaebler, will be ordained and installed as Unitarian
minister to students in Cambridge, Mass., on Sunday evening, March 5. The ceremony will be held In the First Church
Unitarian in Harvard Square.
Mr. Gaebler, a graduate of Watertown High school, was graduated
from Harvard college in 1941 cum laude, having been for all four years of his course
a Harvard national scholar. He has just
completed his course at the Harvard Divinity school. While studying there he was for two years
student assistant at the Cambridge Unitarian church, and has latterly been
serving as student pastor of Unity home in New Bedford. He has also been serving Harvard college as
Lowell House librarian and tutor on the
staff of that dormitory.
1951
H. D. GAEBLER FUNERAL TO BE CONDUCTED HERE ON MONDAY
Masonic Rites For Well Known Former Resident
Gaebler, Hans David, b. 1886, d. 1951
Watertown Daily Times, 05 04 1951
Masonic funeral services for H. D. Gaebler, former Watertown resident who died at Wood, Wis.,
yesterday, will be conducted here on Monday afternoon at 2:30 o’clock at the Nowack
Funeral home, after which the body will be taken to Milwaukee for cremation and
the ashes will be returned here for interment in Oak
Hill Cemetery at a later date.
Friends
may call at the funeral home to pay their respects after 3 p.m. Sunday and also
on Monday until the service time.
Mr.
Gaebler died after a lengthy illness, having been
hospitalized at the Veterans’ hospital in Wood for some time.
He
was born in Watertown on Dec. 21, 1886, a son of Max D. Gaebler
and Bertha Blumenfeld Gaebler and spent the major
portion of his life in Watertown.
He
was a graduate of Northwestern College and the University of Wisconsin, holding
his A.B. and M.A. degrees from that institution. For a number of years Mr. Gaebler
served as law librarian of the University of Chicago.
Active
in Community
At
one time he was active in Watertown business circles and was president of the Watertown Table Slide Co., which had been
founded by his father and the late Emil Schultz.
He
and his family moved from Watertown some years ago. At the time of his retirement in 1949, due to
ill health, Mr. Gaebler was librarian at the
quartermaster depot in Chicago. For
several years prior to taking the quartermaster position, Mr. Gaebler was translator of Nazi documents seized in World
War II, and was stationed at Wright Field, Dayton, O. At one time he also taught German in several
schools, including the University of Washington in Seattle.
Mr.
Gaebler had a wide variety of interests and his studies in astronomy
covered many years. He was a life member
of the American Association of Variable Star Observers.
In
Watertown he served for a number of years on the executive council of the
Potawatomi area council, Boy Scouts of America.
His interests in scouting was one of his outstanding traits and he gave
many hours of service and time to local Boy Scout work, especially in the
fields of astronomy and canoeing.
On
Library Board
He
was the first president of the Watertown Parent-Teacher association and was for
a number of years on the board of library commissioners
here. He was one of the founders of the Watertown Historical Society and was a member
of the Masonic order in Watertown. At
one time he was also associated with the Watertown Rotary club and numerous
other local groups. He was a member of
the American Legion by reason of his World War I service.
Mr.
Graebler is survived by his wife, the former Helen C.
Beebe whom he married in Kankakee, Ill., on June 17, 1920, and two sons, the
Rev. Max David Gaebler, Davenport, Ia., where he is a
pastor of the Unitarian church, and Lt. (j.g.) Ralph
Dixon Gaebler, a staff member stationed on the SS
Ajax at Yokosuka, Japan. Other survivors
include a grandson, David Bryson Gaebler; and uncle;
Dr. Arthur Gaebler, St. Petersburg, Fla., and an
aunt, Miss Sophie Gaebler, well-known Milwaukee
pianist who was a pupil of the great Hungarian composer, Franz Liszt.
During
his years in Watertown, Mr. Gaebler contributed much
to the betterment of the community. He
was interested in everything that went to make this a better city and supported
movements that worked toward that end. He
was especially interested in young people and their future as good citizens.
In
any list of men and women who have contributed much to the betterment and
progress of Watertown as a community of homes and family life the name of H.D. Gaebler must definitely be included. He did much that was worthwhile and those who
knew him best will always remember him for it.
Hans Gaebler home, 1326 Thomas Ave
H. D.
GAEBLER BEGAN STAR OBSERVATIONS AS A BOY
[no
date] One of the few amateur astronomers
in the state is Hans D. Gaebler, head of the
Watertown Table Slide Co., who has pursued his hobby of observing the stars
since the day he walked into the Watertown public library as a boy and ran
across a book on heavenly phenomena.
He
never has pursued his hobby with the intention of making it his life’s work,
although while a student at the University of Wisconsin astronomy was included
in his curriculum and while teaching in various high schools and small colleges
he had sufficient credits entitling him to teach the subject.
In his
home on Thomas Avenue, Mr. Gaebler has a small
observatory equipped with a telescope through which he observes the heavenly
bodies, particularly the variable stars.
He is one of the members of the American Association of Variable Star
Observers, and international association composed of amateur astronomers who
chart the stars with constantly changing brilliances. Only from 40 to 50 amateur observers
throughout the world are members of this organization.
Instructs
Boy Scouts
The
American Association of Variable Star Observers was formed in 1911 by the
Harvard observatory in order to solicit the aid of amateur observers in
charting the heavens. In order to record
the variable stars and properly register their changing brilliances, it was
necessary to form a worldwide association of observers. Reports are made monthly to the Harvard
observatory.
For
many years Mr. Gaebler has devoted much of his time
to the young manhood of the community.
He is closely identified with Boy Scout work in the city and instructs
those scouts who are endeavoring to earn a merit badge in astronomy.
Last
year on October 11, he organized the Godfrey club an organization composed of
scouts and others interested in astronomy.
He has set aside a room in the basement of his home where the group
meets weekly, and permits them to have access to his observatory whenever they
desire. Several shelves have been set
aside at the public library for members of the club and others interested in
the stars. Many astronomy periodicals
are to be found in the section.
Lists
Godfrey Club
Four
members of the club, Elton Bussewitz, Clifford Schoechert, Raymond Dornfeld and
Robert Kusel, have advanced far enough to assist Mr. Gaebler in his observations of the variable stars and in a
few months several others will be sufficiently advanced to also participate in
the work. The four members and Harry Thies have
earned their Boy Scout merit badge in astronomy and are rated as active members
of the club. The associate members of
the club, consisting of those scouts and other boys who are studying the Boy
Scout course in astronomy including Marion Vare, John
Brennan, Robert Elcock, Augustus Lehrkind,
Paul Wiley, Edward Benke, Raymond Hoppe, Louis Tetzlaff, Orville Rittig and
Herbert Kesting.
The latter is not a Boy Scout.
When
the Godfrey club becomes more thoroughly organized, the Harvard observatory has
agreed to loan a telescope to the club, to be placed in the public library.
Rev. Max Gaebler
1960
09 18 A former Watertown resident,
the Rev. Max Gaebler, pastor of the First Unitarian Church,
Madison, last night was one of two Wisconsin residents who received the top
annual awards of the Wisconsin Association of Mental Health. The Rev. Mr. Gaebler
is a graduate of Watertown High School and attended Harvard. He was born in Watertown. His father was the late Hans D. Gaebler, the Gaebler family
having been associated for many years with the Watertown Table Slide Co.
here. WDT
1975
12 03 MRS. HANS
GAEBLER (1896-1975)
Mrs.
Hans Gaebler, 79, died Tuesday morning in Milwaukee
following a lingering illness. A
memorial service will be held Monday at 2 p.m. at the Schmutzler
Funeral Home in Watertown with the Rev. John Cyrus of the First Unitarian
Church of Milwaukee officiating. If
desired memorials may be given to the University of Chicago Alumni Fund.
The
former Helen Beebe was born July 4, 1896 in Kankakee, Ill., daughter of the
late Mr. and Mrs. Frank R. Beebe. She
was an alumnus of the University of Chicago.
On June 17, 1920 she married Hans D. Gaebler
in Kankakee. Following her marriage she
came to Watertown and lived here until 1945 when she and her husband moved to
Milwaukee. Following the death of her
husband in 1951 she returned to Chicago where she resumed the position she held
before her marriage as director of high school English at the American School of
Correspondence. In 1970 following her retirement
she returned to Milwaukee.
While
living in Watertown she was a member of the Curtain Club, Saturday Club,
Euterpe Club and other organizations and past president of the American Legion
Auxiliary and AAUW. Surviving are two
sons, Rev. Max D. Beebe of Madison, and Ralph D. of Milwaukee, and five
grandchildren.
Ralph Gaebler
2015
09 05 90TH BIRTHDAY PARTY FOR SON OF HISTORICAL SOCIETY FOUNDER
The
Watertown Historical Society hosted a
very special 90th birthday party for the son of its founder on Saturday,
September 5. The honoree was Ralph Gaebler, of Milwaukee, a former owner of a chain of gas and
oil stations in the Milwaukee area. The
event was held in the famed Octagon House Museum.
About
15 family members and friends of the family gathered to honor the spry 90 year
old who regaled the company with stories of his youth in Watertown. Also on hand were: William F. Jannke, former
president of the society who delivered a talk on the importance of the Gaebler family in the founding of the Watertown Historical
Society, Melissa Lampe, current president, who welcomed the guests, David
Hertel, himself a former president of the society, who gave a special tour of
the museum to the assembled guests, and Ken Riedl, who is not only a member of
the board of directors of the historical society but also serves as the
society’s webmaster.
Following
a toast to the health of Mr. Gaebler and the museum tour,
the party retired to Donny’s Girl supper club in nearby Pipersville for a
birthday supper to honor Mr. Gaebler, who wryly
remarked, “I didn’t mind turning 80, but 90 is sort of hard to take.”
The
Gaebler family has a long history in Watertown. Mr. Gaebler’s great
grandfather was Emil C. Gaebler, who came to the city
in the 1850s and owned and operated an organ and melodeon store on N. Fourth
Street, in the former WEPCO Printing building.
He also founded the Concordia Opera Society here, one of the finest
musical societies in Wisconsin in the nineteenth century. Ralph’s grandfather was Max Henry Gaebler, who was one of the founders of the Watertown Table
Slide Co., one of the leading industries in Watertown for many years. Mr. Gaebler’s
father was Hans D. Gaebler, who at various points in
his life was a school teacher, a law librarian, an official with the Watertown
Table Slide Co., and an astronomer.
Hans
Gaebler founded the Watertown Historical
Society in the front room of his former Tudor-style home on Thomas Avenue in
1933. He went on to serve as the
society’s president from 1936 to 1938 and during his tenure as president he
oversaw the acquisition of the famed Octagon House and in 1941 started the
movement to acquire the famed First Kindergarten building.
2018
02 05 RALPH D. GAEBLER
Cross
References:
Life-like picture of the late Mrs. Max Gaebler, 1908
Memories of Plath family, Otto Emil and Sylvia,
by Max Gaebler
History of Watertown,
Wisconsin