website watertownhistory.org
ebook History of Watertown, Wisconsin
William Krebs
517 E Main St
605 E Main St
Business
and home
1889
517 E Main St
605 E Main St
1906
10 26
Tuesday
disclosed the fact that another forgery had been perpetrated in Watertown,
adding one more to the long list of these depredations which have been worked
here during the past few months. The
victim this time is William Krebs,
the Main Street grocer.
On
Thursday evening of last week a man entered Mr. Krebs's store and made a
purchase of groceries amounting to a little over $2. In payment, a check for $12 on the Wisconsin National Bank payable to Jas.
Fremont and signed “Edward T. Bartlett,” was presented. Thinking that the check had been issued by
Edward L. Bartlett, the contractor for labor performed and not detecting the
difference in the initial in the name, Mr. Krebs readily cashed the check. His suspicions were not aroused, also for the
reason that the fellow presenting the check was dressed and conversed like a
laboring man. The fellow made the claim
that he had worked for Mr. Bartlett on the street improvement work at Jefferson
and also made the claim that he had worked on sewer construction work here for
Mr. Bartlett . . . The check was honored at the Bank
of Watertown, but was refused and declared a forgery when presented at the
Wisconsin National Bank, which was on Tuesday.
The
party presenting the check at the Krebs store was a young man about
twenty-seven years of age, of medium size and wore a mustache. He was dressed like a workingman and his
conversation would not lead to the belief that he was a rogue.
1907
01 12 Fred Holzheur
of Mitchell, South Dakota, is in the city, the guest of his cousin, Wm.
Krebs. Mr. Holzheur
was born on the Milford Road near Hahn’s lake and left here thirty-five years
ago, this being his first visit to Watertown since that time. The visitor notes many wonderful improvements
in the city since that time, as well as a great growth. He remembers the general outlay of the city,
but the change has been so marked that he can remember none of the buildings
outside of the Cole block, which is practically the same as it was at that
early date. Mr. Holzheur
will remain a week renewing old acquaintances.
He is now engaged in farming, while his older brother Henry is engaged
in the farm implement business at Mitchell.
01 22 William Krebs [Jr], son of William Krebs
[Sr] and wife of this city, died at Omaha, Neb., on Tuesday, January 19, 1909,
of typhoid pneumonia. Deceased was born
April 24, 1869, in this city. His wife,
and two children survive him. His
parents were with him when he died. His
remains were interred at Omaha. WG
1913
03 07 WILLIAM
KREBS (1845-1913)
Mr.
William Krebs, one of our well known citizens, who conducted a grocery store
here for the past thirty-nine years, passed away at his home, 605 Main Street at
6:30 Friday morning after an illness of several months duration.
Mr.
Krebs was one of our most highly esteemed citizens whose courteous manner and
interest in civic affairs of the city was widely known. He was born in Germany June 25, 1845 and came
to America in 1867.
Mr.
Krebs served several terms as supervisor of the First ward and was treasurer of
the local Odd Fellows lodge. He was also a member of the Modern Woodmen lodge
and of the Watertown Retail Grocers’ association.
He is
survived by his widow, one daughter, Miss Sidonia Krebs and two sons, Arthur
Krebs, this city, Adolph Krebs. Charles City, lowa,
and two grandchildren. T
The funeral
was held Sunday afternoon at 2 o’clock from the home and was under the auspices
of the Modern Woodmen and Odd Fellow lodges. The Watertown Weekly Leader, 07
Mar 1913
1974
-- -- GHOST SIGNAGE ON WEST SIDE OF BLDG
1987
Right:
605 E Main, Kreb’s bldg., prior to move
2000
07 22 DEMOLITION
PLAN REJECTED
A Watertown
commission that issues permits for exterior changes to buildings in the city’s
historic district on Thursday rejected a plan to demolish a 115-year-old former
grocery store on Main Street. The
Watertown Historic Preservation Commission voted unanimously to deny a plan to
tear down the building located at 605 E. Main St. and owned by the Koepsell family, owner of Hafemeister
Funeral Home, Inc., at 611 E. Main St.
The cream-brick building exhibits exceptional preservation of its
19th-century character, according to the State Historic Society of
Wisconsin. And it may be one of two
remaining original storefronts on Main Street.
08 12 DEMOLITION DENIAL APPEALED
Hafemeister Funeral Home is
requesting an appeal of a Watertown commission’s decision to deny demolition of
a 115-year-old Krebs building in the city’s historic district. Miller Funeral Home Design &
Construction, a company contracted by Hafemeister,
has requested the appeal with the civil service commission/administrative
appeals board. City Clerk Mike Hoppenrath said no date has been set for the appeals
process before the five-member commission/board. On July 28, Hafemeister, 611 E. Main St., was refused a permit by the
Historic Preservation Commission to tear down the former Krebs grocery store at
605 E. Main St. The former grocery store
is adjacent to Hafemeister and currently a vacant
warehouse. Both buildings are owned by
the Koepsell family.
09 17 KREBS
BUILDING DEMOLITION APPROVED
Hafemeister Funeral Home,
Inc., was given permission Wednesday to tear down a 115-year-old Main
Street building it owns, known as the Krebs building. An appeals board said it approved an
application to demolish the cream-brick warehouse, and overturned a July
decision by the Watertown Historic Preservation Commission. The Watertown Civil Service
Commission/Administrative Appeals Board cited the cost to renovate the Krebs
building as a reasonable estimate. That
cost, $189,000, was estimated by a firm hired by the Koepsell
family, which owns the vacant structure at 605 E. Main St. The board said the $189,000 renovation cost
is not justified for the building, deemed by the Koepsells
as deteriorated and too expensive to repair.
WDT
10 16 DEMOLITION DECISION UPHELD
The Watertown Common
Council Tuesday upheld a decision allowing the demolition of the former Krebs
building on Main Street. On an 8-1 vote,
aldermen backed the September ruling by the Watertown Civil Service
Commission/Administrative Appeals Board, which gave Hafemeister
Funeral Home, Inc. permission to tear down the 115-year-old Krebs building, 605
E. Main St., located in the city’s historic district. In upholding the appeals board’s decision,
the council turned down the Historic Preservation « Commission’s appeal to
refuse demolition. The commission
claimed the building is historically significant and economically feasible to
renovate. Despite the council’s
decision, demolition of the building may not occur. The Koepsell
family, owners of the Krebs building, is offering the building to the city or
historic preservation commission along with $5,000 to relocate it. WDT
03 22 KREBS BUILDING MOVED, NOT DEMOLISHED
The Watertown Plan Commission approved the concept of
selling a portion of a city parking lot for the relocation of the historic
former Krebs building downtown.
Commissioners unanimously agreed to the concept of selling the northern
third portion of the lot at 208 S. First St.
Later in the day the finance committee recommended the sale at a price
of $10,000. That recommendation will
come before the full council for action on Monday, April 2. Commissioner Carol Bohlman
abstained from voting on the matter because she proposed purchasing the lot
space to relocate the Krebs building at 605 E. Main St. for potential
commercial use. WDT
05 24 BUILDING MOVE COMPLETED
Relocation of the Krebs building this
morning to a riverfront location was a “smooth” operation. Movers of the 115-year-old brick building
were doing a “really good job,” Robert Hallett, owner of RJ Hallett House
Moving in Beloit. RJ Hallett supplied
equipment for the move. At about 9 a.m.,
the building arrived in the 200 block of South First Street after traveling
from the 600 block of East Main Street, a distance of about nine city
blocks. WDT
NEW LOCATION FOR KREBS BUILDING
208 S. First St
________________________________________________________________
1898
Max Krebs
1876 - 1898
Krebs, Max, b. 1876, d. 1898, Co B 1st Wis Inf Sp
AM War 1898
Watertown
Republican, 10 19 1898
Saturday
a soliciting committee in a few hours gathered a generous sum of money to
defray the funeral expenses of Private Max Krebs. This movement was taken without the knowledge
or consent of the deceased's parents, and the liberality with which our
citizens responded showed a spirit of patriotism and gratitude.
Watertown
Republican, 10 19 1898
Watertown,
too, has offered up her sacrifice at the altar of Mars and the recent war has
claimed its one victim from this city in the person of Max Krebs. It is true, the young soldier did not succumb
upon the field of battle, in the midst of bloody carnage, but he faced death
fighting the germs of fatal decease in a Southern camp, the dangers of which
caused more suffering and deplorable results than actual warfare. While the
taking away of his young life is sincerely regretted and has caused general
sorrow, our city is thankful that the end is over and the fatalities are no
greater.
Watertown
Gazette, 10 21 1898
Private
Max Krebs, son of William Krebs and wife of this city, died in the U.S.
hospital at Jacksonville, Florida, on
Upon
the second call for troops at the breaking out of the late war with Spain, young Kreb’s patriotism asserted itself and he enlisted in Co.
B., First Wisconsin Volunteers, in what is known as the Fort Atkinson Co., he
being the 10th member of that company to sacrifice his life in defense of his
country.
June
21 he enlisted and went with his company into camp at Jacksonville. A few weeks ago his regiment left
Jacksonville and the members thereof went to their homes. But Mr. Krebs, with a number of others, was
too sick to undertake the journey home and remained behind.
He
made a good fight against that dreadful disease, typhoid fever, and was on the
road to recovery when he suffered a relapse and grew steadily weaker until
death relieved him.
A few
days before his death his mother reached him and did all a mother could to
nurse and comfort him in his dying moments.
Previous
to enlisting he was employed as a tinner by D. & F. Kusel.
He was
22 years of age and unmarried.
Sunday
night his remains arrived here at
Monday
afternoon his funeral was held from his parents’ home to Turner opera house,
where a public funeral was held.
Before
leaving the home of the deceased Adjutant George Henzie,
of the O. D. Pease Post, G.A.R., delivered an address in German. The exercises at Turner opera house were
opened with music by the Sinnissippi band and the
Iroquois male quartet.
Major
Charles H. Gardner then delivered an appropriate funeral address, after which
Capt. R. C. Burchard of Co. B., under whom Private Krebs served, paid an
eloquent tribute to the memory of the deceased as a man, citizen and soldier.
The
opera house was appropriately draped in mourning and was packed to overflowing
with people, and though the rain poured down in torrents during the afternoon,
hundreds of people were unable to obtain admittance.
From
Turner Opera House the funeral cortege wended its way to Oak
Hill Cemetery in the following order:
Northwestern
University Band
Northwestern
University Cadets
German
Old Soldiers’ Society
The
Liederkranz
Members
of the G.A.R.
Sinnissippi Band
Fire
Department
Turner
Society
Other
Societies
Co. B.,
1st Wisconsin Volunteers
City
Council in Carriages
Lieutenant
Colonel Solliday, Surgeon F. C. Moulding
and Private George Aumann of the Second regiment on
horseback headed the procession, Lieut. Col. Solliday
being in command.
Five
armed comrades of Co. B. acted as the guard of honor and six members of the
same company were pall-bearers.
Arriving
at Oak Hill Cemetery, salutes were fired by the military and the usual military
services were conducted, and the remains of Private Krebs were laid to rest to
await the final bugle call.
It was
the largest and most impressive funeral ever held here, and speaks well not
only for the character of the dead soldier, but for the patriotism of the
people.
The
deceased was one of Watertown’s most esteemed young men, and his death has
caused many a silent tear to be shed. As
a boy at school, as a fellow-workman and as a soldier, he was a model young
man, possessed of the highest traits of manhood, which were truly exemplified
when he went to the defense of his country; hence all who knew him could not
help but honor and respect him.
He
died for a good cause, the defense of his country and for the relief of a
half-starved and persecuted people; hence the bereaved parents and family, no
doubt find solace in their sadness when they view the matter in this light.
About
thirty members of Co. B. came up from Ft. Atkinson to attend the funeral, and
while here they were entertained and given dinner and supper by the Woman’s
Relief Corps in the G.A.R. Hall.
History of Watertown,
Wisconsin