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ebook History of Watertown, Wisconsin
Wisconsin Bible Training School
1897-1899
Pratt
House, or the old Faith House
1889
Watertown,
Wisconsin City Directory, 1889
1890
02 06 NEED
FOR HOSPITAL DISCUSSED
A suggestion has been made
to us of converting the Faith Home in the Fifth ward into a hospital to be
placed in charge of some Catholic sisters.
Of course, the suggestion is based on the idea that the Faith Home is
about to be given up and sold. The needs
for a hospital are often felt here, and the project is worth entertaining.
1897
Same
as residence for James R. Pratt, School President
W. C.
Stone, Secretary (W. C. Stone was the
son of Jesse Stone, co-owner of an early
cookie and cracker factory and who went on to become lieutenant governor of
Wisconsin) [Wright’s Directory of Watertown, 1899-1900].
The articles
of incorporation for Wisconsin Bible Training School indicate no church or
organized group behind its founding. The
3 signers were:
J. R. Pratt (James)
J. O. Buswell
W. C. Stone
WBTS
was incorporated on
The
Christian Endeavor of the Congregational Church will give a reception this
evening at the church parlors in honor of the teachers and students of the
Bible Institute. The church members are
all cordially invited to attend.
The
physical culture class at the Bible Institute is now well organized. Miss Robinson would like to meet every member
of the class in the Institute chapel at
1899
A few
days ago a handbill distributed about the city announcing an auction sale of
household furniture, utensils and furnishings at the Wisconsin Bible Institute in the Fifth ward caused no little
interest among many of our citizens and was the occasion of considerable
comment.
From
this handbill, it appears, the impression was first gained that the institute
was about to go out of business - that its goods and chattels were to be
knocked down to the highest bidder and its doors closed on the good work it had
sought to accomplish.
It
will be remembered that the institute was located here in the spring of 1897 by
a popular movement of our people and the old Faith Home building furnished for
the use of the institute by personal subscriptions amounting to over $500.
Of
course, these subscriptions were giving freely and without reservation, many
being actuated in their donations by the supposition that the movement was for
the material interests of Watertown and that the institute was to be a
permanent affair. Others no doubt gave solely from a philanthropic
standpoint and perhaps cared not for the material results to the city.
Now,
after an existence of two and one-half years, the institute people dispose of
the donations, shake the dust of Watertown from their feet and decamp for other
fields, all of which they without a doubt have a perfect right to do, but not
without causing a ripple of interest and some words of comment not altogether
favorable. [12 30 1899]
1901
02 06 NEED
FOR HOSPITAL DISCUSSED
The
physicians of Watertown held a meeting Friday evening in the office of Dr. J.
M. Sleicher for the purpose of discussing the project of establishing a
hospital here. There were present Drs.
Spalding, Eter, Whyte, Moulding, Feld, Werner . . . . After the matter had been
talked over at length, it was resolved that it would be inexpedient at the
present time for the city to purchase the Faith home building, for the reason
that the same could not be properly maintained as a hospital. However, the impression seemed to prevail that
there ought to be a hospital of some sort in
the city . . . .
1902
05 31 WILL
ESTABLISH SANITARIUM
Large
Medical Institute to be located at Faith Home in this city
A large
medical corporation in Chicago, with a paid up capital of $200,000, has made
arrangements to buy the “Faith Home” property in the Fifth ward of this city
and convert the same into a general sanitarium, to be used as a branch in
connection with their home institution in Chicago. The sanitarium here at Watertown will be
equipped with all modern apparatuses, including static machines for X Ray and
therapeutic work, electric fans, electric baths, etc. It will have a special
department for the curing of drunkenness, morphine and all forms of drug
addiction which are so prevalent among all classes of people.
This institution
does not come to the city of Watertown asking for a bonus or free will
donations but will be a permanent business institution and as such, in order to
secure the entire support and cooperation of the city, will give local
capitalists, and business men an opportunity to buy a limited amount of stock
in the corporation.
The
establishing of the Watertown branch of this institution is promoted by the
Bankers’ Investment Cos. of Chicago and the reputation of this company is
sufficient to warrant the success of the enterprise. The president of the
Bankers’ Investment Cos. and the vice-president of the Medical Institute will
come to Watertown next week to make final arrangements for the furnishing and
equipping of the sanitarium building.
It is
hoped that when these gentlemen come, they will receive cooperation and
encouragement in regard to this matter from our citizens, as it is a conceded
fact that a sanitarium would add greatly to the conveniences and welfare of the people of
Watertown.
c.1903
-- -- FAITH
HOUSE ON MARGARET STREET
Former
Bible institute or faith healing facility became Bethesda Lutheran Home school,
then a revival colony. House on left was
pastor’s or director’s residence. In
1909, third floor removed and building converted into apartments.
1904
BETHESDA
LUTHERAN HOME
The Pratt House, or the old Faith House, was originally used as a Bible institute and faith healing
establishment. Built in the late 1880s, it became the Watertown Bible Academy and then, in
1904, it was where Bethesda
Lutheran Home was founded.
W. P.
Weisdrod of Fall Creek, principal of the Lutheran Home for Feebleminded to be
built here, arrived in the city a few days ago and has taken up his residence
at the Faith Home building in the
Fifth Ward, which will be used for the feeble-minded until the new home is built. The Faith Home building will be ready for
patients on April 13th. [Watertown Daily
Times, 02 14 1904]
Last Friday
the executive committee of the Board of Directors of the Lutheran Home for the
Feeble Minded, of this city, met here and made plans for remodeling the Faith
House, which will be used temporarily. They expect to have the building ready
for occupancy April 12th. At the meeting
R. D. Hoennann was appointed physician for the home. [Watertown Daily Times, 03 02 1904]
Dr. W.
Tarles, of Milwaukee, part owner of the building known as the Faith Home, was
in the city on Tuesday. He intends
conducting the place into a hospital in 1906, when the present lease
expires. Watertown Daily Times, 08 26 1904
1905
01 24 NEED FOR NEW HOME DISCUSSED
The
Board of Trustees of the Lutheran Home for Feeble-Minded held a meeting in this
city last Thursday for the purpose of hearing a report of Supt. W. K.
Weissvrodt and for the transaction of other important matters.
At
present there are about thirty inmates at the Home. The trustees are more than satisfied with the
results attained thus far during the past nine months. The unfortunate little inmates have truly
made wonderful progress; in many cases where the mental faculties were very
poor when taken in charge, there is noticeable and astonishing improvement and
development. This is especially noticeable in the school room and at
table. The report of the treasurer shows
that while a considerable sum, amounting to some hundreds, has been realized
from gifts, the total still leaves a small deficit, which is hoped, will
disappear when the balance of the holiday gifts come in.
It was
also determined that the matter of erecting a new Home must be taken up at
once. The demands for a large, modern
institution are urgent and must be met without delay. To this end the trustees will send out an
authorized representative to the various congregations to gather subscriptions.
__________________________________________________________________________________
WILLIAM NOWACK
Carl Nowack had
three sons: William, who became a missionary to China; Carl who continued in
the funeral business; and Louis, who became a doctor. There was a jest in the
family that the three brothers - medic, mortician and missionary - could
conduct any person through life into the beyond.
William Nowack met
his first wife while they were students at the Faith House on Margaret
Street. He later wrote a book [My Ebenezer, about his experiences in
China. In 1930 Carl Nowack built the first funeral home in Watertown.] It marked the
change from the old custom of displaying the body of the deceased in his own
home and placing a crepe on the door. [Kiessling, Watertown Remembered]
1905
09 22 Rev. and Mrs. William H. Nowack and baby depart October 3rd, for Seattle, from which city they will sail on the tenth of the month for China where they will engage in missionary work in the province of Chihlill, which is about twice the size of Massachusetts, containing a population of ten million souls. Mr. Nowack is a Christian gentleman of culture and refinement, who is willing to devote his life to the work of his Master in a foreign land among strange people. The first year after reaching their field of future labor, Mr. Nowack will attend a mission school in order to familiarize himself with the language, and study the characteristics of the people to whom he must preach the gospel of regeneration and redemption.
05 28 REMODELED FOR APARTMENTS
The Faith
Home building in the Fifth ward is being
remodeled for residence purposes. The
third story is being taken off and the other two stories are being fitted
out with all modern improvements. It
will be arranged to accommodate three families. WG
c.1920
-- -- APARTMENTS
KENNETH NOWACK
1951
Bishop
Karl A. Mueller, D.D., formerly of Watertown and now residing at Park Ridge,
Ill., will officiate here on Sunday at the Moravian church, North Sixth and
Cole streets, when Kenneth W. Nowack, of this city, is ordained a minister in
the Moravian church. The services are to
be held at 10 a.m. Bishop Richard Mewaldt, Madison, will deliver the ordination
sermon.
The
Rev. Victor L. Thomas, Pastor of the Moravian church, will serve as liturgist.
Graduated
in May
Mr. Nowack
graduated from Moravian Theological seminary in May. His undergraduate work was
done at Wheaton College. He is the son of Carl F. Nowack of this city.
Mrs. Nowack will be received as an acolyte following heir husband's ordination.
The
Nowacks will leave for Costa Rica sometime this summer for a period of language
study after which they will serve as missionaries in Nicaragua.
Sunday
afternoon the young minister will be a guest at the Mamre Moravian Church which
will be celebrating its annual mission festival and anniversary. He will be
introduced at the afternoon service at
History of Watertown,
Wisconsin