website watertownhistory.org
ebook History of Watertown, Wisconsin
Homecoming Day
Repasts,
Receptions and Reminiscences
Begun in
1902
Homecoming idea originated in the middle west in Watertown Watertown Gazette, 06 24 1910
1902
In
1902 Watertown initiated a series of
annual Homecoming Days. These days
of reunion and celebration, held in early August or September, were anticipated
each summer.
The
author of this online eBook likes to think that the success of the Homecoming
event was a prelude to that of Watertown’s current Riverfest event,
also highly anticipated, extremely successful, and held in early August.
1903
THE FIRST ANNUAL HOME-COMING
CELEBRATION in Watertown on last Sunday was a grand success. It was under the auspices of the
Milwaukee-Watertown club, assisted by a local committee. All day Saturday and on the Sunday morning
trains large crowds of people arrived in the city from all direction. Marshal H. Wertheimer, the local arrangement
committee, a delegation of the reception committee and the Sinnissippi
band met the 8:50 train from the south on the C. & N. W. Ry., which brought
in about 100 visitors from Janesville and intermediate places and escorted them
uptown. Arriving in Main Street the
procession was joined by the balance of the reception committee and the German
old soldiers and marched to the St. Paul Depot and met the 800 excursionists
from that city, which included a number from Chicago, Fond du Lac and other
places, the Milwaukee-Watertown club bringing them with Bach’s band . . . From
sunrise to midnight the city, which had been clothed in gala attire, was given
over to celebrating the return for one day of those who claim Watertown as
birthplace, but whose lots have been cast in other places. Among the reunion were: Conductor O. L. Forkenbridge, of this city, who had charge of the excursion
train from Milwaukee, and Erny Cheney, of Milwaukee,
an old Watertown boy, officiated at the throttle in the engine cab. He made the run to and from this city in a
manner to please the man who says modem fast time on railways is not fast
enough to suit him. Erny
spun along as though he was making a trip to the moon.
1904 Chapter on 1904 Homecoming
1905
Watertown Daily Times 07 27 1905
The
third annual home coming and excursion of the Watertown club of Milwaukee to Watertown
will be held on Sunday, Aug. 6. The train will leave over the Milwaukee road at
eight o'clock and arrive at Watertown at 9:20, where the excursionists will be
met by a large reception committee of the citizens of Watertown.
Ward's
military band will play concert music at Tivoli Island at Watertown in the
afternoon . . . It was decided to invite
Mayor Dunne of Chicago, Mayor Rose of Milwaukee, and Governor La Follette to
deliver addresses to the people at the picnic grounds in the afternoon. There
will be a parade of all civic societies of Watertown in the afternoon.
1905
Watertown Gazette article
of 08 11 1905
1905
08 12 Sunday, August 6, was certainly a gala
day in this city it being the observance of the Third Home Coming Day which has
become quite a social feature in the experience of the inhabitants of
Watertown, and great credit is due the mayor and members of the home club, in
making it the grand success it was under the circumstances - and there would have
been a much larger attendance had the railroads made special rates for the
occasion, which they were precluded from doing on account of the existing laws
in the state. As it was, there were at
least 700 former residents of Watertown who came to meet relatives and friends
and visit the scenes of other days. The
delegation from Milwaukee numbered about 500 . . .
1906
07 27 Mayor Mulberger
and Ex-Mayor Wertheimer were in Milwaukee yesterday in the interests of the
homecoming celebration August 5. While
there they had a conference with Ernst E. Kehr the
president of the association who informed them that the members will be
notified so that there might be a large delegation here on that occasion. There will be a joint meeting of all the
committee appointed at a previous meeting to make arrangements for home-coming
at the office of Ex-Mayor Wertheimer Thursday evening at 8 o'clock to perfect
the arrangements for the event. WL
1907
07 19 (At last Monday's Council meeting)
Alderman Ryan presented an ordinance amending an ordinance governing hack and
bus men. It was adopted and now provides
that any person can operate buses to picnics, fairs, etc. without obtaining a
license and not interfering with the provisions for buses running to
trains. The ordinance was amended so
hastily in order that visitors here for the homecoming might have necessary
accommodations to the picnic grounds and a certain few not have a monopoly in
the conveyance of the visitors to the picnic grounds.
1907 Chapter on 1907 Homecoming
1908 Chapter on 1908 Homecoming
1909 The grandest
of the Homecoming fetes was that of July 31 and August 1, 1909. Bands went to the stations to meet the trains
and welcome former residents. Another floral parade in which carriages and
surreys still predominated, and a program, in which Mayor Arthur Mulberger and Judge George Grimm were featured speakers,
was followed by amusements of many kinds - band concerts, repasts, receptions
and reminiscences. [ Watertown Remembered
]
Click to enlarge
1909 assumed
1909
09 03 Herman
Wertheimer recognition WG
1910
Chapter on 1910 Homecoming,
eighth annual
c.1910
AWAITING THE ARRIVAL OF HOME COMERS
1911
Chapter on 1911 Homecoming,
ninth annual
1912
FORMER RESIDENTS FLOCK TO MAIN STREET
1913
Homecomers,
1913
c.1913
FICTITIOUS “SKYSCRAPER”
1912 image altered
1988
02 01 RIVER
DAYS BECOMES RIVERFEST
An
expanded River Days, tailored after last year’s highly successful
sesquicentennial celebration, is being planned this summer. The celebration, to be known as “Watertown’s RiverFest,” will be held Aug. 4-7 at Riverside Park. Planning the event has been under way for
about one month and a number of contracts for national musical entertainment,
carnival and other related activities have been discussed with entertainment
agents. Officials are hopeful that some
of the top acts will be under contract in the coming weeks. Names of the groups and their concert dates
and times will be announced when details are finalized. This year’s festival was made possible
through the Watertown Common Council’s strong support. The council earlier this year agreed to
contribute $10,000 in financial support and also authorized the use of the
$33,000 remaining from last year’s celebration.
The committee is planning a large raffle which should generate
additional revenues which will be needed to make the festival financially sound
on a more long-term basis. WDT
1990
08 04 RIVERFEST
BECOMES AN INSTITUTION
So you
want THE recipe for a good party? It
starts with the people. Then you give
those fine people some fine food, some fine drink and some fine entertainment
in a beautiful setting, and let the whole works simmer for four days. In only four years, Watertown RiverFest has become an institution — something the entire
community can hang its collective hat upon.
Crowds over the total festival were roughly estimated at 40,000. This year’s celebration was even attended
briefly by Gov. Tommy Thompson, who made a whistle stop at Riverside Park on
his way to the Wisconsin State Fair.
Cross-References:
Military
Band, invitation, Homecoming Day (year uncertain) No 2
No 3 (2 and 3 are enlargements)
Tivoli
Island, site of Homecoming celebrations
History of Watertown,
Wisconsin