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ebook History of Watertown, Wisconsin
This page part of chapter
on series of annual Homecoming Days
Home-Coming
Day a Great Success
1908
Plan for Home-Coming Day
This page part of chapter
on series of annual Homecoming Days
June 25 A meeting of citizens was held last Friday evening at the office
of Herman Wertheimer for the purpose of formulating plans for the annual
homecoming in this city on Sunday. August 2, 1908. H Wertheimer called the
meeting to order, after which the following officers were elected: June 25, WG
President — H. Wertheimer.
Vice President — Max G. Kusel.
Recording Secretary — John J. Brusenbach
Corresponding Secretary — Emil Tanck.
Treasurer — H. G. Grube.
Vice Presidents — John Schatz, S. Molzahn, Ferd Schmutzler, William Hartig, F. S.
Weber, W. F. Voss, C. A. Vaughan.
Executive Committee — Mayor Arthur Mulberger, Eugene Meyer, G. J. Nichols, G. M. Gahlmann, Fred G. Keck.
Publicity Committee — J. P. Holland,
J. W. Moore, W. L. Swift, Otto R. Krueger
Music — H. Wertheimer, John J. Brusenbach, Emil Tanck.
Much enthusiasm was manifested by
all present at the meeting and the general sentiment throughout the city is to
make the homecoming this year the greatest event in the history of homecoming
day. Let us all work together and let every old Watertown resident from the
state of Washington to Maine make arrangements to be here on that day.
At a meeting of the officers and
executive committee of the Homecoming association held Tuesday evening at the
office of H. Wertheimer the following named gentlemen were appointed a
committee on decoration: F. G. Keck, chairman, Gustav Doerr,
O. V. Knaack, W. E. Brandt, Otto Wegemann. A. Mead
and Daniel Kusel, Jr. A committee of four was also
appointed on amusement, consisting of Geo. J Nichols, chairman. Eugene Meyer,
O. C. Wertheimer and L. Jaehrling. Invitations will
be extended to Congressman Nelson and Julius Thielmann,
of Merrill, to speak on the occasion.
July 31 Home-Coming Days Program
Everything
is in shape for the proper celebration of the HomeComing
Days in Watertown on August 1st and 2nd. The different committees have
completed arrangements and the indications now are that a very large crowd of
visitors will be in the city. Saturday evening the streets will be brilliantly
illuminated for the occasion and citizens in general will throw their doors
open for the entertainment of guests. Following is the program for Sunday,
August 2d: July
31 WG
Reception
of visitors at Chicago & Northwestern railway station at 9:22 a.m.
Reception
of visitors at Chicago, Milwaukee & St Paul railway station at 9:46 a.m.
March
from depot to City Hall where parade will disband.
At 1 p. m
parade will form at City Hall and march west to fountain square thence east to
Island, where exercises will take place.
ADDRESS
OF WELCOME.
The
address of welcome will be delivered by Mayor Arthur Mulberger
immediately upon arrival at the grounds
HOMECOMING
ADDRESS.
The
Homecoming address will be delivered by Congressman John M. Nelson, of Madison,
at the close of the mayor's address.
Short
addresses will be made by E. A. Kehl of Milwaukee and
Julius Thielmann, of Merrill.
AMUSEMENTS.
Many
prizes are offered in the contests in the amusement line during the afternoon,
an extra prize being on the bill for the woodsawing
contest. Following is the list of events.
Woodsawing for fat
men, watermelon eating, swimming apple, coin in water, blueberry pie eating,
leap frog race, three legged races, sommersault
races, egg races, bag races, washtub races on west side of island, pole
climbing, running races for boys and girls, tug of war, Watertown vs.
Milwaukee. Some extra fine vaudeville
will also be presented.
VISITORS
REGISTER.
All
visitors are requested to register in the reading room of the public library
entrance on Water Street side of building.
Francis
McGovern, of Milwaukee, candidate for the republican nomination for the United
States senate, will arrive in the city next Sunday morning and will hold forth
at the New Commercial Hotel, where he will be pleased to meet all who are
favorable to his candidacy. He would
also be pleased to meet as many people as possible. Arrangements will also be made to have him
speak at the homecoming exercises at Tivoli Island in the afternoon.
July 31 Back to Old Watertown
Former
residents of Watertown in Milwaukee will journey to the scenes of their earlier
years by special train over the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul railroad for
home-coming Sunday morning
The train
will leave the Union station at 8 o'clock. If the crowd is as large as
anticipated it will be necessary to provide two trains, as it is expected by
the officers of the Milwaukee-Watertown Club that fully 1,000 sons and
daughters of Watertown will join in the excursion.
Max
Blumenfeld, chairman of the arrangements committee in Milwaukee, said yesterday
that this yearly celebration of home-coming day will see greater crowds gather
in Watertown than ever before.
"I
have received letters from all parts of the country from old friends who will
be with us," he said. "Watertown has produced many successful men and
women and I think this year there will be a notable assemblage of her children
who have achieved high positions away from home. Milwaukeeans will go
informally this year. We have decided not to have a band and no attempt will be
made to have a uniform. We are just going back to the old home to renew old
friendships and have a good time."
Officials
of the Milwaukee Electric Railway and Light Company will make a trip over the new
line connecting Milwaukee with Watertown today. The line will be completed and
cars running, according to present indications, in time for the home-coming at
Watertown Sunday. [Milwaukee Free Press,
July 29] July
31, WG
July 31 Many Amusements For Home Coming
George J.
Nichols, chairman of the committee on amusements for the homecoming at
Watertown, August 1 and 2, has something up his sleeve for the thousands of visitors
who will be in the city on these dates. The amusements on Tivoli Island will
take a different form this year, some really good talent in the vaudeville line
having been secured aside from the other amusements offered. The services of
Nat Harding, an old time vaudeville artist, but up to the times in his line of
work, has been secured, and he will have with him Joe Edwards, also a clever
character sketch and- singing artist, who with others will form the bill for
the stunts at Tivoli island on Sunday afternoon at 3 o'clock, On Saturday
evening the artists will be seen at some convenient corner in Main strut, the
performance beginning about 8:30 o'clock. The Watertown band will play on the
streets during the evening and during the performances. July 31, WG
The
committee on decorations, of which F. G. Keck is chairman, has a surprise in
store for the visitors. The streets will
be decorated both day and night in a most pleasing manner, entirely a new
departure from other days and this feature alone should induce many people from
the surrounding country to take a day off and see.
Everybody Decorate
All
citizens and business men are urgently requested by the Watertown Homecoming
club to decorate their homes and places of business for Homecoming. The
decorations should be in place on Saturday, August 1 and left up until Monday,
August 3. With good weather Watertown will entertain the largest crowd of
visitors on these dates than ever before in the history of the city. Get out
your flags and bunting and decorate your homes.
July 31 Home-Comers Arriving
Many
people have already arrived is the city from abroad to take part in the
Home-Coming program on Saturday and Sunday next, and among the far-away
visitors and former Watertown people are Wm. Herbst and daughter, Mrs. Emma
Thiele, of Los Angeles, California. Mr.
Herbst says about two weeks ago he read about the Watertown Homecoming in The Gazette and he and his daughter
decided to visit the old home and renew old friendships. They arrived here on Sunday
night and are at present visiting at the home of John Thauer. They will visit also at the home of Mr.
Herbst's son-in-law, Louis Schmutzler, and other
friends here. Mr. Herbst left here 10
years ago for Los Angeles, and during that time has became wealthy by investing
in real estate there. His many friends
here are giving him a most cordial greeting and he and his daughter are
enjoying their visit very much. While a
resident of Watertown he was employed as tailor by the late M. B. Schwab. He says Watertown has greatly improved since
he left here and he would not be surprised to find it a city of 25,000 people
within a few years. The old town he
says, he is glad to note, has woke up, and is forging to the front in. grand
style. July
31, WG
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Watertown
Gazette, 08 07 1908
HOMECOMING A BIG
SUCCESS
Former Residents Here from California to Texas and from the Atlantic
States
Old-Timers Come From Nearly Every State in the Union
The sixth annual
homecoming on Saturday and Sunday last in Watertown was the greatest success
since the custom was established in 1903 [actually 1902]. Former residents were here from the Pacific
on the west to the Atlantic on the east and south and the British possessions
on the north; in fact nearly every state in the union was represented by former
residents of Watertown. At least 5000
visitors were in the city on Saturday and Sunday, and fully 10,000 people
attended the picnic on Tivoli
Island on Sunday. Outside of
Milwaukee, Waterloo sent the largest delegation of visitors to the city on
Sunday and marched through our principal streets headed by their own brass
band. It was a nice compliment of our
neighbors to pay our city and it will not soon be forgotten by our people. The
homecoming was a grand success in every particular, and was thoroughly enjoyed
by all. Next year homecoming day will be
even a greater success, for as time comes and goes, our people are learning by
experience better how to entertain. Next
year Tivoli Island, should the weather be dry, will be thoroughly sprinkled, so
as to avoid much of the discomfort experienced this year. Of the homecoming The Milwaukee Free Press of Monday contained the following
excellent write up:
Time was when
Watertown seemed to depend upon Milwaukee to make "Homecoming Day" a
success. Until the Milwaukee train
arrived with the band and distinguished guests there was nothing particularly
doing in the beautiful old town in the valley of the Rock on the occasion of
the first homecoming celebrations. Now
all is changed. The new railroad
regulations have done away with the Milwaukee excursion. Watertown now does the honor for itself. Its patriotism and civic pride have rallied
to the task until the homecoming of Saturday and Sunday far surpassed the
memorable events in that line of former years.
The whole city was in holiday attire.
Flags spanned the streets; every business place was decorated, and the
display on Main Street was evidence enough that former residents and the whole
world were welcome. And the guests were
there. From the east and the west they
came. From far away California, from
Texas, from the Dakotas, from New York and from smoky old Pittsburg they were
on hand. A. G. [Charles] Johnson, Milwaukee, son of the first
settler of Watertown, first called Johnson's Rapids, himself the first
white child born in Watertown, was an honored guest, and there were others who
had not been back to the old home for over forty years.
As a preliminary to
Sunday's celebration a Thirty Year Club was organized
Saturday night among those who had been away from the old mother town at least
that number of years. John Bruegger, Williston, N. D., was elected president of the
club; W. T. Steger, St. Louis, vice-president, and James Nellins,
Minneapolis, secretary and treasurer.
This club of the old timers will make it its duty to look after the sons
and daughters of Watertown who stray away from the old fireside. Lists will be published, and when a native of
Watertown wanders into a new locality he will be able by glancing at his list
to discover if there are any of his near to kin there before him. The club will
also endeavor to keep a live interest in the homecomings and will do its share
to put Watertown on the map in large letters.
It is already there in a lesser degree because of the fact that it was
the first town in the west to call home
its absent ones once each year , on the first Sunday in August [same
weekend Watertown’s Riverfest is now
held each year].
Incoming guests were
met at the trains by the officials of the Homecoming association—Herman
Wertheimer, president ; Max G. Kusel, vice-president;
John J. Brusenbach , secretary ; Emil Tanck, corresponding secretary, whose efforts have called
many a wanderer back to the old home, and H. G. Grube, treasurer. Two Watertown
bands were with them and played right willingly. The old town in the ox-bow of
the Rock never looked better. It put on
metropolitan airs with its fine, brick-paved streets and its new interurban service, and was not at all shy about
it either. The incoming hosts were given
a warm greeting and escorted to the city hall.
Milwaukee's Watertown club was well represented, and its officers—Ernst
A. Kehr, president ; Theodore Kusel,
vice-president; Max A. Blumenfeld, secretary, and Joseph A. Schumacher—with Dr.
F. J. Toussaint of the executive committee, came early and stayed late.
Cross reference
note: Interurban service
started in Watertown on July 30, 1908, just in time for 1908 Homecoming
event
In the afternoon
Tivoli Island was the center of attraction. Here the present and old-time
residents of the beautiful city which is well past its semi-centennial,
foregathered.
The "Old
Badger,” S. M. Eaton, was there, a resident of
Jefferson County since 1842 and of Watertown for forty one years; W. F. Summerfield,
of almost equal years, a former railroad man and for years with P. T. Barnum of
"the greatest show on earth" fame, was on hand to tell of the times
around 1818; Herman Schuettler, assistant chief of police of Chicago, claimed
as a Watertown man by marriage and adoption, circulated among the crowds on the
island and made friends wherever he roamed; G. H. Benkendorf, the man who finds moisture in butter for the
dairy department of the University of Wisconsin, was around looking over the
island [Tivoli Island], which belonged to his
family in the years which have gone; the Thielman boys, Julius of Merrill, whom
they call mayor up there, and Robert of Tomahawk, who puts an "ex"
before the mayor part of it, were back; George Bonney, who went out from
Watertown years ago to become superintendent of the dining car service of the
Missouri Pacific with headquarters at St. Louis, was there, and Allen C.
Hawkins, New York City ; Frank Bolles, Pittsburg;
William Herbst and daughter, with other old residents from far-away Los
Angeles, Edward L. Masterson, one of Chicago's best lawyers, Gomer Evans, John
L. Cummings, Peter Norton and wife, of the same city; Judge Mooney and wife, banker and
capitalist of Langdon, N. Dak., John Bruegger, the merchant prince of Williston, N. Dak., all were pleased with each other and with what they
found in the old home. People were
present who had not been back before for four decades, but they promised to
reform and will be on hand again next year.
It was a beautiful
day, not a cloud in the sky, and with a steady breeze blowing down the valley
to temper the heat. The speechmaking began at 3 o'clock and Mayor Arthur Mulberger, the popular young mayor of the ancient city,
extended a welcome in a neat speech and introduced the orator of the day,
Congressman John M. Nelson of Madison.
Mr. Nelson took as his subject "Home-coming," and he delivered
an eloquent and entirely fitting speech which appealed to the hearts of those
who had returned to kindle again the fires of loyalty on the old hearth.
On the stage were
Mayor Mulberger, President Wertheimer, Congressman
Nelson, Prof. Notz of Northwestern University,
Watertown; Postmaster H. T. Eberle, Watertown; Mayor Julius Thielman, Merrill;
ex-Mayor Robert Thielman, Tomahawk ; Ernest A. Kehr,
Francis E. McGovern and Dr. Frank J. Toussaint, Milwaukee.
Francis E. McGovern,
candidate for the republican nomination for United States senator, followed
Congressman Nelson and made a strictly non-political address, touching upon his
own home life and affection for his native surroundings as an explanation of
the feeling which had drawn such a throng back to the old home in the ox-bow. Both Congressman Nelson and Mr. Mc-Govern
were applauded to the echo.
Mayor Julius Thielman
touched the risibilities [?] of his auditors, and
touched them well. He stood up there in
public and told tale, and in every story there was a hit which brought 4 shout
from some quarter. He pictured days that
are gone and the survivors shouted in their merriment and pounded one another
on the back at some choice recollection.
Among his reminiscences was one of the old brewery fire, near the island
[probably the 1872 Habegger
Brewery fire on Oconomowoc Avenue], when prominent men whom he named were all
on hand to work the old hand pump at the beginning, but after a while he
discovered he was the only man left at the brakes—the others were all engaged
in a hilarious effort to save as much as possible of the product which was
making Watertown famous for more than its cheerless name.
Ernest A. Kehr of the Milwaukee club explained the origin of the
home-coming day idea and smilingly admitted responsibility to its
evolution. The program closed with
vaudeville stunts by Chicago performers and athletic games.
Watertown, situated
in the garden spot of Wisconsin, called attention in its sixth homecoming to
the fact that it is forging to the front as an industrial center, as well as a
city noted for its agricultural surroundings.
Its factories are increasing at a remarkable rate and now, when a short
time will see it one of the most important interurban centers in Wisconsin, its
people feel they are justified in letting the outside world know about
Watertown.
The fact that the
city is thoroughly alive was impressed upon all who became the city's guests
Saturday and Sunday, and the chronicles of the city, which tell of a first
settler in 1836, of a first frame house still standing, of the advent of the
first railroad in 1855 and of the telegraph in 1856 and the first interurban
July 30, 1908, will soon have more about Watertown in a twelve month than in
the past in a decade.
One of the old-timers
missed here on homecoming day was Henry Dougherty of Hot Springs. He wired the
editor on Saturday: "Am sorry cannot attend the homecoming on account
elections. Remember me to all my old
comrades."
Hollis P. Brown and
wife telegraphed from Duluth, Minn.: "A happy homecoming time. We would like
to be with you."
Jas. Nellins and daughter, Miss Ruth, of Minneapolis, were among
the homecomers to the city, and took a prominent
position in the procession to the island last Sunday afternoon. Mr. Nellies was elected secretary and
treasurer of the 80 year club, and since Miss Nellins
was the only lady who had patriotism enough to march last Sunday, the members
of the club are considering the question of adopting Miss Nellins
as daughter of the club.
W. O. Pietzsch, chief clerk Bureau of Labor and Statistics,
Madison, Wis., and G. O. Pietzsch, of Monroe, were
guests of Wm. A. Beurhaus on Saturday. They resided here years ago, their father
being one of the old-timers. He erected
the building in West Main Street [715-717 West Main] now occupied by Robert Woelffer and conducted it as a boarding house, and later
was proprietor of the Rock River House on the west end of Main Street bridge.
Such of their old friends as met them gave them a most hearty greeting, and the
"boys" met with small a hearty welcome that they say they will
henceforth visit the old home often. The editor enjoyed a few pleasant moments
with them.
E. J.
Masterson, of Chicago, was one of the homecomers here
on Saturday and Sunday, and while here was a guest at the home of Mrs. Anna
Bertram, where his wife, son and daughter were also guests. While in the city Mr. Masterson was a
pleasant caller at The Gazette office. He always takes a great interest in The Gazette, and he
was its first subscriber, and also gave the first order for an "ad” in
it. Ed. is one of the old boys who left
here over 25 years ago and has made good in the big city. Besides being a
successful lawyer, he is now interested in many business enterprises and has
grown wealthy. He deserves his success,
and unlike many others he has not grown "purse proud," but is the
same genial, whole-souled pleasant fellow to meet that he was when a resident
of this city and vicinity over a quarter century ago.
Following is a
partial list of home comers to the city:
Judge Wm. J. Mooney and wife, Langdon,
North Dakotas; Mrs. Otto J. Noack, Sacramento, California: James Nellins and daughter. of Minneapolis; Henry Kirchhoff and
two daughters, Fond du Lac; Martin Moore, and Theo. Kusel
and wife, Waukesha; John Dillon, Sterling; James, Edward, Chas. Killian, David
Evans and family, John Killian and daughter, James Killian, (city), Mrs.
Alexander, Waterloo, Iowa; Sig Nerdum, Milwaukee;
Lawrence Barry and wife, Edw. Higgins and wife, Wm. Fleming, Oconomowoc; Thos.
J. Fleming and wife, West Allis; Frank Bolles and
wife, Newark, New Jersey; Ed Usher, Madison; Florence Moore, John L. Cummings,
Frederick Cummings, Peter Norton and wife, Charles Pierce, Gomer Evans, Edw. L.
Masterson, wife, son and daughter, Ernest M. Wood, George Wilson, wife, son and
daughter, Al. Rutherford, Chicago; Frank J. Toussaint and Henry James and wife,
Louis Schmutzler, Ernest Kehr,
Milwaukee; Merrill Newton, Grand Rapids, Wis.; Henry Buchheit
and Ernie Kunert, Buffalo, N. Y.; Mrs. Fred Berg and
children, Milwaukee; Otto Eger and son, Ishpeming, Mich.; Frank Zemlike, Ed Staats, Jul [Julius]Thielmann, Merrill; Wm. Bartlett and family, Portage; J. T.
Moak, Ft, Atkinson; Robert Thielmann,
Tomahawk: Hilmar and Clarence Schimmel, Waukegan, Ills.; Mrs. Jos. Goodnetter and daughter, Beaver Dam ; August Melcher,
Baraboo; F. E. Weis, Chicago; Thos. J. Holland, Antigo; Wm. J. Cavenagh and family, Milwaukee; George Weber, Pierre, S.
D.; Miss Hattie Clark, Chicago; Allen C. Hawkins, New York, City; Wm. Chadwick
and son, Green Bay; Leonard Meyer, Milwaukee; Mrs. Peter Bostler,
Chicago; Mrs. D. O'Bradbury, Portage; Lisle Evans,
Milwaukee; August Hagemann and wife, Wyawega; Denis
Dunn, Milwaukee; Bert Straw, West Allis; Frank Piper, Kenosha, Chas. Wenck, the Misses Emma Wenck and
Mary Gerber, of Oconomowoc, George Wenck and Chas.
Pierce, Chicago, Wm. Magwood and family, of
Milwaukee, P. J. O'Byrne and family, of Portage, Chas. Johnson and two
daughters, H. G. Beck and family, of Milwaukee, Mrs. J. D. Quigg,
of St, Paul, George Bruegger, Appleton, Peter Demenski [Deminsky], wife and
daughter, Milwaukee.
History of Watertown, Wisconsin