website watertownhistory.org
ebook History of Watertown, Wisconsin
August Jaeger
1859 - 1948
Jaeger Mill
512 - 518 S First
Globe Mill East, center; destroyed by fire, 1894
C M & St P Railroad Bridge, original, south of
Milwaukee St, looking north
WHS_005_104
Koenig Mill
Portion of image# KR031 of
the society’s Kreitzman collection:
Taken from the west bank of the
river looking east, former Koenig Mill, later Jaeger, destroyed by fire in
1923;
today the Watertown Senior and Community Center. Image dates to 1903.
1951 WHS_013_123
Jaeger Milling Company (former Koenig Mill)
514 South
First Street
Buildings
removed in 1972 (assessor note)
1930
-- -- DISTANT VIEW
OF
60
YEARS ON JOB, THAT'S RECORD OF A. C. JAEGER
Watertown Daily Times, 11 14 1941
When August
C Jaeger,
At 82, he
was that on October 29, he is perhaps the oldest active business man in the
city and is at the mill daily.
"I do
it to keep active and because I have no other place to go" he said last
night at his home when a reporter visited him.
Being at the mill has become a habit hard to shake and so he goes down
to the plant every day, even if he only sits around the office, as he says.
As for
directing the business, he knows that it is in the capable hands of town of his
sons, Mr. Jaeger is president of the mill, his son Alex T Jaeger, is vice
president, while the other son, Herbert E Jaeger, is secretary and treasurer. Another son, Arthur E Jaeger, is also a
stockholder in the mill, although he does not work there, being a clerk at the
post office.
At 82 years,
Mr. Jaeger belies his age. He is much
more active than some men who are a good deal younger.
Since 1921
when he bought the business, the mill has been known as the Jaeger Milling
Company. Before than it was known as R.
P. Koenig and company. Mr. Jaeger went
to work for that company. He began his
career as a miller at a small mill in Pipersville when he was a young man. He remained there about 2 years, then came
here to work for what is the Globe Milling Company, remaining there only a
short time. Then went to work at the
Koenig mill. In those early days the
Globe Mill was also known at the May's Mill.
There were also other mills here in the early days. Mr. Jaeger recalled, one was the Rough and
Ready mill another was known as Blanchard's mill there was a Brick mill there
was also one known as Boomer's mill. Now
there are only two, Jaeger's and the Globe mill.
The Jaeger
Milling Company suffered loss along about 1922 a year or so after he took
over. It was destroyed by fire. The problem then was to decide what the
family would do and it was agreed to rebuild.
This was done and the present plant is the result.
Since the
new mill was constructed the company has not ground flour. "I am kind of glad that we decided
against flour at that time," Mr. Jaeger said. "It would have meant an enormous
investment and since we are not in a wheat area and the changing business
conditions all have been factors that have made me realize many times since
that our decision was a wise one."
The mill now
deals in rations of all kinds, feeds, and custom work for farmers. Mr. Jaeger said that some farm families in
this area have dealt with the mill for several generations. There are many old customers, he declared,
who date from the days way back.
The mill
employs at the present time a staff of about 8.
Of these William Schultz is the oldest in point service, having been
with the concern for some 40 years, Mrs. Jaeger said. Mr. Jaeger has seen many changes in the
business of milling. "It’s all been
progress though" he declares, for
he is a great believer in progressive methods and says that whether one likes
it or not things do move along and that while the changes that result may not
always be appreciated at the moment on the whole they spell progress in the
end.
Always a
staunch supporter of Watertown. Mr.
Jaeger said he hadn't taken many trips- although he was to California once for
a visit- and he thinks Watertown is a good all around town and it has fine
citizens.
As for
running the business, he said, "I really am not much good around the place
anymore and I know the business is in capable hands with my sons in charge, but
I still like to drop around to see what's going on and to greet old customers
who call. And then too, I don't want to
sit around the house all day, so I go to the mill and sort of putter
around. It keeps me occupied and out of
mischief," he added with a twinkle in his eye.
And that's
the reason Mr. Jaeger was at the mill as usual today, even though it was his
60th anniversary there.
The mill was destroyed by fire in the late
1960's.
August
Jaeger Obit
WHS_005_356
Watertown Daily Times, 01 28 1948
August C
Jaeger, veteran miller of city dies, age 88 of
He was
married to Miss Elise Ruehlow at Ixonia on
One
half-brother Herman Borchardt of Iona died 2 years ago.
Long
identified with the milling business in Watertown. Mr. Jaeger had worked at the same plant since
1884 when it was known as Koenig Milling Co. Since 1920 when it was taken over, it became
Jaeger Milling Co. in which he was a senior partner. Mr. Jaeger retired from active service 1942
but was at the mill office almost daily until 10 days before his death.
Funeral
Saturday with burial
at Oak Hill.
_____________________________________________________________________
Elise E Jaeger
1863 - 1948
Jaeger,
Elise, b. Oct 31, 1863, d.
OBIT - 23
April 1848, Watertown Daily Times
Elise E
Jaeger widow of August C Jaeger, 401 S 7th Street died in St Mary's Hospital
early today. She had suffered a cerebral hemorrhage.
Mrs. Jaeger
was the former Elise Ruehlow and was born in German 31 October 1863. A daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ferdinand
Ruehlow. She came to the U.S. when a
child and had lived in this community for the past 79 years.
She was
married at Ixonia to Mr. Jaeger who preceded her death last January 27. He had
been a miller here, and was the senior member of the Jaeger Milling
Company.
Surviving is
1 daughter and 4 sons, Miss Esther Jaeger at home, Arthur E of Los Angeles,
Alex T and Herbert of this city and Ernest of Milwaukee. There are 5 grandchildren and 2
great-grandchildren. There are 2
sisters, Mrs. Lydia Tietz this city, Mrs. Mary Christian Lebanon, and a brother
Julius Ruehlow of this city.
Mrs. Jaeger
was a member of St Mark's Lutheran Church.
The funeral will be held Monday from Nowak Funeral Home. Burial at Oak
Hill.
1958
07 02 Effect
proposed Rock River water diversion
would have on milling concerns. WDT
2001
08 31 Construction on the
$1.3 million expansion at the Watertown Senior and
Community Center is temporarily delayed.
After a few days into construction, workers began uncovering old
foundations, thought to be a remainder of the Jaeger Mill Co. or the R.P. Koening and Co., a flour mill that used to occupy
the site. A black substance,
indefinable, also surfaced. WDT
History of Watertown,
Wisconsin