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Bittner and Tetzlaff

Drug Store

1915

Ad, Rexall Drug Store, Ansco Films, 202 E Main

1934 Bittner & Tetzlaff Displays Quintuplets’ Photograph

Bittner & Tetzlaff’s Drug Store has placed in its show window a picture of the quintuplets born here to Mr. and Mrs. E. M. Kanouse on February 12, 1875. The picture was taken by C. W. Rundlett, who had a studio above the present John E. Heisman grocery store. It was secured from Mrs. A. Cox of Green Bay, a granddaughter of the photographer, who has presented it to the Watertown Historical society. 08 02 WG

1944 Erwin T. Bittner, b. 1887, d. 1944

Erwin T. Bitttner, Druggist, is Dead / Heart Attack Fatal; Funeral Services to Be Held Saturday

Erwin T. Bittner, a widely known Watertown businessman, died last night at his home, 305 Milwaukee Street. His death was due to a heart ailment from which he had been suffering for a long time. Since December, 1943, he had not been active in his business and had been at home, under the care of a physician. He had improved sufficiently to be permitted to come to the business section in recent weeks and he paid his last visit to his store about three or four weeks ago. Since then his condition had again taken a turn for the worse and he died last night.

His death breaks a 30 year partnership with Max Tetzlaff in the Bittner and Tetzlaff drug store. The two men took over the old John Schempf drug store in Main Street in 1914, just 30 years ago. They operated on the same site until 1928 when they purchased the present building at North Second and Main streets and since then, with the exception of ten years during which he worked as a druggist in Milwaukee and Racine, Mr. Bittner had lived in Watertown. He was married on Nov 25, 1915 to Miss Esther Nicolaus of Fort Atkinson. His wife survives, as does one son, Erwin Bittner of Chicago. There are three sisters, Mrs. A. D. Miller, Chicago; Miss Theodora Bittner, Rock Island, Ill., and Mrs. Eugenia Gotsch, Fort Wayne, Ind.

Cross Reference:

Erwin T. Bittner buried in Oak Hill Cemetery

1946 December 18, 1946, Fire

The Bittner and Tetzlaff Drug Store was located at 116 East Main, on the corner of Second and Main. Known as “The Rexall Store,” it was the location of one of the biggest fires in Watertown. The fire also damaged Kern’s Men’s Store, next door at 114 East Main.

Cross References:

Dr. Edward Johnson, Watertown’s first druggist