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ebook History of Watertown, Wisconsin
Buena Vista House
300 N Fourth
In
1847, the Battle
of Buena Vista took place during the Mexican-American War.
U.S.
troops, led by General Zachary Taylor, fought Mexican General
Santa
Anna’s forces, who ended up withdrawing.
Buena
Vista House. Built by Henry Boegel. Opened Feb 1848. Boegel was in Mexican War and had taken part
in the Battle of Buena Vista, hence its name.
In 1849 Boegel sold to William Wiggenhorn, who rented it 6 years later
to son Constance Wiggenhorn. In 1855
sold it to A. Meiswinkel; later sold to Franz Gebhardt and A. Bertling.
___________________
The
Buena Vista House, now (2016) known as Yangers Pub. It opened in 1847 and was soon afterwards
purchased by Wilhelm Wiggenhorn and his family who ran the place very
successfully for many years. They
served some of the finest food west of Milwaukee it was claimed.
The
tavern was home to the German refugees of the Revolution of 1848 and many a
political debate was heard there. It was
also the site of the first gathering of what later became St.
Luke's Lutheran Church in 1847, as well as the site of the formation of the
first German singing society, known as "Der Liedetafel," in 1847.
After
the Wiggenhorn family (pioneer cigar makers here) sold off the property, it was
run by a succession of different owners.
During Prohibition it ceased selling drinks and became more of a rooming
house/restaurant.
It
lost its distinctive name, pronounced "Byoon-a-vista" by
Watertowners, in the mid-1990s and took on the name Yangers and also adopted a
green and gold paint job. The building,
I believe, is essentially the original one from over 150 years ago. - William F. Jannke III
1848 WIGGENHORN
PROPRIETOR
In the
spring of 1848, there came Dr. Fischer,
John C. Halliger, Hohrmann and Ernst Achilles together
with families, then the first Baptist Fried.
Schielemann with wife, Nottorf, Grossmann
and Lorenz Fribert, Wilhelm
Wiggenhorn with family, among whom were his sons Constanz, Alexis, Eugen and August; Adolf Beurhaus and Adolph Lange, both
married, Henry Maldaner, Fritz
Herrmann, Chas. M. Ducasse, Gustav Schnasse, Martin Hopf, George Schempf
and family, Schmidt Toelle, Henry and
Louis Mulberger, Carl Roedel, Georg Koenig, Louis Stallmann, Leonard Meth
with wife and several others.
Wilhelm
Wiggenhorn arrived here with his family in the month of October, 1848, after he
had been on the farm with Averbeck for several weeks, and bought the Buena Vista House and the opposite lot
from Henry Boegel for the sum of
$1680. The house [hotel] at that time,
however, was in only a half-finished condition, and only plastered one time,
but it was furnished comfortably as an inn and the upper story was even used
for divine services of the Evangelical Protestant parish, which, in the absence
of a regular preacher, was presided over by Mr. Senator Meyer. In his
absence, Louis W. Ranis led the
parish, and special religious functions such as weddings, christenings, etc.
were performed by Pastor Dietrichsen from Milwaukee who came here from time to
time.
In the
vicinity of the Buena Vista House, a German lathe operator had erected a
windmill on a stump, in order to operate his turning shop with it. His name, not accurately determined, was
declared by some as Schiess, by
others as Spiess. He did not however achieve his wish with his
windmill, and for a long time afterward its rudder stood there, without being
used until finally this and other buildings had to make way for the [St.
Henry’s] German Catholic church.
1848
WATERTOWN: “SECOND CITY” IN WISCONSIN,
PLANK ROAD BONANZA FOR LOCAL
TAVERNS
“After the completion of the plank
road, Watertown, early a place of promise, became the second city in the
State and a bonanza for taverns; their story, however, has been well told in
local histories. People and produce from
the country to the west and north for many miles PASSED THROUGH WATERTOWN TO
MILWAUKEE, and land seekers made it their headquarters. J. B. Van Alstine, for years the popular
landlord of the Exchange, declared that he thought business dull in those palmy
days unless he had a hundred guests and as many horses to care for. Two of the old taverns are still running [in
1915], the Watertown House, now the Commercial, and the Buena Vista, which was
opened in February, 1848, by Capt. Henry Bogel, a veteran of the Mexican
War. During the regime of William
Wiggenhorn and his son, Eugene, the Buena Vista was the rendezvous of German
revolutionist refugees, among them Carl Schurz and Emil Rothe, while on Sundays
German services were held in its hall.”
Derived from “The Taverns and
Stages of Early Wisconsin” by J. H. A. Lacher, 1915. Contracts for construction of the road were
let in October of 1848.
1900
08 24 PROTESTANT CHURCH HELD SERVICES AT BUENA
VISTA HOUSE
The German Evangelical Protestant church on North
Fourth was organized here in 1850, and the congregation first held services
at the Buena Vista house.
1851 BALL ALLEY
Ball
Alley at the Buena Vista House, bowling
1866
GEBHARDT PROPRIETOR
Francis Gebhardt, proprietor, Buena
Vista House. Gebhardt was paid rent for Pioneer fire
dept engine room in 1859.
c.1895
GROUP PICTURE
Mrs.
John Goodnetter, Regina Ruecker, Annie (Anna) Ruecker, Mr. Ruecker, Mr.
Schoechert, father of Paul S., Mr. Krebs, father of Hugo.
04 30 BUENA VISTA HOUSE SOLD
Louis Kronitz, who recently moved to this city
from Clyman, has purchased the Buena Vista House of Otto Knoll, paying
therefore $9000. Louis is an old Watertown
boy, and his hosts of friends here and elsewhere wish him success in his new
venture in Watertown business circles. WG
1929
11 05 BUENA
VISTA HOTEL IS ACQUIRED
Acquired
today by R. C. Winkler. One of the
oldest hotels in this section of the state, the Buena Vista located at 300 N.
4th Street, changed hands today when it became the property of R. C. Winkler. This popular hotel was famous in the early
days as a meeting place for the "48'ers and the intellectuals of that
period." Before the past 7 years
the hotel has been under the management of Carl F. Gossfeld, a genial and
efficient landlord. . . .
1966
City Assessor picture
1968
06 20 BUENA
VISTA HOUSE SOLD
Mrs. Rose
Surdick, who has been owner and operator of the Buena Vista House at 300 North
Fourth Street, has sold the place to Elmer L. Kuehl of 106 Main Street, where he
operates the Main Cafe. Mr. Kuehl will
take over the Buena Vista House on July 1.
Mrs. Surdick, who has been operating the place since the death of her
husband, John Surdick, in 1938, had applied earlier for a renewal of her
license but withdrew it in favor of Mr. Kuehl when she sold the property to
him.
1987
Cross
References:
Poll was at the Buena Vista House,
Annual Charter Election of 1859.
History of Watertown,
Wisconsin