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History of Watertown,
Wisconsin
German Heritage
Irish ire was evidenced in
blarney, bourbon, brickbats, and broken noses.
East side Germans seldom ventured
across the river after dark.
THIS FILE IS
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
1872
A Sunday Visit
Watertown Democrat, 07 18 1872
The business of a newspaper is to
tell the news, no matter what may be its character. Last Sunday an excursion party of Germans
visited this city for the purpose of having a Pic-Nic
in one of our beautiful groves, and enjoy themselves as they were in the habit
of doing in the Fatherland. They came
from Milwaukee in a train of seventeen cars, bringing along their music and
whatever else might contribute to their pleasure.
A little after noon, they
repaired in a body to the maple forest owned by Mr. John Richards [Richard's
Grove?], where they passed a few hours in such diversions as were most
gratifying. They were accompanied by
their wives and children. All seemed to
engage in the festival with a freshness and zest that showed how welcome was
the sight of green fields and the foliage-covered bowers of the woods.
While we leave each to judge for
himself as to the propriety of such excursions on the Sabbath, we would suggest
to those who see no harm in them that a respectful regard for the rights and
sentiments of others should lead all participating in such demonstrations to
avoid whatever may disturb quiet people who disapprove of such proceedings, and
prefer to keep away from them.
It is hardly the thing to parade
past churches during service time, with bands playing, flags flying, and all
the noise and excitement caused by such a march through the streets. Such an ostentatious display is by no means
necessary. As long as no class here has
shown the least disposition to interfere with such old world customs
transferred to America, the very least that can be done by such as see no wrong
in these things is to leave others free from every possible annoyance, and at
perfect liberty to be as retired as they choose.
We know there was no intention to
intrude on any one’s rights; nevertheless, the line of the procession on this
occasion had just the effect, and it might just as well have taken some other,
without the least inconvenience.
1907
03 08 “The
Light Fantastic” is the title of an article in the February number of the Century Magazine by Warden Allan Curtis descriptive
of country dances of the different nationalities in Wisconsin. Mr. Curtis was a school mate of our fellow
townsman, Edw. F. Wieman, at the Wisconsin
University. Special reference in the article (pg 575, 2nd col) was made as follows to Watertown:
With the third generation the
Germans show a change. You can go into any old German town like Watertown
Wisconsin, where the third generation is now to the fore, and actually exclaim at
the number of pretty girls you see, the pleasing results of the generations of
American life upon the original material.
Faces and forms of men and women
have been refined. It is a new race mentally and physically. They are slimmer,
cleaner limbed, and much taller. Their backs have a curve unknown to their
grandparents, their eyes have a sparkle that never lighted the eyes of that
poor peasantry, which, until the tramp of the armies of Napoleonic France shook
its fetters free, could not leave the soil upon which it was born.
1953
SPRACHEN SCHULE AT OLD MATC VOCATIONAL SCHOOL
English Language School Class for German-Speaking Immigrants
Cross Reference:
