This file portion of www.watertownhistory.org website
Habhegger
Slaughter House & Cold Storage
John
Habhegger, Jr
1844 - 1919
Ulrich
Habhegger
1834 - 1912
Royal
Meats
Former Habhagger slaughter house,
1950’s Royal Meats slaughter house,
retail butcher shop, 1970’s
Current site of Johnsonville pig
slaughter house
John Habhegger, Jr
Being one of the enterprising and
progressive citizens of Watertown, John Habhegger, Jr, engaged in business as a
member of Jossi & Habhegger, manufacturers of cheese. He is a native of the
Canton of Bern, Switzerland, born
His parents immigrated to the United
States in 1853 and took up their residence in
Watertown. The father engaged in farming for two years, after which he
carried on merchandising in Watertown for some time. In 1877 he left that place
and removed to Fort Atkinson, Wis., where he was engaged in the insurance business
until his death, which occurred in 1890.
In his family were eleven children,
eight of whom are yet living, four sons and four daughters: Ulrich, Mrs. E.
Lehmann, Fred, Godfrey, Barbara, Margaret, John and Lena. All are now married.
The gentleman whose name heads this
record was a lad of nine summers when, with his parents, he crossed the
Atlantic. Since that time he has been a resident of Jefferson County, and has
become widely and favorably known. His early education was acquired in the
schools of his native land, and was supplemented by study in the public schools
of this locality. After coming to Wisconsin he aided his father in the
cultivation of the farm, but subsequently learned the butchers' trade, which he
followed until 1862.
In that year Mr. Habhegger laid
aside all business pursuits to enter the service of his adopted country. He
joined the Union army, becoming a member of Company D, Twenty-third Wisconsin
Infantry, and served until the close of the war with the rank of corporal. He
participated in the battles of Chickasaw Bayou, Arkansas Post, Greenville,
Cyprus Bend, Grand Gulf, Port Gibson, Champion's Hill, Black River Bridge, the
siege of Vicksburg and others. At Vicksburg he was wounded by a gunshot. He afterward participated in the battles of
Jackson, Carrion Crow Bayou and Mansfield, La., and at the last named was again
slightly wounded by a gunshot in his right side. Among the last engagements
with which he was connected were the siege and capture of Spanish Fort and Fort
Blakeley.
On the 4th of July, 1865, he was
honorably discharged at Mobile, Ala., having for three years, on many a
Southern battle-field, faithfully followed the old flag which now floats
triumphantly over a united nation.
After his return home Mr. Habhegger
worked for his brother a short time, and in 1867 he embarked in merchandising
in Watertown, continuing business along that line until 1892. In 1890 he became
associated with Jacob Jossi (b. 1849, d. 1907) in
the manufacture of cheese, and is now giving his entire time and attention
to that enterprise.
Mr. Habhegger was married in 1868 to
Miss Lena Schultz, a native of Watertown, and six children have been born of
their union: Emma, Charles J., Bertha, Hattie, Anna and Margaret.
Mr. Habhegger has led a busy and
useful life, but has found time to devote to public interests, and has served
as alderman and supervisor and was deputy-collector of internal revenue under
President Cleveland's first administration. He is now a member of the school
board and is recognized as one of the leading and enterprising citizens of
Watertown. He holds membership with several civic societies and also belongs to
the Grand Army of the Republic.
Memorial and Genealogical Record of Dodge and Jefferson Counties,
Wisconsin, Chicago:
Goodspeed Brothers, 1894
Buried in Oak
Hill Cemetery.
Portrait not reproduced.
Portion derived from Memorial and Genealogical Record of Dodge
and Jefferson Counties, Wisconsin, Chicago; Goodspeed Brothers, 1894.
Ulrich Habhegger
To supply the community in which he
resided with the necessaries of life was the business to which Mr. Habhegger
devoted his time and attention, and it is no more than justice to say that he
made it a point to keep an extensive and pure line of goods and to sell them at
prices within the reach of all. His emporium was popular and well patronized
for obvious reasons, and to his credit be it said that his patronage was
constantly on the increase.
He is a product of Canton Bern,
Switzerland, the eldest of eleven children born to the marriage of John
Habhegger and Barbara Luethy (*), with whom he came to the United States of
America in boyhood and with them settled in the town of Watertown, Jefferson
County, Wis., in l853.
(*) name does not agree with that in
John Habhegger bio
He continued to remain with his
parents until 1856, when he decided to make a start in life for himself, and
for this purpose went to Iowa and bought a farm in Polk County, which he tilled
with reasonable success for five years. He then returned to the Badger State
and turned his attention to the grocery and commission business, as a more
congenial (to him) and profitable employment and was successfully engaged in
this occupation until 1893, with the exception of two years, which were spent
in farming in Emmet Township, Dodge County, Wis. (**)
(**) Emmet Township, Sec 27, 153
acres, 1910 plat map
In 1893 the infirmities of
increasing years, and the fact that he had accumulated a comfortable
competency, caused him to retire from the active duties of life, and he took up
his residence in the city of Watertown where he had so successfully conducted
his mercantile operations. The prosperity of the section in which he has made
his home for so long has always been of great interest to him and he has done
all in his power to aid improvements and enterprises that had for their object
the good of the county, and has been elected to various honorable official
positions, such as alderman, supervisor and school commissioner, positions
which he filled several terms each.
He is president of the Watertown
Shoe Company.
At the Democratic convention held
September 21, 1894, he was nominated for county treasurer of Jefferson County,
and was elected to that office November 6, 1894, by a large majority, a fact
which spoke eloquently as to the popularity and esteem in which he was held. He
was a faithful and capable official and won universal respect as an office
holder.
On the 31st December, 1857, he was
united in marriage with Miss Lina Gfeller, and their union has resulted in the
birth of six children, four daughters and two sons: Sophia, Eliza, Lina, Lillie,
Emil and Albert.
Mr. Habhegger and his family are
members of the German Protestant Church, and socially he is a member of the I.
O. O. F. at Watertown.
He is of the material of which
useful and honorable citizens are made, and it is to such men as he that Uncle
Sam extends a cordial welcome to this country.
Buried in Oak
Hill Cemetery.
Portrait not reproduced.
Portion derived from Memorial and Genealogical Record of Dodge
and Jefferson Counties, Wisconsin, Chicago; Goodspeed Brothers, 1894.
Habhegger Home
1981
Royal Meats
Watertown
Daily Times, 04 17 1981
Royal Meats, Inc.,
Watertown
Daily Times, 08 18 1981
Royal Markets, Inc.,
Cross-References:
No 1:
Habhegger family history; origin of the family name
No 2:
John Habhegger, 1902, Library formation committee member
No 3: Emil Doerr, printer,
tinfoil cheese wrappers for the Jossi-Habhegger firm
