website watertownhistory.org
ebook History of Watertown,
Wisconsin
Homecoming Day
Repasts,
Receptions and Reminiscences
Begun in
1902
Homecoming idea originated in the middle west
in Watertown Watertown Gazette, 06 24 1910
1902
In
1902 Watertown initiated a series of
annual Homecoming Days. These days
of reunion and celebration, held in early August or September, were anticipated
each summer.
This
author likes to think that the success of the Homecoming event was a prelude to
that of Watertown’s current Riverfest event, also highly anticipated, extremely
successful, and held in early August.
1904 Chapter on 1904 Homecoming
1905
Watertown Daily Times 07 27 1905
The
third annual home coming and excursion of the Watertown club of Milwaukee to
Watertown will be held on Sunday, Aug. 6. The train will leave over the
Milwaukee road at eight o'clock and arrive at Watertown at 9:20, where the
excursionists will be met by a large reception committee of the citizens of Watertown.
Ward's
military band will play concert music at Tivoli Island at Watertown in the
afternoon . . . It was decided to invite
Mayor Dunne of Chicago, Mayor Rose of Milwaukee, and Governor La Follette to deliver addresses to the people at the picnic grounds
in the afternoon. There will be a parade of all civic societies of Watertown in
the afternoon.
1905
Watertown Gazette article
of 08 11 1905
1905
Watertown Daily Times, 08 12 1905
Sunday, August 6, was certainly a gala
day in this city it being the observance of the Third Home Coming Day which has
become quite a social feature in the experience of the inhabitants of
Watertown, and great credit is due the mayor and members of the home club, in
making it the grand success it was under the circumstances - and there would
have been a much larger attendance had the railroads made special rates for the
occasion, which they were precluded from doing on account of the existing laws
in the state. As it was, there were at
least 700 former residents of Watertown who came to meet relatives and friends
and visit the scenes of other days. The
delegation from Milwaukee numbered about 500 ...
1907
Watertown Daily Times, 07 19
1907
(At
last Monday's Council meeting) Alderman Ryan presented an ordinance amending an
ordinance governing hack and bus men. It
was adopted and now provides that any person can operate buses to picnics,
fairs, etc. without obtaining a license and not interfering with the provisions
for buses running to trains. The
ordinance was amended so hastily in order that visitors here for the homecoming
might have necessary accommodations to the picnic grounds and a certain few not
have a monopoly in the conveyance of the visitors to the picnic grounds.
1907 Chapter on 1907 Homecoming
1908 Chapter on 1908 Homecoming
1909 The
grandest of the Homecoming fetes was that of July 31 and August 1, 1909. Bands went to the stations to meet the trains
and welcome former residents. Another floral parade in which carriages and
surreys still predominated, and a program, in which Mayor Arthur Mulberger and Judge George Grimm were featured speakers,
was followed by amusements of many kinds - band concerts, repasts, receptions
and reminiscences. [
Watertown Remembered ]
Click to enlarge
1909 assumed
1909
09 03 Herman Wertheimer recognition WG
1910
Chapter on 1910 Homecoming,
eighth annual
1911
Chapter on 1911 Homecoming,
ninth annual
1913
Homecomers,
1913
Cross-References:
Military
Band, invitation, Homecoming Day (year uncertain) No 2
No 3 (2 and 3 are enlargements)
Tivoli
Island, site of Homecoming celebrations
Compiled by Ken Riedl
