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Home-Coming
Day a Great Success
1905
Hundreds of Former Watertown People
Heartily Welcomed Here Last Sunday.
This page part of chapter on Homecoming Day
Watertown Gazette, 08 11 1905
The third annual home-coming of the Watertown Club,
of Milwaukee, last Sunday was a great success, and besides the large number of
the club present, hundreds of old Watertown people from various other cities
throughout the country took advantage of the occasion to visit their old homes
here, hold family reunions, meet old friends and join in the general
celebration on Tivoli Island. Nearly 500
people came out from Milwaukee on the excursion train at
People came from far and near, and it is estimated
that fully 1500 former Watertown people were here to participate in the event
and judging from the way the immense crowd of people vied with each other in
the afternoon on the Island in extending happy greetings, we should say that
all appreciate the occasion and hope that this annual gathering will continue
for many years to come.
It was a great success and special thanks for it are
due to the president of the Milwaukee-Watertown club, Ernst Kehr and his able
assistants, vice-president, Theodore Kusel; secretary, M. A. Blumenfeld;
treasurer Jos. A. Schumacher; and Marshal of the Milwaukee forces, Al Urtubees. Those having charge of the Watertown end of
the affair were: Mayor Herman Wertheimer, James W. Moore, J. P. Holland, M. F.
Blumenfeld, F. C. Werner, Otto Wegemann , Fred Kusel, John Gruel, Wm. F.
Brandt, Julius Wiggenhorn, Edw. L. Schempf, Joseph E. Davies, Fred Ohm, Wm.
Hartig, Wm. A. Beurhaus.
Financial committee -- Max Kusel, F. G. Keck.
Decorations committee -- Aaron Mead, George Spohn,
Harry Beurhaus, Frank S. Weber, Ned Racek.
In the words of the Milwaukee Journal staff correspondent, “It was a genuine
home-coming. Men who for many years had
been away from the little city and from their friends and relatives, returned
and once more walked along the familiar streets and visited the old time
haunts. Mothers and their sons,
separated for years, were united.
Fathers grasped the hands of sturdy offsprings and shed tears of joy at
once more gripping them by the shoulders and looking into their faces.”
The arrival of the special train from Milwaukee at
The citizens of Watertown were in gay attire and they
decked their streets and buildings too.
Down the full length of
At
Visitors wore badges of the Watertown Club
advertising the fact that this was the third annual Home-coming. Officers and members of the executive
committee wore special badges, and all citizens of Watertown wore ribbons which
told that they were on the “reception committee.” The whole town was on the reception
committee, and this was evidenced by the whole heartedness of the welcome and
entertainment.
Visitors could have anything a Watertownian could
give. The Elks club was thrown open and
in the morning the officers of the Watertown club and the press representatives
were entertained there.
The special train, bearing the 500 members of the
Watertown club of Milwaukee, left at
Aboard the train were the officers of the club:
President, Ernst A. Kehr; vice-president, Theodore Kusel, Waukesha, secretary,
M. A. Blumenfeld; treasurer, Jos. Schumacher; executive committee, Jonas
Hirsch, Chas. Bellack, A. Schumacher, Louis Quentmeyer, G. Wiggenhorn, Leonard
Meyer, T. Liefield, L. Schmutzler and Charles Reul.
The last car was occupied by Ward’s military band.
Half of the town was at the
Mayor “Jim” Wertheimer, as he is familiarly called,
is a great big man who looks the part he holds in the official life of the
city. Although the city is strongly
democratic, he was elected republican mayor by a safe plurality.
“Glad to see you, boys. Glad to see you, boys.” was
his greeting as he shook the hands of President Kehr and his other friends as
they alighted. There were many happy
reunions in the next minute. Relatives,
mothers and fathers were there to meet their loved ones. Tears of joy were shed and broken accents
mingled with hearty shouts of laughter.
Then someone gave the signal to Ward’s band and soon the strains of
“Home, Sweet Home,” broke upon the ears of the gay throng. It brought a hush over the assemblage and the
sweet music only added to the deep sentiment of the moment. When the piece had been finished Thacker’s
Concert band, led by Frank S. Thacker, struck up H. C. Miller’s “King
All.” This was a more lively air and it
served to turn the thoughts of the people from the sentimental to the really
gay. A line of procession was formed
under the direction of Chief Marshal Al Urtebees, of Milwaukee. This was headed by the mayor, wearing a long
streaming badge of red, and the other members of the various committees. Next came Ward’s band dressed in blue, and
Thacker’s band in bright green, followed by the home-comers and their friends
afoot and then by parties in carriages.
Nearly every family in Watertown had company; nearly
every home was made glad with a reunion, and all hearts were light and free
from ordinary care. It was home-coming
day and the best in every larder was brought out for the visitors and for the
families themselves. All the hotels were
crowded and repaid their visitors by serving delicious dinners.
Many visitors took advantage of the interval in the
festivities to wander about their old haunts and look for the old familiar
faces. On every street corner groups of citizens were standing usually
encircling some old friend and listening to the narrative of his experience in
other parts. Ray Brown, who had traveled
all over the world, has been in Japan and Russia during the war and who hurried
home from Australia that he might be in Watertown on the gala day, and ex-city
attorney Arthur Mulberger, who has been in Europe but who managed to get back
just in time for the celebration are among those who call Watertown their
present home. They were able to bring
news from friends in different places and to tell their fellow townsmen what
people in other parts think of Watertown.
“One meets people from Watertown all over the world,”
said Mr. Mulberger “and they are always doing well. In London there are two Watertown men who are
holding responsible editorial positions.
Major Evan R. Jones, who is a cousin of District Attorney Joseph E.
Davies, is editor of The Shipping World,
an important semi-weekly paper. He has been in parliament and has attained
great distinction.
“Ralph Blumenfeld, born in Watertown, is managing
editor of The London Daily Express. His father at present father of Watertown’s
German paper, The Welburger. Even on board ship I met Louis J. Merkel, a
New Yorker who formerly was a Watertown boy.”
Another citizen told of members of the Watertown Club
and ex-Watertownians who lived in Germany, France and almost all countries of
the world. In New York there is a
Watertown Club and a Wisconsin Club. In
Minneapolis and St. Paul the Watertown “boys” often get together in an informal
way.
At 1 o’clock, the mayor the various committees, and a large number of citizens
met at the Turner Hall, and from there after marching about the principal
street to the Tivoli island. They were
followed by a vast throng of the pleasure seekers. All afternoon, too, the people continued to
pour into the island from all directions until fully 5000 people were
gathered. Hundreds came in buses, the
scores of rigs tied to fences and trees in the surrounding neighborhood told
how many more had come, but by far the largest number walked to the park.
Here every possible means of entertainment was
offered. There were swings for the
children, fish ponds where the girls could fish for bright pins and ornaments
for 5c a chance; shooting galleries, cane ringing and baseball throwing
attractions, and the usual other
amusements of like variety. Souvenir
stands intermingled with sandwich counters and cracker jack, peanut and popcorn
venders. There were countless
opportunities for enjoyment and they were not neglected. Ward’s band gave a concert during the
afternoon. The band was placed in the concert
pavilion in the center of the island, and the excellent character of the music
won universal praise.
Shortly after
“Ladies and gentlemen, home-comers and friends,” said
the mayor, “in the name of the people of the city of Watertown I bid you
welcome to our city. It is not necessary
for me to give you the key to our city, for the door is always open. And not only is the city open to you but the
kitchens and dining rooms or our homes are at your service. We want you to understand that.
“I am sure you are glad to return to this city. The papers sometimes have made misleading
statements concerning it and have told you that more people were leaving than
were coming. But this is not true, and don’t you forget it that the people who
are leaving here are the right kind of people and when they go out into the
world they do something and amount to something. But I want to tell you that the trains are
bringing people into our city and that we are growing and prospering such as an
honest and earnest people should. I hope
you will enjoy yourselves while you are here and that you will come again.”
C. A. Kading
C. A. Kading, city attorney of Watertown, was the
next speaker. His remarks were heartily
applauded, and his effort was much appreciated.
He said in part: “Watertown may not have the skyscrapers,” he said, “the
traffic and excitement of some cities, but it is steadily progressing, and
above all, we can boast of one thing that surpasses all such benefits. We can look into the bright sparkling eyes of
more handsome girls and women than any other city of its size. The boys from
other cities have discovered this fact, and many have come here and captured
and taken away some of Watertown’s fair daughters. We can’t blame the boys, though we are sorry
to lose the girls. Yet they help bring
fame to our city, for they always speak of it with kindness and enthusiasm.
“The city of Watertown can well be proud of all those
who have gone from its midst; proud to find such a large representation in the
front ranks of successful and honorable undertakings; so proud to find so small
a representation in the prisons and workhouses.
Full of energy and enthusiasm they go ahead knowing that there is room
at the top. We find them in all parts of
the world holding all kinds of positions of trust and honor, and as our German
paper, The Weltburger, says: ‘Ein Watertowner muss dabei sein.’
“This idea of home coming is certainly a tender and
beautiful sentiment. The word “home” means to us everything that is pleasant
and comfortable. There is no place like
it.”
Joseph E. Davies
Mr. Kading was followed by District Attorney Joseph
E. Davies, one of Wisconsin’s most gifted orators, and when he was announced a
cheer that went up from the assemblage gave testimony to his popularity. For an impromptu address it was a masterpiece
of oratory, and he was frequently applauded.
Among other good things he said:
“We are proud of the many public spirited old
Watertown people who have gone out in the world and who have taken their
position of honor and trust,” said the speaker, “who still retain the old love
for the old home and who come back on ‘home seeing’ day, glad to be here. We are glad to see them. It may be permitted for me to say that here
on Rock River we have a little inland city than which there is none more
beautiful in surrounding scenery, shady streets and comfortable homes. The workingman who lives here owns his little
plot of ground. It is recorded in the
United States census that this little city of Watertown, with its strong German
conservative business methods and Irish and Welch enthusiasm, is the third in
the United States in point of percentage of those who own their own homes. Let me call you attention to the fact that $75,000
has been expended on our streets for permanent improvements and that taxes are
not going up but going down. It means that the cost of living is cheap. It means that our workingmen do not go on
strikes. It must mean that this city is
to be a manufacturing city, with its ample railroad facilities furnished by the
Milwaukee and Northwestern roads.”
“Home -- what a flood of memories that word
records. And yet with the pleasure of
that word comes the sorrow. There are
many faces not to be seen to-day, who are lying on the hillside up there.” The speaker dwelt upon the benefit of the
home-coming, its beautiful associations and its benefits to the character and
life of those who participated in it.
The young speaker’s words were eloquent and they brought tears to many
eyes.
Ernst A. Kehr
Ernst A. Kehr, president of the Watertown Club, was
the last speaker. He dwelt principally
upon the loyalty of the people of Watertown and urged all to extend the
friendly hand to other people from Watertown - to promote the brotherly spirit.
Among other things he said: “Since we last met we have made many
additions to the Watertown club. Our
list of members has grown materially, and it is surprising indeed how many
Watertown people there are all over the United States. A great many former Watertown residents do
not know today of the Watertown Club, but in time to come we hope to have them
all with us.
______________________________________________________
After the speaking the merrymaking continued during
the rest of the afternoon and late into the evening. Milwaukeeans and other visitors left on the
late trains.
Today the people of Watertown are already looking
forward to the next home-coming day. One
of those most interested in the events of home-coming day was Dr. Edward
Johnson (*), probably the oldest living settler of Watertown. Dr. Johnson has just celebrated his
eighty-eighth birthday and appears as active and alert as many men thirty years
his junior. “I came to Watertown in
1843,” he said to The Journal
reporter. “When I stood on the hill near
where this house stands I counted 25 roofs including barns, in the little
settlement. The hill was much higher
then before so much grading and filling in had been done, and you could see all
over the town. Watertown was then called
Johnson’s Rapids, after Timothy Johnson, who was the first settler here.
(*) Not related to Timothy
Johnson, who settled here in 1836
