This file portion of www.watertownhistory.org website
Mulberger Family
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Among
the men who have served Watertown as mayor during its first 100 years — prior
to the advent of the city manager form of operation, one family has supplied four chief executives, the Mulberger family. A
father and three of his sons were elected to terms as mayor.
The
elder Mulberger, Henry Mulberger,
Sr., was elected mayor in 1867-68. He
was the city's eleventh mayor. Henry Mulberger, Jr., a son and for many years president of the
Bank of Watertown, served as mayor from 1898 to 1899. The other two were brothers of the former
banker — the late Attorney Arthur Mulberger, who
served from 1906 to 1908, and the late Charles Mulberger
who was mayor from 1916 to 1920. He was
later a state senator.
Providing
mayors is an old custom for the Mulberger family, for
it has furnished mayors in the historic city of Spires in Rhenish
Bavaria, also known as Speyer. That,
city, twice overrun by the French, has had Mulbergers
for mayors or burgomasters at intervals for a period of nearly 400 years.
It was
Philip Henry Mulberger, burgomaster of Spires, who
was levied on for troops and funds by M. Marin, one of Napoleon's marshals, in
1809, and records show that Jean Mulberger, a
paternal ancestor of the Watertown family, was burgomaster of Spires way back
in 1666.
Spires is one of the most famous cities
in Europe. It was the seat of the
diet of many German emperors in the Middle Ages, and the ashes of eight such rulers
lie in its famous cathedral which was begun in 1030 by Conrad and completed in
1061 by Henry IV.
In
addition to serving as mayor of Watertown, Arthur Mulberger
was also city attorney for several years. Daniel Mulberger,
father of the first Henry Mulberger in Watertown, was
among the members of the family who served as burgomaster of Spires.
It is
doubtful if any city in the United States can equal the record of having a
father and three of his sons elected to serve as mayor as is the case in Watertown.
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Henry Mulberger,
Sr
Henry Mulberger,
Jr
Arthur Mulberger
Charles Mulberger
Louis Mulberger
The large
Watertown brick Second Empire home was built by Henry Mulberger,
Sr., at
Henry's
father was a burgomaster of a good sized German city. His grandfather had been a city official in
1809 and was active in arranging tax assessments as requested to help support
Napoleon's army.
Following
in his footsteps three members of this family served as mayor of
Watertown.
1855
07 12 “Brutalities”
committed by Henry Mulberger and Henry Tigler on German citizens. WD
1867 Henry
Sr., a lawyer and an insurance man, was elected mayor in 1867
1898 1898
drawing, Henry Jr.
Arthur,
his son, was mayor in 1908.
Charles
was elected mayor in 1916. Charles went
on to become a Wisconsin State senator.
Charles Mulberger
Mayor Mulberger was without question Watertown’s most flamboyant
mayor, a very popular executive. He had
a law degree but never practiced law. He
would come down to the business section every morning around 10 o’clock, go to
the old Seager Barber
Shop for his daily shave and a trim, then walk over to a floral shop and
buy a fresh carnation which he wore each day in his bottonhole,
then make the rounds of downtown business places, including the old Deutsches Dorf which was then the gathering place for many
Watertown business men and executives.
It was by far the finest saloon Watertown ever had and was located at
the corner of Main and
Mr. Mulberger was a “promotive” mayor
of Watertown and never missed an opportunity to advance and publicize the
city. He played an important part in
promoting the old Watertown Inter-County Fair
and for years was its superintendent of speed, or the race track.
He had
a distinction which he shared with his family.
His father, Henry Mulberger, Sr., and two of
his brothers, Henry Mulberger, Jr. and Attorney
Arthur Mulberger all served the city as mayors. Thus Watertown has had four Mulbergers who occupied the office of mayor, a father and
three sons.
1906 Arthur Mulberger,
1906, cartoonist drawing, WDT series, Men in the Public Eye, WHS_005_437
1909
06 04 Louis Mulberger, brother of the
late Henry Mulberger of this city, died at Speier, Palatiniate, Rheinpfalz, Bavaria, a few days ago. He was 78 years of age and leaves his wife,
two sons and one daughter surviving him.
In the early 1850s he was engaged in the mercantile business with his
brother here, but in 1856 returned to Bavaria.
WG
1910
01 07 Arthur
Mulberger, mayor, organized a little party of friends
to investigate Texas. WG
1923
03 08 Charles
Mulberger Injured in Milwaukee. Ex-Mayor Charles Mulberger
of this city was injured in Milwaukee last Saturday night by being hit by an
automobile on the Fond du Lac road near Milwaukee. He and his wife were driving to the home of a
relative of his wife, Mrs. Mulberger being at the
wheel, when their automobile skidded off the concrete road and got stuck in the
mud, and while a garage man was trying to get the machine out of the mud, Mrs. Mulberger remained there in and Mr. Mulberger
was standing about 10 feet away watching the garage man work on his machine,
when a car going at a terrific speed came along and knocked him over, injuring
his spine. He was taken to a
hospital. Dr. Habhegger
of this city was sent for, who reports his injury not very serious and he may
be taken home in a few days. WG
1958
09 13 Will of the late Henry Mulberger, Jr., left sum of $2,500 to the city of
Watertown for additional park purposes WDT
The
imposing Mulberger home shows many architectural
influences. It is built with a Mansard roof
[French] with Victorian influence throughout [American] and the original tower
known as a Bismarck helmet [German] still tops the home.
There
are many windows, even in the almost two story section of the Bismarck helmet,
and .protruding through the roof. The home was built as were many other large
homes of this era, with a large central hall, open stairway, gleaming and
excellent woodwork throughout.
The Mulbergers occupied the home for many years. It is currently owned by Randy and Sandy Effinger.
In
1959, the home was purchased by Bethesda Lutheran Home and converted into a
group home for residents. Randy and
Sandy bought it from Bethesda in the spring of 1990. Much of the interior and exterior remains as
it was originally built. The present
porch is a remodeled remnant of the large porch that at one time extended
across the front of the house. The house
has original woodwork, two beautiful original gas chandeliers that have been
converted to electric, four fireplaces and an open stair case.
The
house is a restoration in progress. A
newly remodeled, beautiful master bedroom suite has a fireplace, whirlpool tub,
wet bar, fourteen wall papers and borders from the Bradbury & Bradbury
Neo-Classical Collection, and tow originally oil chandeliers converted to
electric. Many Christmas decorations
including two trees, one crystal and white with a Santa flying around the top,
a Snow Village and some Christmas Anna Lee collectable dolls.
