website watertownhistory.org
ebook History of Watertown, Wisconsin
High Schools
HIGH SCHOOL LOCATIONS:
1863-1882 Ducasse
building
1883-1896 Western Avenue
1897-1917 Union School No.1 (later Armory)
1918 South Eight Street
There
were many different colors used as class colors in the early days. Purple and gold, for example. Possibly at one time each class had their own
colors. It was until the 1930s that blue
and white became the "official" school colors.
The Ducasse building was the very
first school in which high school subjects were taught.
High School was next in the rear part of the former Armory
building
Then it was moved to the then new Western Avenue School (later
called Webster) with grade 6, 7, 8 on the first floor.
In 1898 the Armory was enlarged and High School moved there with
two eighth grades on the first floor front.
There were the only eighth grades in Watertown until 1902. Bertha Marquardt and then Mary Crangle were the teachers.
They had departmental work.
< Ducasse building, c1863, became high school 
The
above picture [1] shows Watertown’s FIRST
HIGH SCHOOL building.
The
school was located in a small frame building at North Fifth and Jones streets
[417 Jones].
It
was built by Justice Ducasse, who for many years was
a police justice in early Watertown. The
first principal of the High School during the Civil War period was Professor
Theodore Bernhard.
It
was in this school that the first text books in Wisconsin were issued.
It
was also during this period that a commercial course was offered to a high
school class for the first time in the history of the state. The building, later used
as a restaurant and then as the residence of the late Herman Heinz, was
subsequently razed.
1858
09 09 Rollin L. Reed, Principal; Miss
L. A. Rockwell, Assistant WD
12 23 High School is a miserable structure
. . . No effort towards the erection of a better, more commodious building WD
1860
10 12 Miss Susan Perry
opened private school WR
1861
05 02 Second Ward High School
Prof.
Theodore Bernhard, the principal of this school, held a public examination last
Monday at the Musical Association rooms, in Dennis’s Block, last Monday. The exercises were conducted by the principal
and his assistants. About two hundred
scholars, who have attended this school during the last six months, were
present. All, without exception, gave
satisfactory evidence of the thorough drilling of which they have been
subjected and exhibited a degree of proficiency in their several studies that
reflected credit on themselves and on their teachers. There were 30 or 40 boys, from 12 to 16 years
old, who have been under the immediate instruction of Mr. Bernhard, of whom
their teacher, as well as parents, may justly feel proud. Many of them have not their superiors in this
city for scholastic attainments.
Spectators must have been impressed with the success of Mr. Bernhard’s
method of instruction, from the prompt and accurate manner in which his pupils
answered the questions put to them during the exercises. The German portion of our citizens may well
feel a deep interest in sustaining this school. WD
Early School Days Told by Old Resident
Pranks and Intellectual Feats Are Revealed
1936 article
The
old-fashioned building at the corner of North Fifth and Jones streets was the
first high school building in the city.
The
first principal of the school was Professor Theodore Bernhard, William Rohr was
assistant. Other teachers were Mrs.
William Norris and Miss Cooley. Among
the pupils of the Civil war period or late in the 50's were Honorable W. F.
Voss, C. H. Jacobi, Edward Racek, Louis Merkel, Henry
Bertram, Charles Fuermann, Max Gaebler,
John Mallaney, Mrs. A. J. Earling nee Peebles, Oscar Cole and Henry Peebles.
The
following sketch was written by a former student [date of writing
uncertain]:
"The quaint old Ducasse
building, about 50 years ago, housed the beginning of our public high
school. The faculty consisted of
Theodore Bernhard, William H. Rohr, Misses Vestey,
Cooley and Merriam. The studies were not
as numerous as they are today, but the upper class did trigonometry and
surveying and the pupils could recite history by the page, though they had
never looked into a history book. In
those days people were too poor to buy many text books and the teachers were
obliged to do real teaching.
"Professor Bernhard was a remarkably successful
teacher. When a pupil showed precocity
in a certain direction, he would coach him on that line and develop an
exhibition stunt for the public examination at the end of the year. A merchant named Arnim
offered prizes to the pupils at this examination and William Voss, fourteen
years old, took the first prize with a remarkable geographical recitation, and
Max Gaebler, twelve years old, did the Pythagoras
theorem. Professor Bernhard, to the end
of his career, frequently would refer with much pride to these feats of his
pupils.
"Schoolroom discipline was a little wild and
woolly, and the rod was freely used.
Billy Beurhaus, a chunky lad, sat next to
Oscar Cole, who was tall, and thin as a sliver.
Whenever there was mischief in their neighborhood, Billy would get a
licking without much investigation, and was told to pass the surplus over to
Oscar. When the professor wrote on the
blackboard, his back turned to the class, the boy who remained on his seat was
considered not much of a "feller."
The alacrity with which they regained their seats was simply amazing. Hugo Jacobi was the tallest boy in school and
could run like a doe. The game at recess
usually was "pullaway," with Jacobi pitted
against the whole crowd. When stormy
weather kept the boys indoors, it was not unusual to overturn the stove. In fact, Jim Larkin acquired some reputation
on that score and there seemed to be general disappointment when, sometimes, he
did not rise to the occasion.
"Notwithstanding these ebullient excesses,
considerate decorum was observed toward the girl pupils. Some of these were very bright.
"For the purpose of German dictation, the German
pupils were always separated from the "English.” A newcomer, John Mallaney,
did not obey this order and kept his seat.
When the question was tartly asked whether he was German or English, he
told the professor with much emphasis that he was an Irishman.
"The old building now looks very small. But in those days, it seemed so very, very
large."
1863
10 15 Second Ward High School
This
new school building – the largest and most commodious in our city – is so far
finished that it is occupied for the purpose for which it was built today. It is well furnished, divided into apartments
of convenient size and well adapted for the accommodation of the classes that
will attend there. It is a decided
credit to our city and supplies a want in our educational facilities that has
long been felt. WD
1864
08 11 Watertown Seminary WD
1872-1876
The Upper High School
Grade from 1872-1876.
Two rooms on the upper floor of Union School, No. 1. Theodore Bernhard.
1879
07 03 Exercises by High School
Students WD
1881
Charles F. Viebahn appointed superintendent of schools and
principal of High School
WDT
_________________________________________________________________________________________
1881
Watertown
High School from 1881 to 1904
From 1913 High School Orbit
(first
Orbit published)
1866, First High School
Theodore
Bernhard
In the
summer of 1879, after the death of Theodore Bernhard, under whose principalship the Watertown High School had been
established in 1866, and who had been its efficient head ever since, the board
of education offered me the vacant position.
Being at that time bound by contract to the position I then held at
Manitowoc I had to decline the offer.
In the
fall of 1880, the position having again become vacant the board of education,
supported by the urgent invitation of many citizens, again offered it to
me. I agreed to accept the position on
condition that the school superintendency be combined
with the high school principalship. My condition was
accepted.
The
duties of city superintendent of schools had hitherto combined what are now the
duties of the clerk of the board of education with most of the administrative
duties of the superintendent.
Rohr, W. H.
W. H.
Rohr, who had held the office of superintendent before the change was made, was
now appointed to the new position of clerk of the board of education. He had
formerly been a successful teacher, and during the thirteen years I was
associated with him in the administration of school affairs, he did much to
lighten my work. His excellent qualities as an official have always been
recognized.
I
entered upon the duties of my position as superintendent and principal
1881
High School part of
Union School No. 1 (
In
1881 the home of the high school was in what was then called Union School No.
1, now a part of the high school building.
It occupied only two rooms on the upper floor of that building. As the attendance increased and more room was
needed for the lower grades, the boards of education in 1883 determined to
erect a new building.
1881 definition of
High School
In
1881 the term high school did not mean exactly what it meant in 1904.
Formerly
the eighth grade was a grade of the high school. In 1884 it was made one of the
grammar grades.
Formerly
the school year was divided into three terms of instruction, beginning with the
spring term at the end of the Easter vacation. Since 1888 the school term has
been divided into semesters and the year of instruction was made to end in
June. This was one of the most difficult chances to make, because it interfered
with an old German custom. For some years the fourth year high school class
existed during the spring term only, the regular annual promotions taking place
at Easter and the commencement exercises in June.
It was
our aim not to allow the high school to constitute an entirely separate
institution. To indicate this it was determined not to use the college terms
freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors, but in order to show their relation
to the grades, to use the term ninth grade, tenth grade, eleventh grade and
twelfth grade. But this effort proved an utter failure. The boys and girls
persisted in using the college terms.
Only
two courses of study were followed in the high school, the general science
course and the modern classical course. There were some optional studies -
bookkeeping, commercial arithmetic, drawing, and later, shorthand and
typing. But we could not teach all the
subjects that should have been taught, nor divide up our classes to the best
advantage because our teaching force was too small. The principal, who should
have had the opportunity to give most of his time to supervision, generally had
to teach five or six classes a day.
Most
of the teachers employed during these years were interested in their work and
did good service. When it was found to be desirable that shorthand be taught,
one of the teachers devoted his summer vacation to the study of this art, and
in the fall he was prepared to teach a large class in shorthand.
In
1881 and during a few years that followed, the high school had no supplementary
or extra literary reading matter. The school library contained a few good books
for references, but no books to speak of that boys and girls would care to take
home to read.
All
this has since changed for the better; classical reading matter has been
supplied, the school library has been supplied with many good books, and the
pupils have been given the advantage of using the public library.
The
natural sciences had been given a prominent place on the course of study, but
the apparatus provided was insufficient for the proper teaching of physics and
chemistry. As it is easier to supply the most necessary apparatus and material
for the teaching of chemistry than for the teaching of physics, the former was
for a time made the more prominent study.
·
The
number of assistant teachers required for the high school during these years,
was as follows: 1881, one assistant; 1882, two; I884, three; 1893, four; 1902,
five; 1903, an additional teacher to teach drawing two weeks each month.
_________________________________________________
1883 High
School part of Webster School, Western Avenue
The 1883 construction of the building, later known as the Webster School, the rooms on (the) upper floor of
which were assigned to the high school, and those on the lower floor to grammar
grades.
06 27 Contract
Let. Last week the board of education entered into a contract with C. Schmutzler for the erection of the First Ward School
building at the sum of $14,500, this being $100 lower than the bid of J.
Trumbull of Whitewater. The bid of W. Quentmeyer, although lower in price, was not satisfactory
to the Board in certain requirements such as binding the board to advance money
for material on the ground, etc. Mr. Schmutzler binds himself to have the building under roof
and windows in it by December 1, and fully completed by July 1, next. WR
07 04 The ground is expected to be broken this
week by Mr. Schmutzler for the erection of the new
First Ward School and the work proceeded with as rapidly as possible. WR
1885 The
earliest use of the word “gosling” when referring to
Watertown high school students.
1886 Union
School No. 1, Grade School
1887
Before 1897 this
was Union School No. 1. In 1897 it
became the high school. That is why
there are young children in the image.
The
Watertown High School, located on the north side of Main Street, between
Seventh and Eighth streets. Note Wesley
Methodist Church in the distance on the far left. This image dates to about 1895. The high school was located here until 1917,
when it moved to South Eighth St.
Structure became the Watertown Armory and still later the Youth Activity
Center (YAC). It was torn down in the
late 1960s and the Welcome Inn was constructed on this site. Today the site of the Heritage Inn Hotel.
-------- The
average salary paid in 1887, including high school teachers, was $45 per
month; in 1908 it was $60.50
-------- 1887
high school had four teachers, including the superintendent; in 1908 it had
nine, including the superintendent
1895
1897 Union
School No. 1 becomes a High School
1898 
Union School No. 1
1898 High
School part of Union School No. 1 addition (
In
1898 additional room was provided by building an addition to Union School No.
1. The part added is the present
assembly room of the high school, with its cloak rooms and the rooms on the
first floor directly below. Alterations
were also made in the basement and other parts of the building. A room for manual training was provided.
The
enrollment of pupils of the high school in 1881 was fifty-two. In 1878, under the principalship
of Mr. Bernard, it had reached 145. In
1904 it was 215.
Increased
attendance in the high school is due to several causes. Among these the following may be mentioned:
1.
Increase in wealth. There are more people now in our city who can afford to
give their children a secondary education than there were formerly.
2.
Higher appreciation of the value of high school education. Formerly most of our
citizens held the opinion that an elementary education is sufficient for all
except the few that want to prepare for a learned profession. This notion is
slowly changing.
3. The
course of study has been extended and made to contain more subjects which most
people regard as of more practical value than the usual staple subject of the
ordinary high school course.
4.
More teachers are employed. This permits the assignment of each to the branches
which he can teach best.
5.
Occasionally, the too rapid promotion of pupils and admitting them to the high
school before they are properly prepared for it.
1902 Summer
School for Teachers and Prospective Teachers
06 01 The teachers and prospective teachers of
Dodge and Jefferson counties will be given an opportunity to attend a summer
school to be held in this city at the High school building July 7th, to August
1st. There has long been a desire on the
part of many teachers of these two counties to have a summer school located at some
central point such as Watertown, and to have the work of instruction such as
will best prepare them for the county teachers
examinations. This school is organized
to meet these demands. The course of
study will include all the old as well as new branches required for the three
grades of teacher certificates. No
attempt will be made to give systematic professional training, as that will be
the function of the summer institutes to follow. The school will also afford high school
students an excellent opportunity for academic review of common and high school
branches. Students intending to write
for certificates in Jefferson County will be given an opportunity to do so on
the last day of the session.
1904 Commencement
06 28 A very large audience greeted the class
of 1904 of the High school at its graduating exercises held at Turner Opera
House on the evening of the 23rd instant.
Every seat in the house, including the galleries, had been reserved and
assigned upon application to friends of the graduates, students of the upper
classes of the public schools and citizens generally. Some who had not been able to obtain seats
found standing room in the aisles and doorways.
As usual the stage had been tastefully decorated by the junior class,
aided by the teachers, the decorations consisting of palms, wild ferns and
masses of ox-eye daisies, together with liberal quantities of gold and white
bunting hung in festoons below the foot-lights and above the platform.
Unfortunately, just as the exercises
were about to begin, the electric lights were extinguished, delaying the
opening for half an hour. Finally a few
gas jets were lighted, a few lamps brought in, and at 8:45 Supt. C. F. Viebahn announced that owing to the delay there would be a
change in the program. He stated that
the instrumental duets would be deferred until more lights could be obtained,
and that his own address would be omitted, and the exercises would open with a
history of the class of 1904 by Josephine Voss.
This exercise proved to be an enjoyable “give-away,” combining history with
prophesy in a humorous vein, the individuals being dealt with better understood
and appreciated by the class than by the general public. Miss Voss’ number was a decided success.
1906 Establishment
of a Night School
11 06 At a regular meeting
of the board of education a matter of considerable importance was disposed
of. It was the adoption of a report
favorable to the establishment of a night school in the high school building
for the benefit of the young men and young ladies of the city who are unable to
attend the day schools by reason of the fact that they are employed in the
factories or otherwise engaged in earning a livelihood. Chairman Voss said they [the committee on
teachers and instruction] was not overly sanguine as the experiment had been
tried here in the past without success.
They were willing however to risk the venture, realizing that there were
more young ladies and young gentlemen in the city than there were then. The report stated that the members of the
committee had taken the matter up with the superintendent of schools and three
of the assistants of the high school and they had concluded to recommend the
holding and maintaining of such an evening school. They recommended that it be held in the high
school building for a term of four months, commencing Thursday, Nov. 15, 1906,
instructions to be given twice a week, Mondays and Thursdays. It was further recommended that the male
teachers of the high school be employed at a compensatory salary . . .
11 17 The night school opened at the high
school building last evening under quite favorable circumstances. The attendance, however, was not as large as
was expected, at least by some of the members of the board of education which
authorized the opening of the school at its last meeting. One of the members of the board last evening
when informed by a Leader
representative that the enrollment was twenty-nine, expressed surprise and said
he thought it would be at least fifty. .
. . Superintendent Roseman also thought there would
be a larger enrollment ... He is of the opinion that the attendance will
increase, especially when it becomes known and the fact of the benefits becomes
appreciated. It should not, however take coaxing or persuasion to increase the
number of students. There are many young men seen nightly loafing on the street
corners and young ladies gadding the streets who would do well to take
advantage of this opportunity . . .
12 16 The public night
school has closed for the holiday season.
The new feature in the public educational institution of our city will
reopen on Thursday evening, Jan. 3rd.
The night school has proven a great success and many of the young people
of the city who are engaged in earning a livelihood in factories, stores and
offices are taking advantage of this excellent means of adding to their store
of knowledge. Superintendent Roseman and the teachers in charge are well pleased with
the success of the school thus far. Even
some of the members of the board of education who were opposed, in a way, to
the school, now realize that no mistake was made in launching this new
department . . . Those who have attended thus far have expressed their
intention of returning at the reopening and it is more than probably that
several new students will be enrolled.
This is a rare opportunity and there should be many more in a position
to reap the benefits.
1907
Graduation Class
1908
06 18 Commencement WL
06 27 To use the phraseology of the theatrical people, the seniors
of the Watertown High School held the boards at the Turner Opera House last
evening, presenting their class play, "All On Account of the
Professor." The young people not
only "held the boards", but they held the rapt attention of their
audience which fairly packed the hall.
The young folks acquitted themselves in a very credible manner and that
their work was appreciated was amply evidenced in the generous applause which
came with frequency.
It was no doubt the means of
giving permanency to high school class plays in Watertown and it is safe to
predict that hereafter it will be an annual event to which each senior class
will look forward to with great expectancy, as will also be the case with
friends and patrons of this local institution of learning. Each member of the cast carried out their
respective parts without a hitch and in a manner that reflected great credit
upon the senior class of 1908. WL
09 11 Re-shingling
portion of the High School; L. Wright manual training teacher; Eighth grade
transferred to School No. 4.
11 13 Playgrounds proposed for vacant
lots; later site for High School WG
1909
01 22 Webster
Debating Society officers elected WG
01 22 Manual
training and drawing, new dept WG
07 02 Commencement exercises, 42
grads WG
07 02 Last
Monday evening there was a large attendance at the 21st annual reunion of the
Watertown High School Alumni Association . . . WG
08 20 Ratio maintained pupils and assistants WG
08 27 Mechanical drawing sets WG
1910
01 21 Mrs.
Gordon E. Bacon entertained teachers and her Latin class WG
01 22 Manual
training and drawing, new dept WG
01 29 Junior
Prom for Seniors WG
03 11 Boys' and girls’ declamatory contests WG
03 11 Inter-class
basketball games at the Turner WG
03 25 Thieves enter High School WG
04 22 Prof. B. E. McCormick, first
assistant principal, resignation WG
04 29 Class
honors for the year WG
06 10 Senior class play WG
06 17 Debate
on immigration laws WG
06 24 Commencement WG
06 24 Condition of High School WG
07 01 Twenty-second annual reunion
of High School WG
1911
03 02 High School Debate—The High School debate
at the High School building last Friday night was a very interesting affair,
the question under debate being State Ownership of Water Power in
Wisconsin. The Watertown team, composed
of Peter Brooks, Philip Quentmeyer and George
Lewandowski had the affirmative side of the question and the Beaver Dam team
had the negative. Wm. F. Voss of this
city presided at the meeting and I. O. Hubbard, principal of the Fond du Lac
High school, David Bogue, attorney of Portage, and A.
M. Jones, principal of the Lake Mills school,
officiated as judges. The judges decided
two in favor of Beaver Dam and one in favor of Watertown. WG
03 16 State Superintendent Carey Compliments
Watertown High School
Mr.
James Moore, President of Board of Education, Watertown, Wisconsin
Dear
Sir:
I am in
receipt of the report of Inspectors Terry and Borden of their visit to your
High School on March 7th.
The
report as a whole is very favorable, especially considering the number of
pupils per teacher, and the inspectors give the school a good ranking among the
high schools of the state.
The
discipline and general attitude were excellent and the recitations were well
conducted by the teachers, though in some cases there did not seem to have been
a rigid enough insistence upon thorough preparation by the students of the
assigned lessons. Apparently, if there
is any special problem in the school it is that of securing harder study on the
part of the considerable number of the pupils.
With the excellent management and the strong force of teachers which the
school has at present this more rigid insistence upon the proper amount of work
by the pupils should not be difficult.
This
and various other matters relating to school work were fully discussed in a
faculty meeting held after school.
The
equipment and janitor service are satisfactory.
The
inspectors note a large increase in the enrollment since the last visit. It has now reached what should be considered
the extreme limit for the number of teachers.
With an average of over 30 pupils per teacher it is self-evident that
the teachers must be overburdened with work and that it is impossible to meet
the needs of individual pupils or of the school as a whole in a thoroughly
efficient degree.
The
building, too, as you are no doubt fully aware, is too small for so large a
school.
I
sincerely hope that you will seriously consider both of these questions and
that you can see your way clear to increase the number of teachers this year if
possible — if not, than certainly next year — and also that provision can be
made for adequate accommodations in the near future.
The
growth of your school is very gratifying and indicates an excellent sentiment
toward education in your community, but it should be remembered that it also
brings added responsibility in the matter of providing increased facilities if
a high standard of work is to be maintained.
Assuring
you of my interest in the success of your school, I remain,
Very
truly yours
C. P.
Carey, State Superintendent WG
Class of 1911,
50 year reunion, 1961. Watertown Historical Society Collection
1911
07 20 School Superintendent’s Annual Report
High School crowding; public school enrollment;
Webster School
The enrollment this year [school year
ending June 23, 1911] shows an increase of 1 pupil over that of 1910. The total enrollment this year is 1231, and
last year it was 1230. This shows that
the school population in our city is not increasing very rapidly. Our records show that a greater number of
school children left the city during the past year than entered.
The enrollment in the high school
reached 311 this year, which is 91 more than the seating capacity of the
assembly room. This congested condition
was handled by having those who lived within three blocks of the building
report for recitation only, and by assigning the balance of the overflow seats
in the library, laboratory, and two recitation rooms on the first floor . . .
In my opinion, the heating and
ventilating scheme to be installed in Webster School is one of the very best,
and I have every reason to believe that it will work perfectly.
The boys’ closet and urinal in
Webster School ought to be placed against the west wall and fitted up in a
sanitary manner. In order to make this
room sanitary the sewerage system will have to be readjusted and while doing
this the additional cost to move the closets and modernize them would not be
great . . .
The high school work progressed quite
satisfactorily, regardless of the crowded condition. During the first part of the year a little
annoyance occurred on account of one of the lady assistants being a little weak
in discipline. The teacher was a
conscientious hard worker, but she was not a match for events as they developed
in the growing minds of the children. In
addition she found the work very heavy and at Christmas time asked for a leave
of absence . . . On account of the crowded conditions the best results cannot
be expected. Many of the pupils were
compelled to sit at home and report only for classes . . . It is difficult to
regulate the home time with that of the school clock and pupils come in at
different times, and having no vacant room in which to assemble, are compelled
to stand around the halls until the classes pass. To obviate this condition more room ought to
be provided . . . WG
1912
03 14 High
School Teams to Debate
A debating team from Columbus will
come to Watertown to meet a team from the Watertown High School in debate on
Friday evening. The question for debate
is “Resolved, that trial by jury in the United States should be
abolished.” Both teams have been working
on the question for several months.
The Watertown team, which is composed
of Wallace Thauer, Alvin Brendemuehl
and Peter Brooks, will debate the affirmative of the question. The debate will be held in the high school at
7:30 o'clock. Hon. William F. Voss will
preside.
On the same evening another team
consisting of Alya Soldner,
Jack Coughlin and George Lewandowski will debate the negative question with
Beaver Dam High School at Beaver Dam. In
order to defray the expenses of the teams a small admission fee of 10 cents
will be charged. WG
05 09 Editor Daily Times Might Take Own Advice Before
"Rushing Into Print"
Editor Gazette:—The Daily Times of Saturday evening calls an
unsigned article in The Gazette
against members of the police force
"cowardly," that it “cast odium upon the whole department." If this is so, then how much more cowardly
was that unsigned article in favor of a mashing ordinance, which appeared in a
recent issue of The Times, in which special mention was made of High School
students. Did not that throw odium
upon the entire school? According to The Times own reasoning then, that was
an insult to the entire student body, and not only that, but to every parent
who has a child in High School. If any
complaints are to be made against High School students, why don't they take it
to the school board? That body is a
regularly-constituted one, and complaints should be made to it. All its members are respectable men, and it
has always contained men of good reputation.
The Times says "Of late
it seems to be the fad to discredit everybody connected with the conduct of
city affairs, and the police of course come in for their share." On the contrary, it seems to be the fad for
some of those connected with the city administration to insult everyone with
any claim to respectability, and the police can expect nothing else than to be
discredited if they follow the lead of some of their superiors.
A Minor. WG
1912
Class of
1912. Watertown Historical Society Collection
1912: Largest Class in
History of High School
06 27 Thursday
evening, June 20, 1912, a large audience was present to enjoy the exercises of
the Watertown High School at Turner Opera House. The weather was ideal and it added greatly to
the pleasure of the evening. The program
was a decidedly good one, and the different addresses of the graduates on the
program were well spoken and reflected great credit on the school, the teachers
and the graduates.
Prof.
A. B. Hall of the State University was the orator of the occasion and took for
his subject "The Playground of Life," the drift of his argument being
that all should cultivate a live and let live spirit in order to bring about a
better condition in life for all.
The
diplomas were presented to the class by the Hon. Wm. F. Voss, chairman of the
committee on teachers and instruction of the board of education. Mr. Voss reminded the graduates that their
education was finished so far as the Watertown High School was concerned, but
said it never really would be complete.
He spoke of the many changes for the good of the school that had taken
place in the past 15 years— new courses and instructors were added, such as
manual training, domestic science, music and commercial. He closed his remarks by wishing the
graduates, on behalf of the Board of Education, success and happiness through
life.
Following
is the program in full, the list of graduates and the addresses delivered . . .
The
list of graduates follows . . . WG
Watertown High School Alumni Association
and Banquet a
Great Success.
06 27 1912
One of
the most successful reunions and banquets of the Watertown High School Alumni
Association in its history took place last Friday evening at Turner
Opera House, followed by a ball.
The attendance was larger than it has been for many years. The fore part of the program consisted of
renewing old friendships and of social chat, followed by the banquet for which
the following menu was served . . .
Miss
Wilder made an excellent toast-mistress and J. E. McAdams' address to the class
of 1912 was a decidedly able and interesting one.
On
behalf of the Alumni he heartily and truly welcomed the class into the society;
that the learning and also the great talent which the members of the class have
shown will be a big aid in forming an association which will be stronger and
better than ever.
“To
those members of the class who were not going to college do not forget your
books, a well informed person gets the most enjoyment out of life, education is
better than great wealth. The father who
has given his children an education has done his duty. Today people are
realizing more than ever the value of an education; ten years ago only about
twenty students graduated from the local high school; this year fifty-four.
“Be
grateful to your parents and teachers, have no petty jealousies, be charitable
and humane, and have faith in yourselves.
Girls of the class, do not be butterflies or bees, but be a happy
medium.
“I
welcome you on behalf of the Alumni into this society, and may health and
happiness attend you throughout your lives.”
Miss
Regina Hoefler responded, saying that the class felt
honored to be taken into the Alumni; that the class of 1912 was made up of 34
girls and 20 boys who had shown much talent and had excelled in many ways, and
would no doubt be a credit to the society, that the annual alumni banquet
afforded a means for the class to reunite and renew friendships, that the
members of the class should be true to their class, to the Alumni and to
themselves. WG
11 14 "The Grand Old Flag"
The Watertown High School will
present the greatest war drama ever written, "The Grand Old Flag," at
Turner Opera House on the evening of November 21,
with two hundred home people on the stage under the direction of Col. F. L.
Hunt, author of the play. He is coming
from Chicago with all his scenery and costumes, the same that were used in this
great play at McVickers Theater for eleven weeks,
under the auspices of the U.S. Grant Grand Army Post, an organization with
twelve hundred members that attended the performance in uniform and made one of
the most attractive and enthusiastic audiences that ever attended a war
production in America. For weeks the audience continued to be very large and
the patrons were sailors, soldiers and patriotic citizens with the boxes filled
with the elite of society and even the governor and his staff came up from
Springfield to enjoy the play. This
great production will be presented by the Watertown High School with home
talent. In addition to the four acts of
the great drama there will be five beautiful tableaux, a chorus of one hundred
and fifty voices, several soloists, a male quartette and plantation jubilee
singers. The prices will be 25, 35 and 50 cents. WG
11 21 The Grand Old Flag. The students of the Watertown High School are
working afternoon and evening on the big chorus and the big plantation jubilee
and the four acts of the great war drama, "The
Grand Old Flag," to be given at Turner Opera House, Thursday evening, Nov.
21. The papers of Oshkosh and Appleton,
where the play was just presented, printed articles over a column long in praise
of the success it was in these towns – and it will be the same in
Watertown. The papers say that Col.
Hunt, the gentleman who is here from Chicago, is worth the price of admission
for his German part. They also say the
beautiful tableaux at the end of each act are worth the money; also the big war
song chorus at the end of the fourth act is worth more than the price of
admission. WG
___________________________________________________________________
1913
Letter from Jack to Jill
1913, New High School note
1913, Spring
weather note
From 1913 High School Orbit (first Orbit
published)
WEATHER
LETTER.
Watertown,
Wis.,
Dear
Jill:
Your good
letter found me in a most receptive mood when it came yesterday. I am glad that
you are so much enjoying the apparently perpetual sunshine of California.
I
cannot help contrasting the beautiful weather you describe with that which we
are now experiencing. We have our rubbers on our feet, are holding our skirts
in one hand, and our umbrellas in the other, after the fashion appropriate to
Wisconsin people at this season of the year. The backbone of old Winter has passed, but we are not yet out of range of the
last expiring whisks of his long caudal appendage. An operation upon him
similar to the one you and I performed on our old cat would do him good, don't
you think so?
Do you
remember how people used to tease us when we went up the hill to get a pail of
water? Well that kind of an excursion would not be necessary now, for we could
use rain water, or melted sleet, or extract of hail stones, just as we chose to
select, for we are having all of these in monotonous rotation.
You
will wonder with me whether the people who named this good old place Watertown
were trying to be truthful, or just sarcastic. Our old high school has not yet
been washed away. If you were here today we would jump over the puddles
together and visit the dear old place. They
are going to have a new high school as soon as the weather clears up so
that the carpenters can get to work at it.
The
seniors are going to get out an annual this year unless the weatherman
frustrates their plan. I shall not fail to send you one.
Happiness
here is at present confined to the Watertown geese, and their aquatic
associates, the ducks and frogs.
This
tirade against the weather is not intended to discourage you from coming back
home next year. I much hope you will do so.
Sincerely
yours, Jack.
P. S.
The paleness of this ink is due to the fact that it rained in the ink bottle.
1914
04 16 New
High School Assured.
At an adjourned meeting of the Board
of Education last evening the Board arranged to engage Parkinson & Dockendorf of La Crosse, architects, to draw plans and
specifications for a new high school.
The Board also decided the Eighth Street city property, with the Meckes property just north of it, as the proper site for
the school. WG
05 07 High
School Commencement.
Commencement week will open with the
production of the Senior class play on Monday, June
15. The graduation exercises will be
held at Turner Opera House on Wednesday, the 17th, with the alumni reception
and banquet on the following evening.
Prof. Albert Johnson of the
University extension division of the University of Minnesota will deliver the
address, his subject being “The Quest.”
Prof. Johnson was until the last year connected with the University of
Wisconsin in a similar capacity. His
excellence as a commencement day orator is unquestioned, and the board of
education has been fortunate indeed to have his services.
Wallace Thauer,
Ray Meyer and Louis Bandelin have been selected as
the honor students who will have a part in the commencement exercises. The first named will act as valedictorian,
the second as salutatorian and the third will make the presentation of the
class memorial. It is now expected that
the graduating class will number thirty-three.
The right to produce a popular school
play, “The Varsity Coach,” has been secured, and the members of the senior
class who will take part in the play are already hard at work under the
direction of Miss Edna Chadwick.
The eighth grade graduation exercises
will be held at Turner opera house Tuesday evening, and the alumni reception
and banquet will be held on Thursday evening, but arrangements for this; the
closing feature of the week, are as yet incomplete. WG
1915
03 17 Death of Charles F. Viebahn WDT
A graduating class of 37 will be
given diplomas at the high school graduating exercises to be held at Turner
Opera house Wednesday evening, June 16.
The commencement address will be delivered by Paul F. Voelkert, secretary of the
department of instruction of the state university. Following is the list of graduates: Paul
H. Conway, Mabel King, Lucile S. Liebermann, Doris A. Meyer, Margaret Mueller,
Daniel L. Brooks, Hannah E. Cowen, Ruth B. Johnson, Florence Lenz, Arnold
Nickels, Herbert A. F. Rodeck, Marcella A. Sette, Viola I. Volkmann, Myra Wieting,
Marguerite E. Goodnetter, Elsa E. Schwendke,
Ruth Ellen Tyson, Ruth Marie Archie, Anna I. Biefeld,
Selma Spohn, Edna Ullrich,
Mary Wieman,
Helen Cecilia Belrose, Robert A. Brumm, Henrietta M. Buege, Edna
C. Hertel, Ewas G. Hub, Ben
R. Krueger, Joseph Lange, Hannah C. Lewis, Arthur R. Linnes,
Helen A. Maede, Gertrude S. Nickels, John F.
Moriarty, Herbert Radtke, Elsie H. Schur, Anna Maass.
Class Honors by Rank - Roedeck, Lucille Liebermann, Daniel Brooks, Arnold Nickels,
Helen Belrose.
Class Honors by Election - Daniel L. Brooks, president; Joseph T. Lange,
vice-president; Margaret Mueller, secretary; Ruth M. Archie, treasurer.
Class Colors - Purple and white. Class Flower - Blue aster. Class Motto - “Nothing Too Much”
1916 The High
School as a Community Center
During the last
decade cities have come to look upon the provision of a place open to the
public for recreation, inspiration, and education as a proper function of city
government. Municipalities in the United
States are now providing free public music centers, playgrounds, assembly
halls, bathing beaches, museums, and libraries.
The Board of Education of the city of Watertown will have in the
splendid new high school building, now under process of construction, facilities
for some of the various activities of present-day city life.
The new high
school building is situated upon a lot [South Eighth St] which will give ample
room for tennis courts, football, baseball, and other games for all who wish a
play place, whether they be children or adults.
The building has in it features that will promote the health, comfort,
and pleasure of the citizens of Watertown.
The building is provided with a splendid gymnasium, 87 feet by 59 feet,
surrounded on three sides by a gallery eight feet in width. The gymnasium may be reached by a side
entrance, thereby making it unnecessary to open the whole building and making
it possible to use the gymnasium at a time when school is in session, without
disturbing classes.
The gymnasium has
a stage 21 1/2 feet by 15 1/2 feet, providing a suitable platform from which
lectures, concerts, or dramatics may be presented. The room is well lighted and well
ventilated. Immediately off from it are
shower baths and dressing rooms for men and women. Even if equipped with only moderate equipment
for general gymnastics, the room will make an excellent place in which business
and professional men may exercise and relax through indulgence in games of
handball, volley ball, indoor baseball, basketball, etc.
Well-equipped,
modern laboratories will be a feature of the second floor of the building —
laboratories in which citizens may have tests made, may have scientific
problems solved. The chemistry
laboratory will have equipment such that simple analyses may be made and
chemical reactions tested. In physics
the strength of metals, laws of physics, and use of mechanical devices may be
proven. In the biology and botany room
the germination of seeds may be tested and analyses of common plants may be
made. The assembly room of the building
will be an ideal place for evening entertainments, for lectures on civic
development and on matters of general municipal interest. The assembly room is equipped with an outlet
for a lantern, so that a stereopticon can be used.
The city of
Watertown is expending a large sum of money for its new high school building
and should plan to make the widest use of that building. It is not looked upon as good business policy
to erect an expensive plant in any industry and then allow that plant to lie
idle for several months of the year, for several days in every week and for
over half of each day. The movement for
a wider use of the school plant has been anticipated by the Board of Education
in the adoption of the plan of the new high school building. The building will be a beauty spot in the
city, a place of which all of us will be proud.
It should be more
than that; it should be a place in constant use, a real civic center of the
city. 1916 Watertown High School Orbit,
pg 8.
1917 Watertown
High School images
|
Assembly
room |
|
|
Assembly
room |
|
|
Chemistry
lab |
|
|
Domestic
science kitchen |
|
|
Gymnasium |
|
|
Lower
corridor |
|
|
Main
entrance |
|
|
Manual
training work shop |
|
|
Physics
lab |
|
|
Reference
library |
1923
01 18 Death of Joseph Brandenberg, senior class WDT
1936
First High School featured on Watertown Centennial
postcard
1939
1939 graduating class
pictured in novel arrangement WDT
1940
Class
of 1940, held 50th reunion in 1990.
1941
1941 Orbit
released. Dedicated to J. H. Herreid, popular member of the faculty.
1942
07 16 Watertown
High School Girl Wins High Scholastic Honor
1944
1945
or 46
Watertown
High School Marching Band, 400 block of E Main St.
1950s
Civics
or Government Class or Society
1952
First Watertown High School senior
class to have a post-prom party at the Watertown
Elks Lodge.
1953
1956
08 23 The lawns around the Watertown High
School building, especially on the west side of the building, fronting on South
Eighth Street, are in for some rough usage soon. School authorities are faced with the
necessity of placing the large number of bicycle racks elsewhere than in the
customary places north of the present building, now that that area is to be the
scene of building activities in connection with the new high school addition
project. According to school authorities
they plan to place the racks on the lawns west of the present building and the
many students who ride bicycles to and from school will utilize that area for
the purpose, once the new term gets underway and building activities make the
relocation of the racks necessary. WDT
1957
Watertown High School
Orbit dedicated to Joseph Davies
Basketball, Squad A
1960
06 02 If anyone ever sits down and writes a
history of the Watertown Public School system and enumerates some of the
outstanding teachers who have served this community the name of Miss Kathryn
Skinner most assuredly deserves to be included in any such list. Miss Skinner is ending her school work here,
having retired this week with the close of the 1959-60 school year. She has been a teacher of mathematics in the
Watertown High School. Aside from that,
her great interest in school work, in students and in helping turn out first
rate future citizens of the community, have been a tremendous influence for
good. WDT
1961
10 year class
reunion, class of ’61.
20 year class
reunion, class of ’61.
1962
12 19 The board of education last night approved
a resolution which is the first step for a referendum next April to let the
people decide whether they want a four and one-half room addition to the
present high school building. The
resolution was adopted by a vote of 7 to one, with commissioner
Lee Block casting the only vote in opposition, but later in the meeting he
asked permission to change his vote and make adoption unanimous. The resolution was introduced by Commissioner
Joseph Rhodes and was strongly supported by Commissioner Edward Hinterberg. WDT
1963
01 13 Norman
L. Larson, Superintendent of Schools.
Watertown’s new superintendent of schools, Norman L. Larson, is due to
move to Watertown tomorrow and take over his duties at the high school next
Monday. Mr. Larson, who has been serving
in a similar capacity at Markesan, accepted the Watertown position last Oct.
14, following the resignation of Eugene W. Tornow who
now holds a position with the University of Wisconsin. WDT
04 13 The plan for a four and one-half
classroom addition to Watertown High School, originally proposed by the board
of education last year as a means of solving the immediate growing space needs
at the school will be revived shortly, it was indicated today. This development came as a result of the recent
rejection by the voters in the April 2 election of two alternate plans — one
calling for a new junior high school of a seventh and eighth grade, and the
other calling for a new junior high school of a seventh, eighth and ninth
grade. WDT
04 18 Assistant
Superintendent position created; Russell Twesme
principal. The board of education last
night created a new position, that of assistant superintendent of schools, and
then named the principal of the high school, Russell Twesme,
to the post starting July 1 at no increase over his present salary. The promotion is still subject to Mr. Twesme's acceptance.
The vote to establish the new position was approved 6 to 1, with O. L. Wesemann casting the lone dissenting vote. He said he did it because he thought the
matter should be delayed until next year.
WDT
04 19 As expected, the board of education last
night revived the plan for a four and one-half room addition to the Watertown
High School and at the same time adopted a resolution calling for utilization
of the Watertown Airport as the site for a new high
school building, either junior or senior, as a long range plan for solving the
growing space problem at high school.
Both proposals will go to the common council at an early date. WDT
04 23 The junior prom
of the Watertown High School will be held this spring in the high school
gymnasium. “Souir
Paree” is the theme of this year’s prom. The grand march will start at 10 o’clock and
will be followed by the presentation of the king and queen and their court of
honor. Reigning as king and queen will
be Richard Claas and Connie Wegner. Members of the
court of honor are: Frank James, Jeanne Mueller, Lee Ebert, Mary Theder, Kieren Lordahl, Kathy Schmutzler, Sharon
Pike Alan Peters, Joan Wolf, James Schwartz, Neil Gamroth
and Cynthia Yahn.
WDT
05 04 The largest graduating class in the
history of Watertown High School is due to bow at the school's 90th annual
commencement exercises on Wednesday evening, June 5, at which time the speaker
will be William C. Kahl, first assistant
superintendent Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, Madison. As of now, a class of 245 seniors is
scheduled to graduate. Last year's class
numbered 204. WDT
06 06 Last night’s graduating seniors at
Watertown High School presented a check to provide shrubbery at the high school
grounds as their class gift in departing from the school. It was a record class, with 236 diplomas
being issued. Presentation of the class
gift was made by Susan Krueger, the class treasurer and was accepted by
Principal Russell Twesme. He lauded the class for its decision in
selecting a gift. WDT
08 05 Lutovsky Farm
The common council at its meeting tonight is
scheduled to act on a resolution calling for an appraisal of the Charles Lutovsky farm in the Boughton-Hall
Streets area which has been proposed as a site for a future Watertown High
School, either senior or junior under a long-range school expansion plan. The appraisal is the first step in the plan
to acquire the property, a move viewed favorably by the city administration,
according to general discussion held at last night’s council committee
meeting. Mayor Robert P. White reported
that the asking price for the farm, reportedly consisting of 37.5 acres, is $60,000. WDT
09 04 Negotiations to acquire the Charles Lutovsky farm property as a site for a future high school,
either junior or senior, were authorized by a common council resolution adopted
last night by unanimous vote of 13 aldermen present at the council meeting. Mr.
Lutovsky offered the property for school purposes
some months ago and the site has been unanimously approved by action of the
board of education. Under terms of the resolution approved last night, Mayor
Robert R White is delegated to carry on the negotiations. Mr. Lutovsky has
asked for $60,000 as the price. Two independent appraisals made for the city
have placed a fair price value of about $54,000 on the property, the mayor said
last night. WDT
1964
02 10 1964
Graduation
Watertown High School this year will graduate
the largest class in the history of the school. The commencement exercises are
to be held on Wednesday evening, June 3 in the high school gymnasium. There are
251 seniors in the class at the present time. Even with last minute “flunking
out,” the class will still be the largest to date. The largest previous class
in the history of the school was that of 1963 when 236 seniors received their
diplomas. In 1962 there were 204 graduates and in 1961 there were 228. WDT
04 03 Lutovsky Farm
The Charles Lutovsky
farm, consisting of slightly less than 38 acres, which the board of education
had recommended to the common council last September for purchase as a site for
a future school, has been sold to private out of town interests which plan a
development. H. M. Dakin of the law firm
of Dakin and Dierker, confirmed the report and told
the Times that the preliminary papers have been signed and that $65,000 is the
sale price. WDT
05 15 Five-Room
Addition
The Watertown Board of Education has received
the support of the City Planning Commission in its plans calling for the
construction of a five-room addition to the present high school building as a
means of solving the immediate space needs at the school. The planning commission will recommend to the
common council Tuesday night that the school board be allowed to construct the
addition. WDT
1967 Miss Margaret Ott
Retires
01 18 
1960 photo
The
retirement of Miss Margaret Ott, veteran teacher of
German at Watertown High School, takes from the school system another longtime
and dedicated school teacher. Effective
Jan. 20. Miss Ott has chalked up an
almost enviable record as an instructor and faculty member and the hundreds and
hundreds of boys and girls who studied in her classes and came under her
influence can look back with pride on her work.
Miss Ott's father, the late Dr. John Ott who spent so
many years as instructor of English and librarian at Northwestern College, was one of the state's
outstanding educators and among the city's leading residents whose influence on
and off the college campus is still felt today. WDT
09 27 Class
Gift to the School
Trophy Case is Gift of Graduating Class /
94th Annual Commencement
A trophy case, of special design and which is
to be constructed and installed at the Watertown High School, is the 1967 class
gift to the school, it was announced during the 94th annual commencement
exercises held in the high school gymnasium.
The gift was announced by the treasurer of the graduating class, Carol
Mann, on behalf of the seniors who graduated.
The program was presided over by the class president, John Hrobsky who welcomed the audience. The evening opened with a half hour concert
by the high school orchestra directed by Willard Buchholtz. There was no commencement speaker. Instead, there were student speakers,
including Judith Nowack, James Frater, and Michael
Bausch. Two Foreign Exchange students
who graduated with the class and who will be returning to their homelands
shortly after spending the past school year here, also spoke . They are Ermyas Admassu of Ethiopia and
Luis Mattioli. of
Argentina. Delwin
Hintzmann, president of the board of education
presented the diplomas. The high school
mixed chorus sang the traditional “The Halls of Ivy” and “Alma Mater” was sung
by the class. Donovan Richards, high
school principal, and Superintendent Russell Twesme
also took part in the program. WDT
1977
09 27 The 1977 Homecoming will be held during
the week of Oct. 10 through 15 at Watertown High School. This year Homecoming has been re-organized to
promote more participation by students, alumni, and the community. An evaluation of the 1976 Homecoming was
conducted last year by a committee of students and teachers who produced a set
of guidelines by which this year’s Homecoming will be conducted. The Homecoming Committee for 1977 consists of
Anne-Marie Condon, student council president; Vicki Joyce, student council vice
president; Lauri Bush, senior class president; Carey Bergdoll and Kim Veldhuizen,
junior class representatives; Dennis Nicoski,
sophomore class representative; and Jim Bauman, representing the student
body-at-large. This committee has worked
for weeks to produce the 1977-78 Homecoming Handbook which contains all of the
rules and regulations, entry blanks, judging criteria, and due dates for all
activities to be conducted during Homecoming Week. WDT
1978
06 09 Diplomas were awarded to 328 graduating
seniors at Watertown Senior High School commencement exercises Saturday
afternoon. Most students said they were
hot and nervous as the temperature rose into the 80s before the program. One student asked if hair pins would hold the
mortarboard securely so it wouldn’t fall off.
But the nerves were controlled and the temperatures endured as graduates
and spectators listened to the commencement address by George Walter, professor
emeritus at Lawrence University. WDT
1985
07 15 A new chemistry lab to meet the needs of
expanding enrollments in that subject was approved by the board of education of
the Watertown Unified School District.
The new lab will be constructed in room 332 of the high school and will
cost $18,965. In addition, there will be
costs for minor remodeling as well as some electrical and plumbing work. Total cost of the project is estimated at
$26,695. The lab will handle up to 24
students and is designed to be moved to a new location or a new building in the
future. The lab is being purchased from
School Interiors, Inc., of Milwaukee. WDT
1988
03 08 Michael Ptacek
is the new principal of Watertown Senior High School. He had served as acting principal since the
resignation of Charles W. Dill in February.
Ptacek was previously the assistant principal
of the high school since June of 1983, when he was named to succeed JoAnn
Truss. WDT
05 01 The top 10 students in the class of 1988
of Watertown Senior High School have been announced by Michael Ptacek, principal.
The top students are selected on the basis of academic achievements and
grade point average for their high school years. The top 10, in alphabetical order, are
Matthew Arpin, Andrew Crawford, Abbigail Endres, Michael Krolnik, Robert
Lemke, Loren Mach, Michelle Mueller, Tracey Nickels, Sue Ullrich
and Jennifer Welbourne. WDT
05 09 About 375 students danced to the music of
Interface at Watertown High School’s junior prom Saturday night, according to
chaperone Diane Schmidt. The theme of
this year’s dance was “Stairway to Heaven,” the classic hit by Led Zeppelin. Post prom activities were highlighted with a
performance by Tohjah, a band from southern
Illinois. The dance went smoothly,
Schmidt said, adding that the students “were very cooperative. We had a very good showing.” Steve Andrews and Alisa Harris reigned as
prom king and queen. The court included
Brian Raguse and Rachel Quest, Cheng Yang and Amy Scheiber, Todd Schumann and Jan Neubauer,
John Fischer and Valeri Lampman,
and Chris Buescher and Jenny Kwapil. Crown bearers were Matt Scheiber
and Tera Rowoldt. WDT
06 08 On a sun-drenched morning at Riverside
Park, 252 seniors from Watertown Senior High School received their diplomas
Saturday, graduates who hoped their futures would be as bright as the
cloud-free sky. Students were in a
celebratory mood as they reflected upon the culmination of their high school
days. Beach balls bounced from graduate
to graduate, occasionally straying onto the stage. Enthusiastic cheers greeted the announcement
of the more popular students and even air horns were sounded. “The school is proud of you, not because you
graduated, but because you are winners,” said W. Charles Dill during his
welcoming speech. Dill recently resigned
as high school principal to accept a similar position at Johnsburg
High School in McHenry, Ill.. WDT
1989
01 20 The
city’s plan commission heard reasons from Watertown school officials why the
proposed school site is the best currently available. Dr. Richard Stolsmark,
superintendent of schools for the Watertown Unified School District, told
commission members that the proposed site, one of seven reviewed by school
officials, seemed to be the best location available when the district purchased
the former Stangler farm. “We thought it was as good as we could do —
we were aware the bypass was there, but we feel that’s a problem that can be solved,”
Stolsmark said.
The proposed location of the school, planned at state Highway 109 just
north of the Highway 16 bypass, has become an issue for the district’s
referendum election on Feb. 21. Voters
will be asked to approve bonding for $16 million to finance the construction of
a new high school.
02 08 Watertown Senior High School
was one of 437 old schools in the state that were inspected and found to be in
violation of some current state building codes.
The study was conducted by the Wisconsin Department of Industry, Labor
and Human Relations (DILHR). Watertown
Senior High School, more than 70 percent of which was built in 1917, was among
those listed as having some violations related to fire safety. The DILHR report
listed three violations at Watertown Senior High School: (1) The facility lacks automatic door-closing
devices in its stairwells; (2) The facility lacks smoke detection devices in
its basement; and (3) The facility lacks proper exit lighting.
02 10 Smith
Farm Option. The
Watertown Area Chamber of Commerce Promotive
Corporation has entered into an option to purchase the 300-acre Warren Smith
farm, and offer about one-third of it for sale to the Watertown Unified School
District as a site for the new Watertown Senior High School. The land is located in the northwest section
of the city and its western property line is the eastern property line of
soon-to-be developed Quarry Park, a 174-acre park which is owned by the
city. The farm is located west of North
Church Street, north of Elm Street and east of Carriage Hill Drive and the Mary
Knoll Subdivision. The board of
education of the Watertown Unified School District supports the acquisition and
has made the site its prime location for the new high school which is the
subject of a referendum on Feb. 21. This
site will eliminate opposition expressed by some that the Robert Stangler farm, purchased by the school district in 1985 as
the high school site, was a dangerous location because of the need to cross the
Highway 16 bypass to gain access.
02 12 Mayor
is Kissed. Two
weeks ago, it seemed unlikely that Mayor David R. Lenz and Richard Stolsmark, superintendent of schools for the Watertown
Unified School District, would find common ground on the location for a new
high school. But a voters' forum
Thursday night, not only were both men sitting next to each other, smiling and
in agreement on the latest proposed site, but Stolsmark
even kissed the mayor on the top of his
head at the conclusion of the meeting.
The night's final question jokingly suggested that Stolsmark
had promised to kiss the mayor if the city worked out a deal on a new
site. The superintendent of schools
obliged the audience of about 50 people with a peck on the mayor's head.
03 19 Industrial
Arts Department — Technology Education
As Watertown High School moves
to the 1990s its Industrial Arts Department — now referred to as Technology
Education — needs to modernize its facilities and enlarge its curriculum. That was the opinion of the department’s
teaching staff as they presented school board members with plans for updating
technology education at the high school.
“The bottom line is we need to prepare a better student,” said machining
instructor Bruce Magnuson. “This program
needs to be dynamic. Presently I have no
academic facility at all to work in.
It’s basically a shop and I struggle with that every day.”
04 22 Smith
Farm Option Rejected. The
Watertown Area Chamber of Commerce Promotive
Corporation has decided not to exercise its option to purchase the Warren Smith
farm, a move that seriously jeopardizes that site as a potential new high
school location. City Attorney Robert A. Bender, a member of the promotive corporation, said the board decided Wednesday
that the asking price for the land, about $5,000 an acre, was too much. “We
elected not to pursue the option. We had some difficulty in reaching agreement
with Mr. Smith,” Bender said.
05 16 “Time
in a Bottle” was the theme of the 1989 Watertown Senior High School prom Saturday
when students danced the night away to tunes from the top 40 hits at the high
school gymnasium. The king and queen,
Pam Da Walt and Steve Meyers, were crowned by the 1979 king and queen, Kevin
Conley and Jean Sweeney Kohlhoff. In keeping with the theme for the evening,
couples traveled through a “time tunnel” for the grand march and walked over a
large clock on the floor. Silhouettes
from the 1930s, ‘40s and ‘50s decorated the walls. Couples enjoyed dancing to music provided by
a band called “Toys.”
1994
08 28 Police Liaison at
Watertown High School
A workshop about a
police liaison at Watertown High School will be held by the board of education
and the Watertown Police Department Thursday
evening. Sgt. Mark Meddaugh
of the Watertown Police Department will conduct the discussion during a board
meeting at the Educational Service Center.
The board of education earlier this summer had requested information
about the possibility of having a police officer work as a liaison at the
school. Police Chief Charles McGee has
indicated an interest in developing ways to work with the school district in
juvenile issues. Several area districts
have a police liaison program, where an officer works closely with the high
school but is not stationed in the building.
WDT
1995
09 28 Graduation ’96 will be held
in the gymnasium at Watertown High School.
Several concerns about holding the ceremony at its traditional site,
Riverside Park, led to the decision, said Principal Kathy Wagner. School board member Denise Barker and student
board member Jessie Groose urged that seniors be
allowed input into the decision. Last
year, seniors were allowed to vote on where to hold the ceremony. They selected the park.
“Students
should have a big part in that decision,” Groose
said. Wagner listed several concerns of
the ceremony at Riveside Park, including difficulty
for older and handicapped residents in parking and getting to the site. The sound system is better in the gymnasium
and it will be comfortable no matter what the weather is. She noted that it costs $2,000 in overtime to
set up the park on the morning of graduation, something that could be avoided
by setting the gymnasium up ahead of time.
1997
12 15 Finding good uses
for an old building was one of the reasons for purchasing the old Watertown
High School facility, said Bill Ehlinger, one of the
owners of the Watertown Athletic Club.
“We are in the process of taking over the whole project,” he said,
noting that developer Peter Hanson will no longer be one of the owners as of
Jan. 10. After Jan. 10, the entire old
high school facility will be the property of the Watertown Athletic Club owned
by local residents Ehlinger, Bill O’Brien, Bob Long
and Dan Rullman.
The Watertown school district sold the old high school last January to
Hanson, a resident of Oconomowoc, and the Watertown Athletic Club for the sum
of $226,000. Hanson had at the time
wanted to convert the older portion of the former school into apartments but
later decided not to continue with that plan.
1998 Peace Garden
08 30 What began as a nondescript bus
turnaround on a miniature model of Watertown High School more than five years ago
[c.1993] is now a blooming example of what students and a devoted teacher can
do when they set their minds to it. That
bus turnaround, once an island of grass surrounded by parking lots and
sidewalk, is today a sea of color in the form of a peace
garden. WDT
2000 Matt Teuteberg Memorial
06 09 A mass of Gosling blue filled Watertown
High School gymnasium Saturday morning as 311 students graduated as the class
of 2000. The day’s festivities began in
the Peace Garden as students gathered with mixed emotions. Sara Cahoon and Eric Hamme dedicated a
bench in the garden in memory of former classmate
Matt Teuteberg, who died in an automobile accident in
late March. “Today is not just a celebration for us,” said Cahoon.
“We have all experienced many great times together, but we have also had to
deal with many heartaches.” WDT
2003
04 23 “Glitz and Glamour, Spend a Night in
Hollywood,” is the theme of the 2003 junior prom. Grand march and coronation of king and queen
will be held at 10 p.m. The traditional
post prom will be hosted at the Elks Lodge
and will be open from midnight until 3 a.m.
Entertainment to be offered includes pool, casino type gambling, music
and loads of free food. A large number
of door prizes will also be available. WDT
05 17 The Watertown High School class of 2003
will honor its valedictorian and salutatorian at the graduation ceremony on
Saturday, June 7, at 10 a.m. in the High School gymnasium. Valedictorian is Kevin Burleson, son of Polk
and Elizabeth Burleson. He has achieved
a 4.000 grade point average in his high school career. Salutatorian is Brielle Hulick, daughter of David and Cindy Hulick. She has a 3.992 grade point average. Both have been on the high honor roll,
received academic letters and are members of the National Honor Society. WDT
08 03 The sound of children still filters
through the hallways and rooms on South Eighth Street at the former Watertown
High School building . In what is now the Health and Wellness Center (HAWC),
which houses 10 nonprofit agencies and one for profit business, youngsters can
exhaust their energy in HAWC Fitness’ new Kidz
Gym. The Kidz
Gym opened in early spring and is filled with a variety of fun-filled
activities for children age and younger.
The gym features activities and equipment such as scooters, hippity hops, ball pit, large rainbow colored balls,
basketballs and basketball hoop, hula hoops and a foam balance beam. The gym is located in the balcony of the old
high school gym. There is an island in the center containing padding for the
children and hard floor around the padding for children to use scooters, etc. Sara Jappinen,
youth and family programs coordinator at HAWC Fitness, said, children love to
explore the gym to see what activities are available. WDT
10 03 The 2003 Watertown High School Carolers
have been selected. The Carolers will be
available for performances in the Watertown area throughout December. The group sings about 20 minutes of holiday
music dressed in traditional caroling costumes.
Members of this year’s group include: sopranos Brianna Duffy, Marissa Floyd,
Karen Kneer, Molly McFarland, Rachel Niemann and Sara Woodard; tenors Josh Cochrane, Nick Herold, Alex Mackyol, Zack Miller
and Ryan Moldenhauer; altos Megan Heiden,
Mandy McVeigh, Beth Miller, Molly Pfister, Kelly Sina and Gina Symkowski; basses
Ben Allen, Tim Anderson-Hereth, Noah Ash, Jodie Hall,
Zack Stueber, Justin Wagner and Geoff Wood. WDT
11 04 The gym of the former Watertown High
School will be transformed into a nostalgic homecoming dance Saturday to raise
money for the Health and Wellness Center that now occupies the building. The event will be held from 7 to 11 p.m. Vintage dress is optional, but a prize will
be given for the most authentic homecoming look. WDT
2013
03 10
Student
body production. Video includes over
50 clubs and sports, over 1100 students.
05 15 
Scott Mantei named high school principal
Cross References:
Theodore Bernhard, first High School
founder, was one of the Forty-Eighters.
History
of Watertown, Wisconsin