This file portion of www.watertownhistory.org website
Turner Hall has had a Varied Life
Armory
Mask Balls, Great Plays
Staged at Turner Opera House
The Turner
movement started in the United States in 1848 in Cincinnati. The first Turner
organization in Wisconsin was in Milwaukee in 1853, just seven years before
Watertown's was formed.
Actors and Speakers
The
old opera house had housed many notable events and famous personages who came
here to appear before the public. Joseph
Jefferson, the celebrated America actor, appeared there, as did Charles Grapewin, who later became an outstanding motion picture
actor. Col. Robert G, Ingersoll, the
agnostic (some called him atheist) lectured there, as did Col Henry Watterson,
famous editor of the Louisville Courier-Journal, and others. Many celebrated American politicians and
orators gave speeches there during campaigns.
Carl Schurz and Fighting Robert M. LaFollette, Sr., spoke there several times.
Then
on March 9, 1928 fire destroyed the Turner Opera house and with it old records
and equipment.
If
Watertown's Turner Hall and its predecessor, the old Turner Opera House, could speak
they would relate a most interesting series of events which they housed, from
great plays to modern dances, conventions, union meetings, mask balls,
political rallies, wrestling matches and home shows. The Turner Hall has been a virtual community
center in Watertown.
1860
The
Turner movement was launched here in 1860 with the organization of a group for
the purpose of learning and teaching gymnastics, promoting physical improvement
and also to promote musical and theatrical performances and general cultivation
of the fine arts and sciences.
The
first meeting of the Watertown Gymnastic Association, the formal name of the
group, was held on Aug. 21, 1860. It was
held at Charles Watson's saloon, which was located near the present Plattdeutscher Hall.
The
purpose of the organization as set forth at the time it was started has been
carried on through the years. In addition to the members, many young people of
the city have attended classes. In the early days of the association many of the
young men of the community who later became leaders in business and the city's
community life were pupils in the "turning" classes which were held
in the gymnasium of the hall.
In
earlier days gymnastic exhibitions, theatrical performances, such as home
talent plays given by members, were in great vogue and were much enjoyed by the
many large audiences that gathered for each of the programs. Later traveling troupes were booked, some of
them playing a solid week locally with a change of program nightly. In the days
of the waltz and two-step public dances were given as many as three and four
times a week and the Turner hall served as the community center of an earlier
Watertown.
1876
Parade marking U.S. Centennial
06 26 The Turner
Society is busy making preparations for celebrating
the glorious Fourth. A series of
amusements, consisting of athletic, gymnastics and acrobatic performances, will
be presented in Turner Park, where a good time generally is anticipated. Charles Cech is
announced to deliver an oration in German, and it is the intention of the
Society to secure also someone to address the people in English . . . In the
evening Prof. Richert [Reichert?] will make a grand
display of fireworks, something entirely different from anything that has ever
been exhibited in this city. The chief
attraction in this display will be a cannonading balloon, one of the finest
articles ever got up in the line of fireworks.
It will be made to discharge at various elevations a continuous stream
of meteors, bombs variegated showers, gold rain, etc. etc. WR or WD
1879
07 03 Exercises by High School
Students WD
1902
03 14 John Philip Sousa
performs in Watertown WG
1904
07 22 William J. Bethke
will hereafter be manager of Turner Opera House, which is to be improved in several
ways, among the improvements to be the enlargement of the stage, which will
allow any show on the road to be staged at this popular theater. Mr. Bethke will
book only first-class attractions. WG
1905
12 15 The
management of the Turner opera house was unfortunate in booking the musical
farce comedy - “Taming a Husband,” which appeared at that place Thursday
evening. It was certainly the worst kind of a farce from beginning to end, so
much so, that it was a comedy of idiocy. The aggregation could neither sing nor
act, and there was nothing in the plot and the small audience, which should
have been much smaller, soon tired of the farce, for it was such in fact. The
management was not to blame for it came highly recommended and was booked as a
first-class attraction and reliance was placed upon the representations made.
There is one thing in connection with the play that deserves condemnation and
that was the hissing indulged in by some in the audience. If they were
dissatisfied they should have retired and not have disturbed those who desired
to remain and suffer the agony of which they were the victims.
1907
12 27 The Turner
society gave their annual ball at the Turner opera house last evening. There was a good attendance and it goes
without saying that there was a good time.
The inspiration was furnished by the Weber-Stube
orchestra. WL
1908
05 07 Application for the transfer
of a liquor license rejected WL
11 13 Week day production booked
because many do not attend theatres on Sunday; Mgr Bethke has booked "The Two Johns"
WG
1909
02 19 Watertown
Imperial Minstrels performance WG
04 02 Greatest aggregation of dramatic talent
ever put upon any stage in Watertown; "Union Depot for a Day" WG
06 11 Nortense Nielson
Henry Ibsen’s “A Doll’s House” WG
06 25 Eighth grade graduation exercises held at hall WG
07 02 Watertown High School commencement
exercises held at hall WG
08 13 Redecorated; new opera seats added WG
1910
01 21 “The Gay Morning Glories” WG
03 04 Stanley, "The Great," peer of
all hypnotists WG
03 11 High School inter-class basketball
games at Turner WG
04 15 Lawrence University Glee Club concert WG
06 10 Senior class play WG
06 24 High School commencement at
hall WG
August The old Turner Opera House, as the
predecessor of the present hall was known, was one of the busy places here and
the Turners were an energetic and busy lot, working toward clearing the debt on
the building. This was finally
accomplished with a mortgage burning ceremony held in August of 1910.
07 29 Will
Celebrate 50th Anniversary — Sunday evening, August 7, at Turner Opera
House, the Watertown Turner Society will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the
founding of their society in this city.
A banquet and other amusements will be furnished. Emil Tanck will act
as toastmaster at the banquet. WG
07 29 50th
anniversary, Watertown Homecoming coincides with WG
08 07 50th
anniversary celebrated by Watertown Turner Verein WG
08 12 Musical
Comedy “Mother Goose Up To Date" WG
08 12 Southern play
"Tempest and Sunshine" WG
09 16 "Paid in
Full" WG
09 30 "Ishmael" WG
11 18 Initial
number in the entertainment course WG
12 16 The Bartolotto Concert. The
second entertainment in the course being given this season occurred Thursday
evening, December 8th, at Turner Opera House.
It was a pity that a larger audience was not present as the concert was
very fine indeed. Signor Giuseppe Bartolotto is possessed of an exceptionally fine tenor
voice and when he reached the higher notes the opera house fairly
resounded. His voice is compared to
Caruso's and he is credited with being a pupil of the great tenor; we are surprised
that he is not a member of some of the grand opera companies. His little mannerisms were quaint and
piquant. As a reader and impersonator,
Miss Chaffee was excellent; she was at a disadvantage in her first number, as
so many late arrivals were being seated that it was an interruption . . . WG
1911
02 23 The Music Makers
at the Turner Next Monday Night
The last attraction on the Popular
Entertainment Course comes to the Turner next Monday night in the shape of the
Music Makers, Musicians, Singers and Comedy Artists. This bids fair to be not only the best
attraction on the whole course, but one of the best shows seen here this
year. Seat sale now on and the
management has reduced the price to 25c for the best seats, and 25c for the
balcony. The Music Makers are clean,
manly young fellows, ambitious and musical to their finger tips, with a “style
and presence" that immediately captures the audience. These are the qualities that have made the
past tour of "Musicmakers" but little short
of sensational. With Ralph Dunbar of
Dunbar Company, as a pilot, they have been safely guided around the shoals that
wreck many new companies. Theirs is new
and it "moves." No tiresome
waits. When they undertake the classic
they do it so perfectly that even the devotees of popular music enjoy it. If they launch out on one of George Cohan's
Syncopated effusions, it is performed with such perfect rhythm and balance that
the lovers of classical music are not offended, and when they take up the
strains of one of "Loves Old Sweet Songs" or one of the old "hymns"
it is done with a reverence and a grace that is at once satisfying. Comedy encores with action are a feature, as
are the vocal solos and "stories in verse and song." But it is as a "Marimbaphone
Band" and when rendering selections such as the "Poet and
Peasant" overture, the "American Patrol” or the "Light Cavalry”
overture that the work of the company becomes sensational. WG
02 23 Local Theatricals [same date as
preceding]
Monday evening there was a large
audience at Turner Opera House to witness an advanced vaudeville performance by
Watertown's own artists for the benefit of the Popular Entertainment
course. Dr. E. J. Hoermann
looked after the stage settings and Miss Lydia Pease was piano accompanist for
the various numbers. Raymond H. Fuermann opened the program with his original ragtime
musical act, musical medley of airs, and other very clever musical stunts, all
of which brought forth great applause.
Two recitations by Miss Edna Chadwick, Watertown's talented young
elocutionist, followed, Miss Chadwick was at her best and acquitted herself
most creditably, and judging by the great applause given her, she pleased her
audience greatly. Some very clever
artistic dancing was done by Miss Marion Thom, which was greatly appreciated,
and this was one of the very best numbers on the program. The vocal numbers by the Misses Anna Smith
and Miss Genevieve Mullen were decidedly good, and as on all previous occasions
when they sang to the public, the Misses Smith and Mullen were on this evening
received with great favor. Frank P. McAdams' and Mrs. S. E. Holmes' interesting dramatic
sketch "Forget-Me-Nots” was very cleverly
rendered, and elicited much applause.
The musical five, Watertown High School students, Kathyrn
Blair, pianist, Ben Thauer, violinist, Rachael Cooley
violinist, George Henke, celloist, Herman W. Walthers, flutist, did excellent work, and their number
proved a decidedly popular one. The
readings of Mrs. E. J. Hoermann were very good, as
was also the farce "Lend Me Five Shillings." The Imperial quartette
composed of Messrs. Franklin Edwards, E. C. Wolfram, Will Schlueter
and Richard White closed the entertainment with a beautifully rendered
"Good Night" song. WG
1916
01 14 “Birth of
A Nation” moving picture shown at Turner.
12 08 Mezzo-soprano
sings with Edison phonograph, voice compared with the laboratory
re-creation.
1928, Fire
Special thanks to Leonard Kottwitz for his help in providing much of the research for
this article.
It was a sad day in Watertown, when, on
March 9, 1928, Turner Opera House caught fire and burned down. Not only did the
Turners lose their entire facility, but a performing
show lost $10,000 worth of equipment and the National
Guard, which was headquartered there, suffered another $10,000 loss of
weapons and a huge arsenal of ammunition. The wintry setting helped prevent the
fire from spreading off-site, but it did not minimize the spectacle of
Watertown's oldest building being ushered into history by a rising crescendo of
exploding-shells.
The
fire swept through the building just hours after the annual meeting of the
organization had concluded.
A
$19,000 insurance payment helped meet the cost of rebuilding. The cornerstone
for the new, and current Turner Hall was laid in October, 1928, with the grand
opening the following January. Amazingly, the entire structure cost only
$54,000 to build.
The Watertown Historical Society has a set of images of the 1928 fire.
Completion
of the building ushered in the era of basketball in the main hall, professional
wrestling matches on Friday evenings and Sunday night dances. As the years went
by the Turners found it more and more difficult to compete with other halls and
businesses that offered large group facilities. A primary reason was the lack
of a liquor license.
Up to
that time, the Turners had a license to sell beer, but did not have a license
to sell hard liquor. It was a long and difficult fight but matters finally came
to a head in 1965 when the Turners announced the facility would be closed and
the building sold unless a liquor license was granted. The Watertown Common
Council relented and a liquor license was granted.
With that new beginning, the Turners
continued to enjoy tremendous success in fulfilling their historic purpose. In
the 138 years since their founding, the Turners' organization has been an
inseparable part of Watertown's progress and history. While it is easy to focus
on the beautiful landmark that has been the center of their activity, it is the
Turners themselves that have made the greatest mark for good in the community.
Perhaps the finest glimpse of the
Turner Society and their commitment to service and Christian charity was
conveyed through a prayer given at the 100th Anniversary Banquet in September
1960:
"O
Lord, we pray that Thou woulds't continue to make
this Christian organization a blessing to the community and to all men.
Christian fellowship and wholesome Christian recreation is also a blessing.
Enable us as members of the Christian organization to continue to live in love
and in harmony one with another. Make us all mindful of what love means in an
organization. As we thank Thee this evening for this Christian fellowship, yes,
of some 100 years, we are made very mindful of Thy love and what it means to an
organization and to a world."
1929, Opening
The
corner stone of the present hall was laid on Oct. 14, 1928. Dedication
ceremonies of the present building were held with the opening of the hall on
Jan. 29, 1929.
Home talent
plays are still in vague, but radio shows and talkies have largely replaced the
old time stage plays and the waltz and two-step have given way to modern forms
of dancing.
The
present Turner members have worked hard and long toward the goal of clearing
the debt on the present building and wiping out the mortgage.
Movement
Found Momentum in Watertown
Mention
the name "Turner Hall" and the first thing that comes to mind may be
great fish fries, gymnastics, or the beautiful building that has hosted so many
community celebrations and private receptions over the years. But the
long and colorful history of the Watertown Gymnastic Association, more commonly
known as Watertown Turners, is far richer than the gourmet food they have
served for decades. In fact, it is inspiring.
The Turner movement began in Europe in
the early 1800's, an outgrowth of both lofty ideals as well as practical
innovation. It was the era of Napoleon and the empire that he was piecing
together encompassed most of western Europe, including
the German principalities. While historians have praised his military
skills and emphasized his many accomplishments, Napoleon governed as a typical
military dictator.
Napoleon oppressed freedom everywhere,
yet he was especially harsh in the conquered lands. Meetings for any political
purpose were banned but it was permitted to gather for athletic activity. So
Friedrich Ludwig Jahn, the "father of
gymnastics" and a fervent German patriot, began organizing Turnverein
(gymnastic clubs) all across Prussia. Jahn believed
that physical education was the key to national vitality and equally important
in strengthening individual and national character.
Members of the gymnastic clubs, which
always included large numbers of German youth, would gather after each workout
to discuss political goals and their dreams for freedom and justice. After
Napoleon was defeated in 1815, the powerful combination of gymnastics and
politics continued to influence the next generation of Germans. When the
Revolution of 1848 broke out, the prospect of achieving the freedom which had
been so commonly discussed at the Turnverein led mand
"Turners" to support the revolution.
When the revolution was suppressed,
those who had supported it were forced to flee and many emigrated
to America. Some of the political refugees settled in Wisconsin, and quickly
formed Turnverein. However, with freedom in their new land already a reality,
Turner Societies broadened their purpose to include the "cultivation and improvement of the faculties of the body and mind of its
members and the management of musical and theatrical entertainment for
amusement of the society and public as well."
Watertown Turners, originally named the
Independent Gymnastic Society of Watertown, was formed on Aug. 21, 1860. Early meetings were held in the old Cole building at the corner of South
Second and Main streets (at the location of the former Kline's Department
Store). Within a year, the Turners had put on their first theatrical
performance.
By 1869, the original Turner Hall was
constructed at a cost of $28,000. It was located at 301 S. Fourth St., the site
of the vacant circus grounds and the same location as the present Turner Hall.
On Dec. 11, 1869, the new three-story hall opened. An audience of 1,300 people
enjoyed a performance of Mozart's "The Magic Flute.”
Interestingly, there was a prejudice
against theaters in those days. So, to avoid needless criticism, the first
Turner Hall was called Turner Opera House. For the same reason, when the
Concordia Musical Society purchased the building which is now the Elk's Club, it was called the Concordia Opera House.
Whether the performance was a play, musical, or concert, it apparently met with
greater acceptability when viewed in an opera house.
For 59 years, Turner Opera House was
the center of cultural events in the city. The Turners used the building to
fulfill their original purposes in the broadest sense - "entertainment for
amusement of the society and public." In addition to the theatrical use,
the building hosted dances, weddings, conventions, union meetings, political
rallies, wrestling matches, and of course, many gymnastic events.
1936
1956
04 29 Officials
of the Watertown Gymnastic Association announced that they have decided to
withdraw their offer to the city regarding possible off-street parking lot
plans for the vacant property they own at Turner Hall. The Turners have decided, it was said, not to
cause any ill will among property owners and residents in the vicinity and have
therefore decided to drop the proposal which they made to the City Council some
weeks ago. 04 29
1956 Legal question with the pending transfer of tavern license. 03 25
1959
02 23 Cooking school among events at Turner
during ’59.
07 30 Supermarket proposed for Turner Hall site;
new Turner Hall proposed WDT
09 16 Watertown Turners will be 100 years old
as an organization in 1960 WDT
1960
06 22 Centennial celebration, dates set for WDT
1961
01 07 Mrs. Leonard Kresinske was elected president, succeeding Mrs. George
Sauer. Other officers named were Mrs.
Robert Kehr, vice president; Mrs. Earl Weihert, secretary; and Mrs. Fred W. Borchardt,
treasurer. WDT
03 10 Charles F. Haven,
manager of the Ace Hardware Store, elected head of the Watertown
Gymnastic Association. Other officers
are: Donald Gerth,
second speaker; George Zoelle Jr., first secretary;
William Hertel, second secretary; Arthur A. Ullrich, first treasurer; Wayne Saniter,
second treasurer; Donald Brink, gymnastic director; Arden Piper, theatrical
director, and Harley Lehmann, manager of Turner Hall. WDT
05 24 The
Watertown Gymnastic Association at a meeting last night voted to make the
Turner Hall property available to prospective buyers, according to a statement
issued today by officers on behalf of the organization. It was reported there
are several prospective buyers but as yet no decision had been reached. Two of
the offers are for purchases of the property for a new supermarket site. Some
years ago the Turner Hall was offered for sale but the deal was not consummated. WDT
1984
01 06 Renovated Pub Room on second
floor WDT
2009
Watertown Gymnastic Association still
resides at Turner Hall
2011
01 31 Amateur boxing returned to Watertown;
event held at Turner Hall WDT
Watertown
Gymnastic Troup - Real Photo Postcard, 1910's.
Cross
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