This file portion of www.watertownhistory.org website
Watertown Historical
Society
Wins Top State Award
The Watertown Historical Society was
recently presented with the top state award for excellence when it was given
the 2000 Reuben Gold Thwaites trophy by the State
Historical Society of Wisconsin at the annual conference of historical
societies.
Local historical societies are eligible
only once every 25 years. The Watertown group last won the award in 1965 when
the society was under the direction of the late Gladys
Mollert, who was well known for her diligence in maintaining and promoting
the Octagon House and First Kindergarten.
The Watertown Historical Society is only the
third group to win a double award since the inception of the award 41 years
ago.
The award is a culmination of a long
process of application and program reviews. Local staff members of the
historical society first applied for the award six years ago and reapplied
every year except 1998. The observance of the sesquicentennial of the state in
1998 and the state historical society in 1997 heightened interest throughout
the state so the local group faced stiff competition for the aware every
year.
In addition to the preservation of
Watertown's famous Octagon House and First Kindergarten buildings, the
historical society was cited for its unique attempts to take history to the
people through its library displays, traveling photo displays for school groups,
its quarterly public meetings, and the variety of plays and musical guests
hosted in the Octagon House.
On hand for the award luncheon were Octagon
museum manager Linda Werth, retired manager Judy Quam, and board of directors
members Sandy Haseleu, Robert Bock, Bill Jannke, Jerry Mallach, Lenore
Albanese, Chris Heins and Randy Roeseler.
The award will be on display in the Octagon
House during the Christmas plays and throughout the next season. Plans are
under way to display the award at other Watertown locations during the winter
months.
The Watertown Historical Society has been
in existence since 1933. In 1938 it began operation of the Octagon House museum
and other buildings were added over the years, including the First
Kindergarten, Pioneer Barn and Gladys Mollert Tour Center.
The continued operation of the society and
museum complex is maintained by a two-fold system which includes a museum
manager who oversees the day-to-day operation of buildings, and an 11-member
board of directors.
The Reuben Gold Thwaites award is named
after the man serving as director at the State Historical Society at the turn
of the century. He took the society into the 20th century by introducing
several innovative programs. One of his most well known initiatives was the establishment
of the Council for Local History, a branch of the State Historical Society
which was created to train local historical groups like the Watertown
Historical Society. Thwaites died at a young age in the early 1950s while still
active as director of the State Historical Society. The award for excellence
was established in his memory in 1959.
Members of Board of
Watertown Historical Society present at Awards Ceremony (left to right): Sandi
Haseleu, Bob Bock, Lenore Albanese, Chris Heins, Bill Jannke (President), Judy
Quam (Former Site Manager), Jerry Mallach, Linda Werth (Present Site Manager),
Randy Roeseler.
