This file portion of www.watertownhistory.org website
Wisconsin Bible Training School
1897-1899
1897
Same
as residence for James R. Pratt, School President
W. C.
Stone, Secretary (W. C. Stone was the
son of Jesse Stone, co-owner of an early cookie and cracker factory and who
went on to become lieutenant governor of Wisconsin) [Wright’s Directory
of Watertown, 1899-1900].
The
articles of incorporation for Wisconsin Bible Training School indicate no
church or organized group behind its founding.
The 3 signers were:
J. R. Pratt (James)
J. O. Buswell
W. C. Stone
WBTS
was incorporated on
The
Christian Endeavor of the Congregational Church will give a reception this evening
at the church parlors in honor of the teachers and students of the Bible
Institute. The church members are all
cordially invited to attend. [Watertown
Daily Times, 07 20 1897].
The
physical culture class at the Bible Institute is now well organized. Miss Robinson would like to meet every member
of the class in the Institute chapel at
Watertown Daily Times, 07
20 1897
1899
A few
days ago a handbill distributed about the city announcing an auction sale of
household furniture, utensils and furnishings at the Wisconsin Bible Institute in the Fifth ward caused no little
interest among many of our citizens and was the occasion of considerable
comment.
From
this handbill, it appears, the impression was first gained that the institute
was about to go out of business - that its goods and chattels were to be
knocked down to the highest bidder and its doors closed on the good work it had
sought to accomplish.
It
will be remembered that the institute was located here in the spring of 1897 by
a popular movement of our people and the old Faith Home building furnished for
the use of the institute by personal subscriptions amounting to over
$500.
Of
course, these subscriptions were giving freely and without reservation, many
being actuated in their donations by the supposition that the movement was for
the material interests of Watertown and that the institute was to be a
permanent affair. Others no doubt gave solely from a philanthropic
standpoint and perhaps cared not for the material results to the city.
Now,
after an existence of two and one-half years, the institute people dispose of
the donations, shake the dust of Watertown from their feet and decamp for other
fields, all of which they without a doubt have a perfect right to do, but not
without causing a ripple of interest and some words of comment not altogether
favorable. [12 30 1899]
1904
Bethesda
Lutheran Home
The Pratt House, or the old Faith House, was originally used as a Bible institute and faith healing
establishment. Built in the late 1880s, it became the Watertown Bible Academy and then, in
1904, it was where Bethesda
Lutheran Home was founded.
W. P. Weisdrod
of Fall Creek, principal of the Lutheran Home for Feebleminded to be built
here, arrived in the city a few days ago and has taken up his residence at the Faith Home building in the Fifth Ward,
which will be used for the feeble-minded until the new home is built. The Faith Home building will be ready for
patients on April 13th. [Watertown Daily
Times, 02 14 1904]
Last
Friday the executive committee of the Board of Directors of the Lutheran Home
for the Feeble Minded, of this city, met here and made plans for remodeling the
Faith House, which will be used temporarily. They expect to have the building
ready for occupancy April 12th. At the
meeting R. D. Hoennann was appointed physician for the home. [Watertown Daily Times, 03 02 1904]
Dr. W.
Tarles, of Milwaukee, part owner of the building known as the Faith home, was
in the city on Tuesday. He intends
conducting the place into a hospital in 1906, when the present lease expires.
Watertown Daily Times, 08
26 1904
1905
Watertown Daily Times, 01
24 1905
The
Board of Trustees of the Lutheran Home for Feeble-Minded held a meeting in this
city last Thursday for the purpose of hearing a report of Supt. W. K.
Weissvrodt and for the transaction of other important matters.
At
present there are about thirty inmates at the Home. The trustees are more than satisfied with the
results attained thus far during the past nine months. The unfortunate little inmates have truly made
wonderful progress; in many cases where the mental faculties were very poor when
taken in charge, there is noticeable and astonishing improvement and
development. This is especially noticeable in the school room and at table. The report of the treasurer shows that while a
considerable sum, amounting to some hundreds, has been realized from gifts, the
total still leaves a small deficit, which is hoped, will disappear when the
balance of the holiday gifts come in.
It was
also determined that the matter of erecting a new Home must be taken up at
once. The demands for a large, modern
institution are urgent and must be met without delay. To this end the trustees will send out an
authorized representative to the various congregations to gather subscriptions.
__________________________________________________________________________________
William Nowack
Carl Nowack had
three sons: William, who became a missionary to China; Carl who continued in
the funeral business; and Louis, who became a doctor. There was a jest in the
family that the three brothers - medic, mortician and missionary - could
conduct any person through life into the beyond.
William Nowack met
his first wife while they were students at the Faith House on Margaret Street. He later wrote a book [My Ebenezer, about his experiences in
China. In 1930 Carl Nowack built the first funeral home in Watertown.] It marked the
change from the old custom of displaying the body of the deceased in his own
home and placing a crepe on the door. [Kiessling, Watertown Remembered]
1905, 09 22
Rev.
and Mrs. William H. Nowack and baby depart October 3rd, for Seattle, from which
city they will sail on the tenth of the month for China where they will engage
in missionary work in the province of Chihlill, which is about twice the size
of Massachusetts, containing a population of ten million souls. Mr. Nowack is a Christian gentleman of culture
and refinement, who is willing to devote his life to the work of his Master in
a foreign land among strange people. The first year after reaching their field
of future labor, Mr. Nowack will attend a mission school in order to
familiarize himself with the language, and study the characteristics of the
people to whom he must preach the gospel of regeneration and redemption.
Kenneth Nowack
1951
Bishop
Karl A. Mueller, D.D., formerly of Watertown and now residing at Park Ridge,
Ill., will officiate here on Sunday at the Moravian church, North Sixth and
Cole streets, when Kenneth W. Nowack, of this city, is ordained a minister in
the Moravian church. The services are to
be held at 10 a.m. Bishop Richard Mewaldt, Madison, will deliver the ordination
sermon.
The
Rev. Victor L. Thomas, Pastor of the Moravian church, will serve as liturgist.
Graduated
in May
Mr.
Nowack graduated from Moravian Theological seminary in May. His undergraduate
work was done at Wheaton College. He is
the son of Carl F. Nowack of this
city. Mrs. Nowack will be received as an acolyte following heir husband's
ordination.
The
Nowacks will leave for Costa Rica sometime this summer for a period of language
study after which they will serve as missionaries in Nicaragua.
Sunday
afternoon the young minister will be a guest at the Mamre Moravian Church which
will be celebrating its annual mission festival and anniversary. He will be
introduced at the afternoon service at
Compiled by Ken Riedl
