website watertownhistory.org
ebook History of Watertown,
Wisconsin
Dr. Adolph H. Hartwig
1866 – 1934
Dr. A.
H. Hartwig Veterinary Hospital, 109 S Fifth St
1890
01 01 PERCHERON AND FRENCH COACH STALLIONS
A. H.
Hartwig has recently received a new lot of imported Percheron and French Coach
stallions. Among which is the famous
two-year-old Coach stallion, Negro, who was on exhibition at the American Horse
show, Chicago, Oct. 30th to Nov. 9th.
Negro is of a beautiful black color, is very stylish and active, and
seems to catch the eye of everyone who has seen him. This horse was purchased for the purpose of
introducing to this community this valuable breed of high stepping fancy Coach
horses, which the market daily demands at fancy prices. Negro is the first and only genuine French
Coach horse ever brought to this city and is a perfect model of his breeding. WR
1891
01 30 HARTWIG'S NEW HORSE MART
A. H.
Hartwig's new and commodious horse mart at the foot of Western Avenue,
directly east of the C. &N.W. Ry. track, opened up for business last
Tuesday with as fine a display of horse flesh as we have ever laid our eyes on,
consisting of French Coach, German Coach, Percheron and French draught
horses. The large barn is conveniently
arranged for caring for these blooded animals, and at the present time every
stall is occupied with as fine a specimen of the horse kingdom as was every imported
to or raised in this country. This lot
of horses was selected abroad under the personal direction of James Fletcher,
the celebrated manager of Oak Lawn Farm at Wayne, Ill., and among the lot are
three of the celebrated Brilliant family of Percherons, the most noted and the
best-bred horses now in existence...Mr. Hartwig wishes all who admire a fine
horse to call at his place of business and inspect his outfit. WG
03 18 HARTWIG'S NEW HORSE BARNS
Hartwig's
new horse barns are daily crowded with people admiring his elegant stock of stallions
and congratulating him on possessing horses of the highest prize-winning
strains of Europe and America. All who
have looked over this stock say they are the finest they have ever seen. Every lover of good horse flesh is cordially
invited to give him a call and inspect his stock at the new barns located at
the Chicago & Northwestern railway depot.
WR
1894
01 03 HARTWIG BOYS FIND HONEY
While
out hunting in their father's woods one day last week, the Hartwig boys, Adolph
and Reinhold [Reinhart], came across a rich find of wild if honey in the hollow
trunk of an old tree, wherein the bees had made a large hive. The hive was secured by cutting down the tree
and when the combs were strained ten gallons of pure honey was produced. WR
1895
05 22 NEW VETERINARY OFFICE / PRICE OPERATING TABLE
Dr. A. H.
Hartwig is now nicely settled in his new veterinary office at 211 Market
Street, where he has added a large operating room and an emergency hospital in
connection with a neat and convenient office, which is furnished with the
latest improvements in the veterinary profession. The operating room is supplied with one of
the newly improved Price operating tables used for confining animals during
surgical operations, in order to prevent the danger of casting with ropes and
to perfectly secure the animal in a natural position. A pharmacy is being added. Cross
References: Price operating table / W.
W. Arzberger worked with him right out of Vet
school. He had that horse operating
table till he died in 1986.
The horse
barns-near the Chicago & Northwestern depot are being changed into a
veterinary infirmary for the treatment of alI
domesticated animals. Dr. Hartwig receives
calls at his office constantly during the day and night, and has telephone
connections both at the office and in the infirmary. WR
1898
07 27 COW TO GET WOODEN LEG
An
extraordinary surgical operation was performed Sunday by Veterinary Surgeon A.
H. Hartwig on a blooded Holstein owned by Edward Pugh of Ixonia. The cow broke her leg a few days previously
in such a manner that it could not be set, and when consulted Dr. Hartwig
advised either amputation of the member or killing of the cow. The former was decided on and the animal
brought to the doctor’s infirmary here.
The leg was successfully amputated at the knee and the cow is now
getting along nicely, being able to stand a portion of the time on three legs
and eating heartily. In due course of
time it is intended to fit the disabled member with a wooden leg and socket,
and it is thought the animal will then be able to walk in her accustomed way.
Such
cases are rare, indeed, no parallel being known in this country, but in Europe
the doctor says there are examples of it.
Great interest has been aroused by the operation and many people call
daily to see the cow. It is expected
that the wounds will heal in about three weeks, when the wooden leg will be
attached. WR
1899
01 29 Thos. Burke, of Richwood, on Monday sold
a three year old team of horses to Albion Coplin, of
the town of Portland, the consideration being $175. They were sired by Dr. A. H. Hartwig's
celebrated German Coach stallion, are of a beautiful bay color, well matched,
and one of the finest young teams sold hereabouts in some time. WG
04 07 Last Wednesday Superintendent Whitehead,
for the State Humane Society of Milwaukee, and District Attorney Lueck, of Juneau, visited the farm of Howard Bros, in the
town of Shields west of this city in company with Dr. A.H. Hartwig of this place.
They claim to have found the carcasses of 45 dead horses, cows and
calves on their premises, and believe that the animals died of the want of
receiving proper care and food. This is
certainly a very shocking condition of affairs to exist in any community,
civilized or uncivilized, and it is about time to have it blotted out. District Attorney Lueck
claims to have evidence enough to punish the ones responsible for this state of
affairs, but if punished he is of the opinion that it would not better matters
any. The only remedy, it seems, would be
to have a state law passed empowering the officers of the law to take charge of
stock that is treated in such a manner.
WG
11 28 State Veterinarian H. P. Clute has
appointed Dr. A. H. Hartwig an assistant to inspect cattle in this
vicinity. The doctor's special duties
will be to guard against the shipping of cattle affected with tuberculosis into
the state of Illinois. The Illinois
cattle board will condemn any bovines found to have the disease and the shipper
will consequently be out whatever the cattle are worth. WG
1900
08 10 STATE
VETERINARIAN?
Knowing
ones say that Dr. A. H. Hartwig will be Bob LaFollette’s state veterinarian to
succeed Dr. Clute, if the Madison man is elected governor. WG
1901
05 17 VETERINARIAN
AT HOARDS DAIRYMAN
Hoards
Dairyman, of Ft. Atkinson will hereafter have a veterinary department
superintended by Dr. A. H. Hartwig of this city, who will contribute basic
article from time to time for that department of the paper. WG
1902
1903
04 04 FREAKS
OF NATURE
Among the
recent additions to Dr. A. H. Hartwig’s collection of nature’s freaks are two
specimens which were born in this vicinity. One is the head of a calf which he
has mounted. The head contains no mouth or nostrils and has but one large eye
set directly in the center of the forehead. The other specimen is a pig with
one head and two bodies. Both animals were alive, but died shortly after
birth. WR
1905
08 02 RETRACTION DEMANDED
At a
special meeting of the common council held at the city hall Thursday evening, a
resolution was adopted demanding that Dr. A. Hartwig should retract in writing
the statements it is claimed he made last winter assailing the integrity and
honesty of the members of the common council, and was given thirty days in
which to file such retraction with the city clerk, and should he fail to file
such retraction within the time specified in the resolution, charges would be
preferred against him as a member of the council.
President:
It is alleged, that statements were made during the last session of the
legislature when a certain dam bill [Rough &
Ready dam], (with which the people here are familiar) was under
consideration and was to the effect that the council sold out to the Electric
Light and Gas Company for the sum of $500.00.
The
writer knows nothing of the controversy, but has learned that the company
offered to give the city the sum of $500.00 in case the bill passed and the dam
was built to repair a certain bridge which would be damaged to some extent by
raising the water in the river ... If the doctor made the statements as alleged
and they were untrue, he should make the amend honorable. If he did not make
such statements as alleged, he should stand pat and demand that the common
council adopt a resolution exonerating him from the charge as set forth in the
resolution adopted Thursday night. WR
08 08 HARTWIG LETTER TO CITY OFFICIALS
To the Mayor and Common Council of the city of
Watertown.
Gentlemen:
In response to the report of the committee adopted by your honorable
body at a special meeting held July 27,1905, a copy of which was served on me,
I have only to say that said report purports to refer to so-called “derogatory
statements made by myself at the meeting of the common council held June
20,1905,” and claiming that the same “reflected upon their honesty, integrity
and good character of the mayor and common council of the city of Watertown.”
The said report nowhere sets forth the
language or so-called derogatory statements complained of.
I am unable to find in any language or
statements made by myself to which said report can refer, and I am therefore at
a loss to know with what I am charged, or what is desired that I should retract
or apologize for.
I am satisfied, however, apart from any
records kept by the common council, that the complaint against me arises from
my attitude upon Substitute bill No. 388 S, considered by the recent session of
the state legislature . . . This bill sought to authorize the Watertown
Electric Co., its successors, and assigns to raise the height some three feet
of the dam across the Rock river in the city of Watertown, known as the Rough and Ready dam . . . The
records . . . will show that . . . a petition was made petitioning said council
to oppose the raising of the dam, and to protect the interests of said property
owners . . . Thereupon a committee was appointed which made oral report to the
common council March 14th setting forth various advantages and protections which
the Watertown Electric Co . . . I have no apology to make for my opposition to
bill No. 388s; I know its defeat was generally desired by my constituency...
Respectfully submitted,
A. H. Hartwig
WR
12 03 A petition signed by 103 of the voters in
the Second ward protesting against the action of Mayor Wertheimer in suspending
Alderman A. H. Hartwig from office on the 11th inst., and asking him to revoke
such action and to reinstate Alderman Hartwig, has been presented to the mayor. What action the mayor will take in the matter
has not been made public, but it is presumable that he will adhere to the
course he has already adopted. WR
12 06 Sometime ago, a committee of three was
appointed at a meeting of the common to investigate certain reports and statements
made by Alderman, A. H. Hartwig effecting the honesty and integrity of the
members of the council, which duty was performed and report made to the council
in which it was stated in their findings that such reports of statements had
been made by Alderman Hartwig and a retraction demanded of him by the council.
He made a retraction which was not satisfactory to the council and charges were
subsequently preferred against him, the same committee being appointed for that
purpose, and he cited to appear Friday before the council acting as a court of
impeachment and answer to the charge. The court met at 10 a. m. at the council
chamber, each alderman being in his place and answering to his name, A. C.
Kading, city attorney appearing for the city and Gustave Buchheit of this city
and Ernst N. Warner of Madison appearing for the accused alderman. After
considerable delay had been experienced in offering motions which were
over-ruled by the mayor, the court got down to business and the taking of
testimony began upon the part of the council. Letter being read from Lieut. Gov. J. O. Davidson and oral testimony given by Senator Breach and others
as to the matter in controversy. When the committee rested rebutting was given
by the accused and others and at the close the council took a vote at 11:30
p.m. finding Alderman Hartwig guilty and suspending him for 60 days as alderman
of his ward. WR
12 08 The common council of this city sitting
as a committee of the whole on Friday last on the case of alderman A. H.
Hartwig, charged with saying that he had heard members of the last legislature
say that the council of this city had sold out by exacting the sum of $550 to
be paid to the city of Watertown Electric Co. the in the event that the bill
for raising the Rough and Ready dam passed the legislature, found him guilty,
and suspended Alderman Hartwig for 60 days.
WR
12 23 At the
regular meeting of the common council held Tuesday evening at the council
chamber, the following demand which had been filed with City Clerk Frank S.
Weber was presented, read and referred to the grievance committee consisting of
Alderman L. A. Knick, John P. Humphrey, and M. J. Burke:
The undersigned, Adolph Hartwig, the newly
elected alderman of the Second ward in the city of Watertown hereby demands at
that said common council at its meeting to be held on this 19 day of December
A.D. 1905 rescind its actions whereby it attempted to suspend the undersigned
from office as such alderman and repeal the resolution passed by it to that
effect and demand that the mayor and said common council recognized him, as
such alderman and that the city clerk place the name of the undersigned upon
the role of said common council and call such name at the meetings of said
council.
ADOLPH HARTWIG,
Alderman second ward,
City of Watertown, Wis. WR
1906
01 26 The time for the city officials to answer
the mandamus to show why the proceeding against Alderman A. H. Hartwig should
not be expunged from the record, which was to have been heard yesterday by
Judge Dick at Juneau, was postponed until the February term of the Dodge county
circuit court which convenes on the 13th day of that month. WDT
1906
03 02 Last week an article taken from the Juneau Independent appeared in the Republican relative to the mandamus case
of A. H. Hartwig against the mayor and aldermen of the city of Watertown. The
article was misleading for the very simple reason that it did not state the
facts. The “motion to squash” the writ was not argued neither was it denied by
the court. The motion will be argued at some future date and until it is argued
it will not be determined whether the city will be required to answer the suit
or not. The editor of the Independent
was evidently misled as was the Republican,
who believes in a “square deal” “and deprecates anything that savors of
unfairness in the discussion of public matters.” Nobody is hurt by letting the
exact facts be known. WDT
1906
Dr. Hartwig, 1906, cartoonist drawing,
Men in the Public Eye
1906
02 20 Before taking up the calendar for the
February term of the Circuit Court, Judge Dick heard the attorneys in the
mandamus proceedings begun by Dr. A. H. Hartwig against the City Council of
Watertown.
The
case has attracted considerable attention and grew out of remarks alleged to
have been made by Dr. A. H. Hartwig in the Rough and Ready dam matter while the
bill for raising said dam was in the legislature. Upon that and other alleged statements by Mr.
Hartwig who was then an alderman, charges were preferred against him by a
committee of three aldermen and he was tried and the suspension of sixty days
from the council followed on December 2.
Mr. Hartwig, by attorney, tried to have the action rescinded by the
council, and, failing in this, began mandamus proceedings before Judge Dick.
When
the matter came up Tuesday City Attorney Kading and Attorney M. L. Lueck,
appearing for the City of Watertown, moved to quash the writ on the ground that
there was no statutory cause for the issuance.
The motion was denied and the defendant will now serve an answer. The case will again come up on March 5. Attorneys Gust Buchheit and Harlow Pease
appeared as attorneys for Dr. Hartwig.
WDT
1907
11 24 Dr. A. Hartwig’s new veterinary hospital on
South Fifth street is now complete and open for business. The new structure consists of two buildings
large enough to accommodate twenty-two horses or cattle and six dogs. The building is lighted by electricity and is
supplied with city water, sewerage, electric bells and all modern appliances
necessary to make the establishment an up to date one. The institution will be named The Watertown
Veterinary Hospital, with its office, pharmacy and laboratory at 109 South
Fifth Street, which are also new, and modern in all their appointments. In order to supply the demands of his large
practice . . . the doctor has secured the services of . . . Dr. Charles G.
Schultz of Wausau, who graduated from the Chicago Veterinary College in 1903,
carrying off the gold medal for the highest average standing in his class . . .
WDT
1910
01 21 Dr. A. H. Hartwig.
The only qualified Veterinarian in this vicinity. The largest and most complete establishment
in the state. Best facilities for any
emergency. Large hospital in
connection. 109 Fifth St. [advertisement] WG
08 12 Homecoming
celebration, Dr. Hartwig's machine came in for the greatest applause, his
machine being considered the best decorated of the hundred or more machines in
the parade. WG
c.1910
1911
Dr. W. W. ARZBERGER
Associated with Dr. Hartwig Veterinary
Hospital
1915
02
18 REQUESTS
WM. CODY BE EXAMINED BY A SANITY COMMISSION
A petition asking for
the appointment of a commission was filed in the county court at Jefferson
signed by Dr. A. H. Hartwig, Ex-Sheriff C. A. Vaughan and County Treasurer
Frank Petro, requesting that Wm. G. Cody be
examined by a sanity commission.
08
19 WITHDRAWS
FROM COMPANY. Dr. Arzburger Opens
Office at 304 Madison Street.
Dr. W. W. Arzburger resigned his position as
veterinarian for the Dr. Hartwig, Comber, Arzburger company on Monday, which
was the end of the fourth fiscal year of the company, and has opened an office
in the building at 304 Madison Street, which was formerly occupied by Hess
& Volkmann. Stables adjacent to the
building will be used for hospital purposes as needed.
Dr.
Arzburger entered the employ of Dr. A. H. Hartwig nearly five years ago, and
has been a resident of the city since that time, except for a residence of
about eight months at Ft. Atkinson after the organization of the company, when a
branch was maintained there. Many of his
friends have been apprised of the change and have called to wish him success in
his new venture. WG
1916
05 11 Dr. A. H. Hartwig, the well-known
veterinarian, took formal notice of the fact that it was the twenty-first
anniversary of the establishment of his practice in the city. The doctor is a native of this city having
been born on a farm within the city limits.
In
1891, when the horse market was at its lowest ebb and business in that line was
very dull, he found that he could be spared from the home farm long enough to
make a more exhaustive study of his chosen science.
He
visited a number of European veterinary colleges, but after comparing them with
American colleges, decided to choose an American college, and in due time
graduated from the Chicago Veterinary College.
He began practicing in Watertown in 1895.
The
doctor, who is a republican in politics, has been active for years in the
affairs of his party. He served the Second ward as alderman, held the office as
deputy oil inspector and deputy game warden two years each, served as state
veterinarian under Governor F. E. McGovern, and is now directing the La Follette
campaign in the Second congressional district as district chairman. WG
c.1921
Dr Hartwig’s home, 804 Main, c1921
HARTWIG’S VETERINARY HOSPITAL. S
Fifth St.
(idealized),
c1921 
DEPT OF SURGERY, Hartwig’s Hospital
c.1921
1922
10 18 ATTEND SAUERHERING FUNERAL
Mrs. R. Sauerhering
Died At Mayville.
Dr. A.
H. Hartwig, Ferd Hartwig and R. W. Hartwig attended
the funeral of their aunt, Mrs. Henrietta Sauerhering
at Mayville Tuesday. The deceased was a
sister of their father, the late Ferdinand Hartwig. Her death occurred at the family home in
Mayville Saturday, 10/14/22 and was due to general debility. Her husband, the late Rudolph Sauerhering, who was for many years one of the foremost men
of Mayville, died about 15 years ago and since then she resided with her
unmarried daughter, Miss Hertha Sauerhering. She is also survived by 3 sons: Ex-congressman
Edward Sauerhering of Mayville, Prof. Rudolph Sauerhering of Virginia, and Richard Sauerhering
of Chicago, and an only sister, Mrs. Louise Link of Hustisford. Mrs. Sauerhering was
born in Writzen on the Oder, 4 miles from Berlin, in
the province of Brandenberg 78 years ago. She came to this country in 1855. In 1858 she married Mr. Sauerhering.
1928
06 29 BUSINESSMEN AND MAYOR HARTWIG IN STORMY
SESSION
A group
of Watertown's citizens composed almost entirely of businessmen met at City
Hall Thursday night, 6/28/28 with Mayor A. H. Hartwig to discuss charges made
by the mayor at a recent meeting of the city council . . . there were many a
stormy moment during the evening. The
voices of some of the persons taking part could be heard in all parts of the
building as the argument became more and more intense. . . . Mayor's remarks
that brought about the controversy last night included charges that a
"committee of 49" and certain "special interests" were at
work to defeat the mayor's civic policy and that the forces were at work under
cover to keep out new industry, that they are regulating wages and in other
ways dominating the laboring classes. . .
12 11 MAYOR INVOLVED IN FIST FIGHT
Mayor
Hartwig, Leonard Oestreich were involved in a fistic
battle in the Gessert soft drink parlor resulting in
Leonard Oestreich being jailed for several hours and
responsible for 3 warrants being issued, one against Mayor Hartwig and two
against Mr. Oestreich. Trouble started about 7 o'clock last evening
and was over a quantity of gravel said to have been taken from the city by Mr. Oestreich.
c.1928
-- -- MAYOR THROWS SWITCH
FOR NEW AND IMPROVED EQUIPMENT
1960
05 04 One of the city's old and well constructed mansions,
the former home of Edward and Emil Seibel,
owners of the old Seibel Bros. Circus, is coming down to make way for a service
station to be erected by the Clyman Oil Co.
The home is at 802 [actually 804] Main Street. In more recent years it was owned and
occupied by the late Dr. A .B. [actually A. H.] Hartwig, one of the city's
mayors, and later by his son, Attorney Harold W. Hartwig.
Cross Reference:
11 05
1914. Real Estate Sale. The fine home of Emil Seibel at the corner of
North Eighth and Main streets [Main, E, 804] has been sold through the real
estate agency of Louis Scholl & Co.
Mr. Seibel traded his home with Otto Kissel for an 80-acre farm near
Hartford. WG
_____________________________________________________________________________
Autobiography
1917 ADOLPH HENRY
HARTWIG, M.D.C.
From Jefferson County Wisconsin and its People – A Record of Settlement,
Organization, Progress and Achievement, Vol. II, Chicago, S. J. Clarke
Publishing Co., 1917.
Dr. Adolph Henry Hartwig is
accounted one of the foremost veterinary surgeons of Wisconsin, and has at
different times been state veterinarian, editor and publisher of the Farmers' Veterinary Adviser and editor
of the veterinary department of Hoard's
Dairyman. His present activities
constitute a logical step in development from his early training. He was born upon his father's farm in the
Dodge county part of the city of Watertown, July 17, 1866, a son of Ferdinand and
Doris (Otto) Hartwig. Both his father
and his maternal grandfather were pioneer settlers of this section of the
state.
Ferdinand Hartwig was born in
Wirtzen, in the province of Brandenburg, Germany, and on coming to the United
States settled at Ixonia, Wisconsin. He
was accompanied by three brothers, Gottlieb, August and Carl, and the first two
were afterward associated with him in farming and in the conduct of a
brickyard. Ferdinand Hartwig first
worked in a brickyard for twenty-five cents per day and as his employer failed
to pay he had to accept bricks in lieu of wages. Carl, the youngest of the brothers, became a
druggist in Milwaukee and later entered the employ of the United States
government in the internal revenue service.
Ferdinand Hartwig afterward sold
his interests in Ixonia and removed to Watertown. He married Mrs. Doris (Otto) Bonner, the
widow of Frederick J. Bonner, one of the founders of Watertown and the owner of
Bonner's Addition in the fifth ward as well as the owner of a fine farm within
the city limits, on the northwest.
Ferdinand Hartwig was a pioneer breeder of pedigreed Durham cattle, and
was the first to introduce and breed pure bred Holstein cattle, cattle from his
farm being the foundation of the famous dairy herds of this section. He was also a large feeder of cattle and he
built and operated a lime kiln and brickyard on his farm. In 1868 he erected one of the finest farm residences
of that day, costing over six thousand dollars.
In early life he gave his political allegiance to the Democratic Party
but joined the ranks of the Republican Party during McKinley's first campaign,
in 1896. He served for twenty-five
consecutive years as supervisor and member of the city council, and was a most
active and progressive citizen, assisting materially in the development of
Watertown between 1865 and 1885.
He was one of the founders of the
Free Protestant church, furnishing material, which he hauled from his farm, to
build the foundation of the house of worship, and in this and many other ways
he contributed to the development of the section in which he lived. Fraternally he was connected with the Sons of
Hermann.
He died June 20, 1901, and is
still survived by his widow, who was born in Germany, December 2, 1831, a
daughter of John Frederick Otto, who came with his family from the fatherland
and settled in Watertown in 1848. He was
a blacksmith, and to some extent followed his trade after coming to this
country but was largely known as a successful agriculturist and hop
raiser. He was born in 1797 and died in
1880. One of his daughters, Fredericka,
became the wife of Frederick Werner, and their son, Frederick C. Werner, is one
of Watertown's well known physicians.
Henry Otto, the son of the
family, is a well known resident of Horicon, Wisconsin. Mrs. Hartwig, a sister, has now reached the
advanced age of eighty-six years and is remarkably well preserved both
physically and mentally. She personally
manages her farm of two hundred and forty acres and she still cooks her
birthday dinner for her children and grandchildren. Her mind is keen and alert and few remain as
well preserved at that time of life. By
her first marriage she had two daughters, both now deceased—Louisa, who became
the wife of John Schwartz, and Ina, the wife of Ernest Kreuger, of Watertown,
who has also passed away.
Mr. and Mrs. Ferdinand Hartwig
had a family of ten children, five sons and five daughters. Gustave, born in 1860 died in 1880. Ferdinand
C., born in 1862 was at one time engaged in merchandising and at different
periods has carried on cheese manufacturing and the cold storage business and
the saloon business and has engaged in the breeding of pure bred Holstein
cattle. He was also at one time a member
of the city council. At the present,
however, he is living retired. Otto
Julius, the third of the family, born in 1864, was educated in the Watertown
schools, the Spencerian Business College of Milwaukee and the Chicago College
of Pharmacy, and is now a druggist of Chicago and chairman of the board of
directors of the Northwest State Bank of that city. He is a prominent thirty-second degree Mason
and a Shriner. Adolph Henry is the next
of the family. Reinhart William, the
youngest son, born in 1870, supplemented his educational training in the
Watertown schools by study in the Spencerian Business College of Milwaukee and
the Chicago College of Pharmacy, and is now engaged in the retail drug business
in Chicago. He, too, is a thirty-second
degree Mason and a member of the Mystic Shrine.
The daughters of the family are:
Minna, the wife of Morris Wolf, a manufacturer of gas mantles at
Detroit, Michigan; Dora, at home; Mrs. Olga Voss, of Portland, Oregon; Antonia,
who was the wife of Frank Langer, agent for the Chicago & Northwestern
Railroad Company at Fond du Lac and died in 1915; and one who died in infancy.
Adolph Henry Hartwig was reared
on his father's farm and after attending the Watertown public schools continued
his studies in the Northwestern College and in 1889 completed a short course in
the agricultural department of the University of Wisconsin. He next engaged in breeding draft and coach
horses in connection with his father and in 1891 he toured the British Isles,
Belgium, Germany, France and Holland. He
also visited the native town of his parents and on his return he imported the
first Percheron horses to this section of the state. He was in Hamburg during the cholera epidemic
and saw the residence of Dr. Koch stoned and the windows broken by a mob that
blamed the physician for the epidemic.
From 1893 until 1895 inclusive, he attended the Chicago Veterinary
College from which he was graduated with the M. D. C. degree in the latter
year. He then opened an office in
Watertown and the following year he performed operations which attracted the
attention of the veterinary profession the world over. He amputated the fore leg of a cow below the
knee, made a wooden leg for the cow and she walked for several years after,
little the worse for her accident.
In 1901 he became editor of the
veterinary department of Hoard's Dairyman and thus continued until 1909, when
he established the Farmers' Veterinary Adviser, which he published until
1915. In 1895 he established the
Watertown Veterinary Hospital at Watertown, which he is still conducting, and
he also established a branch hospital at Fort Atkinson in 1901, carrying on the
business there until 1909, when the Fort Atkinson hospital was
discontinued. His Watertown place is one
of the best equipped veterinary hospitals in the state. He is the discoverer of the "Air
Treatment" for milk fever, which was first described in Hoard's Dairyman
on page eighteen of the issue of February 12, 1904. He was appointed state veterinarian in 1911
by Governor McGovern, but after six months' service resigned, for he would not
permit his office to be dominated by the political ring of the State University
to the detriment of the efficiency of his work.
During four months he had reduced loss through tuberculin tests twenty
per cent, discrediting some eighteen hundred boy examiners appointed by the
State University heads for political reasons.
One of his last operations; performed April 15, 1917, was the grafting
of a new tail on a valuable Holstein cow that had lost part of her tail on a fence,
and the operation proved entirely successful.
On the 22d of September, 1897,
Dr. Hartwig was married to Miss Ida Gorder, who was born in Watertown, January
13, 1872, a daughter of William Gorder. One child has been born to them, Harold
William, who was born January II, 1902, and is a member of the Watertown high
school of the class of 1919. He was also
a member of the debating team of 1917 which defeated the Jefferson high school
team. The home of the family is at
Eighth and Main streets and is one of the attractive residences of the
city. Mrs. Hartwig is an active member
of the Lutheran church, belongs to the Clover Club and takes an active Interest
in the social affairs of the city. Dr.
Hartwig is a Mason and a Knight of Pythias and he is also connected with the
Dramatic Order of the Knights of Khorassan.
Dr .Hartwig has taken most active
interest in promoting progress along the line of his profession and of
disseminating knowledge which is of great benefit to stock raisers. He was the founder of the Wisconsin State
Veterinary Society of which he is now treasurer, and has been president of the
Wisconsin Society of Veterinary Graduates.
He belongs also to the United States Live Stock Sanitary Association and
he is veterinary inspector for the United States Bureau of Animal Industry for
live stock destined for shipment to Canada.
He also takes an active interest in public affairs outside of the strict
path of his profession. In politics he
is an earnest republican and has served as a member of the city council from
1905 until 1911, during which time he was chairman of the committee on health,
lighting, streets and bridges, and did most satisfactory work in those
connections. He has also been deputy
game warden and was deputy oil inspector under Governor R. M. La Follette. He is interested in all matters of public
concern but perhaps his most important service has been done along professional
lines, for he has disseminated knowledge of great value to stock raisers and
now has in compilation a volume which contains much worthwhile information for
the farmer and stockman. He is regarded
as authority in his line, for he is continuously studying every phase of his
profession and bases his knowledge upon broad professional experience.
Autobiography
1921
Hartwig,
A H, Rural Veterinary Secrets, 1921,
Advocate Publishing Co, Milwaukee, WI
Dr. A.
H. Hartwig, the author of "Rural
Veterinary Secrets," was born on a stock and dairy farm in
Watertown, Dodge Co., Wisconsin, where he had a good opportunity to study the
natural habits and wants of ailing farm animals.
He
received his preliminary education in the public schools and Northwestern
College of Watertown, Wis. At the age of
seventeen he expressed the desire to study veterinary science and become a
veterinary physician and surgeon. However, as his services could not be spared
on the farm at that time, he was obliged to abandon the idea, at least for the
time being.
When twenty
years of age he entered the short course in Agriculture of the University of
Wisconsin, under the direction of Dean Henry, it being the second and third
year of the existence of that course.
Dr. V. T. Atkinson, the first State Veterinarian of Wisconsin, gave a
course of lectures and demonstrations in veterinary science. These lectures and demonstrations proved of
particular interest to the young agricultural student, and again he was
inspired with the determination to take up this interesting study, but neither
the time nor the means to further attend college could be spared.
After
concluding his university studies he returned home and devoted most of his time
to breeding draft horses, coach horses, and dairy cattle. In 1892 he made a tour through Europe. There he visited the various veterinary
colleges in the Old World. On his return
he brought with him an importation of Oldenburg coach horses. His experience in stock breeding convinced
him that a knowledge of veterinary medicine and surgery would be of great
benefit to himself and his community. He
again determined to become a veterinarian and then actually entered the Chicago
Veterinary College, from which he was graduated in the year 1895.
After
graduation he entered upon his practice as a veterinarian in Watertown,
Wisconsin, and adjacent community, which he successfully continued for
twenty-seven years. During this time he
held various important positions in connection with his profession. He was president of the Wisconsin Society of
Veterinary Graduates; secretary of the Wisconsin State Veterinary Society;
State Veterinarian of Wisconsin; Veterinary Editor of "Hoard's Dairyman"; publisher and
proprietor of "The Farmer's
Veterinary Advisor," and at the present time is Veterinary Inspector
for the United States Bureau of Animal Industry. While editor of "Hoard's Dairyman" he discovered the Air Treatment for milk
fever, which is now used the world over and is saving the lives of thousands of
valuable farm animals.
The
experience thus acquired he is now giving to his fellow farmers and stockowners
in the form of "Rural Veterinary
Secrets."
PREFACE
My
purpose in presenting "Rural
Veterinary Secrets" to the farmer and other owners of domesticated
animals shall be to educate them to use home remedies intelligently whenever
they are applicable in case of emergency, and to properly comfort and care for
the patient till medical aid can be summoned; to teach my readers to use the
right remedy in the right place in case of emergency, instead of employing
anything and everything that might be suggested by the casual observer; to
avoid the misapplication of drugs, which so often leads to the destruction of
valuable farm animals; and to give professional advice to those who are in
need, as well as those who seek professional knowledge on those subjects.
In
order that my readers may readily understand what I am to present to them, I
will employ common farmer language, avoiding technical expressions as much as
possible. I shall prescribe the most practical
and effective remedies for each particular case, regardless of who might be the
manufacturer thereof. The remedies
prescribed shall be those which I have found the most successful and practical
during my twenty-seven years of practice.
I have
decided to place the knowledge and experience obtained in these twenty-seven
years of continued and uninterrupted practice as a veterinarian before my
readers in concise form, boiled down for quick and ready reference, in this, my
first edition of "Rural Veterinary
Secrets." [link
to this book]
A. H.
HARTWIG, M. D. C.
Watertown,
Wisconsin, July 1st, 1921.
Kiessling, Elmer C., Watertown
Remembered (Watertown: Watertown Historical Society), 1976, p 195
A
great change came about in dairying when all cows in Wisconsin had to be tested
for tuberculosis, and pasteurization of milk became the rule. Many a fine herd was decimated when the tests
revealed the presence of the disease, but farmers were reimbursed by the state
for their losses. One of the leaders for
better health among cattle and other animals was Dr. A. H. Hartwig, appointed
state veterinarian by Governor Francis McGovern and twice elected mayor of
Watertown. He opened the first animal
hospital in Watertown, wrote a popular book, Farmers' Veterinary Secrets, and patented a medicine,
"Sanguitone," that guaranteed "more milk from cows, more pork
from pigs and more mutton from sheep."
CROSS REFERENCES:
Note: The doctor's office was located where later
the gourmet popcorn shop was on Madison St; his animal hospital was in the
rear. It was also located on the block
where Associated Bank is now and at one time it was located where Glenn's Market is.
His home was there as well.
