NEWSPAPER CLIPPING, 1945 WATERTOWN DAILY TIMES, WATERTOWN, Jefferson Co, Wisconsin
Life Rugged in Early Days, Pioneer Farmer Relates
Some people grow up with the country, but the country grows up with others. One such pioneer leader in the growth of this region is Peter F. Altwies, rural resident on county trunk P just off highway 30, who has seen 95 merry years spin by - and who looks forward to each new year with the eagerness of a teenage lad.
The history of Watertown and the surrounding area is deeply entwined in Grandpa Altwies' personal saga. Born in Ohio where, as a boy, he saw the first threshing machine - powered by two horses on a sweep - in operation, Peter left that state with his parents in the fall of 1855 to come to the new and sparsely settled state of Wisconsin. The trip was made by steamboat and rail.
The Altwies's first found rooms in a Watertown rooming house run by a Mr Marks near the location of the present Woolworth store.*1 Peter recalls the place because of an incident which brought acute pain to him at the time. A ubiquitous youngster, Peter found his father's muzzle loader, packed in a charge and "let go" out one of the windows. The shot cause quite a stir around town - and Peter ate his lunch standing up for several days.
The Altwies family then rented a house near the present brewery, and finally located out at Concord where Peter's father operated a cooperage. The young Altwies recalls coming to Watertown with load of barrels at the ripe old age of 11.
The 12 mile trip in from Concord, now a 15 minute ride, was an all day junket in those times and included several errands over the city. Peter remembers going to Dr. Johnson's drug store (where the Doerr drug store in now located)*2 for some drugs and then to Mrs Duffy's grocery for other items. There was "quite a traffic" in Watertown, Peter states.
Peter spent three years in the logging camps of northern Wisconsin, then returned to Jefferson county where he took up farming. This entire area was heavily wooded then, and thousands of acres of solid timber were burned off merely as an easy way of clearing the land. Brush and timber was so thick that a cow 10 feet off the road was hidden from view.
Cordwood, however was in heavy demand in the towns because it was the only fuel used for heating, cooking, etc, and Mr Altwies recalls seeing as high as 150 cords stacked along Watertown's Market street for a day's business.
Life was rugged but pleasant. Farmers came to town once or twice a week in good weather, but on other occasions didn't see the city for two or three months. Mail, delivered on a circuit once each week, came to the nearest town and the people had to call for it there. Newspapers, all weeklies then, came with the mail. Gossiping with the neighbors was the national pastime then, and "going calling" was an almost everyday occurrence.
Prices were low and most food was home-prepared. Mr Altwies remembers buying 16 pounds of sugar for a dollar and of obtaining whiskey from a distillery near Concord for his father for 15 cents a gallon. He didn't vouch for the quality of the snake-bite remedy. Flour mills were common and farmers brought their wheat in for milling.
Grandpa Altwies has witnessed many changes, but he has taken most of them in stride. He admits being little impressed by the first automobile - he expected it and was a little less than surprised when it finally chugged out onto the highways - and has never attempted to drive one. The radio is all right for news and market reports, but most of the programs are a lot of "darn tomfoolery" to the pioneer.
Grandpa Altwies, who has five living children, lives with his son, Claude, and family on the farm south of Watertown. He has been bedridden for the past several month.
OBIT- 19 March 1947 WATERTOWN DAILY TIMES, Watertown, Jefferson Co, Wisconsin
Peter F. Altwies, well known resident of this community, died last night at the home of his son, Claude, in R3, Watertown. His death took place at 8 o'clock. Mr Altwies was a life long resident of this community, having lived away from it only for a 9 month period when he was a resident of Minnesota.
He was born 26 June 1850, in Ohio and came to Wisconsin the fall of 1855. His father was the late Peter Altwies, a native of France and his mother was the late Julia Ann Kickland a native of New York state.
Mrs Altwies married Sarah R Crosland 16 September 1877. She preceded him in death on 8 July 1940.
Surviving are 2 daughters, Mrs Emil Vogel, Sullivan; Mrs Ben Rabenhorst, Milwaukee; 3 sons, Claude, R3; Edwin, Oconomowoc; Ellis, Elgin, Illinois. There is one brother Frank Altwies, Dousman, and a sister also survives. She is Mrs Peter Olson, Racine. Another sister Lillie, died at Wonewoc last summer. There are 27 grandchildren and 32 great-grandchildren.
Mr Altwies had enjoyed a robust health and active much of his life. On 7 June 1944 he was taken ill and had been bedridden since that time. Last week his condition took a turn for the worse and on Monday he began to lose strength rapidly, going into gradual decline until his death which came peacefully last evening.
The funeral will be held Friday at the Nowack funeral home where services will be conducted at 2 P.M. The Rev Arthur Johnson of the Oconomowoc Methodist church will officiate and burial will be in the Pipersville cemetery.
Life Rugged in Early Days, Pioneer Farmer Relates
Some people grow up with the country, but the country grows up with others. One such pioneer leader in the growth of this region is Peter F. Altwies, rural resident on county trunk P just off highway 30, who has seen 95 merry years spin by - and who looks forward to each new year with the eagerness of a teenage lad.
The history of Watertown and the surrounding area is deeply entwined in Grandpa Altwies' personal saga. Born in Ohio where, as a boy, he saw the first threshing machine - powered by two horses on a sweep - in operation, Peter left that state with his parents in the fall of 1855 to come to the new and sparsely settled state of Wisconsin. The trip was made by steamboat and rail.
The Altwies's first found rooms in a Watertown rooming house run by a Mr Marks near the location of the present Woolworth store.*1 Peter recalls the place because of an incident which brought acute pain to him at the time. A ubiquitous youngster, Peter found his father's muzzle loader, packed in a charge and "let go" out one of the windows. The shot cause quite a stir around town - and Peter ate his lunch standing up for several days.
The Altwies family then rented a house near the present brewery, and finally located out at Concord where Peter's father operated a cooperage. The young Altwies recalls coming to Watertown with load of barrels at the ripe old age of 11.
The 12 mile trip in from Concord, now a 15 minute ride, was an all day junket in those times and included several errands over the city. Peter remembers going to Dr. Johnson's drug store (where the Doerr drug store in now located)*2 for some drugs and then to Mrs Duffy's grocery for other items. There was "quite a traffic" in Watertown, Peter states.
Peter spent three years in the logging camps of northern Wisconsin, then returned to Jefferson county where he took up farming. This entire area was heavily wooded then, and thousands of acres of solid timber were burned off merely as an easy way of clearing the land. Brush and timber was so thick that a cow 10 feet off the road was hidden from view.
Cordwood, however was in heavy demand in the towns because it was the only fuel used for heating, cooking, etc, and Mr Altwies recalls seeing as high as 150 cords stacked along Watertown's Market street for a day's business.
Life was rugged but pleasant. Farmers came to town once or twice a week in good weather, but on other occasions didn't see the city for two or three months. Mail, delivered on a circuit once each week, came to the nearest town and the people had to call for it there. Newspapers, all weeklies then, came with the mail. Gossiping with the neighbors was the national pastime then, and "going calling" was an almost everyday occurrence.
Prices were low and most food was home-prepared. Mr Altwies remembers buying 16 pounds of sugar for a dollar and of obtaining whiskey from a distillery near Concord for his father for 15 cents a gallon. He didn't vouch for the quality of the snake-bite remedy. Flour mills were common and farmers brought their wheat in for milling.
Grandpa Altwies has witnessed many changes, but he has taken most of them in stride. He admits being little impressed by the first automobile - he expected it and was a little less than surprised when it finally chugged out onto the highways - and has never attempted to drive one. The radio is all right for news and market reports, but most of the programs are a lot of "darn tomfoolery" to the pioneer.
Grandpa Altwies, who has five living children, lives with his son, Claude, and family on the farm south of Watertown. He has been bedridden for the past several month.
OBIT- 19 March 1947 WATERTOWN DAILY TIMES, Watertown, Jefferson Co, Wisconsin
Peter F. Altwies, well known resident of this community, died last night at the home of his son, Claude, in R3, Watertown. His death took place at 8 o'clock. Mr Altwies was a life long resident of this community, having lived away from it only for a 9 month period when he was a resident of Minnesota.
He was born 26 June 1850, in Ohio and came to Wisconsin the fall of 1855. His father was the late Peter Altwies, a native of France and his mother was the late Julia Ann Kickland a native of New York state.
Mrs Altwies married Sarah R Crosland 16 September 1877. She preceded him in death on 8 July 1940.
Surviving are 2 daughters, Mrs Emil Vogel, Sullivan; Mrs Ben Rabenhorst, Milwaukee; 3 sons, Claude, R3; Edwin, Oconomowoc; Ellis, Elgin, Illinois. There is one brother Frank Altwies, Dousman, and a sister also survives. She is Mrs Peter Olson, Racine. Another sister Lillie, died at Wonewoc last summer. There are 27 grandchildren and 32 great-grandchildren.
Mr Altwies had enjoyed a robust health and active much of his life. On 7 June 1944 he was taken ill and had been bedridden since that time. Last week his condition took a turn for the worse and on Monday he began to lose strength rapidly, going into gradual decline until his death which came peacefully last evening.
The funeral will be held Friday at the Nowack funeral home where services will be conducted at 2 P.M. The Rev Arthur Johnson of the Oconomowoc Methodist church will officiate and burial will be in the Pipersville cemetery.
NEWSPAPER CLIPPING, 1945 WATERTOWN DAILY TIMES, WATERTOWN, Jefferson Co, Wisconsin
Life Rugged in Early Days, Pioneer Farmer Relates
Some people grow up with the country, but the country grows up with others. One such pioneer leader in the growth of this region is Peter F. Altwies, rural resident on county trunk P just off highway 30, who has seen 95 merry years spin by - and who looks forward to each new year with the eagerness of a teenage lad.
The history of Watertown and the surrounding area is deeply entwined in Grandpa Altwies' personal saga. Born in Ohio where, as a boy, he saw the first threshing machine - powered by two horses on a sweep - in operation, Peter left that state with his parents in the fall of 1855 to come to the new and sparsely settled state of Wisconsin. The trip was made by steamboat and rail.
The Altwies's first found rooms in a Watertown rooming house run by a Mr Marks near the location of the present Woolworth store.*1 Peter recalls the place because of an incident which brought acute pain to him at the time. A ubiquitous youngster, Peter found his father's muzzle loader, packed in a charge and "let go" out one of the windows. The shot cause quite a stir around town - and Peter ate his lunch standing up for several days.
The Altwies family then rented a house near the present brewery, and finally located out at Concord where Peter's father operated a cooperage. The young Altwies recalls coming to Watertown with load of barrels at the ripe old age of 11.
The 12 mile trip in from Concord, now a 15 minute ride, was an all day junket in those times and included several errands over the city. Peter remembers going to Dr. Johnson's drug store (where the Doerr drug store in now located)*2 for some drugs and then to Mrs Duffy's grocery for other items. There was "quite a traffic" in Watertown, Peter states.
Peter spent three years in the logging camps of northern Wisconsin, then returned to Jefferson county where he took up farming. This entire area was heavily wooded then, and thousands of acres of solid timber were burned off merely as an easy way of clearing the land. Brush and timber was so thick that a cow 10 feet off the road was hidden from view.
Cordwood, however was in heavy demand in the towns because it was the only fuel used for heating, cooking, etc, and Mr Altwies recalls seeing as high as 150 cords stacked along Watertown's Market street for a day's business.
Life was rugged but pleasant. Farmers came to town once or twice a week in good weather, but on other occasions didn't see the city for two or three months. Mail, delivered on a circuit once each week, came to the nearest town and the people had to call for it there. Newspapers, all weeklies then, came with the mail. Gossiping with the neighbors was the national pastime then, and "going calling" was an almost everyday occurrence.
Prices were low and most food was home-prepared. Mr Altwies remembers buying 16 pounds of sugar for a dollar and of obtaining whiskey from a distillery near Concord for his father for 15 cents a gallon. He didn't vouch for the quality of the snake-bite remedy. Flour mills were common and farmers brought their wheat in for milling.
Grandpa Altwies has witnessed many changes, but he has taken most of them in stride. He admits being little impressed by the first automobile - he expected it and was a little less than surprised when it finally chugged out onto the highways - and has never attempted to drive one. The radio is all right for news and market reports, but most of the programs are a lot of "darn tomfoolery" to the pioneer.
Grandpa Altwies, who has five living children, lives with his son, Claude, and family on the farm south of Watertown. He has been bedridden for the past several month.
OBIT- 19 March 1947 WATERTOWN DAILY TIMES, Watertown, Jefferson Co, Wisconsin
Peter F. Altwies, well known resident of this community, died last night at the home of his son, Claude, in R3, Watertown. His death took place at 8 o'clock. Mr Altwies was a life long resident of this community, having lived away from it only for a 9 month period when he was a resident of Minnesota.
He was born 26 June 1850, in Ohio and came to Wisconsin the fall of 1855. His father was the late Peter Altwies, a native of France and his mother was the late Julia Ann Kickland a native of New York state.
Mrs Altwies married Sarah R Crosland 16 September 1877. She preceded him in death on 8 July 1940.
Surviving are 2 daughters, Mrs Emil Vogel, Sullivan; Mrs Ben Rabenhorst, Milwaukee; 3 sons, Claude, R3; Edwin, Oconomowoc; Ellis, Elgin, Illinois. There is one brother Frank Altwies, Dousman, and a sister also survives. She is Mrs Peter Olson, Racine. Another sister Lillie, died at Wonewoc last summer. There are 27 grandchildren and 32 great-grandchildren.
Mr Altwies had enjoyed a robust health and active much of his life. On 7 June 1944 he was taken ill and had been bedridden since that time. Last week his condition took a turn for the worse and on Monday he began to lose strength rapidly, going into gradual decline until his death which came peacefully last evening.
The funeral will be held Friday at the Nowack funeral home where services will be conducted at 2 P.M. The Rev Arthur Johnson of the Oconomowoc Methodist church will officiate and burial will be in the Pipersville cemetery.
Life Rugged in Early Days, Pioneer Farmer Relates
Some people grow up with the country, but the country grows up with others. One such pioneer leader in the growth of this region is Peter F. Altwies, rural resident on county trunk P just off highway 30, who has seen 95 merry years spin by - and who looks forward to each new year with the eagerness of a teenage lad.
The history of Watertown and the surrounding area is deeply entwined in Grandpa Altwies' personal saga. Born in Ohio where, as a boy, he saw the first threshing machine - powered by two horses on a sweep - in operation, Peter left that state with his parents in the fall of 1855 to come to the new and sparsely settled state of Wisconsin. The trip was made by steamboat and rail.
The Altwies's first found rooms in a Watertown rooming house run by a Mr Marks near the location of the present Woolworth store.*1 Peter recalls the place because of an incident which brought acute pain to him at the time. A ubiquitous youngster, Peter found his father's muzzle loader, packed in a charge and "let go" out one of the windows. The shot cause quite a stir around town - and Peter ate his lunch standing up for several days.
The Altwies family then rented a house near the present brewery, and finally located out at Concord where Peter's father operated a cooperage. The young Altwies recalls coming to Watertown with load of barrels at the ripe old age of 11.
The 12 mile trip in from Concord, now a 15 minute ride, was an all day junket in those times and included several errands over the city. Peter remembers going to Dr. Johnson's drug store (where the Doerr drug store in now located)*2 for some drugs and then to Mrs Duffy's grocery for other items. There was "quite a traffic" in Watertown, Peter states.
Peter spent three years in the logging camps of northern Wisconsin, then returned to Jefferson county where he took up farming. This entire area was heavily wooded then, and thousands of acres of solid timber were burned off merely as an easy way of clearing the land. Brush and timber was so thick that a cow 10 feet off the road was hidden from view.
Cordwood, however was in heavy demand in the towns because it was the only fuel used for heating, cooking, etc, and Mr Altwies recalls seeing as high as 150 cords stacked along Watertown's Market street for a day's business.
Life was rugged but pleasant. Farmers came to town once or twice a week in good weather, but on other occasions didn't see the city for two or three months. Mail, delivered on a circuit once each week, came to the nearest town and the people had to call for it there. Newspapers, all weeklies then, came with the mail. Gossiping with the neighbors was the national pastime then, and "going calling" was an almost everyday occurrence.
Prices were low and most food was home-prepared. Mr Altwies remembers buying 16 pounds of sugar for a dollar and of obtaining whiskey from a distillery near Concord for his father for 15 cents a gallon. He didn't vouch for the quality of the snake-bite remedy. Flour mills were common and farmers brought their wheat in for milling.
Grandpa Altwies has witnessed many changes, but he has taken most of them in stride. He admits being little impressed by the first automobile - he expected it and was a little less than surprised when it finally chugged out onto the highways - and has never attempted to drive one. The radio is all right for news and market reports, but most of the programs are a lot of "darn tomfoolery" to the pioneer.
Grandpa Altwies, who has five living children, lives with his son, Claude, and family on the farm south of Watertown. He has been bedridden for the past several month.
OBIT- 19 March 1947 WATERTOWN DAILY TIMES, Watertown, Jefferson Co, Wisconsin
Peter F. Altwies, well known resident of this community, died last night at the home of his son, Claude, in R3, Watertown. His death took place at 8 o'clock. Mr Altwies was a life long resident of this community, having lived away from it only for a 9 month period when he was a resident of Minnesota.
He was born 26 June 1850, in Ohio and came to Wisconsin the fall of 1855. His father was the late Peter Altwies, a native of France and his mother was the late Julia Ann Kickland a native of New York state.
Mrs Altwies married Sarah R Crosland 16 September 1877. She preceded him in death on 8 July 1940.
Surviving are 2 daughters, Mrs Emil Vogel, Sullivan; Mrs Ben Rabenhorst, Milwaukee; 3 sons, Claude, R3; Edwin, Oconomowoc; Ellis, Elgin, Illinois. There is one brother Frank Altwies, Dousman, and a sister also survives. She is Mrs Peter Olson, Racine. Another sister Lillie, died at Wonewoc last summer. There are 27 grandchildren and 32 great-grandchildren.
Mr Altwies had enjoyed a robust health and active much of his life. On 7 June 1944 he was taken ill and had been bedridden since that time. Last week his condition took a turn for the worse and on Monday he began to lose strength rapidly, going into gradual decline until his death which came peacefully last evening.
The funeral will be held Friday at the Nowack funeral home where services will be conducted at 2 P.M. The Rev Arthur Johnson of the Oconomowoc Methodist church will officiate and burial will be in the Pipersville cemetery.
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