by Steve Tesmer | Apr 21, 2012 | Historic People
Date in History: 1845 – 1921 Ever watch a softball game at Ralph Park and wonder who Ralph was? Well, here’s the inside scoop. Benjamin Ralph was born in Vermont and came here in 1853 with his parents, Eusebia and Isaac Ralph, and a brother and sister. Like many...
by Steve Tesmer | Apr 21, 2012 | Historic People
Date in History: 1866-1872 Ever gone to a Christmas Concert at Purdy School in Fort Atkinson and wonder who the heck Purdy was? Well John K. Purdy was the principal of the very first public high school built on South High Street in Fort Atkinson back in 1866. Up until...
by Steve Tesmer | Apr 21, 2012 | Historic People
Date in History: 1817 – 1883 For some early immigrants, the rigors of life on the frontier paled in comparison to the trip that brought them there. In the spring of 1846, 28-year-old George Prestidge and his 34-year-old wife Elizabeth sailed from London with...
by Steve Tesmer | Apr 21, 2012 | Historic People
Date in History: 1844 – 1936 During the 19th century, Fort Atkinson developed a nationally known manufacturing base with industries like Northwestern Manufacturing and Cornish, Cornish & Greene on the north side of town. Though not employing nearly as many...
by Steve Tesmer | Apr 21, 2012 | Historic People
Date in History: 1930’s Whitewater artist Leon Pescheret was born in England in 1892 and immigrated to Chicago just before World War I. In 1933 he began working in the medium for which he is most famous – the difficult process of color etching on copper...
