by Steve Tesmer | Apr 22, 2012 | Historic Events
Date in History: 12/17/1923 Though firemen with the Fort Atkinson Fire Department have sometimes incurred serious injuries on the job, the only fatalities in the history of the Department occurred on December 17, 1923. Responding to a call, the Fort firefighters were...
by Steve Tesmer | Apr 22, 2012 | Historic Events
Date in History: 1929 At noontime on Nov. 7th, 1929, a white Cadillac pulled up in front of the Farmers and Merchants Bank in Jefferson. Three men with machine guns boldly ran into the bank without disguise, ordered everyone on the floor and robbed the bank in broad...
by Steve Tesmer | Apr 22, 2012 | Historic Events
Date in History: 1880s In the fall of 1884, students at Fort Atkinson High School began a debating society, taking on some of the pressing social issues of the day. At their very first meeting in October they wasted no time, taking on the proposition that...
by Steve Tesmer | Apr 22, 2012 | Historic Events
Date in History: 1844 America’s first successful harvesting machine was invented right here in Whitewater, Wisconsin by an ambitious, energetic man named George Esterly. Esterly came to the area in 1837 and was soon operating a large wheat farm. Harvesting his huge...
by Steve Tesmer | Apr 22, 2012 | Historic Events
Date in History: 1880 to 1938 The production of butter was once a cottage industry throughout Wisconsin with each dairy farmer converting their excess milk into butter and cheese. Butter making was considered women’s work and the quality was dependent on the skill and...
by Steve Tesmer | Apr 22, 2012 | Historic Events
Date in History: 1944 Heroes come in all shapes and sizes. In 1944, a hero from Fort Atkinson came in the form of a Chesapeake Bay Retriever known as Colonel. Born to local breeder Joe Wagner, Colonel made his way to new owners in New Mexico before enlisting in the...
