Krumm – 50 Years in Fort Atkinson 1898

KRUMM

Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 11/5/2020 at 14:32:28

Source: Decorah Republican July 7, 1898 P 4 C 2

FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY.
G. C. Krumm and wife celebrate their location of Fort Atkinson.
By the kind permission of the Fort Atkinson Times we are enabled to print an account prepared for that paper, and which will appear in their columns to-morrow, of the fiftieth anniver{sar}y of the location of Mr. G. C. Krumm and wife at the Fort. There are but one or two families now residing in the county that came as early as the Krumms and they are to be congratulated upon this occasion:
June 29th fifty years ago, G. C. Krumm landed on Iowa soil, fresh from “The Fatherland,” and June 29th, 1898, all the old settlers and neighbors were invited to attend a celebration of that event at his beautiful residence two miles west of Fort Atkinson and nearly in sight of the old fort buildings.
At nine o’clock the guests began to arrive and by twelve o’clock nearly one hundred had responded, dressed in their Sunday suits to participate in the festivities of the day. Krumm’s orchestra, consisting of seven pieces, all the musicians being members of Mr. Krumm’s family with the exception of Mr. Soukup of Spillville, opened the festivities with several fine selections executed in a manner that would do credit to any band in the state.
Refreshments were announced and we repaired to the dining room where a spread was laid out for us by our host and hostess good enough for the queen of England. Words could not do credit to the varieties, quality and quantity. Suffice to say that it was bountiful, and prepared by expert cooks from the best eatables the state of Iowa affords. The only casualty reported at the table is from Amanzo Goddard, claiming that while he was trying to eat more ham and potatoes than Tower some one stole his pie. He lays it onto Mrs. Huber, as he knew Tower would not take anything out of reach.
After dinner we assembled under the shade trees in front of the house, and after listening to a short prayer by Rev. Dorn, Mr. Krumm made a short speech wherein he gave us a condensed history of his first few years of life in Iowa, giving us a discription{sp} of the house they lived in, the cooking utensils, and where they got their first table, and their chair factory, etc., all of which was very interesting and listened to with marked attention. Uncle David Cartwright being present—a noted trapper and hunter—he was called upon to give us a description of the life and habits of the first inhabitants of the northwest. Uncle David responded by taking the beaver family, claiming, although they were not human beings, they knew more and had a brighter intellect, in many respects, than their human neighbors. In relating how they put up their food for winter he said: “I would not dare relate this to this audience, thinking it would receive any credence, but I have the proof. Mr. Tower will verify my statement and you know he won't lie.” (Laughter.) Uncle David’s remarks were very interesting and instructive to all of us.
We then repaired to the grove near the railroad track where the band favored us with some splendid music. Dr. Horton then appeared on the scene with his kodak under his arm and took the picture of the band in full uniform, after which the old settlers were arranged and the Doctor tried his kodak on them, but did not break it. The girls started a game of "snap and ketch ’em” which created considerable mirth until a beautiful lady invited Cap. Tower to catch her. He accepted the invitation and started in the race with all the vim of younger days; the race was short, but had not something caught his foot and threw him to the ground he would have been running yet. The band struck up a lively waltz and we all waltzed on mother earth, with only the blue canopy of heaven above us. Then came a quadrille and finally Old Folk’s quadrille was called and we all got into that. If it was not a first class dance I am no judge. We then returned to the house and ate two barrels of ice cream and drank nearly as much lemonade. Doctor Horton and the Goddard boys, assisted by some three score and ten young ladies, gathered on the lawn and sang all the songs they could think of, while the old settlers and “coffee coolers” stood in the back ground and helped in the chorus and everyone was happy.
The time had arrived for our departure and after shaking hands with our host and hostess, friends and neighbors, and saying good bye, we started for home, thinking on the way we never attended so enjoyable an affair in all our lives.
On behalf of the old settlers, young settlers and the “kids,” we extend our sincere thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Krumm and family for the hospitality we received at their hands, at and during the celebration, and when you celebrate your one hundredth anniversary we will sure to be there.