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The 2007 Home-Coming festival is over and done, but much of Whitewater's story remains to be told: please continue to add your remembrances.


Some highlights of the 2007 Home-Coming Festival
Were you there? Tell us what you thought!
More photos and slideshows available under 2007 Home-Coming highlights.

Find out why this storysite is our gift to the Whitewater of tomorrow.

We have to sell our remaining festival merchandise to pay for the fun: please help by making a purchase at our eBay store: http://stores.ebay.com/Whitewater-Home-Coming-Store.Thanks for supporting Whitewater!Highlights from the 1907 parade:





Without Albert Salisbury, there would be no Home-Coming


In the first week of August, 1906, Whitewater Normal School President Albert Salisbury placed an open letter in the Whitewater papers, inviting members of the community to come out and plan for a Home-Coming festival to be held the following year in honor of the 70th anniversary of the first settlement in Whitewater.


Salisbury at desk

As a result of that meeting, a Home-Coming was planned for July 4-7, 1907. Over 2,500 playful letters of invitation were sent to former Whitewater residents across the nation, with the hope that up to 1,000 would find their way home. The names of 109 community members were listed on the invitation, to extend as warm and encouraging a welcome as possible. In the end, over 2,000 residents returned for the event!


Fred Kraege, our Albert Salisbury

Many groups came together to encourage the commemoration of the 1907 Home-Coming, including the Whitewater Historical Society, city administration, local business leaders, the Irvin L. Young Memorial Library, the Florence Bassett House, and individual citizens. But it is the tireless (some would say tiresome) exertions of one man - Fred G. Kraege - whose vision of the community spirit, civic pride, and general mirth and merriment that such an event would foster led these individuals and groups to band together and take action. Thanks to Fred, the 2007 Whitewater Home-Coming Festival came to be. Read an initial letter from Fred.

Contact information:
For general comments, site additions, and feedback, please email us at:
info@whitewaterhomecoming.com

Phone number: 262-473-8639
Leave a message at this number with information or a request and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.

Mailing address:
2007 Whitewater Home-Coming
P.O. Box 3, Whitewater, WI 53190


To talk to a real person, please contact one of the following members of the 2007 Home-Coming Team:

David L. Kachel, Home-Coming co-chair
262.473.5321

Kristine Zaballos, Home-Coming co-chair
262.473.9822

Jan Bilgen-Craggs, Community chair
262.473.2788



Kevin Brunner, Whitewater City Manager
262.473.0500
kbrunner@ci.wi.whitewater.us
www.ci.wi.whitewater.us