Saengerfest Aug. 1906<\/h2>\n
\n![\"Arion](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.archivingwheeling.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/PC-Saengerfest-1906fwm.jpg?resize=738%2C477\")
<\/a>Arion Hall at 20th and Main Streets is decorated for the 1906 Saengerfest parade in this real photo postcard. Ohio County Public Library Archives.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nThe first \u201cGerman Wheeling\u201d RPPC, created at Nicoll\u2019s Art Store, shows Arion Hall at 20th and Main Streets decorated for the 1906 Saengerfest, a large music festival featuring numerous regional German singing societies. Wheeling hosted three such festivals in 1860, 1885 and 1906. In addition to choral concerts at the Court Theatre and other venues, the 1906 festival featured an elaborate parade and a picnic at Mozart Park, which was, at the time, essentially a beer garden for businessman Henry Schmulbach and his Mozart Singing Society. The image shows Arion Hall, headquarters of the Arion Singing Society, draped in patriotic bunting and German flag pennants in a manner consistent with other buildings<\/a>\u00a0along the parade route. The intact steeple of 2nd Presbyterian Church can be seen in the background.<\/p>\nGerman Day, 1908<\/h2>\n
\n![\"Workers](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.archivingwheeling.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/PS-German-Day1908-ft.jpg?resize=738%2C492\")
<\/a>Workers at an unidentified business display a sign for German Day at Mozart Park in this 1908 real photo postcard. Ohio County Public Library Archives.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nThe second \u201cGerman Wheeling\u201d RPPC was recently acquired by the Ohio County Public Library Archives, and depicts a group of men, many wearing striped aprons, posing in front of an industrial looking building. (By the way, any assistance in identifying the location of this image would be most welcome and appreciated. If you have suggestions, please add your comment below.<\/em>)<\/p>\nThree of the men in the image are holding a sign printed in German. According to Dr. Adam Oberlin, German Teacher in the World Language Department at the Linsly School, the translation reads:<\/p>\n![\"Close-up](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.archivingwheeling.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/01\/GERMAN-DAY-closeup.jpg?resize=300%2C300\")
<\/a>Close-up of the German Day sign<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\nGERMAN DAY<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\nTHURSDAY, 27 AUGUST<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\nMOZART PARK<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\nFESTIVAL<\/em>\u00a0<\/strong>[illegible]<\/p>\nBIRD-SHOOTING<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n[illegible]<\/p>\n
GREAT KING\u2019S BALL IN THE EVENINGS<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n[illegible]<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
\u201cThe \u2018bird-shooting,'\u201d Dr. Oberlin explained, \u201cis an old game that involves shooting a wooden bird high up on a pole from a certain distance with either a bow or a rifle, not actually hunting birds.\u201d<\/p>\n
Indeed, the Wheeling Intelligencer<\/em> from August 26-28, 1908 included reports about a German Day at Mozart Park presented \u201cunder the auspices of the German Central Union\u201d and featuring \u201camusements and novel sports,\u201d including bowling and an \u201cEagle Shoot.\u201d The newspaper estimated that about two thousand people attended the event, with the City and Elm Grove Railway providing transportation to Mozart Park. The event also featured a concert and a singing contest among members of the Mozart, Arion, and Beethoven singing societies. \u201cThe dancing pavilion,\u201d the Intelligencer<\/em> noted, \u201cwas crowded with trippers of the fantastic toe.\u201d \u00a0Paul Rigot of Benwood won the Eagle Shoot while Gus Hilderbrand won the bowling tournament, and was awarded a punch bowl for his efforts.<\/p>\nFor all practical purposes, \u201cGerman Wheeling\u201d was essentially rendered extinct by the anti-German backlash of the First World war. Reminders can still be found both in architectural features still visible around town and in real photo postcards.<\/p>\n
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<\/a>The first \u201cGerman Wheeling\u201d RPPC, created at Nicoll\u2019s Art Store, shows Arion Hall at 20th and Main Streets decorated for the 1906 Saengerfest, a large music festival featuring numerous regional German singing societies. Wheeling hosted three such festivals in 1860, 1885 and 1906. In addition to choral concerts at the Court Theatre and other venues, the 1906 festival featured an elaborate parade and a picnic at Mozart Park, which was, at the time, essentially a beer garden for businessman Henry Schmulbach and his Mozart Singing Society. The image shows Arion Hall, headquarters of the Arion Singing Society, draped in patriotic bunting and German flag pennants in a manner consistent with other buildings<\/a>\u00a0along the parade route. The intact steeple of 2nd Presbyterian Church can be seen in the background.<\/p>\n The second \u201cGerman Wheeling\u201d RPPC was recently acquired by the Ohio County Public Library Archives, and depicts a group of men, many wearing striped aprons, posing in front of an industrial looking building. (By the way, any assistance in identifying the location of this image would be most welcome and appreciated. If you have suggestions, please add your comment below.<\/em>)<\/p>\n Three of the men in the image are holding a sign printed in German. According to Dr. Adam Oberlin, German Teacher in the World Language Department at the Linsly School, the translation reads:<\/p>\n GERMAN DAY<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n THURSDAY, 27 AUGUST<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n MOZART PARK<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n FESTIVAL<\/em>\u00a0<\/strong>[illegible]<\/p>\n BIRD-SHOOTING<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n [illegible]<\/p>\n GREAT KING\u2019S BALL IN THE EVENINGS<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n [illegible]<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u201cThe \u2018bird-shooting,'\u201d Dr. Oberlin explained, \u201cis an old game that involves shooting a wooden bird high up on a pole from a certain distance with either a bow or a rifle, not actually hunting birds.\u201d<\/p>\n Indeed, the Wheeling Intelligencer<\/em> from August 26-28, 1908 included reports about a German Day at Mozart Park presented \u201cunder the auspices of the German Central Union\u201d and featuring \u201camusements and novel sports,\u201d including bowling and an \u201cEagle Shoot.\u201d The newspaper estimated that about two thousand people attended the event, with the City and Elm Grove Railway providing transportation to Mozart Park. The event also featured a concert and a singing contest among members of the Mozart, Arion, and Beethoven singing societies. \u201cThe dancing pavilion,\u201d the Intelligencer<\/em> noted, \u201cwas crowded with trippers of the fantastic toe.\u201d \u00a0Paul Rigot of Benwood won the Eagle Shoot while Gus Hilderbrand won the bowling tournament, and was awarded a punch bowl for his efforts.<\/p>\n For all practical purposes, \u201cGerman Wheeling\u201d was essentially rendered extinct by the anti-German backlash of the First World war. Reminders can still be found both in architectural features still visible around town and in real photo postcards.<\/p>\n \n<\/p>German Day, 1908<\/h2>\n
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