Society Vorwaerts

Sunday Gazetteer
Denison, Texas
18 October 1891

Calico Ball:
October 27th, given by the Denison Philharmonic and Society Vorwaerts. Those wishing tickets will apply to Christ Waltz, Max Beck, W. Geiger, E. Walton, Jos. A. Euper, Frank Lyon, Frank Ellsworth, or H. Stueber.

September 21, 1903
"Sunday, the last day of the fair, was German Day. There was a large crowd. The grandstand was literally packed. In the morning the cowboy band received the German societies at the depot and marched to Vorwaerts Hall. German Day was a fitting closing day of the fair. Sunday night was ‘huskie’ night, and the Cowboy Band celebrated the event with constant playing.” [Source: Denison Press, September 21, 1956, quoted from Denison Daily News, September 21, 1903]

Industrial Denison, 1909:
The Verein Vorwaerts Singing Society owns the large building they occupy and, as an organization, are nearly as old as the city itself.
72. Verein Vorwaerts, Organized 1877, Singing and Turning Sections, German and English Sunday School

Tom Anderson Memoir:
I remember the big Vorwarts Hall (a German lodge) was at 400 West Chestnut Street. This at one time was used as the National Guard quarters.

Vorwaerts Was Early Group Here That Has Passed From the Picture
Denison Herald
August 31, 1947
As Denison celebrates its Diamond Jubilee, there will be many homes and buildings missing from the scene that were here in early years. One such building is the old Vorwaerts hall, which stood on the corner of Burnett and Chestnut, where the Steakley Chevrolet Company now stands. [This is incorrect. The hall stood on the southwest corner, not the southeast corner.]

Also missing from the scene will be the organization that used this hall as the center of its activities—, the Verein Vorwaerts.

Strictly a German institution, the club’'s membership were open only to those persons who, regardless of nativity, could speak and write the German language. Passive memberships were provided for other persons; however, and while these were not admitted to business sessions, they had access to the club’s attractive social privileges.

Had Large Roster
Numbering 300 members at one time, only two men formerly connected with the club are living today. Oscar Kollert, pioneer Denisonian now residing near Durant, is the only surviving active member; while Mel Morse of Denison is the only passive member living.
In the early 1930s, the building was dismantled due to its deteriorated condition. The hall was a two-story building, with the second story once being the ground floor. Here when a new first floor was built from rock, the older frame structure was jacked up to become the second story.
The organization'’s social chamber, business hall, and library were quartered on the first floor, with the second story was devoted to the dance hall.

Started in 1887
The German club was officially chartered July 20, 1903, but had been organized in 1887. Verein Vorwaerts in the German language means "“Society Forward".”
[Note: The Sunday Gazetteer of April 17, 1898, states that the state charter was received from Austin by Louis Lebrecht, the Verein;’s long-time president, on April 12, 1878. An early Denison City Directory states that the Turnverein Society was established June 1873; this likely was a predecessor of the “Verein Vorwaerts Singing Society and Turn-Verein, organized June 1877” (City Directory for 1887-1888). And a photo published in 1909 shows the building bearing the date 1877.]
It was through its social program that the organization attained the popularity pinnacle. In the days when less hustle and bustle to everyday life permitted closer fellowship, the Vorwaerts’ club was the social center where professional and business men and others of ordinary stations in life assembled on the common ground of fellowship for many evenings of genuine entertainment.
Across a foaming mug of beer, many friendship knots were tied that held to the grave. It was here that the quaffing of beer in a social way attained the perfection of an art, and many kegs were emptied during the innumerable evenings [illegible] for sobriety.

Vorwaerts Society Had Early Role Here
Denison Herald
June 25, 1972
An interesting organization that was responsible for a colorful and prominent episode in Denison history faded into oblivion several years ago.
The Vorwaerts Society was an organization by and for German families, who were well represented among Denison'’s sturdy pioneers.
The society, very active for several years, had its own two-story building at the southwest corner of Chestnut and Burnett, which was dismantled more than thirty years ago to make room for an auto used car lot.
The last surviving members were Oscar Kollert, Mel Morse, and Hugo Koeppen.
Strictly a German institution, the club’'s memberships were open only to those persons who, regardless of nativity, could speak and write the German language. Passive memberships were provided for other persons, however, and while these were not admitted to business sessions, they had access to the club’s attractive social privileges.
Numbering 300 members at one time, only two men formerly connected with the club are living today.
In the early 1930s, the building was dismantled due to its deteriorated condition. The hall was a two-story building, with the second story once being the ground floor. Here when a new first floor was built from rock, the older frame structure was jacked up to become the second story.
The organization’'s social chamber, business hall, and library were quartered on the first floor, with the second story devoted to the dance hall.
The German club was officially chartered July 20, 1903, but had been organized in 1887. Verein Vorwaerts in the German language means “"Society Forward".”
[Note: The Sunday Gazetteer of April 17, 1898, states that the state charter was received from Austin by Louis Lebrecht, the Verein’s long-time president, on April 12, 1878. An early Denison City Directory states that the Turnverein Society was established June 1873; this likely was a predecessor of the “Verein Vorwaerts Singing Society and Turn-Verein, organized June 1877” (City Directory for 1887-1888). And a photo published in 1909 shows the building bearing the date 1877.]
It was through its social program that the organization attained the popularity pinnacle. In the days when less hustle and bustle to everyday life permitted closer fellowship, the Vorwaerts’ club was the social center where professional and business men and others of ordinary stations in life assembled.

Verein Vorwaerts History
Susan Hawkins
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