Herbert H. Webb

Herbert H. Webb was born July 16, 1858, on a farm in New York. At the age of 11, under the tutelege of his grandfather Webb, the family, Mrs. Anna Rose, mother of Herbert H. Webb, and his brother, George, came out to Wisconsin and settled in the township of Sandusky. 

Mr. Webb continued to live at his farmhouse until the age of 22, securing his education from books borrowed from neighbors and attended high school when in Reedsburg. In 1880 he attended Business College at Valparaiso, Indiana. During the years of 1881 to 1883 he was employed as a bookkeeper for the firm of Harris and Hosler. On December 1, 1883 Herbert Webb, D.G. Schweke, and G.C. Schweke opened the doors to the Webb and Schweke department store known as the Big Store.  The store was located at the corner of Main and North Walnut. Webb married Carrie Clizbe on July 4, 1900. Mrs. Webb passed away in 1921.

Herbert Webb left Reedsburg in 1908 and dissolved his partnership with the Schweke Brothers and moved to Chicago. Here he established his own cold storage business for butter and eggs. He also invested in land near Des Plaines, Illinois.  After the death of his wife, Webb left for Los Angles, California and later Phoenix, Arizona.  His prime interest was the stock market and real estate. By 1951, Webb returned to Reedsburg to spend his remaining years in the city he cherished so much.  Herbert H. Webb passed away in 1954 at the age of 96. He was buried in Greenwood Cemetery besides his wife Carrie.

He is remembered today for the semi-annual interest payments to the city from the trust fund he set up in 1944. Income from his $300,000 trust goes for projects deemed appropriate by the city fathers.

Webb Park was dedicated on July 6, 1952 and Webb High School was completed in 1957.  Water Street was renamed Webb Avenue, which today runs along Webb Park and Webb Middle School.

"Through the passing of years, and having been separated from Reedsburg for a long time, I still cherish and have lasting memories of my home city. I always think of it as a city to compare other places with and I have rarely, if ever found any community that can measure up to this sturdy, robust community which I have been associated with and a part of."

Herbert H. Webb- a generous benefactor of Reedsburg

Excerpted from the books,
Reedsburg Remembers (100th Anniversary-1948)

and Reedsburg Remembers 150 Years- 1998