The Wilkowski family was originally from a small village called Mroczen, in what is now Poland, but was then Prussia. They travelled with other relatives and planned to settle in Wisconsin to farm. Father Gottlieb, mother Louisa and children Ottilia and Frederick made the long journey from Mroczen to Watertown in 1855. Their two oldest children, Wilhemina and Emilie Therese had died in infancy.
They sailed from Hamburg to New York City, and then boarded a train to take them to Buffalo, NY. A steamship brought them to Toledo, OH where they boarded another train for Chicago and finally Milwaukee. They traveled by wagon along the plank road to Watertown where they met David Wilkowske, Gottlieb's brother, who had arrived a year earlier. Gottlieb was a shoemaker, not a farmer and the family settled in Watertown. The rest of the party moved on to the Green Bay area and finally settled in Minnesota. Two more children, William and Louis were born before Gottlieb’s death in 1866. After he died, Louisa married Frederick Kűhl and another daughter, Emma, was born.
They sailed from Hamburg to New York City, and then boarded a train to take them to Buffalo, NY. A steamship brought them to Toledo, OH where they boarded another train for Chicago and finally Milwaukee. They traveled by wagon along the plank road to Watertown where they met David Wilkowske, Gottlieb's brother, who had arrived a year earlier. Gottlieb was a shoemaker, not a farmer and the family settled in Watertown. The rest of the party moved on to the Green Bay area and finally settled in Minnesota. Two more children, William and Louis were born before Gottlieb’s death in 1866. After he died, Louisa married Frederick Kűhl and another daughter, Emma, was born.