Watertown is a city in

Dodge Dodge is an American brand of automobiles and a division of Stellantis, based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Dodge vehicles have historically included performance cars, and for much of its existence Dodge was Chrysler's mid-priced brand above P ...

and Jefferson counties in the U.S. state of

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

. Most of the city's population is in Jefferson County. Division Street, several blocks north of downtown, marks the county line. The population of Watertown was 22,926 at the 2020 census. Of this, 14,674 were in Jefferson County, and 8,252 were in Dodge County. Watertown is the largest city in the Watertown- Fort Atkinson micropolitan area, which also includes Johnson Creek and Jefferson.

History

Origin

Watertown was first settled by Timothy Johnson, who built a cabin on the west side of the

Rock River Rock River may refer to: Streams ;United States * Rock River (Mississippi River), a tributary of the Mississippi River in Wisconsin and Illinois * Rock River (Iowa), a tributary of the Big Sioux River in Minnesota and Iowa * Rock River (Lake Mich ...

in 1836. He was born in Middleton, Middlesex County, Connecticut, on the 28th of June, 1792. A park on the west side of the city is named in his honor. The area was settled to utilize the power of the Rock River, which falls in two miles (two dams). In contrast, the Rock River falls only in upstream from Watertown. The water power was first used for

sawmill A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logging, logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes ...

s, and later prompted the construction of two hydroelectric dams, one downtown (where the river flows south) and one on the eastern edge of the city (where the river flows north). Watertown was a

New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian province ...

settlement. The original founders of Watertown consisted entirely of settlers from

, particularly

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...

, rural

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to the ...

New Hampshire New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec to the nor ...

and

Maine Maine () is a U.S. state, state in the New England and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and territories of Canad ...

, as well some from

upstate New York Upstate New York is a geographic region consisting of the area of New York State that lies north and northwest of the New York City metropolitan area. Although the precise boundary is debated, Upstate New York excludes New York City and Long ...

who were born to parents who had migrated to that region from

shortly after the American Revolution. These people were "

Yankee The term ''Yankee'' and its contracted form ''Yank'' have several interrelated meanings, all referring to people from the United States. Its various senses depend on the context, and may refer to New Englanders, residents of the Northern United St ...

s", that is to say they were descended from the English

Puritans The Puritans were English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to purify the Church of England of Catholic Church, Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and should become m ...

who settled

in the 1600s. They were part of a wave of

farmers who headed west into what was then the wilds of the Northwest Territory during the early 1800s. Most of them arrived as a result of the completion of the

Erie Canal The Erie Canal is a historic canal in upstate New York that runs east-west between the Hudson River and Lake Erie. Completed in 1825, the canal was the first navigable waterway connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, vastly redu ...

as well as the end of the

Black Hawk War The Black Hawk War was a conflict between the United States and Native Americans led by Black Hawk, a Sauk leader. The war erupted after Black Hawk and a group of Sauks, Meskwakis (Fox), and Kickapoos, known as the "British Band", cross ...

. When they arrived in what is now Watertown there was nothing but dense virgin forest and wild prairie, the New Englanders laid out farms, constructed roads, erected government buildings and established post routes. They brought with them many of their

values, such as a passion for education, establishing many schools as well as staunch support for abolitionism. They were mostly members of the Congregationalist Church though some were Episcopalian. Due to the

second Great Awakening The Second Great Awakening was a Protestantism, Protestant religious Christian revival, revival during the early 19th century in the United States. The Second Great Awakening, which spread religion through revivals and emotional preaching, sparke ...

some of them had converted to

Methodism Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related Christian denomination, denominations of Protestantism, Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John W ...

and some had become Baptists before moving to what is now Watertown. Watertown, like much of

, would be culturally very continuous with early

culture for most of its early history. It was incorporated as a village in 1849, and chartered as a city in 1853. In the 1850s, immigrants arrived in Watertown from Germany. Most of the German immigrants who arrived in Watertown brought with them the trappings of the German middle class, including a proclivity for classical music, the Latin language and ornate furniture. Unlike instances in other parts of the country in which they faced discrimination and xenophobia, they were welcomed with open arms by the English-

Puritan The Puritans were English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to purify the Church of England of Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and should become more Protestant. P ...

descended "

" population of Watertown and Jefferson County as a whole. This warm reception led to chain migration, which in turn greatly increased the German population of the region. Culturally they had much in common with the

derived population. For instance both groups unanimously opposed slavery and both had a pronounced love for commerce and industry. Economically both communities would thrive in Watertown for the entirety of the 19th century, not facing any measurable economic hardships until the Great Depression in the following century.

Milwaukee and Rock River Canal

canal Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface fl ...

from

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at th ...

to the Watertown area was once planned, but was replaced by railroad before any work had been completed, other than a dam in Milwaukee. The territorial legislature incorporated the Milwaukee and Rock River Canal company in 1836, but the plan was abandoned in 1848. The canal would have provided a waterway between the

Great Lakes The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes in the mid-east region of North America that connect to the Atlantic Ocean via the Saint Lawrence River. There are five la ...

and the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it ...

, but even if completed, it may not have seen much success because railroads had already become the preferred mode of transportation.

19th century growth

In 1853, a

plank road A plank road is a road composed of wooden planks or puncheon logs. Plank roads were commonly found in the Canadian province of Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geog ...

was completed from Milwaukee to Watertown. After plank roads were no longer used, the route was replaced by highway ( Wisconsin Highway 16) and a railroad. A street named "Watertown Plank Road" survives in Milwaukee. It is referred to in the "Plank Road Brewery" family of beers, produced by Miller Brewing Company in Milwaukee. Fischers building and dam

There was an influx of German immigrants in the late 19th century. The city is the home of the first kindergarten in the United States, started in 1856 by Margarethe Schurz, wife of statesman

Carl Schurz Carl Schurz (; March 2, 1829 – May 14, 1906) was a German revolutionary and an American statesman, journalist, and reformer. He immigrated to the United States after the German revolutions of 1848–1849 and became a prominent member of the ne ...

; the building that housed this kindergarten is now located on the grounds of the Octagon House Museum in Watertown.

City railroad bond default

Growth of the city was substantially hampered when Watertown issued almost half a million dollars in bonds to support the building of two railroads to town to encourage further growth: the Chicago & Fond du Lac Company and the Milwaukee, Watertown & Madison Road. The success of the plank road convinced residents that a railroad would be even more beneficial, and bonds were issued from 1853 to 1855. The Milwaukee and Watertown Railroad, as it was called before it extended to Madison, was completed in 1855, only the second line in the state. Soon after, in the

Panic of 1857 The Panic of 1857 was a financial panic in the United States caused by the declining international economy and over-expansion of the domestic economy. Because of the invention of the telegraph by Samuel F. Morse in 1844, the Panic of 1857 was ...

, the two railroads went bankrupt. The bonds were sold by the original investors to out-of-town speculators at a small fraction of their face value. Since the railroads were never built and did not produce revenue, the city was unable to pay off the bonds. Moreover, the city did not feel compelled to do so because the creditors (those who held the bonds) were not only from out of town, but weren't even the original holders. Yet the creditors exerted so much pressure on the city to pay off the bonds that Watertown effectively dissolved its government so that there was no legal entity (the government as a whole or officers) that could be served a court order to pay or appear in court. The case was not resolved until 1889, when it had risen all the way to the

Supreme Court of the United States The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point ...

, which essentially dismissed the case of the creditors. A small amount remained to be paid, and this was not paid off until 1905, half a century later.

Geography and climate

Watertown is located in southeastern Wisconsin, approximately midway between Madison and

, at 43°12'N 88°43'W (43.193, −88.724). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy An economy is an area of th ...

, the city has a total area of , of which, is land and is water. Small communities in the immediate area (e.g., within the school district) include Richwood,

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to Lebanon–Syria border, the north and east and Israel to Blue ...

, Old Lebanon, Sugar Island, Pipersville, Concord, Ebenezer, and Grellton. The

flows through Watertown in a horseshoe bend before heading south and west on its way to the

. The city originally developed inside the horseshoe, though it has long since grown beyond. Silver Creek adjoins the river in the city, as does a short creek on the west side. The most notable geographical feature is a high density of

drumlin A drumlin, from the Irish word ''droimnín'' ("littlest ridge"), first recorded in 1833, in the classical sense is an elongated hill in the shape of an inverted spoon or half-buried egg formed by glacial ice acting on underlying unconsolidate ...

s, long hills formed by the

glacier A glacier (; ) is a persistent body of dense ice that is constantly moving under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. It acquires distinguishing features, such a ...

s of the

Wisconsin glaciation The Wisconsin Glacial Episode, also called the Wisconsin glaciation, was the most recent glacial period of the North American ice sheet complex. This advance included the Cordilleran Ice Sheet, which nucleated in the northern North American Cor ...

as they retreated northwards. Hills in the area are elongated in the north-south direction.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the census of 2020, the population was 22,926. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

was . There were 9,826 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 87.9%

White White is the lightness, lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully diffuse reflection, reflect and scattering, scatter all the ...

, 1.2%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

, 0.8% Asian, 0.4% Native American, 3.5% from other races, and 6.2% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 9.6%

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race.

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

of 2010, there were 23,861 people, 9,187 households, and 6,006 families living in the city. The

was . There were 9,745 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94.0%

, 0.8%

, 0.3% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 2.7% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 7.3% of the population. There were 9,187 households, of which 33.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.0% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 34.6% were non-families. 28.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.03. The median age in the city was 35.7 years. 25.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.4% were from 25 to 44; 24% were from 45 to 64; and 14.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.4% male and 51.6% female.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 21,598 people, 8,022 households, and 5,567 families living in the city. The population density was 1,974.1 people per square mile (762.3/km²). There were 8,330 housing units at an average density of 761.4 per square mile (294.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.90%

, 0.25%

, 0.39% Native American, 0.61% Asian, 0.03%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of Ocea ...

, 1.69% from other races, and 1.13% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 4.94% of the population. There were 8,022 households, out of which 34.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.2% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.6% were non-families. 25.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.07. In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.0% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.0 males. The median income for a household in the city was $42,562, and the median income for a family was $50,686. Males had a median income of $34,825 versus $23,811 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,977. About 4.6% of families and 6.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.8% of those under age 18 and 6.9% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Watertown is in the

Watertown Unified School District Watertown Unified School District is a school district in Watertown, Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered ...

. The city has one public high school, Watertown High School. Riverside Middle School is on the eastern edge of the city. The public elementary schools in the city are: Lincoln, Schurz, Douglas, and Webster. The city also has one charter high school, Endeavor Charter School. Six

parochial school A parochial school is a private primary or secondary school affiliated with a religious organization, and whose curriculum includes general religious education in addition to secular subjects, such as science, mathematics and language arts. The wor ...

s serve elementary and middle school students in Watertown, four Lutheran and two Catholic.

Luther Preparatory School Luther Preparatory School (LPS or Luther Prep) is a residential four-year secondary school located in Watertown, Wisconsin, United States. Established in 1865, it is owned and operated by the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS). LPS fo ...

, a school affiliated with the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS), is located in the central city. Maranatha Baptist University and its associated private high school, Maranatha Baptist Academy, are located on the west side of Watertown. A branch of the Madison Area Technical College is also on the west side.

Business and industry

Watertown's major employers are the school district, Watertown Regional Medical Center, QC several light industries, food processing, metals, electronics, and regional distribution companies.

Rail & Transload, Inc.

Rail & Transload, Inc., formerly known as Specialty Ingredients, is a transloading facility and terminal railroad located in Watertown that operates approximately of track. The operations occur mostly within a small

rail yard A rail yard, railway yard, railroad yard (US) or simply yard, is a series of tracks in a rail network for storing, sorting, or loading and unloading rail vehicles and locomotives. Yards have many tracks in parallel for keeping rolling stock or ...

directly connected to the Canadian Pacific mainline. The yard has room for up to 125 freight cars, and the inside facility has room for up to five. These are mostly hoppers and tank cars. Watertown River Walk 02

Transportation

Primary automobile transportation is provided via Highways 19, 26 and 16. Highway 19 begins in Watertown and runs westward towards Sun Prairie. Highway 16 runs east-west across Wisconsin from

to La Crosse, passing around Watertown via a bypass. Business highway 26 runs north-south through the center of the city, while highway 26 bypasses the town to the west. Highways 26 and 16 provide access to Interstate 94. Highway 16 provides access to the Milwaukee metro area, and highway 19 provides access to the Madison metro area.

Airport

Watertown Municipal Airport (KRYV) provides service for the city and surrounding communities.

Rail

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous U.S. States and nine cities in Canada ...

's '' Empire Builder'' passenger train passes through, but does not stop in, Watertown. The nearest Amtrak train station is in

Columbus, Wisconsin Columbus is a city in Columbia (mostly) and Dodge Counties in the south-central part of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 5,540 at the 2020 census. All of this population resided in the Columbia County portion of the city. Columbu ...

. Freight rail service is provided by the

Canadian Pacific Railway The Canadian Pacific Railway (french: Chemin de fer Canadien Pacifique) , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canad ...

(CP), the

Union Pacific Railroad The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Pac ...

(UP), and the Wisconsin and Southern Railroad (WSOR).

Bus/Taxi

The city subsidizes a "Watertown Transit" service that provides taxi and small bus "ride sharing" service between requested stops.

Healthcare

Watertown Regional Medical Center is a 95 bed hospital with a

level III trauma center A trauma center (or trauma centre) is a hospital equipped and staffed to provide care for patients suffering from major traumatic injuries such as falls, motor vehicle collisions, or gunshot wounds. A trauma center may also refer to an emerge ...

. There are 35.4 primary care physicians per 100,000 population in the area. Watertown is designated as a

mental health Mental health encompasses emotional, psychological, and social well-being, influencing cognition, perception, and behavior. It likewise determines how an individual handles stress, interpersonal relationships, and decision-making. Mental hea ...

Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA). By 2035, Watertown is estimated to have a 51.6% deficit in primary care physicians, the sixth largest expected deficit in Wisconsin. There are no behavioral health professionals in Watertown.

Media

The local newspaper, the ''Watertown Daily Times'', dates back to November 23, 1895, when John W. Cruger and E. J. Schoolcraft formed a partnership to publish a daily newspaper.Daily Times History
''Watertown Daily Times'', March 31, 2011. Retrieved April 22, 2014. The newspaper currently has 25,000 readers. The radio station WTTN, AM 1580, was licensed to Watertown but is now licensed to with the transmitter located west of

while the studio was moved to Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. WJJO 94.1 FM was originally in Watertown, but is now located in Madison. Watertown operates a local Government-access television (GATV) channel. Programming includes church services from around the area, as well as special programming, sports, and community events.

Historic landmarks

* Beals and Torrey Shoe Co. Building * Chicago and North Western Depot * First Kindergarten *

August and Eliza Fuermann Jr. House The August and Eliza Fuermann Jr. House is located in Watertown, Wisconsin. History The house was occupied for roughly 40 years by hatmaker Clara Weiss. It was later resided in by the Fuermanns, who were members of a prominent brewing family. ...

Octagon House Octagon houses were a unique house style briefly popular in the 1850s in the United States and Canada. They are characterised by an octagonal (eight-sided) plan, and often feature a flat roof and a veranda all round. Their unusual shape and ...

Notable people

* Charles Beckman, Wisconsin State Representative *

Al Bentzin Alfred Ernest Bentzin (March 7, 1902 – January 6, 1979) was a guard in the National Football League. He played with the Racine Legion during the 1924 NFL season The 1924 NFL season was the fifth regular season of the National Football Leag ...

, guard in

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ma ...

* R. D. Blumenfeld, journalist, editor of the British '' Daily Express'' *

Champ Boettcher Raymond Edward Boettcher was a fullback in the National Football League. He played with the Racine Tornadoes during the 1926 NFL season The 1926 NFL season was the seventh regular season of the National Football League. The league grew to 22 ...

fullback Fullback or Full back may refer to: Sports * A position in various kinds of football, including: ** Full-back (association football), in association football (soccer), a defender playing in a wide position ** Fullback (gridiron football), in Americ ...

in National Football League * Daniel Brandenstein,

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. NASA was established in 1958, succeedi ...

astronaut An astronaut (from the Ancient Greek (), meaning 'star', and (), meaning 'sailor') is a person trained, equipped, and deployed by a human spaceflight program to serve as a commander or crew member aboard a spacecraft. Although generally r ...

, veteran of four space shuttle flights *

Ray Busler Raymond Albert Busler (January 16, 1914 – October 9, 1969) was a player in the National Football League. He first played two seasons with the Chicago Cardinals. After three years away from the NFL, he was a member of the team during the 1945 NFL ...

, player in National Football League *

Luther A. Cole Luther Anderson Cole (November 1, 1812June 22, 1880) was an American businessman, Republican politician, and Wisconsin pioneer. He was the second American settler at what is now the city of Watertown, Wisconsin, and represented Watertown for on ...

, politician and businessman *

Joseph E. Davies Joseph Edward Davies (November 29, 1876 – May 9, 1958) was an American lawyer and diplomat. He was appointed by President Wilson to be Commissioner of Corporations in 1912, and First Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission in 1915. He was t ...

, second ambassador to represent U.S. in

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

* William M. Dennis, Wisconsin state legislator * William Ellis,

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor ...

recipient *

Edward W. Fehling Edward William Fehling (1880-1957) was a Michigan politician and a member of the Michigan State Senate from 1935 to 1938, representing the old 15th District. Background and personal information Fehling was born to Otto and Helen Fehling on Ju ...

Michigan Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...

State Senator * Hezekiah Flinn, Wisconsin State Representative *

Charles R. Gill Charles Rice Gill (August 17, 1830 – March 28, 1883) was an American lawyer, politician, and Union Army officer in the American Civil War. He was the 9th Attorney General of Wisconsin and represented northern Jefferson County in the Wis ...

, Attorney General of

* Hiram Gill, Mayor of

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a port, seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the county seat, seat of King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in bo ...

, Washington * Daniel Hall, Wisconsin State Representative *

C. Hugo Jacobi Charles Hugo Jacobi (April 18, 1846 – November 13, 1924) was an American businessman and politician. Jacobi was born in Rockenhausen, Rhemish, Bavaria and emigrated to the United States in 1855. Jacobi settled in Watertown, Wisconsin. He we ...

, Wisconsin State Representative and businessman *

John Jagler John Jagler (born November 4, 1969) is an American radio broadcaster, communications consultant, and Republican politician. He served in the 37th district of the Wisconsin State Assembly from 2013 until being elected to the Wisconsin Senate 13th ...

, Wisconsin legislator *

Charles A. Kading Charles August Kading (January 14, 1874 – June 19, 1956) was a U.S. Representative from Wisconsin who represented Wisconsin's 2nd congressional district from 1927–1933. Born in Lowell, Wisconsin, Kading was the son of Charles and Elizabeth Ba ...

, Congressman *

Lloyd Kasten Lloyd August Wilhelm Kasten (April 14, 1905 – December 13, 1999) was an American Hispanist, medievalist, Lexicography, lexicographer, and Lusophile. Lloyd Kasten joined the faculty of Spanish and Portuguese at the University of Wisconsin in 1931 ...

, language scholar * Robert Kastenmeier, Congressman *

John Kessler John Kessler (December 14, 1847 – June 12, 1917) was an American businessman and politician. Born in the Kingdom of Bavaria, Kessler emigrated with his parents to the United States, in 1855, and settled in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Kessler was ...

, Wisconsin State Representative *

Eugene H. Killian Eugene H. Killian (December 1, 1873 – February 19, 1943) was an American printer, newspaper man, and politician. Born in Watertown, Wisconsin, Killian was a linotype printer and wrote several articles about Watertown for the Watertown Daily ...

, Wisconsin State Representative *

Frederick Kusel Frederick Kusel (November 1, 1839 – August 6, 1916) was an American politician and businessman. Born in the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg, Germany, Kusel emigrated with his family in 1849 to the United States and settled in Watertown, Wisconsin ...

, Wisconsin State Senator * Mary Lasker, health activist, recipient of Presidential Medal of Freedom and Congressional Gold Medal *

John A. Lovely John A. Lovely (November 18, 1843 – January 28, 1908) was an American lawyer and jurist. Born in Burlington, Vermont, Lovely was admitted to the Wisconsin bar in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1866. He then practiced law in Watertown, Wisconsin ...

, Minnesota Supreme Court justice *

Vincent R. Mathews Vincent R. Mathews was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly. Biography Mathews was born on June 8, 1912, in Watertown, Wisconsin. He graduated from Carroll University. Career Mathews, a Democrat, was elected to the Assembly in 1958. Previo ...

, Wisconsin State Representative *

Christian Mayer Christian Mayer may refer to: * Christian Mayer (astronomer) (1719–1783), Czech astronomer and teacher *Christian Mayer (skier) (born 1972), Austrian former alpine skier *Christian Mayer (Wisconsin politician) (1827–1910), Wisconsin manufacture ...

, Wisconsin State Representative * Peter McGovern,

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the List of U.S. states and territories by population, 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minne ...

State Senator * Fred Merkle, nicknamed "Bonehead" was an American first baseman in Major League Baseball for Giants, Dodgers, Cubs *

Charles Mulberger Charles Mulberger (November 1, 1873November 17, 1931) was an American lawyer, businessman, and Democratic politician from Watertown, Wisconsin. He was the 39th mayor of Waterford and served two terms in the Wisconsin Senate, representing the ...

, Wisconsin State Senator and Mayor of Watertown * Nate Oats, basketball head coach,

University of Alabama The University of Alabama (informally known as Alabama, UA, or Bama) is a public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of Alabama is the oldest and largest of the publi ...

Carlotta Perry Carlotta Perry (1839 or 1848 – March 4, 1914), the pen name of Charlotte Augusta Perry, was an American writer of poetry and prose. She was among a group of premier women poets of the late 19th century. Her poems, children's stories, and shor ...

, poet * Ben Peterson, Olympic gold and silver medalist in wrestling *

Judson Prentice Judson Prentice (March 2, 1810 – July 27, 1886) was a member of the Wisconsin State Senate. Biography Prentice was born in Oriskany Falls, New York, Oriskany Falls, Oneida County, New York, to Lucy Stafford and Thomas Prentice. He lived in Er ...

, Wisconsin State Senator *

Theodore Prentiss Theodore Prentiss (September 10, 1818August 3, 1906) was an American lawyer, Democratic politician, and Wisconsin pioneer. He was the first mayor of Watertown, Wisconsin, and represented Jefferson County for one year in the Wisconsin State Asse ...

, Wisconsin State Representative *

J. A. O. Preus III Jacob Aall Ottesen Preus III (March 20, 1953 – August 4, 2022) was an American academic administrator who was the president of Concordia University, Irvine from 1998 to 2009. Previously, he was a professor at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, ...

, former President of Concordia University, Irvine, California *

Meinhardt Raabe Meinhardt Frank Raabe (; September 2, 1915 – April 9, 2010) was an American actor. He was one of the last surviving Munchkin-actors in '' The Wizard of Oz'', and was also the last surviving cast member with any dialogue in the film. He po ...

, actor *

Edward Racek Edward Racek (October 11, 1846 – January 23, 1912) was an American businessman and politician. Born in Polná, Bohemia, Austrian Empire, Razek emigrated with his parents to the United States in 1851 and settled in Watertown, Wisconsin in 185 ...

, Wisconsin State Representative and Mayor of Watertown'Wisconsin Blue Book 1905,' Biographical Sketch of Edward Racek, pg. 1101 *

Randall J. Radtke Randall J. Radtke (born October 23, 1951, in Watertown, Wisconsin), is a former member of the Wisconsin State Assembly. He graduated from Watertown High School as well as the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater and the University of Wisconsin–M ...

, Wisconsin State Representative * Patrick Rogan, Wisconsin State Representative *

Theodore H. Rowell Theodore H. Rowell, Sr. (July 15, 1905 – September 26, 1979) was a pharmaceutical industrialist, outdoorsman, conservationist, and politician from Minnesota. Rowell was born in Watertown, Wisconsin, and was the great grandson of John S. Row ...

, pharmaceutical industrialist and politician *

John C. Schuman John C. Schumann (December 6, 1881 – July 11, 1971) was an American machinist, farmer and politician. Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Schumann went to the Milwaukee public schools and went to a business college. He learn the machinist trade a ...

, Wisconsin State Senator *

, U.S. Secretary of the Interior * Margarethe Schurz, founder of first kindergarten in U.S. *

Thomas Shinnick Thomas Shinnick was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly. Biography Shinnick was born on April 1, 1833, in County Cork, Ireland. He moved to Watertown, Wisconsin, in 1855. Career Shinnick was a member of the Assembly in 1867. Other positio ...

, Wisconsin State Representative * Albert Solliday, Wisconsin State Senator * Jesse Stone, Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin *

Doris Tetzlaff Doris Tetzlaff ��Tetz″(January 1, 1921 – April 11, 1998) was an infielder and chaperone in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at 5'5", 155 lb., she batted and threw right-handed. Little is known about this woman wh ...

, baseball player *

C. F. Viebahn Charles F. Viebahn (1842 – March 17, 1915) was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly. Biography Viebahn was born in what is now Germany in 1842. In 1851, he moved with his parents to Baraboo, Wisconsin. He attended what is now the Univer ...

, Wisconsin State Representative *

William Voss William Frederick Voss (December 23, 1847November 2, 1921) was a German American immigrant, banker, and politician. He was the 25th and 27th mayor of Watertown, Wisconsin, and represented Dodge County in the Wisconsin State Senate during the 1 ...

, Wisconsin State Senator *

Byron F. Wackett Byron F. Wackett (March 21, 1912 – May 17, 1980) was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly. Biography Wackett was born on March 21, 1912, in Randolph, Wisconsin Randolph is a village in Columbia County, Wisconsin, Columbia and Dodge County, ...

, Wisconsin State Representative *

Myron B. Williams Myron B. Williams (c. 1817December 7, 1884) was an American lawyer, Democratic politician, and Wisconsin pioneer. He was important in the establishment and early development of Watertown, Wisconsin, and represented Jefferson County in the Wis ...

, Wisconsin State Senator *

Joseph Wimmer Joseph E. Wimmer (born July 21, 1934) is a retired American judge and politician. He served 9 years as a Wisconsin circuit court judge in Waukesha County after representing the county for 8 years in the Wisconsin State Assembly as a Republican. ...

, Wisconsin State Representative *

Ferdinand T. Yahr Ferdinand Theodore Yahr (December 17, 1834 – May 1, 1910) was a member of the Wisconsin State Senate. Biography Yahr was born on December 17, 1834, in Heldrungen, Germany. He came to Wisconsin in 1849, where he lived in Watertown, Berlin, W ...

, Wisconsin State Senator

References

External links

City of Watertown

Watertown Area Chamber of Commerce
* *
Where Have All the Germans Gone?
' contains a segment on the history of the German community in Watertown {{authority control Cities in Wisconsin Cities in Jefferson County, Wisconsin Cities in Dodge County, Wisconsin Watertown-Fort Atkinson

History

Origin

Milwaukee and Rock River Canal

19th century growth

City railroad bond default

Geography and climate

Demographics

2020 census

2010 census

2000 census

Education

Business and industry

Rail & Transload, Inc.

Transportation

Airport

Rail

Bus/Taxi

Healthcare

Media

Historic landmarks

Notable people

References

Further reading

External links