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ebook History of Watertown,
Wisconsin
Cordes Brick Co
1848 Note on brick making and building
Our Village – It is gratifying,
and speaks well for the preserving industry and enterprise of our citizens, to
see the extensive preparations that are being made to “go ahead” in almost
every department of improvement, in every quarter of our village. Lumber and brick – don’t start Milwaukee!
We have got real bona fide
Watertown brick, just as good as – It’s a fact.
True, we have not built up a “Queen City” here yet, but if the
manufacture of brick can elevate a place to majesty (which of course you will
not deny). Watertown is already a
princess royal.
Lumber and brick, we say [see],
are piled high upon a great many hitherto vacant lots, and a number of active
laborers are at work, “digging into the bowels of the earth,” not in search of
“villainous salt-peter,” but for the peaceful purpose of excavating
cellars.
The number of buildings which
will be erected during the current year will be greater than during any former
two or three years; and many of them will add much to the appearance of our
village. Among them will be the steam grist mill of Messrs Cole and Bailey, which
has already ‘broke ground,’ and is advancing on the most modern and approved
“progressive principles.”
1866
Kiessling, Elmer C., Watertown Remembered (Watertown:
Watertown Historical Society), 1976, p 177.
In 1866 two Watertown brickyards employed 109 mainly seasonal workers,
more than any other industry except the St. Paul Railroad. They produced ten
million bricks each year and exported seven million. Visible reminders of this
once thriving industry are the downtown brick buildings, the hundreds of brick
houses scattered throughout the city and the two little lakes near the south
end of
1889
Joseph Terbrueggan,
W. J. Toussaint and L. H. Cordes established the Watertown Electric Light plant; disposed of in 1906 to
the John I. Beggs interests.
1894
05 11 L. H. Cordes
& Co. began making brick at their brick yards in the 7th ward on Monday
with a force of 75 men. WG
1907
07 18 1907
Three remonstrances were presented to the council [at the last
council meeting] from residents on Church Street protesting against the
proposed paving of that street with brick and urging the use of macadam paving
material. They are opposed to brick for several reasons. First,
because of the high grade of that street; second, because brick is too noisy
for a residence street; third, because brick paving is too expensive and would
prove a burden to the tax payers. The communications were filed in order
that the parties may have an opportunity to be heard.
Third, S,
406 1912, Home
of L H Cordes
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