website watertownhistory.org
ebook History of Watertown,
Wisconsin
Globe Mill Dam
1858
07 29 New dam replaces one carried away some six weeks
ago by the great flood. Blanchard and Salsich. WD
09 09 Water
power for sale or to lease.
Blanchard. WD
1859
04 21 Enos Salsich loses flouring mill and lower dam rights WD
1867
Birdseye view
1885
Birdseye view
1903
09 11 Globe Mill was being
operated entirely by steam, but after the remodeling of
its water power plant, water power was utilized. WG
1904
07 07 The contracts for the
building of the concrete dam below Main Street bridge have been let to Frank E.
Cowan, of this city, the consideration being about $5000. It will be 190 feet long, 12 feet wide at the
bottom and 3 feet wide at the top and 10 feet high.
The
north side of the dam will be almost perpendicular, slanting, only slightly at
the top. The south side of the darn will have considerable of a slope to it, and
that will do away with the falling of water as with the old dam, and prevent
the air concussion which for years past have been caused by-the falling of the
water over the dam, causing doors and windows to rattle in every section of the
city.
1905
10 28 Yesterday forenoon a farmer, whose home
is about a mile north of Richwood, came to the city to transact business and
during the day became intoxicated to such an extent that he was placed in the
city lock-up until he become sober. Toward evening he was released, and it is
supposed that he at once proceeded to fill up again and in the night hitched up
his single horse which was attached to a light wagon upon which he had some
lumber, stove and family supplies, and in his muddled condition instead of starting
for home drove off the embankment at the west end of Market street into the
river. The horse which was a young and valuable animal was drowned, and both
the horse and the wagon floated down to the dam where they could be seen this
morning. As the unfortunate man has not been seen since the accident, it is
thought that he is also in the river and efforts are being made to recover the
body.
1908 Watertown Powers
There
are two dams located in the City of Watertown; the lower, a masonry dam,
located a few blocks above the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad bridge, and the upper dam, one and one-half miles above
this. The bed of the river at both dams
and probably the entire distance between, is in the
Trenton limestone. The upper day,
usually called the “Rough and Ready” dam, is built of timber
with masonry abutments. It is 250 feet
long and develops a head of 9 feet. One
45 and one 55 inch turbine are installed, rated at 225
horse-power. This power is owned by the
Watertown Electric Company and is used for electric light and power. As the left bank is low the present head
represents the maximum head which can be developed. Indeed there have been some complaints of
illegal flooding at times of high water.
The dam is in a fair state of repair.
The legislature of 1906-07 granted the owners the right to raise the
crest of dam 2 feet, provided all payment should be first made for all damage
so caused.
The lower dam was reconstructed three or
four years ago, the present concrete dam replacing an old style timber
structure. The present dam is 250 feet
long and furnishes a head of about 10 feet.
This head cannot be increased as the dam backs the water to the dam
above. The lower dam furnishes power to
four different concerns, two on each bank.
On the right bank are located the Bee-hive and Box Factory owned by G.
B. Lewis Company and the Globe Milling Company with installations of two 30
inch and two 40 inch turbines respectively.
On the
left bank are located the R. P. Koening Company flour
mill and the A. R. Wein Brush Company factory with an
installation of 60 inch and 30 inch turbines respectively.
The
mills run 18 and the factories 10 hours per day. The owners report that for 8 or 9 months in
the year the turbines develop their full power but that during the remainder of
the year steam power has to be to a large extent substituted. For this purpose the above flour mills have
the following steam power: The Globe
Milling Company 200 horse-power; R. P. Koenig Company 85 horse-power; G. B.
Lewis Company 225 horse-power, and the A. R. Weins
Company 25 horse-power.
The
head on the turbines is reported to vary between 12 and 6 feet. With water to the crest of the dam the head
is 10 feet. Complaints of illegal flooding
by this dam have been made side the reconstruction of the dam.
Watertown
is a growing city of 9,000 inhabitants.
It is a trading center for a large and rich agricultural region. The city is on the main line of the Chicago,
Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad between Milwaukee and St. Paul and also on the
Madison branch of the same railroad. The
city is also served by the Chicago and North-Western Railroad between Beloit
and Green Bay. Between Watertown and
Lake Koshkonong, a distance of 29 miles, the river
flows almost due south and with reduced windings. The river varies in width from 150 to 250
feet wide, with banks sloping gently back to a height
of from 10 to 20 feet.
The
total fall between the foot of the lower Watertown dam and Lake Koshonong is only 18 feet of which only a third is
used. [Bulletins – Geological and
Natural History Survey (Wis.), 1908]
1986
07 05 A long family history of producing
electricity has led the owner of one of the area’s largest industries to try to
generate some kilowatts from one of Watertown’s two dams. “There is still a lot of work to do,” said
Tom Reiss, who gained the Watertown Common Council’s approval of a 50-year
lease to the dam. The lease of the dam
was approved by a 10-1 vote, the only dissenting vote being cast by Alderman
Walter Nuernberg, who said an “act of God” phrase
describing natural catastrophes was grossly inappropriate. Tuesday’s resolution calls for Reiss to pay
rent of $1 per year for the life of the lease.
He will also pay the city 5 percent of any profits arising from the
dam’s power generation, beginning after its third year of operation. WDT
10 17 The lower Watertown dam is in good shape
and a Department of Natural Resources report that shows several areas of the
dike are deteriorating is not a cause for alarm. The dam, located on the Rock River between
Main Street and Milwaukee Street, was inspected by the DNR in August. “There are some areas which need attention. They are the main spillway, the pier between
the main spillway and the secondary spillway, the tainter
gate and the right embankment,” said William Sturtevant, assistant dam safety
engineer, who coordinated the inspection.
“The main spillway has points of extensive spalling
(or chipping) in many areas. At various
locations along the downstream side of the spillway, deterioration has led to
leaking.” WDT
10 28 An owner of one of Watertown’s major
industries, who is also the president of a group of landowners living next to
the Rock River, has proposed leasing the lower Rock River dam to generate
electricity. Thomas Reiss, owner of
Reiss Industries, 319 Hart Street, is expected to present his plans to the
Watertown Common Council. The city of
Watertown currently owns the dam, located south of Main Street and between
First and Water streets. WDT
Cross-References:
Loss of life by dam, Rock River.
1876
