website  watertownhistory.org

    ebook  History of Watertown, Wisconsin

 

Richard's Grove

Richard's Grove School

 

 

1854 or later

RICHARDS GROVE SCHOOL

     Former Richards’ school, built by John Richards in the late 1840s.

 

c.1920

RICHARDS GROVE SCHOOL, distant view

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c.1920

VIEW TO THE EAST FROM OCTAGON HOUSE

      

Oconomowoc Ave bridge

Richards Grove School, built by John Richards in the late 1840s

Watertown Plank Road came into town along Oconomowoc and Concord avenues

Boston House Hotel

Little Bohemia area of Watertown

 

1920s

DISTANT VIEW, with ski slide/jump

         

Sledding and skiing were popular and the best place for these sports in Watertown was located on Richards Hill, near the Octagon House, then still a private home.  William Thomas, grandson of John Richards and himself a quirky sort of fellow, erected a large ski slide on the south side of the house, along what is today Charles Street.  From this slide, one could, if the wind was at your back, slide down the chute and sail clear across the frozen Rock River and end up on the east side of the river. 

 

This was a popular spot on winter afternoons until one day in 1924 when two brothers. Hubert and Leonard Born, decided to slide down the hill at nightfall.  Normally, there was a look-out placed at the base of the hill along Concord Avenue to watch for passing cars and wagons, but since this was at night, there was no one to watch for the traffic.  As the boys came down the hill, they were struck by a horse-drawn cutter and after lingering for a day, they both died.  Since then, it has been illegal to slide down Richards Hill.  [Derived from Watertown: A History, by Bill Jannke]

 

c.1925-26

DISTANT VIEW, with ski slide/jump

   

 

  Image Portfolio  

 

 

Richard's Grove

1860s, Washington Park part of

323

Richard's Grove

1873, Tornado damage

244

Richard's Grove

1876, July 4 parade marking nation's centennial

343

Richard's Grove School House

1871, Mention of

Richard's Grove School House

1910, Mention of

276

 

 

 

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History of Watertown, Wisconsin

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