This file portion of www.watertownhistory.org website
Rough and Ready Dam
and
Power House
1840s
Watertown Daily Times, 06
12 1976
In the
1840's an earthen and timber dam was constructed directly above Tivoli
(formerly Concordia) Island by Joseph and
Calvin Boughton. The power was used to run a saw mill on the east side of
the river and a grain mill on the west side.
A wall was built from the dam to the island to create a mill race around
the island. In decades following construction of the dam, city maps show the
island enlarged and developed a peninsula extending to the dam. These changes were caused by silt from the
river building up along the wall and along the island's shorelines.
Captain James Rogan related the following “fish
story:” “The waters of Rock River were
alive with fish. When the first dam was
built the stream below it was very shallow, and it was a favorite place for
teamsters to cross from one side of the river to the other. If you’ll believe me, the fish were so thick
that hundreds of them were killed by the feet of the teams, while others would
be thrown into the air by the spokes of the revolving wheels.”
1858
07 15 The
Dam on Rock River just above the Rough and Ready mill has been rebuilt, and the
will itself is being repaired and will soon be in running order. As this is one of the best flouring
establishments in the State, we are glad to learn that its enterprising
proprietors, L. A. Cole & Co., are determined to keep it in operation. They have a fine water power and it is not
often that the floods interrupt its use.
WD
08 12 Milwaukee Wisconsin
newspaper article WD
1896
04 22 Dam gave way due to spring rains WR
1905
05 31
Last Saturday
the senate at Madison passed favorably upon the bill allowing the raising of
the so called Rough & Ready Dam in the city of Watertown. Much opposition was offered to the original
bill by those residing in the vicinity of the dam.
The
bill as passed and amended carried with it the provisions that the approaches
to Oconomowoc Avenue bridge must be kept passable and that the sum of $500
shall be paid to the city by the Watertown Gas Electric Company to assist in
building the new bridge at this point at any time. It is also claimed that
under provisions of the bill the Gas Company will have power to condemn the
land, as it is a corporation furnishing light to the city.
The
height of the present dam is 8 1/2 feet and it is proposed to raise it three
feet. Sluiceways will be provided so
that the water in the river will not be allowed to go higher than it has been
this year. WDTimes
1905
Watertown
Daily Times, 06 18 1905
The
bill allowing the raising of the Rough & Ready Dam, owned by the Watertown
Gas and Electric Company, which passed the senate recently, was refused
concurrence by the assembly. The bill was successfully fought by adjacent
owners of property whose lands might be flooded. They were represented by
attorney John G. Conway. Both sides had a hearing before the senate and
judiciary committee of the legislature. The amended bill was acceptable to the
city council, but not to the owners of land near the dam. Another measure for
the construction by the company at the Boomer site was withdrawn because of the
strong opposition.
1905
Watertown
Daily Times, 06 27 1905
All
members of the city council were present at the adjourned meeting of that body
Wednesday evening. The following
communication was read and placed on file:
Gentlemen:
It has come to our knowledge that statements have been made at a meeting of
your body indicating and insinuating that the influence of the common council
of the city of Watertown has been sold out in favor of certain proposed
legislation in regard to the Rough & Ready water power in this city. Said
charges reflecting upon the honor and integrity of the members of the council
and upon the standing of our company and the members thereof, we respectfully
request that a full investigation of such charges be ordered to determine the
facts and place the responsibility for the circulation of such reports.
Respectfully
submitted,
Watertown
Gas and Electric Co.,
W. C.
Stone. President
1905
Watertown
Daily Times, 06 28 1905
All
members of the city council were present at the adjourned meeting of that body
Wednesday evening.
Ald.
Lehmann introduced the following resolution, which passed unanimously:
WHEREAS,
Charges have been made that the mayor and the common council of the city of
Watertown has sold out to the Watertown Gas and Electric company in the matter
of the raising of the Rough & Ready Dam and
WHEREAS,
The mayor and common council are also accused of appearing before the
legislature at Madison for the purpose of forcing the passage of the bill for
raising said dam: be it
RESOLVED,
That the mayor appoint a committee of three aldermen to investigate the matter
and try to trace the origin of said charges and report its findings to this
council as soon as possible for further action.
The
mayor appointed Ald, Kessler, Lehmann and Ryan as such committee.
1905
Watertown
Daily Times, 08 01 1905
At a
special meeting of the common council held at the city hall Thursday evening, a
resolution was adopted demanding that Dr. A. Hartwig
should retract in writing the statements it is claimed he made last winter
assailing the integrity and honesty of the members of the common council, and
was given thirty days in which to file such retraction with the city clerk, and
should he fail to file such retraction within the time specified in the
resolution, charges would be preferred against him as a member of the council.
President:
It is alleged, that statements were made during the last session of the
legislature when a certain dam bill, (with which the people here are familiar)
was under consideration and was to the effect that the council sold out to the
Electric Light and Gas Company for the sum of $500.00.
The
writer knows nothing of the controversy, but has learned that the company
offered to give the city the sum of $500.00 in case the bill passed and the dam
was built to repair a certain bridge which would be damaged to some extent by
raising the water in the river ... If the doctor made the statements as alleged
and they were untrue, he should make the amend honorable. If he did not make
such statements as alleged, he should stand pat and demand that the common
council adopt a resolution exonerating him from the charge as set forth in the
resolution adopted Thursday night.
1905
Watertown
Daily Times, 12 06 1905
The
common council of this city sitting as a committee of the whole on Friday last
on the case of alderman A. H. Hartwig, charged with saying that he had heard
members of the last legislature say that the council of this city had sold out
by exacting the sum of $550 to be paid to the city of Watertown Electric Co. in
the event that the bill for raising the Rough and Ready dam passed the
legislature, found him guilty, and suspended Alderman Hartwig for 60 days.
1905
Watertown
Daily Times,12 23 1905
At the
regular meeting of the common council held Tuesday evening at the council
chamber, the following demand which had been filed with City Clerk Frank S.
Weber was presented, read and referred to the grievance committee consisting of
Alderman L. A. Knick, John P. Humphrey, and M. J. Burke:
The
undersigned, Adolph Hartwig, the newly elected alderman of the Second ward in
the city of Watertown hereby demands that said common council at its meeting to
be held on this 19th day of December A.D. 1905 rescind its actions whereby it
attempted to suspend the undersigned from office as such alderman and repeal
the resolution passed by it to that effect and demand that the mayor and said
common council recognized him, as such alderman and that the city clerk place
the name of the undersigned upon the role of said common council and call such
name at the meetings of said council.
ADOLPH
HARTWIG, Alderman second ward, City of Watertown, Wis.
1907
1907
In
1907 a new concrete electrical dam was constructed just down stream from the
old earthen and timber dam. The older still remains but is submerged in the
pond of the new dam. The "Rough and Ready Dam," as the structure came
to be called, produced power for the electric railway that ran from Watertown
to Milwaukee.
1907
Watertown Daily Times, 03
23 1907
The
question of the proposed raising of the Rough and Ready dam was broached [at
the council meeting Monday night] in the introduction of a resolution by
Alderman Lutovsky which was to the effect that the bill to raise the dam from 8
1/2 to 11 1/2 feet would be a detriment to the city and would involve an
additional expense in the construction of the proposed new bridge and
approaches, and would also flood certain streets. It was also embodied in the
resolution that in view of the fact that there is to be a hearing at Madison in
the near future that a copy of the resolution be sent to the committee at
Madison. It voiced the opposition of the council to the bill, setting forth
that the Gas and Electric Company had not considered the interests of the city
in the matter; also providing that the city attorney appear in opposition to the
bill.
The
resolution was unanimously adopted. It seems that it is a move to show that the
city “stands its hand” and intends to stay in the game. It is understood that
the hearing which was to have been had at Madison tomorrow (Thursday) has been
postponed till some time next month.
1908
12
18 Gas
and Electric employee nearly killed, working on a lead wire from the power
house at the dam WG
1909
05 21
New Dam and Power House
The Watertown Gas and Electric Co. is building a new
concrete dam a little to the north of the old dam, 11 1/2 feet high, and a
power house at the Rough and Ready Dam site, men being employed day and night
on the job. The power house will be of
brick and concrete 38 x 94 feet and will be 85 feet high from the river
bottom. It will contain two large water
wheels, and a generator for local use and a transformer and a generator connected
with the power from Kilbourn dam for use on the interurban street railway
line. WG
1996
07 22 A sheriff's sale for the Watertown
Upper Dam has been canceled, according to an attorney representing the mortgage
holder, Bank One of Beaver Dam. Eric L. Becker of the law firm Quincey, Becker
& Schuessler of Beaver Dam said the owner of the dam, R&R Hydro Inc.
and Elaine R. Hitchcock, received a stay of proceedings from the United States
Bankruptcy Court, Western District, in Madison. The firm has filed for Chapter
11 reorganization with the bankruptcy court. As a result, the sheriff's sale
for the upper dam scheduled for July 31 has been canceled. WDT
1999
04 25 Recommendation to cease operations
of hydroelectric generating project at the upper dam WDT
Image Portfolio
Click to enlarge
1904 
1912
[?] see 1909 entry re new dam
1918 
1930s
Cross-References:
No 1: Julius Benkendorf, interest in Rough and Ready
Flouring Mill
No 2: J. H. (Heber) Smith, connected with
Rough and Ready dam and milling operations
No 3: Nicholas Bickner employee (mill)
