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.
1858
Watertown Democrat, 07 15 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
1905
Watertown Daily Times, 05 31 1905
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.
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.
1996
Watertown Daily Times, 07 22 1996
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.
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1904 
1912 
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)
