This file portion of www.watertownhistory.org website
Tivoli Island
Nestled
in an elbow of the winding path of the Rock River rests Tivoli Island, known earlier
as Concordia Island, and before that was one of many nameless islands in North
America's wilderness.
Long
before the Europeans first settled in the Watertown area, the island flourished
with lush vegetation and a wide variety of wildlife. Indians of the Potawatomi
and Winnebago tribes frequently visited this area hunting for game. By the time
the French fur traders canoed up the river, many of the Indians found living
here had come from eastern lands, having been forced to migrate due to western expansion
of the pioneers.
French
fur traders were some of the first white men to come upon these forests of
maple and basswood, and prairies scattered with oaks. Setting their traps along
the river, the island may have served as a place to camp for the night.
Timothy Johnson
In the
1830's pioneers used the Rock River for a means of travel in their pursuit of a
new place to settle. Watertown's first settler, Timothy
Johnson, described the area surrounding the island as containing "a
combination of woodlands, prairie openings, and natural meadows. The banks of
the river were fanged with red cedars, the background being thickly wooded on
the west side with stately oaks and the east with a forest of maples, elms, and
ashes.”
Two
other early pioneers, John and Luther Cole,
arrived at the settlement and referred to the west side of the river as being
occupied by Winnebago and the east side by Potawatomi. They described the area
surrounding the island as having "several acres of cleared land scattered
here and there cultivated of corn by the Indians."
In
1835 the town lines were run by the government surveyor, John Mullet, on whose
map this island is clearly drawn. Soon after, Wisconsin became a territory and
in 1839, Jefferson County was formed. On the land to the west of the island, a
little settlement began to grow and by 1837 seventy strong-willed people had
made this beautiful area their home. Land could not be purchased until February
of 1839, after which the population began to increase, and by 1840 rose to 218
persons. From this time on the little island that we today call Tivoli Island
has played its part in the story of the city of Watertown.
First Owner
The
first owner of the island was Jesse Decoy. He later presented the island as a
gift to the first son of John Cole, one of Watertown's founding fathers. Many years later, Mrs.
John Cole gave a speech on the island telling of its beauty and how her son
had acquired it. She said, “Before my
baby was 24 hours old I had a deed for the boy of this little island, the
beauties and loveliness of which we so much admire and enjoy today.”
In the
1840's an earthen and timber dam was constructed directly above the 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.
It was recorded in 1908 that a Benkerdorf family once owed the island.
Concordia Island
In 1874
a German singing group, the Concordia
Music Society, purchased the island, and named it Concordia Island. The
society had been formed in 1862 under direction of Mr. Gaebler. Concordia
Island served as a host to many saengerfests, music festivals in which most of
the singing organizations of the state would take part. Local citizens held
picnics and heard frequent band concerts on Concordia Island. Unions, clubs,
and trade guilds from throughout the state rented the island for annual
gatherings.
Concordia
members landscaped the island, planting many trees and shrubs of various
varieties, some of which are mature trees today. Members constructed numerous
buildings including a beautiful central pavilion. The island was graced with one of the first
fountains in this area. Located in front of the pavilion, it sent sprays of
water splashing into a circular basin in the center of which stood an
ornamental statue. A secluded water tank kept the fountain at play, while a
windmill pumped water into the giant container. It also had a circular
bandstand with beer, candy and ice cream sales on ground level and quarters for
musicians on the second floor.
Bowling Alley
A
long, narrow building housed a two-lane bowling alley where the old game of
ninepins was played. A wooden, narrow foot bridge spanned the Rock River on the
island's north side, quite near the present-day bridge. Concordia Island was
known far and wide, and as some of Watertown's old timers once recalled, the
island was at one time so popular that even Riverside Park cannot compare with
the fame that Concordia Island once knew.
1905
Third Annual Homecoming
The
afternoon was spent in perhaps the most natural picnic grounds in all America -
Tivoli Island. Situated in the middle of Rock River, containing several acres
of fine wooded land, and within walking distance of the city, it is an ideal
spot. The beauty of the scene is
enhanced by the renowned Rough and Ready waterfall, which stretches the whole breadth
of the river just at the end of the island and within full view of it . .
. full
article
1906
Bridge
The
current bridge, originally built around 1877, was part of a four-span structure
over the Crawfish River in the village of Milford. Two spans of the bridge were moved to the
present site in 1906. It is the last remaining example in the state of a
tubular iron arch design which was patented in 1866 by Zenas King of Ohio.
Watertown
Park and Recreation Department re-decked the historic structure in December
2006.
1907
Beer Garden
As the
Victorian age ended and the first Model T rolled into Watertown, the Concordia
Society disbanded and the island was sold. Around 1907 the Ohm brothers, local
saloon operators, purchased Concordia, and changed its name to Tivoli,
and for a short time opened a beer garden (a news item using the name
"Tivoli Island" instead of "Concordia Island" appeared in
the June 29, 1906 issue of the Watertown
Weekly Leader.
Tivoli Name
The
name Tivoli is said to have come either from an ancient summer pleasure resort
near Rome, Italy or from the Tivoli Gardens which had opened in Copenhagen in
1843.
The Ohm
brothers enclosed the pavilion and added on nine rooms. 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.
1925
Tourist Camp
After
prohibition was put into effect the beer garden closed and the Ohm brothers
sold the island to Carl and Mary Wolf. For some years the city rented the
island for a tourist camp. At that time sanitary facilities were also built, of
which the cement foundation still remains.
1926
In
1926 Col. W. F. Reichardt, a civil engineer, later city engineer, mayor, and a
WPA director, purchased the island.
Reichardt improved the bridge by building concrete middle piers, upon
which iron beams supported a wooden floor. Reichardt also published a booklet
with photos and a detailed description of the island to promote its sale.
1941
In
1941 the city of Watertown considered buying Tivoli from Reichadt, but the idea
was voted down by the citizens. There was much debate for and against, and many
"Voice of the People” articles appeared in the Daily Times. The main argument against its purchase was shortage of
money at the time and no desire for an increase in taxes.
Late
that year the island was lost to the county for taxes, and purchased from the
county by Flora Gerbitz. For many years Tivoli had been left alone and
buildings remained vacant. In 1946 Henry Scholl purchased the island from
Gerbitz.
1961
Purchase of Island by City
In
1961 the city of Watertown purchased the island at which time the old run down
buildings that remained were torn down and dead trees removed. The bridge was
given a new floor and opened for foot travel. Other than this initial clean up,
little was done to change the island.
1969
In
1969 a resolution was put before the city council to develop Tivoli Island into
an outdoor recreational facility. It was voted down because of the high cost of
initial and future development.
1975
In 1975
the Jaycees asked the city to consider restoration of Tivoli Island to the
condition it was while Concordia Society owned, it. Plans were discussed for
reconstruction of the pavilion and fountain that existed there at the turn of
the century. This proposal was turned down for several reasons. Limited
parking, availability of other parks of that type, and Tivoli's location near
the flood plain ruled out the possibility of such development.
For
many years Tivoli Island has been left to itself. Its inhabitants have been the squirrels and
many species of birds. Ordinarily a piece of property located so close to a
residential area would have been developed or misused. But because it is an
island with only one bridge as an access point, the Rock River offers the best
natural protection available. Because of this protected isolation, and the wide
variety of existing natural landscaping, an idea was thought of to create
Tivoli Island into a natural park.
An
article requesting support of such a project was published in the Daily Times and the Izaak Walton League
responded by volunteering financial and physical support. This plan includes
the planting of native species and removal of foreign plants. It extends over a five-year period, and will
restore the island with its native vegetation.
In
April of this year the Izaak Walton League and the Octagon Garden Club worked
on the development of this plan.
The
Octagon Garden Club has planted nearly 100 native wildflower plants. Of the
flowers planted some of the species were Virginia Bluebells, Wild Columbine,
Jack in the Pulpit, Wild Ginger, Wild Blue Phlox, Mayapple, Bloodroot, Trillium
and Jacobs Ladder. These flowers were purchased through funds provided by the
club.
Hiking Trail
The
Izaak Walton League has begun laying out a hiking trail which will cover the
island. In order to make a good walking surface, a layer of wood chips was used
to cover the path. These wood chips were made from fallen or dead trees and
provided by the Park and Recreation Department. The Izaaks also cut and piled
fallen tree limbs to provide habitat for small wildlife.
Derived in part from Watertown
Daily Times, 06 12 1976
Image
Portfolio
Click to enlarge
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1908 |
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South from Smith Bridge,
1911 |
c1911 |
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Fountain in park |
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Cross-References:
No 1 Homecoming Day celebrations, Tivoli Island
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