This
file part of www.watertownhistory.org
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Watertown Wisconsin History Timeline
1835
Town lines were
run by John Mullet, government surveyor
1836
The Founding of
Watertown:
Timothy Johnson arrival, Dec 10, 1836
Through the eyes of Timothy
Johnson's daughter
Luther Cole arrival, Dec 27, 1836
First mail arrives
James Rogan, first deed to a land grant,
recollections of
First hotel, a two room shanty, Rogan
brothers
1837
John Richards
arrival
John Chadwick arrival
First post office
and postmaster
Brayton family, early area (Aztalan)
settlers, arrive in area
1840
1841
St. Bernard’s mission established, first
Catholic Mass in Watertown
1842
Watertown settlement, depiction of
1843
Store that became Farmer’s Hotel
constructed (later Commercial Hotel; Carlton House today)
1845
Uniontown, Decem.27, 1945 / John
Gamble letter
Daniel Jones arrives in Watertown, merchant,
banker
First
cemetery established
First Congregation Church
established
1846
Watertown
Plank Road constructed
St. Bernard’s
frame church constructed
Mud Tavern built (approx time)
Dr. James Cody arrival
Edward Evans arrival; blacksmith,
wagon-making, livery stable operator
1847
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church organized
Farmer’s Hotel opened
Fountain & Co. opens first drug store
in village
Fourth of July, first in
village
Brickyards of Boomer and
also Chadwick & Platt’s open
Daily mail service between Watertown
and Milwaukee
1848
Year of Statehood
Watertown Plank Road started
First [or one of the first] circus comes to
early Watertown
1849
Watertown incorporated
as a village
Boomer Dam built
Kusel’s established
St. Luke’s Lutheran Church incorporated
1849-54
1850
Watertown’s Bohemian Settlement
1851
Octagon House construction started
1852
St. John’s
Lutheran Church-WELS founded
Weltbuerger Printing
established, German newspaper
Plank Road Brewery established
William Voss settles in town
1853
Watertown incorporated
as a city
Election of first city officers,
including first mayor
Ebenezer Moravian Church established
Keck Furniture
established
Octagon House construction started
Salick’s Jewelry
Store established
St.
Henry’s Catholic Church established
Watertown Plank Road completed
Watertown Police Department formed
Wisconsin State
Fair hosted by Watertown
1853 impressions of Watertown
Gustav Eberle
arrives, Eberle Drug
Sharpshooter Club organized
1854
Cholera sweeps through city
Bank of Watertown organized
Watertown
Moravian Church established
St. Mark’s Evangelical
Lutheran Church established
Justus Moak
moves to town
1855
Carl Schurz
arrives in Watertown [died 1096]
Railroad
(Milwaukee-Watertown) reaches city (est. 1853)
Railroad (C. M. & St. Paul
Railway) reaches city (begun 1851)
Railroad depot of C. M. &
St. Paul opened
Fred Miller settles in town
1856
First Kindergarten established
Wisconsin National Bank of
Watertown organized
Hardege family
moves to town
1857
Fire Department
formed
1858
1859
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, cornerstone
laid
Gaebler family
moves to town
Pike’s Peak fever
Special Police or Night
Watch proposed
Chicago
and North Western line constructed
1860
Turner movement was launched
Louis Cordes
moves to town
Pioneer Engine Co. No. 1,
First Annual Ball
1861
Watertown Rifles organized for Civil War
Early Watertown Amusement Places
1862
Concordia Society formed
1863
Theological
Seminary established
1864
Marshall Woodard moves to city
1865
Civil War
ends: Amand Gritzner veteran bio
Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, April 14
Northwestern College established
Archie Brothers Monuments established
Oak
Hill Cemetery, started at present location
1866
Watertown High School started
First Watertown
City Directory published
Area German
families migrate to Norfolk, Nebraska
Frank J. Howes
Champion Circus
1867
Saengerfest
celebration (first of three)
1868
City served with writ of mandamus (railroad bond issue)
1869
Exorcism performed
at St. Henry’s Catholic Church
Jesse Stone arrives in town
1871
Drought. Great Peshtigo and Chicago fires
Diary note: Watertown area of 1871: ..... Pigpens more conspicuous than houses. Turkeys look nicer
than the inhabitants
.... The city is neither elegant nor beautiful.
Rather filthy looking ....
1872
Wisconsin Dairymen’s Assn’s Board of
Trade organized at Watertown
1873
1874
Cady St Bridge constructed
1875
First quintuplets in U.S., born to Edna Kanouse
1876
Celebration, 100 years from July
4, 1776
Phoenix Fire Co organized
First telephone in service in Watertown
Otto’s Inn founded
1878
Harger’s Times newspaper
1880
Prof Charles Viebahn,
Principal and Superintendent of School (1880-1904)
1881
Fierce snow storm paralyzes city
Watertown brick making business started
1883
Young Married Ladies’ Ride event
inaugurated
Plattdeutscher
Verein established
Pease Post No. 94, G.A.R. founded
1885
Grube General
Store established
1887
Fire at Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul
Railway complex
Fire at Rough
& Ready Mill, upper dam
Emergency Hospital established
1888
Trachte & Trayser established
St. Mark’s Lutheran Church established
Central Wisconsin Fair Held at
Watertown
1889
Watertown Table Slide Company
organized
Milwaukee St Bridge (iron)
opened
Electrical plant franchise given L Cordes by city, May 27, 1889
Electrical lighting system installed
1895
Hartwig veterinary
hospital established
Laying of sewer line on Main
St
Public Health report
on small pox, consumption, need for hospital
Watertown Daily Times founded
1896
Euterpe Music Club formed
1897
Wisconsin Bible Training School
established
Watertown Squab Co and Watertown Pigeon
Club origins
1898
Major snow storm hits
city
Water lines and utilities laid on Main St
Lewis
fountain, Main Street
Farmer’s
Picnic, Fourth of July celebration, Main St
1899
Main Street paved with bricks
1900
Theodore Roosevelt stops in
town
1901
Watertown stuffed geese industry
established (approx date); Watertown Goslings
Watertown Elks Lodge #666
1902
Homecoming Day, first one
1903
Watertown Public
Library established
Turkish baths open, Second St
July 4th, Hazardous holiday
C M & St Paul Railroad bridge (stone arch) opened
Iroquois theatre fire in Chicago, Misses Orlena and Anna Moak, victims
1904
Bethesda Lutheran Home
established
Beal & Torrey Shoe factory built
Globe Mill, concrete dam built
1905
Inter County
Fair began (ran until 1927)
Baseball is a
favorite pastime
Homecoming Day, 1905
1906
1907
Children’s Day,
last day of school; on way to Tivoli Island for picnic
Two train wrecks at
Junction
Watertown Day at World's County Fair
at Beaver Dam
1908
Fred Merkle
makes a name for himself
Auto manufacturing facility
proposed
Homecoming Day, 1908
1909
G B Lewis fire, June
President Taft, train stops in Watertown,
1909
Railroad accident, 12 killed
Automobile businesses follow
development of Model T
Homecoming Day, 1909
1910
1912
Post office constructed, Second and Madison
1913
Spring weather note, new
high school
1914
1915
Barnum and Bailey Circus parade on
Main Street
Tuberculosis Sanitarium
proposed for city
1916
Trinity
Lutheran Church founded
1917
Webster School, fall, 4th Grade,
Bernice Krueger, teacher
Company E, WI National Guard,
activated, World War I
1918
Spanish influenza
1919
Watertown American Legion began
1920
Watertown Chamber of Commerce formed
Troop G, First Wisconsin
Cavalry Regiment formed
Watertown man, age
70, daddy of twins
1921
105th Cavalry Regiment
formed
1923
1924
Death of Colonel Albert A. Solliday,
1841-1924
1928
Turner Opera House fire
1930
Milwaukee St Bridge (concrete
arch) opened
First funeral
home: Nowack’s
1932
1933
Watertown Historical Society
formed
1936
Centennial
Celebration of founding of Watertown
(1836-1936)
Richard Hoge
becomes weather observer
1937
Rogan Home remodeled into Boyle Funeral
Home
1940
32nd Division
mobilized for World War II
1941
First city church
census
1942
Turkey Gehrke’s death
1945
1946
Fleischmann Malting fire
1947
Bittner and Tetzlaff
fire
Pearl
Harbor, December 7
1949
City Manager-council
form of municipal government began
Lincoln
School fire
1950
Savoy Theater fire
1953
Centennial of
incorporation; celebration
postponed until 1954
due to lack of planning
1954
100th anniversary of the first
city charter; actually signed in 1853
Riverside Park Band Shell dedicated
1955
Sacred Heart Military Academy opens
Watertown Gosling Baseball wins State
Championship
1956
Death of Charles A Kading
1959
1960
St. Luke’s Lutheran Church demolished (N Fourth
St site)
1961
Company C
activated, 32nd Infantry Div, Berlin Crisis
1962
Post office
constructed, Dodge St
1963
Tribute to the memory of President
John F. Kennedy, on day of funeral
1968
Maranatha
Baptist Bible College opens
1969
Marquardt Manor opened
1976
American Revolution Bicentennial
celebration
1983
Carl Schurz U.S.
stamp issued
Commander Daniel Brandenstein,
United States Navy, pilot for Space Shuttle Challenger flight
1986
Sesquicentennial of
founding; celebration
postponed until 1987
* 1986 was the 150th anniversary of the founding of the city, but
the city just couldn’t get everything together, so the event was held in 1987,
complete with a big parade, etc. And, it
just continued after that. That’s what
happened in 1954. The event was supposed
to be in 1953, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Watertown becoming a
city.
Riverfest started, on 150th anniversary of
founding
1987
“Sesquicentennial’
observed
1995
Luther Preparatory School opens
2003
Sesquicentennial of
incorporation as city not
observed
2007
Watertown
Fire Department 150th anniversary
2008
The Flood of June, ‘08
Index:
Watertown on the Internet
Related
Link:
Archives at the
Dodge/Jefferson Counties Genealogical Society Web Site.
