website watertownhistory.org
ebook
History of
Watertown, Wisconsin
City Hall
110 N
First
CROSS
REFERENCE NOTE:
PRIOR
TO 1884, City Hall was at 101 E. Main
1884 CONSTRUCTION OF
1890
City Hall, Weltburger, 06 07 1890, drawing
___________________________ EARLY
WEATHER FORECASTING
___________________________
1891:
Watertown considered for Weather and Crop Service Station
04 22 1891 <> Frank Eaton, secretary of the Farmers
club, and some others, have interested themselves in having Watertown made a
weather and crop service station, under the auspices of the Commercial and
Agricultural interests of Wisconsin. The
project, it is expected, will be matured this week, and flag displays be seen
from the city hall building. Daily
weather maps will be received and posted in conspicuous places for the benefit
of the public. Self-registering
thermometers will be used for making observations of temperatures, rain falls, etc. Great benefits to the farmers about here are
expected from the establishing of this station, and it
hoped that general interest will be manifested in its maintenance and
success. WR
04 24 1891 <> Through the efforts of Frank
Eaton on about May 1st next a signal service station will be in full running
order here. The flags will be displayed
from the city hall towers, which will indicate the weather 24 hours in
advance. The rain gauge and
self-registering thermometer will be placed at some convenient place in the
city, so that all may get the benefit of them.
05 15 1891 <> The signal service thermometers
and rain gauge for this station have arrived and are now in position on the building of
Jos. Salick & Son. The
weather flags will be here in a few days, and will float from the flag staff of the city
hall.
05 22 1891 <>
Last Friday
afternoon the weather signals of the government weather signal station were
floated for the first time from the city hall flag staff, the first signal
indicating frost that night. As it was
quite warm at the time and threatening rain, many laughed at the idea of there
going to be a frost, and alluded to the signal service
as a fraud, but on toward evening the weather turned cold, and during the night
a very severe frost set in. Thus far the
weather predictions have been a success...
WG
05 22 1891 <> [same date and paper] Attention
farmers. Make hay while the sun
shines. Daily 8 a.m. weather forecasts
from Washington-D.C., standard time from Washburn Observatory and weekly crop
reports received at the Music and Jewelry store of Joseph Salick & Son,
Watertown, Wis. WG
06 03 1891 <> The weather signals are now
displayed from the Salick building instead of the city hall.
________________________________________________________________________________
1895
07 03 RIVER BANK WALL AT REAR OF CITY HALL
The
improvements along the river banks continue.
The city has begun to erect a wall of masonry in the rear of
the city hall and a like work is being done on the Wegemann
property near Cady Street bridge. These
walls are placed in the river as far as advisable, thus gaining considerable
ground for the lot owners. WR
1897
03 24 MORGUE QUESTION SETTLED
Room to Re Fitted up in City Hall on
North First St.
Action was taken at last night’s meeting of the common council which
will no doubt definitely settle the
question of a public morgue.
Resolved, That a room be fitted up in the southwest corner of the city
hall basement, according to specifications hereto attached, at a cost not to
exceed $65, and that the contract for the same be let by the committee herein
provided for at not to exceed said figure;
1897c
1899
04 19 RECEPTION FOR NEW CITY ADMINISTRATION
The
council chamber last night was handsomely decorated for the reception of the
new city administration. The stars and
stripes and a profuse display of bunting hung from the walls and ceiling, and
ferns, potted plants and beautiful flowers were admirably placed so as to enhance the beauty of the occasion. Janitor Krueger displayed admirable taste in
the decorator’s art, and was the recipient of much
well deserved commendations. The
aldermen made a decidedly good impression, and each wore a pretty button-hole
bouquet, which was in perfect harmony with their surroundings. WR
04 19 1899 FLORAL CARNIVAL, OR A 4TH OF JULY PARADE, c.1899
c.1899-1900
-- -- COMMON COUNCIL MEETING
c.1900
1903
04 21 FIRST MEETING OF NEW CITY COUNCIL
The
council chamber in the city hall last Tuesday evening was elaborately decorated
in honor of the first meeting of the new city council. Flags, bunting, potted plants
and ferns composed the decorations, and each councilman, the mayor and other
city officials wore carnations in their buttonholes. The mayor’s message was an interesting
feature of the meeting, and in it he makes excellent recommendations that
should be carried out . . . . The informal ballot for
city clerk gave Henry Bieber 7 votes, Eugene Killian 5, E. Goeldner 1 and Bums
1. The formal ballot gave Bieber 11,
Killian 2, Mulberger 1; Arthur Mulberger
received 12 votes for city attorney on the informal ballot, Buchheit 1 and
Kading 1. The ballot was made
formal. The city engineer, chief of
police and street commissioner were elected unanimously, on motion, the clerk
casting the ballot.
1908
07 10 Emil Sette was awarded the contract for laying linoleum on the 3d
floor of the City Hall, the price being $201
WG
11 13 Justices of the Peace allowed to
occupy the third floor of city hall for the purpose of holding court,
conducting examination and trials WG
1910
04 22 Emil Luther, Janitor City Hall
1927
07 21 JAIL IN
CITY HALL RENOVATED
Now So Inviting That Cops Fear A Rush
It has
been completely renovated. The walls have
been painted a light cream and tan and the cells are shining with a new coat of
black. The berths have been given an overhauling and new lights have been
installed. The place now has everything
but lace curtains. . . .
07 21 BEDBUGS INVEST CITY HALL
Watertown's
city hall will be closed from top to bottom all day tomorrow and warning signs
will be placed at all entrances to keep the public out or risk death.
The
reason for this step is that the drive to exterminate bedbugs which have made
their entrance via the jail through the admission of transients who sleep there
is to be launched as authorized by the city council. The deadly fumes which will fill the lower
quarters of the building will prevent anyone from entering unless they wish to
risk certain death.
The
fire department and the police department will move headquarters to the Krueger
garage next to the city hall. A special
telephone wire was run in there today to handle all calls in both departments
tomorrow. Fire trucks will be kept out
of doors while the department headquarters are closed.
The
North Western Laboratories of Lake Mills is in charge of
the extermination of the vermin for which the city council appropriated
$150. The lower portions of the city
hall are also to be repainted after the extermination is completed.
The
city jail quarters were cleaned up some time ago, but some of the vermin got
into the sleeping quarters occupied by the firemen and since then it has become
necessary to give the entire first floor of the building a thorough cleanup. The deadly fumes will penetrate the upper
portions of the building and for that reason it will be necessary to close the
entire building while the work is under way.
07 23 BEDBUGS
EXTERMINATED
Deadly Gas Fills City Hall While
Crowds Look on
The
police and fire department moved into their headquarters at the city hall last
night after occupying temporary quarters in the Krueger livery yesterday while
the North Western Laboratories of Lake Mills filled the city hall with poison
gas to exterminate vermin originated in the jail sleeping quarters used by
transients.
A
temporary hookup with the fire alarm system and telephones in both departments
made it possible to handle calls at the livery.
Fire department equipment was moved into the nearby streets for the day.
The
sight attracted crowds during the day.
Signs warning the public against the poison gas
were posted at the entrances. The gas
was set off about 7 o'clock in the morning, and the building was again thrown
open around 6 p. m.
Firemen
Saturday night took a number of pigeons from the tower
to save them from death. One pigeon
which flew into the tower Sunday was overcome and toppled to the ground but was
revived. A hornets' nest located above
one of the doors on the exterior of the building had all of
its inmates destroyed by the gas, the hornets falling dead on the sidewalk.
The
fire department received no calls at its temporary headquarters yesterday. The police department made one arrest, an out-of-town man being taken in custody on a
charge of drunkenness. He was fined one
dollar and costs.
1952
07 11 Veterans
honor roll; location proposed in City Hall WDT
1953
Oct 
1953 Fire Prevention Week
1957
09 07 The
City Council expects shortly to take up the question of what can be done to
relieve congestion at the City Hall which has long been cramped for
quarters. The building was erected in
1884 and some departments, which have grown vastly in work and scope are still
occupying their original quarters with no place in which to expand. One such is the Police Department. Over the years there has frequently been
discussion on the subject of a new City Hall or some
program whereby present departments can expand into space
they need to operate efficiently.
Several times it was suggested that a new jail and fire station be built
and that those quarters be utilized for needed office
space for other departments. But these
discussions were never put into action and as a result nothing was done to
relieve the situation. WDT
10 12 Data
on basic requirements for better facilities at the City Hall has been turned
over to the architectural firm of Durant and Bergquist, now making a survey to
determine what are the best methods to relieve the growing congestion and
inadequacy of the present City Hall quarters.
City Manager C. C. Congdon has met with a representative of the
architects and has given him information regarding present
space occupied by the various departments and the needs for greater efficiency
and expanding use of the building. WDT
12 13 Several
alternate proposals for solving the present City Hall space problem to provide
better and much needed facilities for city departments are due to be included
in a report which the architectural firm of Durrant and Bergquist is preparing. One proposal would call for a new City Hall,
designed to cover a long range building project. Another would propose changes in the present
building and provide whatever outside space is needed to better house present
departments, either by moving such departments into other office space in the
city or start construction of a first unit for a future new City Hall. WDT
c.1957
1958
01 16 Old Armory Building, now the Recreation
Building, proposed new City Hall site
WDT
09 15 Carlton Hotel offered to the city of Watertown
as a site for a future City Hall or municipal building WDT
09 27 SAFETY
CONDITIONS AT CITY HALL
The special
committee recently appointed to inspect the safety conditions of the City Hall,
with special emphasis on the Fire Department's quarters in the building, has
completed its work and has prepared a report which will be sent to the City
Council for consideration at its next meeting, Oct. 7, Arthur Kuenzi, chairman
of the committee, reported today. Serving with Mr.
Kuenzi on the committee are O. E. Carlson and Albert W. Maas, Sr. WDT
c.1958
1960
09 07 NEW FIRE STATION RUNS INTO SNAG
City Plan Commission Ignored
The
proposal for the construction of a new fire station on the grounds of the
recreation building ran into a new snag last night.
The
city council, at its regular meeting, voted down, 4 to 3, a resolution to
engage architects to prepare plans for a new fire station and police department
quarters. Some councilmen wanted to
proceed only with a fire station at this time.
The
final vote was:
Yes:
Shephard, Moser and Kehl.
No:
Franz, McFarland, Shaefer and Hinterberg.
The
issue, as a result of last night's vote, is not dead
and has been placed on the next committee agenda at which time the councilmen
hope to clarify their views and bring in a new resolution.
During
last night's debate on the issue, Councilman Floyd Shaefer suggested that
councilmen give consideration to the City Plan
Commission. He said the commissioners
are too often ignored and that it is an insult to competent men who spend hours
on a matter to have their views shunted aside without giving them proper
consideration. The commission has
opposed the recreation building site.
Council
President Edward Hinterberg said he wanted more time
to study different phases of the fire station plan, such as location, etc., and
that he was not ready to vote on the matter, even to the extent of engaging an
architect.
Councilman
Fred W. Kehl said he believes the time has come for a definite decision for a
new police station, since any money spent on improving the present quarters to
meet the objections of state agencies which have condemned the present jail,
would be a waste of the taxpayers' money.
He
said he feels that the police are more in need of a new station than is the
fire department in need of a new station at this time. He strongly urged that consideration be given
to a one building project.
12 06 FORMER
SAVINGS AND LOAN BLDG CONSIDERED
City hall office space is now so acute that during the closing minutes of last night’s meeting of the city council Councilman Floyd Shaefer offered the suggestion that the city look into the possibility of acquiring the former building of the Watertown Savings and Loan Association on Third Street for office purchases. The building is equipped with a large vault and much of the space is furnished for office purposes, easily convertible for city office usage. The suggestion was offered by Mr. Shaefer as an alternative to extensive remodeling of the present city hall which, he said, would be costly. WDT
1961
03 03 SUB-STANDARD
CONDITION OF POLICE AND JAIL QUARTERS
The city council
which is currently involved in a long standing hassle over plans to provide new
police department and jail facilities got another warning - a stern one and one
that may well be final - from the state last night relative to the present and
long-standing sub-standard condition of police department and jail quarters
housed in the city hall - the same space and quarters the department has been
forced to occupy since the present city hall was built in 1884. Last night's warning, by letter and signed by
V.A. Verhulst, representing the division of corrections, Wisconsin State
Department of Public Welfare, was the latest in a series of proddings
by the state that the city do something to clear up the jail issue without further
delay. WDT
08 02 BANK
OF WATERTOWN PLANS TO ACQUIRE CITY HALL BLDG
The Bank of Watertown last night was granted
permission to make use of the city hall alley in order to
carry out its plans for a drive-in banking facility. The bank hopes some day
to acquire the present city hall to enable it to carry out a greater expansion
program.
1963
04 12 The common
council by unanimous vote last night gave the go ahead
signal for a project which has been kicked around here for several years,
including not only by the present council but during the previous one. It approved contracts and financing for a new
city hall which will be located in Memorial Park.
The meeting last night had been set for the specific purpose of taking
final action on the proposal and as expected, the council decided to approve
the project, since practically all arguments for and against it had long ago
been exhausted. WDT
09 06 The Bank of Watertown has made an officer, subject
to negotiations, to acquire the present city hall property in North First
Street [110 N First] in order to carry out its long standing
plans for expanding its present bank facilities. The offer was made public last night at the
meeting of the common council. That the
bank seeks the property has long been a matter of record. In fact some years
ago, when Lawrence J. Lange was still president of the bank, it was announced
at a meeting of the council that the bank wanted the present city hall when and
if a new municipal building were constructed.
Such construction is now underway in Memorial Park and the city will
occupy the new building late next year, vacating the present city hall which
was erected in 1884. WDT
1964
09 02 FUTURE USE OF OLD CITY HALL TO BE RESOLVED
Now that city offices
and departments have moved into the new Watertown Municipal Building in
Memorial Park, the future use of the old city hall remains to be resolved,
Mayor Robert P. White has informed members of the common council. The mayor has announced to them that at the
present time a stalemate exists on the previously announced plans by the Bank
of Watertown to acquire the building for its long contemplated expansion plans,
chiefly of the Masonic fraternity, owners of the Masonic
Temple, which houses, in addition to numerous offices, the department store
of the Charles Fischer and Sons Co., have been
unable to reach a definite agreement. WDT
11 25 AUCTION OF FURNISHINGS AT OLD CITY HALL BUILDING
Plans to dispose of a number of items which are still housed in the old city
hall building are expected to be discussed and acted on at Tuesday night’s
meeting of the common council, Mayor Robert P. White said today. He said the council must set a date for
auctioning off a number of tables, desks, a
refrigerator and other articles for which no use has been found in the new
municipal building. There isn’t too much
remaining to be sold, the mayor said, but some people may be interested in
buying what there is. The auction is
planned to clear the building and prepare for turning over possession to the
Fischer and Sons Co. department store which recently bid $22,500 for the
property. WDT
12 04 AUCTION OF FURNISHINGS AT OLD CITY HALL
Mayor Robert P. White
today announced that the auction for the sale of the remaining furnishings at
the old city hall building will be held Dec. 12 at 10 a.m. The auction will be held in the fire
department apparatus room of the old city hall building. All furniture will
be displayed starting at 9 o’clock that morning. Mayor White said, “A various assortment of
items will be sold at this auction.
There are about 30 different types of chairs, some tables, wood files, a
refrigerator, gas stove, and three window air-conditioning units. We obviously cannot guarantee the condition
or operation of any of this equipment.”
WDT
1965
04 03 PURCHASED OLD CITY HALL
The Charles Fischer
and Son Co. which purchased Watertown’s old city hall
last year, is expected to assume possession shortly, now that legal matters
involving the transfer of the property have been completed. That information was given
common council members by Mayor Robert P. White at the council's committee
meeting last night. The mayor said the
deed has been signed and that City Attorney David J.
Fries had worked on the legal aspects of the sale. The mayor said that the new owners expect to
begin demolishing the building, constructed in 1861- 62, this spring to clear
the site for a parking area for the store's customers. WDT
1967
06 22 MEYER AND WOLF PROPERTIES ACQUIRED
The Meyer and Wolf properties in North First Street,
to be used as part of the North First Street parking lot expansion, were
acquired this forenoon by the city when the purchases, recently authorized by
the common council, were finalized. The price
for the Meyer property was $26,000 and for the Wolf property $27,500. Both were assessed at a higher figure. The old city hall property will be turned
over to the city at a later date, as soon as legal
preliminaries are completed, the mayor said today. The property is being given to the city by
the present owner, the Chas. Fischer and Sons Co.,
without charge.
07 24 REPORT ON MEYER AND WOLF PROPERTIES
Mayor A. E. Bentzin is expected to present a report to the common
council at its committee meeting next Monday night on his recent trip to
Monroe, with a number of aldermen, where they
inspected the Monroe two-level parking lot.
The trip, which had been suggested at an earlier meeting of the council,
was made as part of the study to help the aldermen determine how best to make
use to create the expanded parking lot in North First Street for which three
properties have recently been acquired by the city‚ the former Wolf and Meyer building and the
former city hall. The intention is not
to start work on the expansion until after a plan has been decided on which
will make the best possible use of the land area that will result when the
three buildings are razed.
08 09 FIRST STREET PARKING FEASIBILITY SURVEY
The
architectural-engineering firm of Durrant-Deininger-Dommer-Kramer- Gordon of
Watertown is launching a North First Street parking feasibility survey to help
the common council decide what will be the best means of expanding the present
parking lot facilities in that area. At
its Aug. 1 meeting the council authorized such a study and will await the
report before the next step in expanding the present facilities is taken. The city earlier this year acquired two of
the North First Street properties which adjoin the present parking lot, namely
the Wolf Estates site and the Meyer Ambulance Service property. In addition, the city also accepted, without
charge, the old city hall which was presented to the city by the Chas. Fischer
and Son Co.
10 20 PARKING
RAMP FEASIBILITY STUDY
A summary of the recently completed feasibility study involving a
proposed parking ramp in the development for expansion of parking facilities in
North First Street was presented to members of the common council at their
committee meeting last night. The
presentation was made by Jerold W. Dommer of
Durrant-Deininger-Dommer-Kramer-Gordon, Watertown architects and engineers who
conducted the study which was authorized several months ago by council action. To be used in the expansion of parking
facilities are three properties which the city acquired earlier this year
directly south of the present North First Street parking lot — the former Wolf
and Meyer properties which the city purchased and the old city hall which was
presented to the municipality by the Fischer and Son Co. which had purchased it
from the city during the previous city administration.
1968
02 09 RAZED FOR PROPOSED PARKING RAMP
Work is to begin very soon
on the razing of the three buildings on North First Street where the parking
ramp will be erected. Garrett
Construction Company, Inc. of Madison, which has been awarded the contract for
the work, has informed city officials that he wants to start the demolition
operation at once. The contract has been
mailed to him. His bid was $5,980. It will be completed in 30 days. The three buildings are the old City Hall
building, the former Meyer building and the former Wolff property.
03 08 DEMOLITION BEGINS
Demolition of the old city hall, constructed in 1882-84, began this
morning, the last of three buildings in North First Street to be removed to
make room for the city’s new parking facilities. First portion of the
old building to come down was the chimney near the northeast area of the
structure. The city hall, which was
abandoned when the municipal offices and departments occupied the new municipal
building on the site of the former Memorial park, was constructed during the
administration of Mayor William Rohr, who served from 1882 to 1884. The first mayor to occupy it for a full
two-year administration was Albert Solliday
who was elected in the spring of 1884 and served until the spring of 1886.
06 26 BIDS FOR PARKING RAMP
The common council at its meeting next week is due to receive a report in the bids which were opened yesterday afternoon at the
municipal building for the proposed parking ramp scheduled for North First
Street. The bids ran higher than
preliminary estimates. The lowest base
bid for a three-floor construction project was filed by the Siesel Construction
Co. of Milwaukee. The figure submitted
is $351,000. If a two-floor project is
ordered the bid will run $65,000 less.
06 29 TWO-LEVEL VS. THREE-LEVEL
Construction of a two-level parking ramp to accommodate 144 cars has a
better chance of being approved by the common council than the larger,
three-level ramp which will accommodate 235 cars. Bids for the project planned in North First
Street were opened and made public last week.
The 215 car ramp would cost a total of $397,323
of which the general construction base bid, entered by the Steel Construction
Co. of Milwaukee, is $251,000. The rest
would represent plumbing work and electrical work, plus architect's fees of
$22,073, contingencies of $7,358, plus installation of meters. The cost per stall would be $1,848.
07 27 OPPOSITION TO THE PROPOSED RAMP
The Board of Directors of the Watertown Area Chamber of Commerce has
expressed opposition to the proposed ramp and recommends that the newly
acquired properties on North First Street be utilized for street level parking
and suggests proposal No. 3 as outlined in a recent bulletin of the
chamber. Proposal No. 3 calls for fixing
up the area to accommodate 40 cars, at an estimated cost of $57,500. Of the two street level options, proposal No
.3 calls for the smallest outlay of money.
08 01 PARKING RAMP NEED EMPHASIZED
The need for a North First Street parking ramp to help solve the
ever-growing downtown parking problems was emphasized last night for members of
the common council by a group of representative downtown business men. To turn down the long planned, long discussed
and long studied ramp at this time would be regressive and not in the best
interests of a growing community, the council was told at its regular committee
meeting. Tonight
the aldermen are to decide the issue.
Citing a recent letter issued by the Watertown Area Chamber of Commerce,
based on a poll that was taken among its members, as not being representative
of the sentiment of the membership, Andrew McFarland of the Busse Pharmacy, a
former alderman and a member of the board of directors of the chamber of
commerce, said the poll reflected only 15 per cent of the membership.
08 02 PARKING RAMP BOMBSHELL
City Attorney David Fries last night tossed a legal bombshell into the
proceedings of the common council meeting just minutes before the aldermen were
ready to vote on awarding contracts for the construction of the North First
Street parking ramp last night. Fries
cited an opinion he had obtained only yesterday from the legal counsel for the
League of Wisconsin Municipalities on which he said the city could not tap
specific funds to provide financing for the ramp.
08 17 PARKING RAMP PLANS KILLED
Plans for the construction of Watertown’s much debated and controversial
parking ramp in North First Street were killed last night by a single vote in
the common council. The resolution to
finance the construction by means of transferring available funds was lost by a
9 to 5 vote. Ten votes were required for
adoption. Before the vote was taken
Alderman Kenneth Wilkes sought to have the vote taken by ballot, with each
alderman voting yes or no and signing his name to the ballot, a procedure he
asserted was proper although it has never been done before.
09 06 “TO START ALL OVER AGAIN”
The common council
which on Aug. 20 defeated plans for the construction of a parking ramp in North
First Street is still plagued by the issue and last night decided “to start all
over again” by naming the council’s safety committee to begin a study and make
a survey relative to a possible plan calling for street level parking only on
the site of the former city hall, the Meyer property and the Wolf Estate
property which the city acquired last year to expand the present parking
facilities in the area. The question
came up last night when Alderman Phil Gerloff inquired as to the probability of
the Fischer and Son department store utilizing the space allotted to it for a
future elevator, which is part of the agreement made with the city when the
company turned over to the city the old city hall, with the provision that if
and when it was torn down the city was to utilize the site for parking.
1969
06 13 NEW PROPOSAL FOR
PARKING LOT
The architectural firm of Durrant, Deininger, Dommer, Kramer and Gordon
have come up with an additional plan in connection with the North First Street
parking lot. It will be presented to the
City Council at its committee meeting Monday night. The new proposal, designated Scheme VI,
provides for the parking of 122 cars in the area, at an estimated cost of
$98,200. The area includes the present
parking lot between the street and the river, and the three properties to the
south, the building on which have been razed.
It had been planned to erect a parking ramp on this site, but the plan lost by one vote in the City Council. The latest alternate plan calls for the
erection of a retaining wall at an estimated cost of $50,000.
Cross
References:
City Hall Constructed by Christian Schmutzler
City Hall After new street lights installed
I’m researching a Wisconsin architect named
Edward Townsend Mix. He was State
architect in the 1860's.
There was an article concerning
Watertown in a Milwaukee paper dated 1884 --Here’s the article:
" April 20, 1884 9/3
City Hall Plans—There's desire among
many of the citizens to have architect Mix of Milw
draw the plans of the new city hall building WATERTOWN."
The building design is from the Coch
plan ...... Feld collection, WR 07 02
1884.
History of Watertown, Wisconsin