Watertown is a city in Jefferson and Dodge Counties in Wisconsin. The population was 21,598 at the 2000 census. In Dodge County, the city is surrounded by the Town of Watertown. Most of the city's population is in Jefferson County. Division Street, several blocks north of downtown, is built on the county line. Watertown's population is now 23,131.^{[citation needed]} Jefferson County is a county located in the state of Wisconsin. ... Dodge County is a county located in the state of Wisconsin. ... Official language(s) None Capital Madison Largest city Milwaukee Area  Ranked 23rd  - Total 65,498 sq mi (169,790 km²)  - Width 260 miles (420 km)  - Length 310 miles (500 km)  - % water 17  - Latitude 42°30N to 47°3N  - Longitude 86°49W to 92°54W Population  Ranked... Watertown is a town in Dodge County, Wisconsin, United States. ...

Watertown is the largest city in the Watertown-Fort Atkinson micropolitan area, which also includes Johnson Creek and Jefferson. The 2005 population of the micropolitan area is 79,328. United States micropolitan areas, as defined by the Census Bureau and the Office of Management and Budget, are urban areas in the United States based around a core city or town with a population of 10,000 to 49,999. ... Johnson Creek is a village located in Jefferson County, Wisconsin. ... There are a few other places named Jefferson in Wisconsin. ...

Geography

Location of Watertown, Wisconsin

Watertown is located in Southeastern Wisconsin, approximately midway between Madison and Milwaukee, at 43°11′35″N, 88°43′26″W (43.193066, -88.723774)¹. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 29.3 km² (11.3 mi²). Small communities in the immediate area (e.g., within the school district), include: Richwood, Lebanon, Old Lebanon, Sugar Island, Pipersville, Concord, Ebenezer, and Grellton. Image File history File links WIMap-doton-Watertown_b. ... Image File history File links WIMap-doton-Watertown_b. ... Nickname: Location of Madison in Dane County, Wisconsin Coordinates: , Municipality City Incorporated 1848 Government  - Mayor Dave Cieslewicz Area  - City 219. ... Nickname: Location of Milwaukee in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin Coordinates: , County Milwaukee Government  - Mayor Tom Barrett (D) Area  - City  97 sq mi (251. ... The following is a list of sources used in the creation of encyclopedia articles on various geographic topics and locations, such as cities, counties, states, and countries. ... The United States Census Bureau (officially Bureau of the Census as defined in Title ) is a part of the United States Department of Commerce. ... A square metre (US spelling: square meter) is by definition the area enclosed by a square with sides each 1 metre long. ... A square mile is an English unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile (≈1,609 m) in length. ...

The Rock River flows through Watertown in a horseshoe bend before heading south and west on its way to the Mississippi River. The city originally developed inside the horseshoe, though it has long since grown beyond. Silver Creek adjoins the river in the city, as does a short creek on the west side. Rock River may refer to: the Rock River, a tributary of the Mississippi River in Wisconsin and Illinois in the United States the Rock River, a tributary of the Big Sioux River in Minnesota and Iowa in the United States any of three Rock Rivers in Michigan in the United... For the river in Canada, see Mississippi River (Ontario). ...

The most notable geographical feature is a high density of drumlins, long hills formed by the glaciers of the Wisconsin glaciation as they retreated northwards. All hills in the area are elongated in the north-south direction. Drumlin in Cato, New York A drumlin (Gaelic druim the crest of a hill) is an elongated whale-shaped hill formed by glacial action. ... Austrias longest glacier, the Pasterze, winds its 8 km (5 mile) route at the foot of Austrias highest mountain, the Grossglockner A glacier is a large, long-lasting river of ice that is formed on land and moves in response to gravity. ... The Wisconsin (in North America), Devensian (in the British Isles), Midlandian (in Ireland), Würm (in the Alps), and Weichsel (in northern central Europe) glaciations are the most recent glaciations of the Pleistocene epoch, which ended around 10,000 BCE. The general glacial advance began about 70,000 BCE, and...

History

The downstream of Watertown's two dams, with a portion of downtown in the background

Watertown was first settled by Timothy Johnson,^[1] who built a cabin on the west side of the river in 1836. A park on the west side of the city is named in his honor. A town was settled to utilize the power of the Rock River, which falls 20 feet in two miles.^{[citation needed]} In contrast, the Rock River falls only 34 feet in the 58 miles upstream from Watertown.^[2] The waterpower was first used for sawmills, and later prompted the construction of two hydroelectric dams, one downtown (where the river flows south) and one on the eastern edge of the city (where the river flows north). The Watertown economy remains heavily reliant on light industry. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2032 × 1524 pixel, file size: 678 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) A picture I took of the downstream dam in Watertown, WI. The powerhouse is visible on the left, and a portion of downtown in the... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2032 × 1524 pixel, file size: 678 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) A picture I took of the downstream dam in Watertown, WI. The powerhouse is visible on the left, and a portion of downtown in the... This article or section should include material from Saw mill A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards. ... Hydroelectric dam diagram The waters of Llyn Stwlan, the upper reservoir of the Ffestiniog Pumped-Storage Scheme in north Wales, can just be glimpsed on the right. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

In 1853, a plank road was completed from Milwaukee to Watertown.^[3] After plank roads were no longer used, the route was replaced by highway (Wisconsin Highway 16) and railroad. However, a street named "Watertown Plank Road" survives in Milwaukee. The road is referenced by the "Plank Road Brewery" family of beers, including Icehouse beer, produced by Miller Brewing Company in Milwaukee. A plank road or puncheon is a dirt path or road covered with a series of planks, similar to the wooden sidewalks one would see in a Western movie. ... State Trunk Highway 16 (often called Highway 16, STH 16 or WIS 16) is a Wisconsin state highway running from Pewaukee across the state to La Crosse. ... Miller Brewing Company is the second largest American beermaker and is based in Milwaukee. ...

Similarly, a plan for a canal from Milwaukee to the Watertown area was once planned, but was replaced by railroad before any work had been completed other than a dam in Milwaukee.^[4] The territorial legislature incorporated the Milwaukee and Rock River Canal company in 1836, but the plan was abandoned in 1848. The canal would have provided a waterway between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River, but even if completed it may not have seen much success, similar to the Portage Canal, which was completed after railroads had already become the preferred mode of transportation. The Canal du Midi, Toulouse, France Canals are artificial channels for water. ... This is the top-level page of WikiProject trains Rail tracks Rail transport refers to the land transport of passengers and goods along railways or railroads. ... The Great Lakes from space The Laurentian Great Lakes are a group of five large lakes in North America on or near the Canada-United States border. ... For the river in Canada, see Mississippi River (Ontario). ... The Portage Canal was built to connect the Fox River and Wisconsin River at Portage, Wisconsin. ...

Watertown's Octagon House

The city did not grow quickly at first, but an influx of German immigrants increased the population to over 10,000 in the late 19th century. The city is the home of the first kindergarten in the United States, started by German immigrants; the building that housed this kindergarten is now located on the grounds of the Octagon House Museum in Watertown. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2272 × 1704 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2272 × 1704 pixel, file size: 1. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

An interesting point in history occurred when the City of Watertown government issued almost half a million dollars in bonds to support the building of two railroads to town: the Chicago & Fond du Lac Company and the Milwaukee, Watertown & Madison Road.^[5] These were issued from 1853-1855. Soon afterwards, the two railroads went bankrupt due to the Panic of 1857. The bonds were sold off to out-of-town speculators by the original investors at a small fraction of their face value. Since the railroads were never built and therefore did not produce revenue, the City of Watertown was unable to pay off the bonds. Moreover, the city did not exactly feel compelled to do so because the creditors (those who held interests in the bonds) were not only from out of town, but weren't even the original holders. Yet the creditors exerted so much pressure on the city to pay off the bonds that Watertown effectively dissolved its government so that there was no legal entity (the government as a whole or officers) that could be served a court order to pay or appear in court. The case was not resolved until 1889, when it had risen all the way to the Supreme Court of the United States, who essentially dismissed the case of the creditors. A small amount remained to be paid, and this was not paid off until 1905, half a century later.^[6]

Education

The school district is Watertown Unified School District.[1] Watertown has one public high school, Watertown High School. Its mascot is the Gosling, a reference to large quantity of foie gras once produced in the city by goose noodling. Completed in 1994, it is located on the northwest edge of town on approximately 160 acres. The public middle school, Riverside Middle School, is on the eastern edge of town. There are four public elementary schools in the city: Lincoln, Schurz, Douglas, and Webster. An additional public elementary school in the Watertown district is in Lebanon. One more existed in Concord, but was closed in 2004. Pâté de foie gras (right) with pickled pear. ... Gavage, from a French word meaning to gorge, refers to various practices of force-feeding. ...

The campus of Northwestern College, which closed in 1995 after 130 years of higher education, is now part of Luther Preparatory School, both affiliated with the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS). The college merged with Martin Luther Collegein New Ulm, Minnesota. Four of the WELS churches have elementary schools, as well as the two Catholic churches, St. Bernard's and St. Henry's. Maranatha Baptist Bible College is also located on the western side Watertown. This article deals with the WELS-affiliated tertiary institution in Minnesota. ... Luther Preparatory School (LPS or Luther Prep), established in 1995, is a residential four-year secondary school located in Watertown, Wisconsin, and is owned and operated by the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article deals with the WELS-affiliated tertiary institution in Minnesota. ... Parking meter checker stands by his police vehicle which is imprinted with the German word for police (Polizei). ... Maranatha Baptist Bible College is an independent, fundamental, Baptist college in Watertown, Wisconsin, offering undergraduate degrees in Biblical Studies, Biblical Counseling, Pastoral Studies, Evangelism, Church Ministries, Womens Ministries, Youth Ministries, Missions, Missionary Aviation, Accounting, Management Information Systems, Marketing Management, Office Management, Business Management, Business Education, English Education, History Education...

Transportation

Facing east down Highway 19 (Main Street)

Primary automobile transportation is provided via Highway 19, Highway 26 and Highway 16. Highway 19 begins in Watertown and runs westward. Highway 16 runs east-west across Wisconsin from Milwaukee to La Crosse, passing around Watertown via a bypass. Highway 26 runs north-south through the center of town. Highways 26 and 16 provide easy access to Interstate 94. Highway 16 provides access to the Milwaukee metro area and highway 19 provides access to the Madison metro area. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2032 × 1524 pixel, file size: 560 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Picture I took facing east down Main Street of Watertown, WI. I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2032 × 1524 pixel, file size: 560 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Picture I took facing east down Main Street of Watertown, WI. I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... State Trunk Highway 19 (often called Highway 19, STH 19 or WIS 19) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. ... State Trunk Highway 26 (often called Highway 26, STH 26 or WIS 26) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. ... State Trunk Highway 16 (often called Highway 16, STH 16 or WIS 16) is a Wisconsin state highway running from Pewaukee across the state to La Crosse. ... Nickname: Location of Milwaukee in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin Coordinates: , County Milwaukee Government  - Mayor Tom Barrett (D) Area  - City  97 sq mi (251. ... Location in the state of Wisconsin Coordinates: , Counties La Crosse County Government  - Mayor Mark Johnsrud Area  - City 57. ... Interstate 94 (abbreviated I-94) is a long interstate highway connecting the Great Lakes and Intermountain region of the United States. ... Nickname: Location of Milwaukee in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin Coordinates: , County Milwaukee Government  - Mayor Tom Barrett (D) Area  - City  97 sq mi (251. ... Nickname: Location of Madison in Dane County, Wisconsin Coordinates: , Municipality City Incorporated 1848 Government  - Mayor Dave Cieslewicz Area  - City 219. ...

General aviation interests are served by the Watertown Municipal Airport. Watertown Municipal Airport (IATA: RYV, ICAO: KRYV) is a public airport located in the city of Watertown, in Jefferson County, Wisconsin. ...

Amtrak's Empire Builder passes through, but does not stop in, Watertown. The Milwaukee to Madison leg of the Midwest Regional Rail Initiative is planned to pass through Watertown. Acela Express in West Windsor, NJ Amtrak Cascades service with tilting Talgo trainsets in Seattle, Washington Amtrak train in downtown Orlando, Florida For other uses, see Amtrak (disambiguation). ... Empire Builder is a train route operated by Amtrak in the Midwestern and Northwestern United States. ... Route map The Midwest Regional Rail Initiative or Midwest Regional Rail System (MRRI, MWRRI, or MWRRS) is a plan to implement a high-speed rail network in the Midwestern United States, using Chicago, Illinois as a hub and including 3,000 miles (5,000 km) of track. ...

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there were 21,598 people, 8,022 households, and 5,567 families residing in the city. The population density was 762.3/km² (1,974.1/mi²). There were 8,330 housing units at an average density of 294.0/km² (761.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.90% White, 0.25% African American, 0.39% Native American, 0.61% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.69% from other races, and 1.13% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.94% of the population. 1870 US Census for New York City A census is the process of obtaining information about every member of a population (not necessarily a human population). ... The following is a list of sources used in the creation of encyclopedia articles on various geographic topics and locations, such as cities, counties, states, and countries. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... It has been suggested that Ethnicity (United States Census) be merged into this article or section. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ... The United States Census Bureau uses the federal governments definitions of race when performing a census. ...

There were 8,022 households out of which 34.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.2% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.6% were non-families. 25.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.07. “Spouse” redirects here. ...

In the city the population was spread out with 26.0% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 93.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $42,562, and the median income for a family was $50,686. Males had a median income of $34,825 versus $23,811 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,977. About 4.6% of families and 6.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.8% of those under age 18 and 6.9% of those age 65 or over. The per capita income for a group of people may be defined as their total personal income, divided by the total population. ... Map of countries showing percentage of population who have an income below the national poverty line The poverty line is the level of income below which one cannot afford to purchase all the resources one requires to live. ...

Famous people from Watertown

• R. D. Blumenfeld, journalist, editor of the British Daily Express.
• Daniel Brandenstein, former NASA astronaut, veteran of four space shuttle flights.
• Joseph E. Davies, the second Ambassador to represent the United States in the Soviet Union.
• Fred Merkle, a first baseman in Major League Baseball.
• Theodore H. Rowell, pharmaceutical industrialist and politician.

Ralph David Blumenfeld (pen-name R.D.B., 7 April 1864 – 17 July 1948) was a United States-born journalist, writer and newspaper editor who is chiefly notable for having been in charge of the British Daily Express from 1902 to 1932. ... For other uses, see Daily Express (disambiguation). ... Daniel Charles Brandenstein (born January 17, 1943, Watertown, Wisconsin) is a former NASA astronaut who flew four space shuttle missions. ... This article is about the American space agency. ... Astronaut Bruce McCandless II using a manned maneuvering unit outside the U.S. Space Shuttle Challenger in 1984. ... Joseph Edward Davies (1876-1958) was the second Ambassador to represent the United States in the Soviet Union. ... An ambassador, rarely embassador, is a diplomatic official accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization, to serve as the official representative of his or her own country. ... Frederick Charles Merkle (December 20, 1888 – March 2, 1956) was an American first baseman in Major League Baseball. ... The position of the first baseman First base redirects here. ... MLB and Major Leagues redirect here. ... Theodore H. Rowell, Sr. ...

External links

• City of Watertown
• Watertown Area Chamber of Commerce
• Watertown Daily Times, local newspaper
• Watertown Unified School District
• Watertown History website
• Maps and aerial photos for 43°11′35″N 88°43′26″W / 43.193066, -88.723774Coordinates: 43°11′35″N 88°43′26″W / 43.193066, -88.723774
  • Maps from WikiMapia, Google Maps, Live Search Maps, Yahoo! Maps, or MapQuest
  • Topographic maps from TopoZone or TerraServer-USA

Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...

References

1. ^ http://www.watertownhistory.org/Articles/TimothyJohnson.htm
2. ^ http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/gmu/uprock/
3. ^ http://www.watertownhistory.org/
4. ^ Wisconsin: comprising sketches of counties, towns, events, institutions, and persons, arranged in cyclopedic form, ed. by Ex-Gov. Geo. W. Peck (Madison, Wis., Western Historical Association, 1906)
5. ^ http://www.watertownhistory.org/Articles/CityGovernment101.htm
6. ^ http://www.watertownhistory.org/Articles/Railroad_Milwaukee_and_Watertown.htm