Term: Watertown, Jefferson Co.
Definition:
A community in Jefferson Co. at latitude 431141N and longitude 0884344W
Description from John W. Hunt's 1853 Wisconsin Gazetteer: "WATERTOWN, City, is situated on both sides of Rock river, at the line between Dodge and Jefferson county, on the old stage route, half way (40 miles) between Madison and Milwaukee, and 12 miles north of Jefferson. It is connected with Milwaukee by a plank road, and is a point in the charters of several railroads. The location of Watertown, in the heart of an excellent farming country, its good hydraulic power, access to market, and the energy and spirit of its inhabitants, cannot fail to have it continue, as it now is, one of the largest and most important inland towns in the State. The following are some of the statistics of the place taken in May, 1853: Watertown now contains 4,000 inhabitants; with 6 dry good, 11 grocery, 2 drug, and 3 hardware stores, 15 taverns, 1 tobacconist, 2 bakeries, 3 meat markets, and 2 livery stables, 7 blacksmith, 6 waggon, 2 joiner, 2 jewelry, 4 tin, 6 cabinet, 1 chair, 1 machine, and 5 shoe shops; 1 fork and hoe, 1 plough, 1 door and sash, and 1 saleratus factory; 3 flouring and 4 saw mills; 1 fanning mill and 2 harness maker's shops; 2 book stores, 2 barber's shops, 1 gunsmith, 1 tannery, 1 furnace, 1 pottery, 1 oil mil, 1 carding machine, 1 rake and cradle, factory, 1 woollen and yarn factory, 2 printing offices, 6 school houses, 2 select schools, Jones's Exchange bank, and several lawyer's offices."
View historic pictures of this community at Wisconsin Historical Images.
View related articles at Wisconsin Magazine of History Archives.
View newspaper clippings at Wisconsin Local History and Biography Articles.
[Source: U.S. Geographic Names Information Server]
Map It!
Google Map
