The American Cyclopædia (1879)/Watertown (Wisconsin)

WATERTOWN, a city of Wisconsin, partly in Dodge and partly in Jefferson co., on both sides of Rock river, spanned here by six bridges, at the junction of the Chicago and Northwestern, and the Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul railroads, 43 m. W. by N. of Milwaukee, and 35 m. E. by N. of Madison; pop. in 1870, 7,550; in 1875, 9,524. It is divided into seven wards, of which five are in Jefferson co. and two in Dodge co. It is surrounded by one of the most productive districts in the state, and has an important trade. The chief manufactories are six flouring mills, two breweries, a threshing machine factory, three brick manufactories, four saw mills, and two sash, door, and blind factories. There are two banks, four hotels, four union school buildings, five denominational schools, three weekly newspapers (one German), and 16 churches. Watertown is the seat of the Northwestern university (Lutheran), chartered in 1864, which in 1875-'6 had 7 instructors, 32 collegiate and 171 preparatory students, and a library of 2,100 volumes. The college of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (Roman Catholic) was chartered in 1872, and in 1875-'6 had 8 instructors and 25 collegiate and 75 preparatory students.—Watertown was settled in 1836; it was incorporated as a village in 1849, and as a city in 1858.