182-183 / 204
182
183
T
he Rock River, a tributary of the mighty
Mississippi and known by the Sauk and
Fox Indians as “Sinnissippi,” meaning
“rocky waters,” runs through the city of Water-
town,Wisconsin. In the east side of town, the
waters flow, somewhat uncharacteristically, from
south to north. The river then makes a steep
horseshoe turn at the northern apex of the city
and continues on its way–now north to south
– toward the Illinois border and beyond, picking
up several smaller rivers along
its way, until it joins the Missis-
sippi at Rock Island.
The area was initially settled
to utilize the power of the Rock
River, first for sawmills and
later for hydroelectricity. In the
1850s, middle-class, German
immigrants, fleeing from polit-
ical turmoil in Germany, immi-
grated to Watertown and were
welcomed by the descendants
of its original Yankee population. For most of the
19th century these two groups fostered the city’s
commerce, industry, arts, and education. In fact, the
first kindergarten in the United States was founded
inWatertown in 1856 byMargarethe Schurz,wife
of statesman Carl Schurz; the building that housed
this kindergarten is now located on the grounds of
the city’s Octagon House Museum.
Today,Watertown has a population of approx-
imately 24,000, many of whom work for some
Watertown, Wisconsin
Opportunity runs through it
Wisconsin
AT A GLANCE
Watertown,
Wisconsin
WHAT:
A city of 24,000
WHERE:
In Dodge and Jefferson
counties, midway between Milwau-
kee and Madison
WEBSITE:
www.ci.watertown.wi.us