Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1868-02-26
WATERFOWL.
It's Location-Eary History, Etc
Correspondence Chicago Republican.

Commercial position, or capacity of ex-
changing, to great extent, determines
the power and fixes the rank of great
cities and nations; but internal resources
-capacity of production-and the ability
and enterprise Of communities in develop
ing and managing them are the facts
which determine the rank and size of in
land towns and cities Much depends
upon the latter requisite-the enterprise
and capacity of those at the helm. There
are many inland towns having natural
facilities and advantages which are not
comprehended or appreciated by those
into whose hands they have unfortunately
fallen, and such towns are now to be seen,
standing monuments of ''lost opportunl-
ties :" while, on the other hand, we often
meet with thriving and energetic places
which have been built up under adverse
circumstances--want of natural advanr-
ages overcome by indomitable and persist
ent energy and enterprise in supplying
artificial facilities. Advantages are made.
People of enterprise and people who mere
ly vegitate-all classes, in short-gravitate
to the latter rather than to the former.
But, again, we see towns which confne
both of these essential elements to con-
| tribute to their upbullding, and one of
this number is the city of Watertown,
Jefferson county, Wis, located on the
Chicago and Northwestern railroad, one
hundred and thirty miles northwest from
Chicago, and forty-ive miles west from
N.lxu.,,I,ao o1 +ho apd 81
Paul railroad-at the point ofintersection
of the two lines. It is in the Rock River
Valley, famed as rich agricultural and
timbered district, situate on either side of
that noble stream which drains this richly
endowed valley, furnishing an extensive
and available water power within the
city limits. The adjacent and tributary
country is rich in soil products and tim
ber-both contributing valuable harvests
to the support and upbuilding of this
city; in furnishing sustenance and busl-
ness to it's inhabitants, and The raw mater
ial to its manufactures. But there is no
growth without labor; no progress with
out exertion. As general rule, where
nature does most, man does least. Ma
auxiliaries to prosperity and success In
building up cities, bat they will not do
the whole; it is the Development and use
made of them that gives them their chief
importance. 1t is of importance that a
city possess these advantages, but OF great
er importance that they be developed.
Some writer has said that men are about
a, lazy, as a general rule, as they can afford
to be, and some good deal more SO. We
have been looking about this city to learn
something of its natural advantages, and
to what extent they have been made u Sc
full. Let US briefly trace up the
HISTORY
of this, one of the Il gest and most -four
ishing inland cities in Wisconsin,, and
learn what has been done, how it has
been done, and by whom; the energies
put forth, and the concurrent circum-
stances that have built up city of near
10000 Inhabitants in the interior. 1t
requires energy, and necessitates suffer
ing, privation, and labor, to successfully
establish pioneer settlement; aud the
vigor and life Of the Eastern States, as
this work-developing the vast resources
of the vast Northwest-hence it is inter-
esting to the public to know what pro-
gress is being made in conquering these
new fields. But to the point.
Gen. Dodge, in bis pursuit of Black
hawk, which resulted in the final defeat
of that troublesome Indian Chief and his
4 7 hc mr. crt
site of Watertown, and makes mention in
his ports of the rapids in the stream
here. This was probably the first men
t;ou ever made of them in the English lam
guaoe and Gen. D. the first American who
ever saw them this was in 1888. Moth
ing further was known of em until 1886,
when Tim. Johnson, who had come from
Ohio in search of a home in the wllds OF
the West, and with an eye to the '',laln
chance" came out from Milwaukee afoot,
and discovering these rapids, and, we
presume, saw the admirable power they
could be made to yield, preempted one
thousand acres of land on either side Of
TIE river, including the rapids, This
was in simmer. He built log cabin
and removed his family, with much diff
Guilty, into it the following December.
He was the first white settler here and
his wife the first white woman. Dwight
Foster had previously settled in Fort At
kinson, about twenty miles distant. MIR
j. soon disposed of $50 acres of this land,
Inclusive of the water power, to Goodhue
and Chaplin. This embryo city had as,
sumed the name ''Johnson's Rapids, and
at the close of the year 1886 the settlers
consisted of Mr.. Johnson's family, John
w. and Luther A. Cole, Amasa Hyland,
Silas w. Newcomb, Reeve Griswold,
Philander Baldwin, Richard Miller, and
Louis Beaudeau, some of whom are still
here.
Nr 7 made the first clearing near the