Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1889-06-26

forts for those times as means of tray
| ell | was left behind at Prairieville.
but two months later | joined my fam
lily at the Rapids There being consid-
cradle snow on the ground, my brother
and L came across the country in a
jumper made of hoop poles and drawn
! by David Temples horse, the only one
In the settlement. The journey, about
thirty miles, occupied two days. Among
the difficulties encountered along the
route that [ can Vividly recall was the
great thickness of the brush, which in
many places nearly dragged me out of
my seat. | cannot convey to you in
/ proper terms the mingled feelings of
woe and disgust | entertained at my first
sight of Johnson's Rapids. What could
! possess people to ever come to such a
place was more than | could see. No
sound to vibrate on the ear except the
doleful noise of the saw-mill, and the
general surroundings of the place were
simply oppressive from my standpoint
at the time. My folks were living four
/ miles down the river, the nearest to
| the Rapids that they could find house.
| The following spring we moved into
| the Rapids and lived in a log house
where the depot of the Chicago, Mil
waukee q ST. Paul railway now stands,
and L well remember that we made
800 pounds of maple sugar from the
trees tapped around our home. There
was no land yet in market, and all held
| their claims as "squatters"
The settlement being without schools,
| went back to Prairieville to attend
school for short time. The Root fam
! lily, with whom [ stayed, rented their
house from Mr. M Cutler, whose land
was first surveyed, | believe, by the
worthy president of this society. Mr..
Cutler still resides in Waukesha. To-
wards fall [ came out again to the Ra-
pids, and [ entered the town the second
time on back, riding behind my
brother Austin Fiske. Mind you, we
both used only one horse, and the
double equestrian act was performed
on the same horse that drew the hoop
pole jumper for my brother and me the
winter before! In my absence [ found
that my father had built a house on
Second street, at the rear of the site Of
the present Commercial hotel. The
lot on which it was erected, comprising
a quarter of a block, was purchased by
us at $50 and it afterwards sold for ST.
600. Hence, who can have the face to
say that WatertOWn has never doomed!
In little log house with but one
room, built where the fremont house
barns stand, which we reached from
this side by crossing the river in a
canoe, was where the first school was
opened, taught by Miss Dollie Piper,
sister of the late Samuel Piper, of Pi-
persville. The next teacher after Miss
Piper, in this primitive institution of
learning, was Mr. John A. Chadwick,
who has been called to his final rest
since the last meeting of this society
Any preacher who happened around
used this log school house for q sanctu-
ary, and dancing schools were also held
within its portals, but owing to its con
tracted dimensions when the girls took
the steps the boys had to vacate the
premises.
Crossing the river in the canoe was
not always unattended with danger for
on our way to church that nearly cost
in the history of Johnson's Rapids thaa
the west side possessed just three
houses-Wm. NJ Dennis, James Ro-
gan S and the aforesaid school house.
The first peddler that | can call to
mind was known to the old settlers as
"Big Holiness" and as stores were un-
known at the time, he was always re-
garded as sa welcome visitor to the place.
l have kept to this day this handker-
chief, which | bought of him.
There was no Main street then in the
Rapids; our only street was laid out
along the bank of the river. On the
ground where John w. Coles hall now
stands my father tapped maple trees
and [ boiled the run of sap and made
twenty-five pounds of nice white maple
sugar. This | thought wonderful
thing, and to everybody | exhibited
my skill as sugar maker.
[ have clear recollection of the time
when the citizens changed the name of
the place from Johnson's Rapids to
Watertown. About this time little
| activity was shown in building up the
place. Main street comprised four
buildings: on the north side the tavern
built by Isaac Savage, afterwards known
| as Van Alstine's Watertown Exchange,
| it's origina style and condition.; on the
| south side the Labaree dwelling, built
on the site of the rostoffice building,
| Hoffman's tailor shop and John W.
| Coles "red store" the first store in
| WatertoWn. The chimneys on these
buildings we're made of stone taken
from the river, laid up with mud; lime
and sand being as yet undiscovered
| luxuries.
Watertown's first celebration of the
Fourth of July was an event Of no or
binary importance to the settlers, and
in order to hold the first ball in Water
town in connection with it, in a man
ner suitable to the great occasion, the
work on the Savage tavern had to be
hurried along so that a proper ball
room could be had for the dancers who
were expected from all around the
country. [ have with me one of the
original ball tickets, not the work of
any printing office, but in the hand
writing of Mr.. Chadwick 1t reads: