The Watertown news. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1917-1919, 1918-12-26
Days of Long Ago
Brought to Mind

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Probably not many people are aware
that the little village of Pipersville
was a busy place in the early days of
the settlement of Jefferson county. Be-
fore the advent of the iron horse and
even later. Pipersville was noted for
the excellent quality of the saledatus
it marketed all over the state. In the
k50's the farmers were busy clearing
the land and a large amount of ashes
lresulted. This was hauled to Pipers-
willie where saleratus plant was in
Operation and the finished product
was shipped by wagon to Milwaukee.
The ashes were leached into lye and
then boiled in large kettles and tanks
until it became thick. 1t was then
called "black salts" From this it was
put into boxes placed into an air tight
room and subjected to the fumes of
charcoal, which bleached it a clear
white. 1t was then pulverized and
ready for the market. At that time
wood was worth barely nothing and
the product could be made cheap.
Another industry was a large flour
mill, conducted by H. W. Graves. The
barrels were made in Concord. Graves
lalsO conducted -four and feed store
IN Watertown at the time, just east of
lSchempf Bros. Co. store. The late
Barney Gardner worked for Graves as
a coachman, coming with him from
the east. Then there was a saw mill.
pOp ond h1o olropoitb cbon tbo,
like. The chief business firm in the
lplace was Piper & Hastings. At that
thine Pipersville was a plated village.
They were recOunting tales of years
ago and the happenings in the town
of Milford and Hubbleton when the
IQuestion of horse management came
up. Said one, there is a man named
George Blocker, who resides near
Hubbleton who in his younger days
could break and manage any horse, no
matter how vicious his disposition. He
has broke and driven horses which
no one else about his farm could har-
ness, and he never used the whip to
do 1t. Mr.. Blocker grew up from baby
hood on the farm where he now re-
sides and despite the fact that he was
Handicapped through life by an af-
Fiction of nautre, he could always be
depended upon to hold his own in an
encounter. And many of these occurr-
ed at "raisings" and "threshings."
Mr.. Blocker was married to Amalie
Will, sister of Albert Will of this
city, and his family consists Of five
boys and one girl. Mr.. Blocker for
many years has been engaged in
stock buying and is probably one OF
the state.
The first cemetery laid out in what
is now the city of Watertown was To-
Gated in Western avenue, adjoining
Northwestern college, in 1870 The
remains of some of the early day set
tiers are still lying there, but the
most of them were removed to Oak
Hill cemetery. In 1850 an association
was formed and cemetery located in
the West road, a short distance west
. of the North Western railroad The
organizers Of this were John Richards,
L. A. Friebert, Andrew Peterson and
Daniel Jones. This continued as
burial place until 1864 when the pres
ent Oak Hill cemetery was laid out
OF these organizers none now re-
main. Daniel Jones was for many
years president of the Wisconsin Ma
tional Bank A. L. Friebert was a mer-
chant and Andrew Petersen was also
a merchant, conducting store
where Raue's paint store now is To-
Gated. He afterwards served as con-
sui to Denmark
The first burial in Watertown was
that of Thomas Bass in 1897 He was
accidentally burned to death in
cabin which stood near the site of a
later day wagon shop owned by Virgil
D. Green. He was employed by Peter
Rogan, who later built the old Linden
House in West Main street, now the
site of the public library He was
buried in a coffin made of hewn slabs
and inferred in a grave near the old
First ward brick school house, now
the site of the residence of Fred A.
| MlI1cI Ill l. ulfu SCT00C. Inc SCHOOL at
one time was taught by Myron B.
Reed, who afterward became quite
Celebrity.
A familiar figure among the local
medical fraternity of years ago was
that of DR.. M. N. Barber. He was
man of pleasing personality and was
probably in his time the most popular
visiting physician in the city. Always
kind and considerate, he was known as
the children's doctor as he was a great
favorite with the little ones owing un-
doubtedly to his kindly nature. He
passed to his reward many years ago,
but a beloved memory of the man still
remains in the minds of many of his
patients of years ago.
Who remembers the old grocery
store in the Seventh ward kept by
man named Rodino wac nODr1ar