Watertown_web

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