A city of Dodge and Jefferson counties, Wisconsin, U.S.A., on both banks of the Rock river, about 45 m.
W.N.W. of Milwaukee. Pop. (1890) 8755; (I goo) 8437, including 2447 foreign-born; (1905, state census) 8623; (1910) 8829. Water - town is served by the Chicago & North-Western and the Chicago, Milwaukee & St Paul railways, and by an interurban electric line, connecting with Milwaukee. It is the seat of North-western University (1865; Lutheran), which includes collegiate, pre - paratory and academic departments, and had in1908-1909instructors and 283 students, and of the Sacred Heart College (Roman Catholic, opened in 1872 and chartered in 1874), under the Congregation of the Holy Cross. There are also a Carnegie library, a Lutheran Home for the Feeble-Minded, and a City Hospital. The Rock river furnishes water-power which is utilized for manufacturing. The value of the factory product in 1905 was $2,065,487. The city is situated in a dairying and farming region. The municipality owns and operates its water - works. Watertown was founded about 1836 by settlers who gave it the name of their former home, Watertown, New York. Afterwards there was a great influx of Germans, particularly after the Revolution of 1848, among them being Carl Schurz, who began the practice of law here. Germans by birth or descent still constitute a majority of the population. Watertown was incorporated as a village in 1849, and was chartered as a city in 1853.