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ebook History of Watertown, Wisconsin
Alanson
Boomer,
L E
Boomer
and
Boomer’s
Dam
Alanson Boomer
Alanson Boomer, farmer, Secs. 9 and 8; P.O.
Watertown; born
L E Boomer
At the Government sale the land was bought in
his brother’s L. E. Boomer’s name.
Mr. Wood
The land was all wild, but Mr. Wood, who had squatted
on one of the sections and whom they bought out, had built one of the earliest
log houses erected in the township, in which Mr. Boomer lived till 1841, when
he went back to New York; from that time till 1845, it was in the hands of a
tenant; then Mr. L. E. Boomer came West and took possession.
Indians used frequently to come to trade, but
they had no trouble with them, never even had anything stolen, which Mr. Boomer
attributes to keeping whiskey away from them and treating them as honorably as he
would white men. At one time his brother
anticipated trouble and wrote to the Governor, who sent arms to the settlers,
but fortunately it proved a false alarm.
Boomer Dam
In 1849, Mr. L. E. Boomer built a dam and saw-mill, and made bricks as well as farming.
Alanson Boomer
In January, 1858, Mr. Alanson Boomer bought
his brother out after being East sixteen years.
He built himself the handsomest farmhouse in the county, in 1861, and also erected all the barns and outbuildings; he now owns
350 acres of land, and raises principally wheat, oats, barley and corn, and
makes a specialty of fattening stock, keeping about forty head constantly ready
for the market. Married Miss Lydia Van
Wormer, of Watertown Township, January 12, 1862; they had one little boy who
died when 1 month old; he has since adopted two children, the first a boy
[editor’s note: Mason], who was drowned
when about 8 years old, and then a little girl named Alice, now living. He was Ward Supervisor two years.
Derived from: The History of
Jefferson County, Wisconsin by C.
W. Butterfield, 1879
1847
06 30 Specimen of brick from the first
kiln burnt at the new yard of L. E. Boomer, one mile below the village, on
the east side of the river. Watertown Chronicle
1850
Democratic State Register, 04 09 1850
We took occasion, a day or two since, to visit the saw mill of our
fellow citizen, L. A. Boomer, Esq, a couple of miles below the village. Mr. B, has one of
the finest powers on the river, so far as our observation extends. He has erected during the past winter a large
double saw mill, which commenced sawing the past week—-and from the work
performed while we were there, we are satisfied that there is no better
establishment of its kind, in this part of the country. It is furnished with the latest improvements,
and the lumber turned out is of superior quality. We think the location of the mill to be one
which will be; a great convenience to the people of
Watertown, and a source of profit to its enterprising proprietor. We wish him the success to which his energy
and perseverance justly entitles him.
1859
06 30 DROWNED
A man named Patrick Cullen, who has been working on
the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad
in this city, was drowned last evening about 8 o’clock attempting to cross the
river at Boomer’s dam. WD
1861
08 01 BUILDING RESIDENCE
In various parts of our city new dwellings may be seen erected this
summer. In the suburbs we notice that
Mr. A. [Alanson] Boomer is building another of those fine and large brick
residences which attract so much of the attention of visitors and strangers who
get a passing glimpse of them. [Boomer
built himself the handsomest farmhouse in the county, in 1861, and also erected all the barns and outbuildings; he now owns
350 acres of land, and raises principally wheat, oats, barley and corn, and
makes a specialty of fattening stock. -The
History of Jefferson County, Wisconsin by C. W. Butterfield, 1879.] WD
1872
11 06 MILL PROPERTY SALE
Mr. Benjamin Nute has purchased of Mr.
F. Misegades the Boomer Dam Water Power and Mill
property in the southern
part of the city. Mr. Nute is putting a new run of stone into the grist mill, and will soon proceed to the making of some necessary
repairs on the dam, with the intention of engaging in the flouring business. WR
1873
10 22 MILL UP AND RUNNING
The grist mill on
the Boomer Dam property, in the southern part of the city, recently purchased
by Mr. B. Nate, is now fitted up and doing a custom business.
1874
12 16 THE STAFF OF LIFE
The flouring mill
of Mr. Benjamin Note at Boomer's Dam, in the southern boundary of the city, is
now turning out, some fine grades of flour, which we have reason to know is of
excellent quality for family use. Mr. T.
Samuels is agent for the sale of Mr. Nute’s flour, at
his flour and produce store on First Street.
1891
05 15 BOOMER DAM
PROPERTY SOLD
H. [Henry] Daub has purchased the old Boomer dam property from the heirs of the
[Dwight?] Nute estate, which includes the old mill,
the east half of the water power and three acres of land. WG
DAM REMNANTS BEHIND THE SUPER 8 NOW
1897
07 02 DEATH OF ALANSON BOOMER
Another old and well-known resident, of
Watertown, Alanson Boomer, has been called to his final abode. He died Friday morning at 4 o’clock. Mr. Boomer was 82 years of age and had been a
resident of Wisconsin for sixty-one years.
He had been ill since Thursday.
He leaves two daughters, Mrs. Chas. A. Vanghan,
of this place, and Mrs. M. Douglass, of Waterloo. The funeral was held Sunday afternoon at two
o’clock. Services were conducted at the
house by Rev. G. C. Weisa. Alanson Boomer, wife Lydia and son Mason are buried in Oak Hill
cemetery. (Jefferson
County Union, 07 02 1897)
1900
05 29 STEAM BOAT ON ROCK RIVER
Messrs. Simon Molzahn, Charles Feisst and Andrew Roegner are the
owners and officers of a neat little steam launch which has its moorings in
Rock river, below Boomers dam. The boat is twenty-two feet in length, will
accommodate a dozen persons, is fitted with an eight horse-power engine and is propelled by a steam wheel. It is of light draft and capable of
developing a speed of eight miles an hour.
The launch was given a trial trip to Hahn’s lake
last week and it is proposed during the summer to make excursions down the
river as far as Jefferson — a most delightful and picturesque trip. S. Molzahn is
captain of the craft, Mr. Roegner chief engineer, and
Mr. Feisst navigating officer. WR
1967
07 27 RESTORATION OF BOOMER DAM
The restoration of Boomer Dam will be one of the
subjects which the common council here will devote some attention to when it
meets next week. At Monday night’s
committee meeting the council will be informed of a report of a meeting held at
Jefferson which Mayor A. E. Bentzin attended and at
which the Jefferson County Conservation Alliance backed plans for the Rock
River stream improvement project in the area of the
Bethesda Lutheran Home.
The question involved is the raising and
restoration of Boomer Dam which is several hundred yards south of the Watertown
sewage disposal plant. The idea is to
raise the water 18 inches in the Bethesda area to eliminate the unsightliness
of weeds, rocks and debris that accumulate in the low water level.
The amount of money available is $3,600 of which
$1,800 is furnished by the state in lieu of the state for bounty that used to
be available to Jefferson County. This
fund is now used for conservation projects but must be matched by the
county. Part of this money would also be
used to rip rap the shore line with rocks on the west side of the river in the
Bethesda Home area which has a lot of fill
put there by the city. This would
eliminate washing out at high water levels.
This project not only becomes a stream improvement project but also a
stream beautification project within Watertown city limits.
Cross-References:
Boomer Street named in honor of the Boomer clan
History of Watertown,
Wisconsin