website watertownhistory.org
ebook History of Watertown, Wisconsin
Norton Grocery Store
200 W
Main
Matthew Norton
The building
originally on this site was a frame grocery store owned by Matthew Norton. It was moved behind the present building in
about 1870 when the present structure was built by Silas Randall as an agricultural implements
store. Later businesses in this
location included E. W. Schultz,
undertaker and furniture dealer, the Watertown School of Business, Baumann's Candy Kitchen, the Youth Activity Center (YAC), Tri-County Tobacco, Emil's
Pizza, Pizza Junction, and presently Curves.
Mr.
Lester Moser was a highly skilled candymaker. He learned the trade at the
former Baumann Candy Kitchen in West
Main Street, where the Tri-County Tobacco Co. was later situated. He was an expert candymaker and confectioner.
After the death of Arnold E.
Baumann, Mr. Moser, who had worked for Mr. Baumann for many years, took over
the business.
The Baumann Candy Kitchen was
for years the leading establishment of its kind in Watertown. An ice cream parlor was operated in
connection with the business.
In the line of fine candies,
Baumann's was among the leaders in this section of the state. Its many excellent
homemade candies, both hard varieties and chocolates, were among its best known
products. It also turned out tons of
special Christmas candies each year. These were sent far and wide to stores and
shops and included many of the little German candies which at one time were so
popular during the holiday season and which added color and holiday sparkle on
Christmas trees and in candy dishes.
1860 DEATH OF JAMES J. DOWLING
04 12 Hardly had we finished recording the departure of a
venerable citizen from our midst, whose years were prolonged beyond the
three-score and ten assigned by the Palmist as the rarely attained limit of
human existence on earth, than we find ourselves called upon to make the
melancholy announcement of the unexpected death of a young man whose career has
been suddenly brought to a close before one half of that period has been
reached.
In this city, at the residence of Matthew Norton, on
the 11th of April, 1860, James J. Dowling, of the firm of Thomas McMahon &
Co., died after a short but painful illness, in the 26th year of his age.
He was a young man of unblemished character. He won his position in the community by his
integrity, intelligence and perseverance.
His rectitude and fidelity early secured the confidence of all who knew
him well. During a series of years he
acted as clerk in one of our leading mercantile houses, and when he gave up his
place, he carried with him the unbounded good will and best wishes of those he
had faithfully served and whose interests he had looked after as carefully as
he would have pursued his own. By
industry, economy and strict attention to his duties he had accumulated
sufficient means to enable him to commence business for himself.
A few weeks since, in company with a young associate,
he opened a store in this city and had just commenced, full of hope and energy,
what promised to be a successful enterprise, when he was summoned to set his
house in order for another and widely different destiny. That dreadful but inevitable mandate from
another world has just been obeyed. The
well considered plans for the future have been rudely interrupted and the
active mind and busy hand that would have delighted in carrying them out now
rests forever from all mortal labor—their work has been quickly done. It only remains for us to bear public
testimony to the worth of one who has early passed away, in the bloom of youth,
but not without the sincere and heartfelt regret of all who had an opportunity
to learn the irreparable loss his relatives, friends and acquaintances have suffered in his
death. WD
1871 DEATH OF MATTHEW NORTON
12 14 Mr. Matthew Norton died at his residence in the 4th
ward of Watertown, after a short illness, on Thursday the 7th of December,
1871, in the 65th year of his age. He
was born at Athlone, Roscommon County, Ireland, in 1808, and emigrated to
America in 1882, landing at Montreal. Sometime
afterwards, he came to the United States, and at Albany, N. Y., enlisted as a
private soldier in the United States Army — serving two terms, one of five and
one of three years, acting as Hospital Steward during most of the last. With his company, he was sent to the west,
and at different periods was stationed at Fort Dearborn in Chicago, Fort Howard
at Green Bay, and Fort Winnebago in Portage.
After he had been honorably discharged, he came here in 1843, first
cultivating a farm in Emmet, Dodge county, and in 1854, taking up his permanent
residence in this city, which has ever since been his home. He was a man well informed, of sound
judgment, strictly upright and reliable, active and diligent in business, and
was frequently elected to local offices of trust, the duties of which he always
discharged with unquestioned fidelity.
At the time of his death, he was one of the City Assessors, which he had
held for some years, and also President of the School Board. In him we have lost a good citizen, a kind
neighbor, and an estimable member of the community. His funeral took place last Saturday and was
largely attended. WD
1889
01 11 NOTICE
E. W. Schultz’s funeral car arrived this week and he is now ready to do
undertaking, embalming and funeral directing according to the latest
custom. Orders by mail or telephone
promptly attended to. Carriages
furnished on short notice. I solicit a
share of the patronage of the public and guarantee satisfaction. Call at my furniture and undertaking room and
look them over. They have been lately rearranged
and repainted in good shape. A special
room is set apart for the undertaking business, to which I invite your
attention. WG
Respt., E.
W. SCHULTZ.
1963
09 30 TRI-COUNTY TOBACCO
RELOCATES
The Tri-County Tobacco Company, Inc., located at 200
West Main Street, will move to a new building to be erected on Clark Street
east of the plant of the Durant Manufacturing Company. Last night the common council approved the
extension of sewer on Clark Street, to take care of the building. A building of 12,000 square feet will be
constructed on a one and one-half acre plot which Tri-County has acquired from
the Watertown Association of Commerce Promotive Corporation. WD
1996
11 28 1996
WHS_005_231
A
three-story downtown structure located at 102 N. Water St. sustained extensive
damage early Sunday when fire broke out in an apartment inside. According to Watertown Fire Department Chief
Richard Olson, the fire erupted at approximately 1 a.m. in the second floor
apartment of the brick structure located on the northwest corner of the
intersection of Main and Water streets.
The three-bedroom apartment, occupied by a couple and their five
children, sustained smoke, fire and water damage. The couple and two of their sons were home at
the time of the fire but escaped unharmed.
They are currently staying with friends. A third-floor storage area in the building
sustained fire damage as well. A vacant area on the first floor sustained water
damage. A firm with offices on the Water
Street side of the building was not damaged.
However, workers were busy attempting to restore electrical service to
the business after it was cut by firefighters battling the blaze.
Cross-References:
E W
Schultz was co-founder of Watertown Table Slide
History of Watertown,
Wisconsin