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ebook History of Watertown, Wisconsin
Junction
of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul and
the
Chicago & Northwestern (C&NW) Railroads
Union Depot
Junction Hotel
Hotel
burned down in 1920
Railroad Round House
1872
10 03 THE JUNCTION DEPOT BURNED
A little before 5 o’clock, last Sunday morning, the 29th inst., the
Union Depot building, at the junctions of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul
and the Chicago & Northwestern (C&NW) railroads, was discovered to be
on fire by the watchman.
Cross reference note:
What happened to the Chicago and Northwestern railroad? C&NW's long history came to an end when
Union Pacific bought it in April 1995.
The two railroads had long collaborated on connections to the West Coast
and buying C&NW gave Union Pacific a connection to Chicago to help it
compete with other railroads.
The northern train on the Northwestern road, which was considerably
behind, had passed only about half an hour before, at which time there was no
appearance of fire. The flames broke out
in the Express room, but how they originated seems to be unknown and
unexplained. The alarm was given, and as
soon as possible, the Engine and Hook & Ladder companies went to the
rescue. The depot building being built
of wood, the flames spread so rapidly that when the firemen reached the spot,
it was seen that their chief business was to save the neighboring
structures.
The Bay State House, owned by Mr. J. W. Mathese,
was in great danger, the cornice having already caught fire from the heat or
flying sparks.
In the meantime, the depot itself was being rapidly consumed, the
firemen making the most active efforts to confine the flames to it alone, and
the platform adjoining it, which they succeeded in doing. That portion of the platform touching the
burning depot was ruined, and other parts more distant badly injured.
The depot itself was completely destroyed, very little within being
saved. The telegraph instruments were
got out and a few other things. All the
baggage in the baggage room was taken away, but most of the express matter,
which had just been received, was lost, though every exertion was put forth to
remove it.
But for the heavy steady rain, which had been falling for some hours,
this fire would have been much more extensive and disastrous.
The Bay State House and the machine shops would have been burned beyond
a doubt. As it was, the Bay State House
escaped with a slight scorching, and a few broken windows, which can be easily
repaired.
Notwithstanding the distance, the mud and the storm, the firemen
promptly came out, and used their best endeavors to keep the flames within the
smallest possible bounds, and they were remarkably successful, considering the
conditions in which they found things when they arrived on the ground. Watertown Democrat
10-03-1872
1891
04 10 SOCIETY YOUNG MAN LEFT STRANDED
A prominent east-side society young man made great preparations to
attend the ball at Madison last week Thursday by the Wisconsin legislature,
even going so far as to have made to order a full dress suit for the occasion;
but, strange to say, he failed to appear at the ball, and his friends, with
whom he had made arrangements to meet him there, looked for him in vain. They were a little annoyed at his failing to
appear, and knowing that he desired very much to be present, and of his great
preparations for the event, they could not account for his absence. His invitation thereto had been received in
due time, he had dressed for the occasion.
He would certainly have been there had it not been that either his watch
mislead him in regards to the time of the departure of the train, or the
officials of the St. Paul Ry. played a cruel joke on him. After putting on his dress suit, and the
finishing touches to his toilet, he wended his way to the St. Paul depot to
find the train had pulled out for the Junction.
Nothing daunted, he made steps for the Junction that would do credit to
the most renowned long-distance runner on record. He "got there" all right before the
train pulled out for Madison, and seated himself in the hind coach, supposing
that the passengers on that train were taking supper at the Junction Hotel. A few days previous the custom of that train
taking supper at the junction was discontinued, but the young man in question
was not informed of the fact, and assumed a comfortable attitude in the rear
car (the train being side tracked) awaiting the time when he would be started
on to Madison. Becoming tired of waiting
he arose to investigate what detained the passengers so long at supper, when to
his great astonishment he discovered that his car had been uncoupled from the
rest of the train, which had departed for Madison a short time previous. He was dumb founded, disgusted and irritated,
and must certainly have imagined that it was a democratic trick to deprive him
of the pleasure of dancing with his friends at Madison on that evening.
He keeps perfectly quite about the affair, but all the boys are “on,” and are having considerable fun at this expense. We have a friendly feeling for him, hence refrain from giving his name. WG
1895
09 18 LUNCH ROOM BROKEN INTO
Friday night parties broke into the lunch room at the
Junction house and carried off a quantity of canned goods and other provisions.
The marauders were not apprehended, although Mr. Buthorn,
the proprietor, had strong suspicions of the guilty ones. WR
1899
02 15 ANNUAL GAME DINNER AT THE JUNCTION
A goodly company had their inner appetites splendidly satisfied
last Sunday at the fourth annual game dinner given by William Buthorn, "mine host" of the Junction Hotel. The guests were seated at prettily set
tables, amid the fragrance of carnations, narcissus and other flowers. The elaborate menu embraced several
representatives of the finny and feathery tribes for which the true sportsman's
appetite frequently yearns, all prepared and served in a manner that left
nothing to be desired. There were nine
courses, the completion of which left the general impression that the genial
landlord had reason to be proud of his undertaking. WR
1900
05
11 SAFE ROBBED
Last Sunday afternoon young man about 25
years of age entered the office at the Junction Hotel, and finding no one
therein, he attempted to rob the safe of its valuables. The safe door was
closed but the combination was not turned on, and the cash drawers were broken
open by the fellow with a stove poker. He took $160 in cash and two gold
watches. Mrs. Buthom was upstairs at the time and
hearing the noise in the office rushed downstairs and found the man at the
safe. He rushed out the door and Mrs. Buthorn after
him. She noticed Engineer John Rigny on the platform
and called his attention to the fellow. Rigny grabbed
him and handed him over to Mr. Buthorn, who after
recovering his property took the fellow up town and had him placed in the city
jail. Monday morning he was taken to before Justice Stacy, and gave his name as
Wm. Butterworth, and his place of residences, Dow City, Iowa. He was placed
under $500 bail to appear for examination on Monday, May 14. Not being able to
furnish it he was turned over to the charge of Sheriff Jaehnke
at Jefferson. WG
05
18 ROBBERY
AT JUNCTION HOTEL
Monday morning Wm. Butterworth, charged
with robbing the safe at the Watertown Junction House on May 6, 1900, was
examined before Justice Stacy. The
complaint was changed from burglary to grand larceny, and the prisoner was
bound over to the circuit court of Jefferson County, his bail being fixed at
$500, in default of which he was taken back to the county jail. The case of James Searles, charged with being
an accomplice, on motion of the district attorney, after several witnesses had
been heard, was adjourned for one week, and in default of $500 bail, he was
also taken back to the county jail.
District Attorney Rogers was present and prosecuted. WG
c.1900
--- JUNCTION HOTEL
1907
08
23 WRECK AT THE JUNCTION
A stock
train on the Northwestern track and a train on the St. Paul line collided. Both engines jumped the tracks.
1910
08
12 A FATAL FIGHT AT THE JUNCTION
Clyde Dudley of Grand Rapids, Mich., and
August Brown, employed at the lunch counter at the Watertown Junction, got into
a fistic encounter last Friday night, the outcome of which was that Dudley died
of his injuries early Wednesday morning. He received a compound
fracture of the jaw bone and suffered so much from loss of blood that his
injuries finally ended in death. Sunday he was taken to St. Mary's Hospital for
treatment and died there at the above stated time. Dudley is what is
termed a natural bleeder, and it is said on a previous occasion he received a
small cut in his head and it was with difficulty that his life was
saved. Some people, the medical profession say, bleed to death from
the slightest wound.
This is a most unfortunate affair
from whatever point it is viewed—the death of the young man is
greatly regretted, still the sympathy of the entire community goes out to young
Brown. He is nineteen years of age, and a young man of good
character and popular with all who know him. Young Dudley was 20
years of age.
It is said the fight was prearranged on
account of an alleged insult to a girl, Dudley being the provoker of the
assault. The facts in the case of the assault are substantially as
follows as told by a Watertown correspondent in Thursday's Milwaukee Sentinel:
Dudley came to Watertown about four months
ago to visit a family living near Watertown Junction. There was a
daughter in the family, a little over 16 years, who was accustomed to visit
frequently at the Junction Hotel, where Brown was clerk. Some time
ago Brown, it is said, told the girl to keep away from the place, and Dudley
declared this was an insult to the girl, and demanded that Brown fight him.
Brown is about 140 pounds in weights and
only about 20 years of age. Dudley is about the same age, and
weighed less than Brown. Brown kept refusing to fight, it is said,
but Dudley began calling him a coward and kept pressing the fight until it was
finally arranged according to testimony . . . the two met in a vacant lot near
the hotel and fight it out. There were to be no rounds, but the two
men were to keep at it until one had enough.
Friends of both were present and after the
two had shaken hands before the fight, they met in a fierce encounter going to
the ground almost immediately. The fight lasted only a few moments,
when Dudley cried out that he had had enough, and his jaw was found to be
broken near the ear. According to the stories of friends the two
shook hands and went home.
This was last Friday. Dudley,
however, was bleeding persistently, and on Sunday it was necessary to
send him to a hospital. The doctors could not check the flow of
blood and he died Wednesday . . . WG
History of Watertown, Wisconsin