website watertownhistory.org
ebook History of Watertown, Wisconsin
Riverside Park
Established in 1910
This file is under construction at this time
Cannon at Riverside Park, undated
photo
1908
09 25 KUSSEL FARM
Don't Fail to Attend.
Sale of barns, sheds and other out
buildings on the Kussel farm, if you want to buy some cheap lumber. Sale Saturday, Sept. 26 at 2 P. M. WG
DISTANT VIEW OF KUSSEL FARM
09 25 AUCTION SALE
[at Kussel farm]
[same date] The
undersigned will sell on his premises in the Sixth ward on Wednesday, Sept.
30th, at 10 o'clock a. m., the following personal property to the highest
bidders: 2 work horses, 1 single heavy
harness, set of heavy harness, 1 double carriage harness, 1 single buggy
harness, 1 Milwaukee binder and Milwaukee mower, 1 seeder, 1 sulky corn
cultivator, 2 hand cultivators, 1 drag in three parts . . . 1 disc sub-soil
plow, fanning mill, 1 lumber wagon, wide tire truck wagon, milk wagon, several
buggies, sulky potato bug sprinkler, corn sheller, land roller, 1000 lb. scale,
some hay and other farming utensils and some household goods. Terms—All sums under $10 cash, over that amount six months time will be given on good
secured notes at 5 per cent interest.
Lunch at noon. Samuel
Kussel, Prop. WG
10 09 BIG REAL
ESTATE DEALS
BIG REAL ESTATE
DEALS. The Riverside Land Co. is putting
in a fine driveway between Fourth Street bridge and county line bridge [new
“driveway” is assumed to be the upgrading or rebuilding of Labaree St., a
portion of which had existed as early as 1855; county line bridge is
Division/Boughton St bridge]. They have
recently sold 420 lots in Beloit in one day, 232 lots in Janesville, 145 lots
at Monroe and 173 lots in Stoughton. If
you are in line for an investment don't fail to purchase lots in the Riverside
addition, known as the Sam Kussel property, in the 6th ward [Samuel Kussell
home was at 924 Labaree]. Watertown is
on the boom and these lots are bound to advance in price.
DON'T PUT IT OFF. Start now and buy a lot in
the Riverside addition to Watertown, for these lots will not last long at these
terms and prices.
DON'T FORGET. Sale of lots in Riverside addition, opens
Wednesday, Oct. 14 at 7 a. m. Come
early. WG
Cross
Reference: Riverside Addition [Kussel Farm]
- Labaree St. Labaree St
10 16 LOTS GO LIKE
HOT CAKES
Over 200 lots were sold
in the Riverside addition in the 6th ward last Wednesday. Several sat up all night to get the first
chance to buy the lots at 7 o'clock in the morning. It was the biggest sale of lots that has ever
taken place in Watertown and Mr. Bunn, who had charge of the sale, was
delighted with it. WG
11 13 MAP OF RIVERSIDE ADDITION
By Alderman Werner:
Whereas Charles G Kiewert has submitted
to this common council for approval in accordance with chapter 225 laws of
Wisconsin, 1905, a map of Riverside addition, extended, being a sub division of
part of outlot No. 31, in the Sixth ward of the city of Watertown, Wisconsin;
Now, Therefore, Be It Resolved, By the common council of the said
city of Watertown that the said plat of the Riverside addition, extended, be
and the same is hereby in all respects approved.
The resolution was referred to the committee on judiciary and
streets and bridges. WG
c.1909
E
J Brandt headed the Board of Park Commissioners when Riverside Park was
established.
KUSSEL ISLAND
1910
05 13 RIVERSIDE
PARK ESTABLISHED, includes bathing beach
NEW PARK CERTAIN - Watertown is to have a new pleasure park. Action along this line was taken at a meeting
of the park commissioners last evening when it was decided to ask for bids for
laying out the same, the bids to be received by the board up to May 28.
The proposed park will be known as Riverside park and will be
located on an island in what is now known as Riverside addition, formerly the
S. Kussel property in the Sixth ward.
This matter was taken up last year and will be pushed to completion the
present summer by the board of park commissioners. In connection with the park
it is planned to build a river drive connecting this pleasure ground with other
portions of the city, ending in the Third ward along the newly platted Crangle addition.
One of the features of the proposed park will be a rustic bridge
connecting the island with the mainland proper, and a bathing beach with
dressing rooms will also be featured - which will appeal to all, especially the
children. The Watertown News, 13 May 1910
06 03 BID FOR NEW RIVERVIEW PARK
1910,
"Riverview Park"
The board of park commissioners this afternoon opened the only bid
received by it for putting the new Riverview park in condition in the Sixth
ward. This bid was from J. L. Froding, a landscape gardener of Oconomowoc, and was for
the sum of $3350. This includes all the
work except the dredging in the channel between the island and the mainland and
the construction of a rustic bridge, for which bids were asked separately. The bid was within the estimate given and the
work will be let to the lowest bidder.
N.B. “Riverview” and “Riverside” were used interchangeably when the park was first created, with
Riverside soon becoming preferred and accepted.
1911
04 06 PARK SPRINKLING BIDS
Monday evening bids for
the sprinkling system in Riverside Park were opened by the Park
commission. They were as follows:
Kehr Bros.: $1141 20
Mendenhall &
Son: 1263.65
Bursinger &
Downey: 1400.00
O. Biefeld &
Co.: 1652.24
Wm Schiebel: 1577.95
WG
04 27 PARK CARETAKERS NAMED
The Board of Park
Commissioners have named the following park caretakers: Gerhard Rippe for
Riverside Park at a salary of $50 a month for the season, Wm. Radtke at a
salary of $25 a month for the season to care for the city park Recreation Park
and the College Avenue triangle. WG
1914
05 21 BATHHOUSE PROPOSED
The matter of a public bath house to be erected at or near Riverside
Park was discussed, but no action was taken on this matter pending possible
action by the park board, who has the matter in hand and are trying to make the
erection of the bathhouse possible during the present summer. WG
RUSTIC BRIDGE
BIKE IN PARK
c.1914
RIVER SCENE
1915
12 21 PURCHASE OF RYAN
PROPERTY CONSIDERED
A special meeting of
the city council was called last Tuesday evening for further consideration of
the purchase of the Ryan sand pit on the north side of Division Street, and
west of the Gondolier club house.
The real business
before that meeting was to make provisions for the purchase of the property for
city park purposes.
Alderman Lutovsky
presented a resolution providing for the payment of $1,000 for the tract, and
his resolution was also laid over until tonight’s meeting.
At the last regular
meeting, held two weeks ago tonight, a resolution was unanimously passed
authorizing the purchase, but in the week intervening between the two meetings
a revision of opinion seems to have obsessed some of the aldermen, and the
special meeting developed opposition.
Some have expressed the
opinion to the Leader that the purchase of the property does not appear
on the face to be justified.
On the other hand,
there are those who enthusiastically endorse the proposition, and point to the
fact that the city stands ready to pay $400 for a tract of land in the same
neighborhood which was offered a few years ago for $1, and which the city
rejected even as a gift.
The Leader
interviewed some property owners in the neighborhood of
the Ryan tract, along Dewey Avenue and Division Street, and found a most hearty
endorsement of the proposition. They
point out that to beautify the tract, possibly in time connecting the island
park with the proposed Division Street park, erecting a bath house for the
bathers at what is declared an ideal bathing beach on the south bank of the
river, will develop one of the most beautiful play and pleasure spots in the
west.
One argument advanced
by one enthusiast is that Mr. Ryan has refused $300 for one lot at the west end
of the tract, which, by the way, is about the only saleable plot for residence
building purposes. A further argument
used is that the property is an ideal location along the river for ice houses, and should such use be made of the place the
inevitable result is a depreciation of property values in that locality,
whereas, a park would appreciate neighboring realty.
The Leader has
tried to impartially interview a number of people,
included in the number being business and professional men, and the consensus
of opinion appears to be a justification of the purchase.
Gondolier club cross
reference note, 1905
The rise of the Gondolier
club of this city makes an interesting history for those who find
in Rock river an opportunity for real enjoyment at all times in the
year. . .
In 1905 three
robust school boys, in love with nature and the pleasures of the stream,
decided that they wanted a real bower on the river bank and accordingly they
erected a very small but creditable cottage on Dan Ryan’s sand hill on the
river not far from Dewey Avenue. The
three boys were the late widely mourned Harold Zickert, who lost his life in
France while in the service of his country, Percy Schlueter and Louis Mundt. .
.
The officers of the
1920 Gondolier club were: president,
Percy Schlueter; vice president, Henry Knispel; treasurer, Carl Hoepner.
DISTANT VIEW OF RIVERSIDE PARK
VIEW FROM ISLAND
RUSTIC BRIDGE
PAVILION
< very
similar to NT_073 and NT_074
10 07 PUBLIC BATH HOUSE CONTEMPLATED. More
Land Purchased For Park Purposes.
The Park Board has secured additional land for park purposes, buying of
John Schlueter one half acre of land just across the river from Riverside park,
on which the Park Board contemplate erecting a
public bath house and otherwise improving it. The price paid was $450. This is a commendable move on the part of the
Park Board, and the city council no doubt will and should endorse their action. WG
1916
RUSTIC BRIDGE
1917
WWI - PARK USED BY COMPANY E FOR TRAINING
1919
08 04 COUNTY COUNCIL OF
DEFENSE meeting at Riverside
1921
-- -- ICE SKATING ON THE
ROCK AT RIVERSIDE PARK
All
lovers of skating are surely indebted to the weatherman for the winter has been
ideal for ice sports, since the absence of snow places the entire river at the
students' disposal, and the agreeable temperature makes the outdoor exercise a
pleasure. Many students take interest in skating, and during free time many youngsters
are seen strolling toward the river with a pair of skates under their
arms. Again, we see them at the supper
table with glowing cheeks, thus proving to us that above all skating develops a
good appetite. Action taken by the city,
especially by the Chamber of Commerce, increased the local interest for winter sports very much.
The
wide bend of the river at Riverside Park offers a well adapted place for an ice
rink, which is cleared from snow, whenever necessary and is illuminated in the
evening by electric lights. A clubhouse
is also at the skater's disposal, where skates are rented, clothes are checked,
refreshments and confectionery offered for sale, and which affords rest and
warmth to those who are tired and cold.
These improvements in Watertown are certainly appreciated by the
students and young people of the city. Derived
from The Black and Red, Norhtwestern College publication of 02 1921
1927
04 13 NEW BAND STAND
A new band stand is being
erected in Riverside park by Jack Brennan and a force of men.
07 29 CITY GETS OFFER OF FOX
AND FAWN
An offer
to give to the city of Watertown several small animals that can be easily kept
has been made by a former resident who suggests that the animals be put at
Riverside park where they may be seen by people who visit the place. The board of park
commissioners is expected to take up matter in the near
future.
The
man, whose name is being withheld for the present, has offered several foxes and also a fawn or two.
If these are accepted it may lead to other contributions and sooner or
later Watertown would have several small animals to place on permanent
exhibition there.
Several
neighboring cities have started small collections of this kind land, they are
bringing joy to hundreds of children and grownups.
Riverside
is pointed out as one of the most beautiful natural parks to be found anywhere
in this section and if a small ‘‘zoo” is added it would attract many more
people, it is asserted by persons who look with favor, upon accepting the
animals offered. It is also pointed out
that there are native Watertown people scattered in all parts of the world and
once the information of the “zoo” went out it would result in various specimens being donated, thus adding to the collection.
1920s
11 16 GAZEBO RELOCATED TO RIVERSIDE PARK
when Cole Memorial Hall was constructed
on the site of Library Park [behind Public Library]
in the late 1920s.
1928
03 14 1928
Comfort Station Bids To Be
Filed On Thursday
Bids for the two proposed
comfort stations to be erected under supervision of the board of park
commissioners are to be filed with the board on Thursday. The board has advertised
for bids for the proposed work and the plans for the comfort station are
the work of Arthur Kuenzi
of this city.
One of the new stations is
to be erected at Riverside park and the other will be placed near the municipal
bathing beach and tennis courts.
A third comfort station is
to be provided the city through the co-operation of the Sgt. F. L. Pitterle post, American Legion which
has made an agreement with the council to take care of a room in the armory building if it is
suitably fitted up by the city. The
money for the improvements has been appropriated by the council and when the
three places are completed the city will have four comfort stations.
Cross reference note: RE Arthur Kuenzi, engineer (with Otto Biefeld Co., later Biefeld
president)
03 17 1928
H. G. Zickert Is Awarded
Comfort Stations Contract
H. G. Zickert, 500 Dewey
Avenue, was the successful bidder for the erection of two comfort stations
under the direction of the board of park commissioners it was announced today
following a meeting of the board held Friday night at which the bids were taken
up.
Mr. Zickert's bids for the
Riverside park comfort station was $2,658 and for the
station to be erected at the municipal bathing beach his figure was $2,012.
The board, which had been
authorized to proceed with the work, awarded the contract to him and the two
stations will be started as soon as possible.
1928
04 30 RIVERSIDE PARK COMFORT
STATIONS / RESTROOMS
Riverside Park Comfort Stations Are Under Way
Construction of the two comfort stations at Riverside
park which was started some time ago is now well under way and both structures
will be completed for service before the season gets well under way. The stations are being erected by Herman G.
Zickert, local contractor. One of the
buildings is in Riverside park proper and the other is near the municipal
tennis courts and bathing beach.
Frequently vandalized over the years
New restrooms, distant view
2022 note: According to Watertown’s Parks and Recreation
Director Randy Wojtasiak, the current bathrooms are
original to the park [but of uncertain construction date]. (WDTimes of 02 17 2022). The restroom
station currently in the park is slated for replacement this year.
1930
05 19 PARK VANDALISM BREAKS
OUT OVER WEEKEND
Bird houses are reported stolen, someone shot a bullet
through the door of the pavilion, park benches were jammed into shrubbery and
automobiles had driven over the carefully cultivated greens of the park...
c.1930
TRENCHING TO CREATE CREEKS/STREAMS WITHIN PARK
1936
April FOOT BRIDGES OVER STREAM IN PARK
1936
FIELD MASS
AT RIVERSIDE PARK, PART OF CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION
1936 Watertown Centennial
Celebration
The setting for the field mass was one of great beauty and
solemnity. The altar used was the first
one erected in St. Bernard's church and was taken to the field for the
occasion. The baldacchino was designed
by Baldwin S. Raue who spent more than a week in
working it out, and this was a beautiful piece of work which, when carried out
for the setting of the altar, proved to be a work of art . . .
PARK STONE
LOCATION BEFORE MOVING
1936
This stone in the park was moved to near bandshell and placed over 1954 time
capsule
1939
06 16 PARK DEER FENCE BEING
COMPLETED
The fence on the runway
for the two deer which the Board of Park Commissioners is to get through the
cooperation of the State Conservation Department is being completed at
Riverside Park and it is expected the two deer which have been allotted to the
city will be brought here shortly. One
of the deer will come from Brillion and the other from Poynette, according to
park officials.
c.1940
STONE TURRET WITH BIRDHOUSE ATOP
04 05 RIVERSIDE PARK ZOO GROWS
Specimens Given City Free – Two deer, pheasants,
including ring neck, black neck, mutant, Lady Amhurst and golden from the State
Conservation Commission. Swan a gift
from Tripoli Shrine. Raccoon from
William & Sadie (Norton) MacBoyle.
Owl from Ehler Brinkman.
1941
05 29 RIVERSIDE PARK ZOO NOW
READY
Collection of animals
may be enlarged during the year. . . . There are 5 raccoons,
3 deer, 6 pair of pheasants, 4 swans, 2 owls and 1
hawk at the present time. Three
foxes were recently traded and will result in securing several peacocks here,
probably in autumn.
c.1941
RIVERSIDE PARK SWANS
1942
06 06 SWIMMING
POOL DEDICATED
Dedicated on July 5, 1942. It was constructed
during the years 1940 and 1941. WDT
06 08 CYGNETS ADDED TO RIVERSIDE PARK ZOO
The Riverside Park
"Zoo" is boasting a flock of cygnets (baby
swans). They are now about 12 days old
and are swimming about daily in the waters at the park. There are 8 of them. Since the babies were hatched Papa Swan has
left home. He'll be back. however.
WDTimes
1940s
DEER PEN
REFLECTION: The park’s deer pen and the rest of Riverside
Park were glorious. There was a much larger
pine woods along Hill Street which led to unused farm land extending up the
hill. One very large childhood
“playground” back then.
1940s
CHANNEL OF ROCK RIVER
PAVILION
1953
04 28 NEW
BAND SHELL (dedicated in 1954)
Watertown’s new band shell in Riverside Park will
be constructed of concrete, wood and stone, it was revealed today. The design, plans and specifications are on
file at the City Hall for consultation and study by prospective bidders. Bids are due at 2 p.m. on May 12 in the
office of City Manager Dean Van Ness, according to the call for bidders which
was released in the Times on
Saturday. The shell will be 36 by 46
feet in size, overall. It contains
storage rooms which can also be used for dressing quarters when the stage is
used for pageants or other outdoor productions.
The approval of the Wisconsin State Industrial Commission is expected
shortly, it was said at the City Hall this morning. State engineers have already given their
approval of the design as to its acoustical qualities. WDT
08 19 BLACKTOPPING
TENNIS COURTS
11 18 NEW BAND SHELL (Wilbur Wollin, contractor)
Wilbur Wollin, Watertown contractor who
filed the lower of two bids for the construction of the city's band shell to be
erected in Riverside Park, was awarded the contract and it is proposed to begin
work this fall if weather conditions permit. Awarding of the
contract was approved by the City Council.
The bid price was $20,263. The
money came from the Wenzel Prochazka legacy, set up under
the will of Mr. Prochazka and which designated that the sum be used
for park purposes. WDT
1954
06 28 TIME CAPSULE BURIED IN RIVERSIDE PARK
1957
01 17 REFERENDUM TO DISCONTINUE SALE OF BEER AT PARK
The Pitterle-Beaudoin
Post No. 189, American Legion, which each summer sponsors the largest
celebration at Riverside Park, the Fourth of July festivities, today began to
assemble its forces to seek defeat of the April 2 referendum which will decide
whether the sale of beer is to be continued in Riverside Park and other public
parks in the city. The Legion has made
it clear that it wants to continue sponsoring the celebrations but cannot do so
if its largest revenue raising source at the park is halted.
1959 DEER PEN
10 13 THE POPCORN HASSLE
The Riverside Park
popcorn hassle, which was brought into the open at the city council meeting on
Oct. 6 today seemed headed toward a solution and a report to that effect will
be filed with the council at its meeting next Tuesday night. The issue was brought into the open by the Pitterle-Beaudoin Post No. 189, the American
Legion when its commander told the council that officers would find it
difficult to sign up a carnival for rides and concessions unless such group was
given exclusive rights to concessions at the park for the annual Fourth of July celebration which the Legion
sponsors each year. A report received by
the Times today stated that the
solution calls for the carnival company to have complete control of all
concessions on the Fourth of July midway in the park. There is nothing to bar “outsiders” to
maintain stands in other parts of the park, but they will not be permitted on
the midway. WDT
Cross Reference: Jine's Popcorn
Stand at Riverside Park (2009)
1965
02 12 “WINTER FROLICS” AT THE
SNOWSLIDE
Over 250 Watertown children
participated in the Junior Chamber of Commerce’s “Winter Frolics” held on
Sunday afternoon at the Riverside Park snowslide. Ribbons were presented to the contestants who
placed first, second and third in each event.
After the sledding a drawing was held and the following prizes of sleds,
saucers and toboggans were won by: Joan Neitzel, Gary Brink, Michael Pitterle,
Steven Schumacher, Jeff Ready, Tom Bluel, Steve Strohbusch, Jeff DeTroye,
Christine Rose and John Ready. WDT
07 03 NEW CONCESSION STANDS
ERECTED
A rigid set of rules
governing the use of the new concession stands being erected in the softball
area at Riverside Park by the Watertown Junior Chamber of Commerce has been
prepared and will be presented to the common council for approval next Tuesday
night. The subject has been under
discussion at previous meetings and the set of rules proposed differs little
from the points covered in a Daily Times
report published last month. Under the
rules, permission to use the building, which the Jaycees will turn over to the
city, will be limited to activities of the park and recreation departments of
the city and to local nonprofit organizations in conjunction with a special
event or tournament conducted on the athletic field. WDT
1967
03 10 PARK SOLIDLY BOOKED
Riverside Park is
almost solidly booked for the coming picnic and outing season, Keith Spaulding,
city recreation director, has announced.
All of the Sunday dates have been reserved for
picnics and gatherings, including the use of various park facilities, such as
the pavilion, kitchens and the park island.
In addition to the various church picnics and the celebrations for the
Fourth of July and Labor Day weekends, the park has also been reserved for
family reunions, large and small gatherings and special events for industrial,
business and organizational events. WDT
1969
01 22 PARK SUPERINTENDENT
EWALD (HONEY) BRUMM RETIRES
1970
03 02 GAZEBO, WINTER SCENE
03 02 FISHING EVENT IN THE
PARK
< scroll forward, set to 6 images
1983
10 15 RIP-RAP TO PRESERVE THE SHORELINE
Rip-rap
to preserve the shoreline around Riverside Park was approved by the Watertown
City Council. The rip-rap contract was awarded to Weis Excavating,
Inc., of Johnson Creek, the lowest of six bidders on the
contract. Tom Checkai, assistant park and recreation director,
said, “We've been losing a considerable amount of shoreline in recent years
because of erosion. This project should halt that
problem.” High water in recent springs and the deteriorated
condition of the existing walls has made the project necessary. WDT
1987
Abstracted
from WDTimes Supplement of 08 03 1987.
The two outstanding symbols of
Watertown are the Octagon House and Riverside Park. While many city residents have never been in
the former, you'd be hard pressed to find anyone who has never utilized any of
Riverside's 29 acres.
Seemingly squeezed into Riverside
are four tennis courts, six volleyball courts, three softball diamonds,
swimming and wading pools, the pavilion with dance floor and kitchen, the
playground, horseshoe pits and the usual amenities. Still, there always seems
to be a place to steal a moment of serenity — even on a busy weekend.
Riverside's
origins began in 1910. Charles Kiewert of Milwaukee offered what was
known as the Kussel farm to the city as a gift, with the stipulation that the
city must spend $300 a year on improvements for a period of 10 years. There was some early opposition. According to
newspaper accounts, the general feeling was: "What do we want that old
swamp for — what should the city do with it — and we don't need a park."
But after trustees of the Fannie
P. Lewis Park Fund stepped in and agreed to pay half of the cost, public
opinion shifted and development came quickly.
By 1915 the park was being used
regularly by many local groups and organizations for their annual picnics. The
bathhouse (demolished several years ago) was constructed in 1917 and the tennis
courts followed in 1922.
The tennis courts are still
there. The bathhouse and adjoining beach
gave way to the swimming pool. Other
improvements through the years included the bandshell, pavilion and expansion
of the athletic facilities.
1992
07 26 ARTS
FESTIVAL AT RIVERSIDE PARK
A record high of $36,000 in total sales was spent on artwork Sunday
afternoon when hundreds of art lovers took advantage of warm, sunny and breezy
weather to attend the Watertown Arts Festival held at Riverside Park.
Although buyers were in abundance, many people came to the outdoor event
simply to enjoy the cultural experience, classical musical entertainment, food
and refreshments. Sales were
substantially increased over last year when bad weather may have hampered
attendance. Total sales for the arts festival
in 1991 were over $30,000 despite a rainy afternoon. Ninety-one artists were on hand this year to
show their work which included original paintings or prints, photographs,
pottery, jewelry, copper etchings, fabric sculpture, stained glass, stoneware,
metal sculpture, woodcuts and many other forms of art.
09 12 HANGING OUT IN THE PARK
The Watertown Park, Recreation and Forestry Department
Monday tabled a proposal that would have established Riverside Park as an
alternative to “hanging out” on Main Street.
John Steber, director of the park, recreation and forestry department,
said commission members were interested in developing an alternative for youths
to downtown, although they weren’t certain if Riverside Park was the best
choice. “I think they (commission
members) recognize the need for something,” Steber said. “But they don’t have the magic formula out
there.”
1995
09 28 GRADUATION MOVED FROM RIVERSIDE PARK TO GYMNASIUM
Graduation ’96 will be held in the gymnasium at
Watertown High School. Several concerns about
holding the ceremony at its traditional site, Riverside Park, led to the
decision, said Principal Kathy Wagner.
School board member Denise Barker and student board member Jessie Groose
urged that seniors be allowed input into the decision. Last year, seniors were allowed to vote on
where to hold the ceremony. They selected the park.
“Students should have a big part in that decision,”
Groose said. Wagner listed several
concerns of the ceremony at Riverside Park, including difficulty for older and
handicapped residents in parking and getting to the site. The sound system is better in the gymnasium and it will be comfortable no matter what the
weather is. She noted that it costs
$2,000 in overtime to set up the park on the morning of graduation, something
that could be avoided by setting the gymnasium up ahead of time.
1996
CHAMBERLAND
PLAYGROUND BUILT
Built in 1996, Chamberland was completed in five days
after about 2,555 volunteers started the job.
During the five days there were three work shifts a day and each shift
averaged about 150 people. Community
fundraising efforts netted around $80,000 for the project, which doubled the
original goal of $40,000. Those funds
were combined with $60,000 from the city. If contractors were hired to build
the playground and if all the material would have been purchased at retail
price, the expected cost would have been between $500,000 and $600,000.
1999
05 04 GRADUATION MOVED TO
HIGH SCHOOL, FROM RIVERSIDE PARK
Citing safety issues,
the Watertown Unified Board of Education on Monday voted unanimously to support
moving graduation ceremonies from Riverside Park into the Watertown High School
gymnasium. But Watertown High School
seniors this morning opposed the move, many leaving school grounds in
protest. Administrators requested moving
the ceremony because of ongoing safety concerns in the school system. The board took action
on the change of location after it met in closed session to discuss student
disciplinary issues. WDT
08 31 Erosion
study of Riverside Park and Tivoli Island; portions of Tivoli have disappeared from sight
WDT
09 16 Millennium celebration in Riverside
Park; midnight fireworks extravaganza WDT
2001
09 06 BAND SHELL FIRE
The band shell at
Riverside Park received roughly $30,000 in damage following a suspicious fire
Tuesday night. The fire, which started
in the first floor area and extended into the walls
and roof of the band shell, was reported by a citizen who saw the smoke at 6:59
p.m. Five hundred gallons of water and
fire fighting foam, containing an extinguishing agent, were used to put out the
fire which kept 22 firefighters on the scene for 2 1/2 hours. “Smoke was just pouring out of the roof area
and eastern most side of the structure,” said Watertown Fire Chief Henry
Butts. “Flames were visible for a short
period of time but there was thick black smoke and you
could hear the fire burning in the walls,” Butts said. Two engines, one ladder and an EMS team also
responded to the fire. No one was
injured in the incident. “The structure
had a good amount of fire damage and will have a significant amount when we’re
done,” said Butts. WDT
2004
04 30 PARK & REC ALIGNS WITH ROTARY
The Watertown Rotary Club hopes
to join forces with the Watertown Park and Recreation Department to leave a lasting legacy for the city as well as the civic
organization. The two entities hope to
work together to take advantage of grant money to restore the Rock river
shoreline at the Riverside Park island and its Rock river channel adjacent to
the mainland. If the grant is received
and the shoreline is restored, the park would have a new look that will enhance
the environment for future generations.
WDT
08 23 ISLAND RESTORATION
A portion of the
shoreline at the Riverside Park island is restored by community volunteers and
members of the Watertown Rotary Saturday as part of a continuing effort to
limit erosion from the Rock river. The
roots of environmentally friendly vegetation will eventually anchor the
shoreline, and the plantings will lend beauty and attract wildlife to the
area. The initial phase of the project
was sponsored by Town and Country Bank and Chickens Unlimited, and organizers
of the effort have applied for a state grant to continue the restoration of the
park’s 2,100 feet of i river bank. WDT
2005
06 09 SHORELINE RESTORATION
Residents will get a
chance this weekend to discuss the plan of action for this month’s restoration
project of the shoreline at Riverside park.
Project Manager Augie Tietz of the Rotary Club will be holding a general
discussion of the project at the park on Saturday and Sunday from noon to 2
p.m. The actual restoration process will
take place June 16-18 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Tietz said he is still actively pursuing volunteers for the
program. He added he hopes to get at
least 30 to 40 volunteers. WDT
2008
07 13 FLOODING DAMAGED
PLANTINGS AROUND ISLAND
The flooding in June
may have damaged a number of homes and businesses in
the city, but it has also destroyed a majority of the plantings around the
island at Riverside Park. According to
Watertown Park, Recreation and Forestry Director John Steber, the damage to the
plantings is estimated at $45,000, which includes allowance for plant material,
planning and professional services, city labor and 653 hours of volunteer work
coordinated by the local Rotary Club.
Although parts of the island look decimated, Steber said it’s too early
to tell if all of the plants have been wiped out. “In that, we won’t know for some time,”
Steber said. “The initial appearance is
that, yes, they are (destroyed). We know
some of the reeds have seemed to survive, but everything else is just dirt
black or brown stubble that’s left.”
2014 THE WITCH'S HOUSE
used to be called "the witch's
house".
2015 CHAMBERLAND PLAYGROUND
UPDATED
09 01 
WDTimes
article
A park
where a generation of Watertown adults remember playing as children has been
undergoing a renovation this summer with the help of a 2010 Watertown High
School graduate. Rebecca Gentil, an art
major at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, has been painting geese to
decorate the Chamberland playground at Riverside Park . . . The main goal was
to replace the synthetic surface and to repair damaged areas within
Chamberland. Some of the new additions
to the park will be a two-person swing, merry-go-round and teeter-totter.
Watertown High School students repainted the murals at the park as well as a number of other additions including replacing old or
weathered boards and installing new turf. The park and recreation department
will also add an accessible swing for children with disabilities . . . .
2014
08 02 NEW SIGNAGE
2020
07 09 WATERTOWN DAILY TIMES
COLUMN (1 of 2)
07 15 WATERTOWN DAILY TIMES
COLUMN (2 of 2)
Tom Schultz, “Times
Square”
05 04 DOCUMENTARY
Maranatha Baptist University video class production
in cooperation
with the Watertown Historical Society
2022
05 04 TWO RIVERSIDE PARK
RESTROOMS TO BE REPLACED
The new
facility will house both men’s and women’s restrooms (with changing tables in both sides) along with a family restroom and mother’s
room. The new building will be on the
footprint of the current women’s bathroom.
06 18 YOUTH BASEBALL AT RIVERSIDE
2024
05 09 REMOVAL OF INVASIVE VEGETATION, INSTALL RIPRAP
The
proposed project involves the removal of invasive vegetation from Riverside
Park Creek and install riprap in designated areas on the creek banks to
minimize in-stream erosion and reduce the amount of sediment and attached
phosphorus that travels downstream to the Rock River. Approximately 420 linear
feet of the waterway will be disturbed for the bank reshaping and riprap
installation in nine designated areas within the park. Riprap will be installed
along the banks in a way that does not alter the current dimensions of the
creek but will protect the bank from erosion. The dredging will consist of
removing 87 cubic yards of material and invasive plants along approximately 390
feet of the creek.
The
creek transports a large portion of stormwater from the northeast portion of
the City of Watertown to the Rock River, and during high precipitation events,
the creek experiences rapid flooding rates. Accumulation of invasive vegetation
has reduced the capacity of the creek and shifted flow patterns causing
increased in-channel erosion of the banks. The purpose of the project is to
restore the creek to its original flow capacity while also stabilizing the
creek banks to minimize erosion. The Department will review the proposal
provided by the applicant and . . .
STATE
OF WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES
For the
Secretary by: Francesca Sanchez, Water Management Specialist, May 9, 2024
08 23 RIVERSIDE PARK
INCLUSIVE RECREATIONAL AREA
< YouTube video clip
This
project, which will be located at the Riverside Park volleyball courts, will
create a welcoming space where everyone can play, connect, and enjoy the
outdoors together.
Aim is
to fund project fully through community support and grants.
Cross References:
Bird
House at Riverside Park, undated photo, WHS 006 724
History of Watertown,
Wisconsin