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ebook History of Watertown, Wisconsin
Watertown and Madison Road
1858
07 07 WATERTOWN
OWES LOSS TO MILWAUKEE
Watertown Owes to
Milwaukee the loss of a railroad beyond a doubt — at least the Madison papers
claim such to be the fact. If there is one city in the West, more than any other, that has attempted to build up its own fortunes on
the ruin of its neighbors, that city is Milwaukee.
We have no feelings of
hostility toward the commercial emporium of the State, but much less fear on
her part lest some other place should enjoy a share of the prosperity which she
seeks to monopolize, would disarm a great deal of the opposition she always
meets when she has any particular measure to carry for her special benefit,
which requires the consent of the Legislature.
Clearly, it is for the
advantage of Milwaukee, to have the Watertown and Madison road be built and put
in operation at an early day. The traveling public would save a vast amount of
time and money by the completion of this work. But the Directors of that
wretched humbug, the Mississippi Railroad, fearing that it will reduce their
receipts, are throwing every obstacle in the way they possibly can to defeat
the efforts now being made to finish what they regard as a rival, a better and
a shorter line.
Yet Milwaukee quietly
looks on, and year after year consents to pay a heavy premium for the privilege
of crawling in, crawling out, and crawling around to the capital or the
Mississippi, merely that a selfish corporation may make a few more dollars.
Speaking of this
suicidal policy, the Madison Argus gives the following illustration:
"Within a few
years, we have attempted an enterprise of our own that would yield a vast
tribute of trade and travel to Milwaukee. The Watertown and Madison railroad
would have brought us within three hours and a half of Milwaukee, and would
have carried passengers to Chicago, by way of Milwaukee, within a half hour of
the time occupied by going around the crooked and serpentine Janesville route.
This enterprise received from the start the bitter hostility of the two great
Milwaukee Railroads, and is, temporarily at least, defeated, after Madison,
Watertown, and the towns between, had contributed and paid half enough to build
it. It owes its defeat to Milwaukee.” WD
09 30 The sale of the Watertown and Madison railroad takes place today in the
city of Madison, according to the advertised notice. WD
10 07&14 Watertown and Madison Railroad was sold
under foreclosure of the first mortgage.
Russel Sage of Troy, N.Y. was purchaser. Construction
resumed
WD
1859
02 03 IRON LAID
The iron on the
Watertown and Madison railroad has been laid
to Waterloo WD
1862
07 10 NEW RAILROAD CAR
Last week a new
railroad car, built in this city under the direction of Mr. B. T. Wells, made
its first appearance on the Watertown & Madison Railroad. It is designed to answer the double purpose
of both a passenger and freight car – and is admirably arranged for such
use. It is strongly and substantially
built of the best materials and is capable of resisting a tremendous shock, yet
it is well furnished and finished and glides along lightly and smoothly over
the iron track. It will be put on the
route between this city and Sun Prairie, on which our young and attentive
friend, Mr. O. F. Willis, acts as conductor.
While on this subject
we will state the fact that some 25 freight cars are in course of construction
at the machine shop of the Milwaukee & Western Company in this city. As good cars are
made there as can be found on any railroad in the west. This establishment gives steady employment to
a large number of skillful mechanics and all goes on like clockwork under the
supervision of Mr. Wells. WD
1865
08 03 THE WATERTOWN &
MADISON RAILROAD
Some six or eight years ago a long pull, a
strong pull, and a pull all together was made by our people to construct the
Madison & Watertown Railroad.
In the enterprise the
city of Madison invested $100,000 in municipal bonds and individual citizens
subscribed and paid for some $200,000 or $300,600 of stock, a good part of
which subscriptions was secured by farm mortgages. At the commencement of the operations of the
company a railroad was completed and in running order from Milwaukee to
Watertown, leaving only about 35 miles of road to be constructed to connect us
(Madison) by rail with Lake Michigan at Milwaukee.
The early extension of
the road from Watertown to Madison was a pet scheme on the part of our city . .
. . but owing to bad and extravagant management, the
great and sudden depression in the money market, and general tumbling of
railroad securities in 1857, the completion of the work stopped near Waterloo
by the final collapse of the company.
In 1859 or 1860 the
road was extended from Waterloo to Sun Prairie by the new company, less than 12
miles from Madison, where it has remained ever since, with no particular effort
to continue it to Madison . . . .
Men of Milwaukee, if you want our good fellowship
and trade, which now more naturally flows to Chicago owing to superior railroad
facilities, take hold with us right heartily and help us to finish this 11
miles of railroad, thus bringing the commercial metropolis of the state and the
state capitol within 80 miles of each other . . . . WD
History of Watertown,
Wisconsin