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• 1854 - Watertown
  Watertown, a flourishing post-borough, capital of Jefferson county, New York, is situated in Watertown township, on the left or S. bank of Black river, and on the Rome and Water- town railroad, about 100 miles W. N. W. from Albany, and 86 miles by railroad N. N. W. from Utica. It is the southern terminus of the Potsdam and Watertown railroad, 75 miles long, which connects with the Northern railroad at Stockholm. It contains a stone court house and jail, a state arsenal of brick, 6 banks, with an aggregate capital of $600,000, 9 or 10 churches, and several academies. Five or six newspapers are published in the borough. The river, which is here 00 yards wide, is crossed by a bridge. There is a fall of about 24 feet opposite the town, and rapids for 3 or 4 miles below, from which almost unlimited water-power may be derived with facility. The manufactories of this place are various and extensive, producing woollen and cotton goods, paper, flour, machinery, iron ware, farming implements,... Read MORE...
  
  
•   1868 - Mention was made some time since of the resident of Watertown, N. Y., who wheeled his wife on a wheelbarrow from that place to Saratoga.
  The trip was undertaken, on the advice of a physician, for the benefit of the wife's health. Recently the couple passed through Utica on their way home, the woman restored to health, and walking beside her husband, who wheeled the empty barrow.
  
  St Joseph Herald
  Saint Joseph, Michigan
  August 22, 1868
  
•   1868 - A Watertown, N. Y., dispatch, October 21st says:
  An extensive fraud is being perpetrated throughout the country, and especially in the West, by negotiating forged drafts purporting to be drawn by the banking house of Howard & Baker, of Watertown, and signed by C. E. Helmer, Cashier. The drafts are neatly engraved and executed. These drafts, to the amount of several thousand dollars, have been sent here for collection. There has never been any such banking house in this village.
  St Joseph Herald
  Saint Joseph, Michigan
  October 31, 1868
  
• 1869 - There are now twenty-two cities in New York State: Cohoes and Watertown being the latest additions.
  
  St Joseph Herald
  Saint Joseph, Michigan
  June 19, 1869
  
•   1875 - Fire
  OTHER FIRES.
  
  A fire broke out on Friday night in the paper mill and sack factory of Messrs. Taggath and Davis, in Watertown, N. Y., caused by an explosion of a kerosene lamp, destroying entirely one section of the mill, together with a large amount of stock. The property in the other four sections of the mill was saved, but damaged by smoke and water. The loss is probably $20,000; insured in the following companies: Westchester, of New York, $2,500; New-York Central, $2,000; Amazon, of Cincinnati, $2,500; People's of Memphis, $2,500; Rochester German, $2,500; Allemania, of Pittsburg, $1,500; Mississippi Valley, $2,000; People's, of New Jersey, $2,000; Lorillard, of New-York, $2,000; Old Dominion, of Richmond, Va., $2,500; Lancaster, of Lancaster, Penn., $2,500; Capital City, of Albany, $1,500; Atlantic, of Brooklyn, $2,000; St. Louis, of St. Louis, $2,500; Union, $2,500. William Barber was killed by suffocation.
  The New York Times
  New York, New York
  September 27, 1875
  
•   1890 - LOSSES BY FIRE.
  Fire Sunday night destroyed the two-story wooden block at the lower end of Court-street, Watertown, N. Y., owned by A. E. Baron, and occupied by Decout & Co., grocers and meat dealers; W. C. Greene, drugs, and J. A. McGregor, boots and shoes. The planking on the new iron bridge over the Black River at this point took fire and was burned considerably, warping some of the ironwork and rendering the structure temporarily unserviceable. The loss on the buildings is $10,000, and the insurance $5,000. The loss on the meat and grocery stock of Decout & Co. has not been estimated. The insurance on this stock was $2,200. The drug stock was insured for $1,500, but the loss on it has not as yet been estimated. McGregor loses $1,200 on stock. He carried $800 insurance.
  The New York Times
  New York, New York
  February 4, 1890
  
• 1895 - Watertown
  Watertown, a city, the capital of Jefferson co., N.Y., is situated on the S. bank of Black River, about 10 miles from its entrance into Lake Ontario, 90 miles N.N.W. of Utica, and 70 miles S. by W. of Ogdensburg. It is on the Rome, Watertown & Ogdensburg Railroad and the Utica & Black River Railroad. It contains a court-house, 10 churches, a high school, 4 national banks, 3 other banks, and a good hotel. Two daily and 3 weekly newspapers are published here, Several bridges here cross the river, which is 60 yards wide. The rapids of the river afford abundant hydraulic power at this place. It has manufactures of flour, leather, machinery, woollen goods, and farming implements, 4 paper-mills, several foundries, a manufactory of sewing-machines, and a large manufactory of spring-wagons. Pop, in 1880, 10,697; in 1890, 14,725.
  Lippincott's Gazetteer of the World: A Complete Pronouncing Gazetteer Or Geographical Dictionary of the World Containing Notices of Over One Hundred and Twenty-five Thousand Places ... Joseph Thomas January 1, 1895 J.B. Lippincott
  
•   1895 - Blizzard - THE STORM STILL HOVERS OVER THE UNITED STATES. IT IS SEVEREST IN THE EAST. TRAFFIC ALMOST ENTIRELY AT A STANDSTILL -- RAILROAD TRAINS BLOCKADED -- BUSINESS PARALYZED -- PEOPLE FROZEN TO DEATH AT SEVERAL PLACES...
  ...Railroads Blockaded.
  Watertown, N. Y., Feb. 9. - The severe cold wave which has prevailed over this section for the past two days has been succeeded by one of the worst blizzards this year. The snow is heavy and packs hard. The railroads are all blockaded. About a foot of snow has fallen and the storm is still raging...
  The Delphos Daily Herald
  Ohio
  February 9, 1895
  
• 1898 - Watertown
  In 1796 the veteran land surveyor, Benjamin Wright, laid out into townships and lots the entire Black river tract, or the eleven towns, comprising substantially all of great lots numbers five and six of the original Macomb purchase. Through various sales and transfers the title to the vast tract became vested (July 15, 1795) in Nicholas Low, William Henderson, Richard Harrison and Josiah Ogden Hoffman, who paid for the same one dollar per acre. After having thus acquired title the proprietors employed Benjamin Wright to make the survey and subdivision mentioned, and then (August 5, 1796) divided the townships among themselves by ballot, using the lands of Worth as “boot money” equivalent. On this division townships Nos. 2, 7 and 11, or the subsequently created towns of Watertown, Adams and Lowville, fell to Nicholas Low, under whom, through the agency of Silas Stow, M. S. Miller and I. W. Bostwick, acting in succession, the lands were disposed of to settlers. Wright’s survey showed an ... Read MORE...
  
  
• 1900 - November 14-15 - A record lake-effect snowstorm at Watertown, NY, produced 45 inches in 24 hours. The storm total was 49 inches.
  
  The Weather Channel
  
• 1906
  Watertown, a city, capital of Jefferson co., N.Y., on the S. bank of the Black River, about 10 miles from its entrance into Lake Ontario and 70 miles (direct) NNW. of Utica, on the New York Central and Hudson River R. Several bridges here cross the river, the rapids of which afford abundant hydraulic power. The city is the seat of a state armory, of homes for the aged and orphans, etc., and has extensive manufactures of paper, wood-pulp, steam-engines, carriages and wagons, air-brakes, silk, foundry products, etc. Pop. in 1890, 14,725; in 1900 21,696.
  Lippincott's New Gazetteer: A Complete Pronouncing Gazetteer Or Geographical Dictionary of the World, Containing the Most Recent and Authentic Information Respecting the Countries, Cities, Towns ... in Every Portion of the Globe Publisher J.B. Lippincott Company, 1906
  
•   1918 - CHILD RESCUED FROM FIRE WITH MUCH DIFFICULTY - Fireman Goes Up Three Flights for Third Time to Save Baby.
  Watertown, June 29. - A fire which broke out about 10:30 this evening among the boxes in the basement of the Cooperative store, a stock concern that occupies the ground floor of the Britton block in Arsenal street, caused damage to goods of many hundreds of dollars from smoke which the firemen pronounced about the worst they had ever had to combat. A child and several other dwellers in rooms on upper floors were rescued by the police.
  
  The second floor is occupied by the rooms of the Machinists' union, while Mrs. J. D. Burtis, who came here recently from Antwerp where the family sustained a $1,000 loss by fire just before moving, rents the third and fourth floors, subletting apartments Mrs. Burtis, who is an invalid, was aided down the stairs by the police.
  
  Detective Captain A. S. Wood learned that three-year-old Lena Reno, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Eleanor Reno, who had gone out and left the child to be looked after by neighbors, was in a apartment on the fourth floor. Three... Read MORE...
  
  
•   1930 - ENRAGED BEAR KILLS KEEPER WITH BLOW.
  (By International News Service).
  
  Watertown, N.Y., June 2. - An enraged female bear, separated from its mate, killed its keeper here today when the man opened the cage door at the city zoo to feed it.
  
  Loping up to the door when EMERSON E. JOYCE, 45, opened it to give the bear its first meal of the day, the animal struck the keeper in the head and dragged him into the cage.
  
  JOYCE'S cry brought GROVER BRENON, superintendent of the zoo.
  By this time, the bear was tossing the keeper around the cage. Two patrolmen succeeded in forcing the bear into a corner of the cage with long poles and carried JOYCE from the enclosure.
  
  He was taken to the Mercy Hospital but doctors said that the first blow from the bear was fatal.
  The Kane Republican
  Pennsylvania
  June 2, 1930
  
• 1955 - October 22 - WWNY TV channel 7 in Carthage-Watertown, NY (CBS) begins broadcasting
  
  historyorb.com
  
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