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June 7, 2009: Early Whitewater history

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WHITEWATER -- The Whitewater City Hall, built in 1997, is located at 312 W. Whitewater St.

According to Butterfield's "History of Walworth County," the first settlers in this area came in the spring of 1837. At that point, the area was part of the town of Elkhorn, which encompassed the northwest quarter of the county.

On Aug. 13, 1840, the town of Whitewater was established. It includes what is now Richmond Township. The township was established Jan. 12, 1841.

A mill was one of the first buildings in this community, and a blacksmith shop and tavern soon followed. Prosper Cravath was hired to survey the area. He made the mill the point from which streets would radiate. The streets were Main, Central and Whitewater.

The first call to incorporate as a village came March 6, 1858. Forty-two villagers signed the petition. The state Legislature passed an act to create this village, and their first elections were held May 27 of that year. Newton M. Littlejohn was chosen as the first village president. Trustees were Charles E. Curtice, George Esterly, Samuel Field and Mr. Scoville.

City government began in 1885; the first mayor was Samuel Bishop. In 1955, the city began the city manager form of government. Charles Trinkle was the first city manager.

The old city hall was built in 1899 of red pressed brick; it was razed in 1971. Early pictures show a 40-pound Parrot siege gun in front of the building. On April 27, 1871, the village passed an ordinance creating the fire department after a blaze destroyed 16 buildings on Center Street, including the Metropolitan Hall. By October 1871, the volunteer department had been organized.

Most of the first volunteers were employees of the wagon company. S.D. Barnes was fireman, Scot Salisbury assistant foreman and J.A. Patridge was secretary and treasurer of the organization. It was a bucket brigade in 1871, but in 1889 they got horse-drawn carts. In 1915, they bought their first motorized vehicles.

The department's first home was a small brick building near the Mill Pond. The first alarm system was a metal triangle on the top of the Wagon Shop. The first bell was on the old East Side Hall.

It was moved to a wooden tower on Whitewater Street and later to the old city hall building at the corner of Whitewater and Center streets. It moved across the street to the site of the Wisconsin Dairy Supply. It has been at the Public Safety Building since the late 1960s.

The police and fire departments moved into their new building in the fall of 1967. Other city offices moved in during March 1968. The steel and brick building, designed by Sample/Mullins of Madison, has a theme of simplicity.