The Watertown Public Opinion was first published on March 25, 1887. It was the Watertown and the Glacial Lakes Region’s primary news and information source. The paper began as a weekly, but in June 1893 it became a daily.

Watertown was founded in 1879 — 10 years before statehood — as a rail terminus when the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad reactivated part of a line it had constructed to Lake Kampeska. Being older than the state is not much of a big deal because before the territory could become a state, it needed towns and people and the proven ability to sustain growth.

Our history and background

Watertown literally started out as the end of the line and grew into a commercial, industrial, recreational and educational cornerstone of the state and region. No doubt it has advanced far b

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