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Home of America's First Kindergarten
919 Charles St. ~ Watertown, WI ~ 920-261-2796
Pioneer Barn
Originally located along the Watertown Plank Road
The Plank Road Pioneer Barn was built in 1848 by Wenzel Quis and was originally located at the western terminus of the Watertown-Milwaukee Plank Road, across the Rock River yet only a short distance east of its present site. Moved to the grounds of the Octagon House Museum in the early 1960's, it now houses a collection of pioneer tools and farm implements.
The Indian Statue shown in the foreground is a replica of a statue that once stood at the intersection of W. Main and Washington streets in downtown Watertown. The Indian stood upon a water fountain with drinking troughs for both humans and horses. The original statue was given as a gift to the city in 1896 by benefactors Robert and Fannie Lewis in memory of their son, Clifton. In 1925, the statue was damaged beyond repair when its base was struck by a passing motorist. This replica stood for many years in Union Park, and was relocated to the museum grounds in 1964.
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