Watertown, South Dakota, was founded in 1879 as settlers and the railroad expanded into the Dakota Territory, and it was named for Watertown, New York, the hometown of brothers John E. and Oscar P. Kemp, two of the community’s early founders. Located along the Big Sioux River between Lake Kampeska and Pelican Lake, Watertown quickly developed into an important regional center for agriculture, commerce, transportation, and government. The arrival of the railroad in the early 1880s fueled rapid growth, bringing new residents, businesses, hotels, banks, schools, and civic institutions to the young community. Watertown became the county seat of Codington County and even competed to become the capital of South Dakota when the territory achieved statehood in 1889. Over the following decades, the city continued to grow while maintaining strong ties to agriculture, industry, recreation, and the arts. Today, Watertown serves as a major hub for northeastern South Dakota, with its historic downtown, Lake Kampeska, Bramble Park Zoo, Redlin Art Center, and longstanding community institutions reflecting more than a century of growth and change.