Watertown is a city in and the county seat of Codington County , South Dakota , United States . The population was 21,482 at the 2010 census . It is also the principal city of the Watertown Micropolitan Statistical Area , which includes all of Codington and Hamlin counties. Gary Williams is the current Mayor. Watertown is home to the Redlin Art Center which houses many of the original art works produced by Terry Redlin , one of America's most popular wildlife artists. Watertown also is home to the Bramble Park Zoo and the Watertown Regional Library . The Watertown Public Opinion is a six-day daily newspaper published in Watertown.
History An 1883 bird's eye illustration of Watertown Watertown was founded in 1879 as a rail terminus when the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad reactivated part of a line it had constructed to Lake Kampeska . The city was named after Watertown, New York , the hometown of John E. Kemp, one of the city's founders. During the 1880s, Watertown prospered as a transportation hub after the railroads had been extended further west. Along with several other cities, Watertown had been a candidate as capital of the new state of South Dakota, although it lost out to the more centrally located Pierre . The city's current newspaper, the Watertown Public Opinion , began publishing in 1887. In the mid-20th century, Interstate 29 was constructed through eastern South Dakota. The route included a slight bend to bring the highway closer to Watertown. The interstate's construction has been a major economic benefit to the larger communities along its route, including Watertown.
