Watertown WI real estate listings and homes for sale, home buying, home selling information

About Whitewater, Wisconsin Real Estate
An Active and Alive Small Town

Welcome to Whitewater, Wisconsin!

Whitewater, Wisconsin is a city located mostly in Walworth County and partly in Jefferson County. The estimated population, in 2003, was 14,120. Whitewater - situated approximately 50 miles from Madison and Milwaukee and just 80 miles from Chicago, Illinois - received its name from a tribe of Potawatomi Native Americans that had settled along the Whitewater River (known today as the Whitewater Creek). The name Wau-be-gan-naw-po-cat, meaning “white water”, was given to the area due to the white sands that lay at the bottom of the creek.

The Whitewater area was first settled in 1836, when Alvin Foster made his stake on the land by marking his name on a tree. At that time, that was all that was needed to make a legal claim on a piece of land. In 1837, Samuel Prince built the first log cabin near the current site of Whitewater’s Indian Mounds Park. After a six-day trip on foot, 20 settlers arrived here from Milwaukee and started the early makings of Whitewater. More settlers began to arrive in the untamed central Wisconsin wilderness. Other early settlers who arrived that first year were Johnson, Hamilton, Brewer, Collins, and Nichols. It was not until 1839, with Dr. Trippe’s donation of money for the Old Stone Mill, that Whitewater started to grow. The mill helped to create the new industrial hub of Whitewater.

By 1840, three main arteries were laid out: Whitewater, Main and Center Streets. In 1852, the first railway to cross Wisconsin laid its tracks through Whitewater, spurring industrial growth. Winchester and DeWolf Plow Factory (1850) Esterly Reaper Works (1857), and Winchester and Partridge Wagon Works (1860) were some of Walworth County’s first and largest industries. In 1855 the population of Whitewater was 2,224 but by 1888 it had grown to 3,621. Esterly Reaper Works was the largest employer in the 1880s, employing 525. Esterly employees built homes close to the factory on the east side of the city; hence the surrounding area became known as “Reaperville”. Various industries fueled Whitewater’s growth until 1892, when the Esterly Reaper Works moved to Minnesota and the Wagon Works shut down, thus marking the end of Whitewater’s first industrial era.

With the loss of two major industries, Whitewater lost one quarter of its population and did not regain its 1890 population level until 1950. During the world wars and the Great Depression, Whitewater relied on small trade and light industries to sustain its economy. Agricultural products, including eggs, farm produce, cheese, dairy products, livestock and small game made up 66 percent of Whitewater’s trade at the time. Meanwhile, the Whitewater Normal School (which later evolved into the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater) went about its business of training teachers. The school made several changes through the years, including diversifying its studies. After World War II, veterans returning from war boosted enrollment, sending the school well on its way to becoming the university it is today.

Annual events in Whitewater include an evening Lighted Holiday Parade and Open House in December, "Freeze Fest" in January, the Bridal Fair, Donkey Basketball and Farm Toy Show in February, Maxwell Street Day and the 4th of July Celebration in July. Other fun times for residents and their guests include the Minneiska Water Ski Shows, Saturday evenings on Whitewater Lake, weekly Concerts in the Park and Family Fun Nights throughout the summer. Twice weekly throughout the year guided walks are held departing from the Hwy 12 crossing at the Ice Age Trail free of charge and group biking tours depart several times a week from the area. September through April Young Auditorium features world class entertainment.

Many notable people are associated with Whitewater, including author and historian Stephen Ambrose, entertainers John Belushi and Tom Hulce ("Amadeus"), athletes Tom Bigelow (auto racing) and Bob Wickman (baseball pitcher), photographer, director, actor, cinematographer Edward S. Curtis and Warren S. Johnson, inventor of the electric thermostat and founder of Johnson Controls, Inc. And, Whitewater is home of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and the 2007 NCAA Division III football champions.

For more information on activities in and around Whitewater, Wisconsin, visit:

For more information on activities in and around South Central Wisconsin, including Jefferson County, Wisconsin, visit:

(This and more local information is available at or through the above sites.)

Whitewater Homes, Properties and Special Feature Real Estate

Because of these special qualities, you would expect Whitewater, Wisconsin real estate to move quickly. Charming first-time or senior homes, executive estates, recreational properties for active lives and waterfront or other special view properties of all styles and sizes can be found within or near this community.

Whitewater, Wisconsin real estate includes a wide variety of homes for sale, condos for sale, water access properties (waterfront or scenic view), active adult communities, ocean frontage and executive properties. Regardless of your present home or property concerns - whether you are buying or selling a home, condo, land, farm/farmette or other unique property – Mike Gross has the expertise to guide you through the process painlessly and profitably. Sellers who have been in the area for a while know my reputation for knowledgeable advice, enthusiastic service, creative marketing and professional networking. My associates and I will mine every source for suitable properties so you can feel at ease that your search will produce the right kind of solution for you.

For buyers new to the area, you can rest assured that I will provide the specialized services you deserve: a strong work ethic, personal real estate expertise to help define your needs, help with selecting and securing standard financing for your purchase, special technology, constant communication throughout the transaction, and more. Recognized expertise, professionalism and commitment to customer satisfaction have made Mike Gross the choice of many previous home buyers to help guide their search - from existing homes for sale, properties for sale, lots, vacant land, new construction, 55-plus and retirement communities, investment properties, waterfront, golf and recreational properties, golf course lots - all the way to luxury villas, estates and executive homes.

So when you're ready to buy or sell real estate in or around Whitewater, Wisconsin, please let Mike Gross help you find the home or property of your dreams. Contact Mike Gross today!

Other nearby communities have similar real estate characteristics as Whitewater and may also be of interest to you in your home search. Please feel free to ask Mike Gross about homes for sale, recreational and investment properties in and around Watertown, Dodge County, Jefferson County, Johnson Creek, Jefferson, Fort Atkinson, (Ft Atkinson) Lake Mills, Waukesha County, Cottage Grove, Deerfield, Aztalan, Janesville, Cambridge, Milford, Koshkonong (Lake Koshkonong), Whitewater, Palmyra, Eagle, Dousman, Delafield, Summit, Oconomowoc (Oconomowoc Lake), Lac La Belle, Ixonia, Sullivan, Oakland, Waterloo, Marshall, Lake Country, Ashippun, Juneau, Hustisford, Beaver Dam, Mayville, Horicon?, Columbus, Sun Prairie, Windsor (Lake Windsor), Rock Lake, Lake Ripley and much more.

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