Once upon a house — and every word of it on the record.

Beloit

• 1840 The Hanchett family came to Beloit, bought forty acres in Sec. 34, and Mr. Hanchett built the dam across Rock River at Beloit.
• August 7, 1840 Caleb Blodgett, the first white settler at Beloit, died.
• 1840 By fall, the Rock Prairie Norwegian settlement was established, consisting of five homesteads: Gravdal, Hallan, Odegarden, Lars Skavlem, and Gullik Halvorsen Blakstad (Skavlem); Gisle Hallan had taken possession of his new home in Sec. 6, Town of Beloit, and Gullick Halvorsen Blackstad (Skavlem) located on Sec. 28 during the spring and summer.
• October 1, 1840 Benjamin Brown arrived in Beloit with his wife (married May 14, 1840) and her daughter Lucy; the 1908 history also says his father first came to Beloit in 1840 and that Brown arrived in October.

Rock County

• September 1840 The parents of Paul M. Green came to Rock Co. and purchased 120 acres on Sections 4 and 5 (Milton).
• 1840 Easton and Gusta Johnson arrived in Rock county and settled in Avon township.
• Fall 1840 A church and parsonage were erected on a lot at the southwest corner of Section 36, known as the First Congregational Church of Rock County, at a cost of about $500.
• Spring 1840 Jacob West and John T. Baker came to the Evansville area; the 1879 history says Jacob West removed with his family to Rock Co. in 1840 and settled in Union Township in the fall of 1840 — the sources differ on the season.

The region

• 1840 The lands in Rock and Jefferson Counties came into market; the sale was at Milwaukee; settlers could first obtain title to the land that year.
• Summer 1840 An organized school was set up in the shanty first occupied by the Ogdens.
• 1840 Rock County members served in the Fourth (extra) Session of the Second Legislative Assembly (James Maxwell, Edward V. Whiton, John Hackett, Hugh Long).
• 1840 General Atkinson, with two and a half regiments of United States soldiers, forcibly moved 4,500 Winnebagoes to the west side of the Mississippi; from 1840 to 1848 six companies of soldiers were kept in Wisconsin.

Nation and world

• August 5, 1840 James D. Doty was re-elected Territorial delegate.
• 1840 A young lawyer purchased the Cortland "County Whig," a weekly newspaper, during the presidential contest between Harrison and Van Buren.
• 1840 The town received a large accession to its population by the arrival of a colony from Cortland, N.Y.
• 1840 The legislature's memorial to congress represented that the people were anxious to establish a common-school system; many schools were poorly organized for lack of funds.

Beloit

• October 1841 A settler came to Beloit, which then had about three hundred inhabitants, all on the east side of the river.
• April 4, 1841 A settler arrived in Beloit on a Sunday morning, having walked from Racine in the spring of 1841.
• 1841 A Beloit settler went to Michigan in 1841 and then came to Wisconsin, locating at Beloit.
• 1841 Mr. Willard was in Beloit, living for a time in the house of Samuel B. Cooper.

Rock County

• September 1841 Silas and Cynthia Hurd arrived in Rock county, settling in a log cabin on the Rock river east of Indian Ford.
• Fall 1841 Rollin Thorpe came to Rock County and purchased 160 acres in Sec. 11, Town 4, Range 13.
• Spring 1841 W. Wood came to Rock County, locating in Harmony, Sec. 1.
• 1841 A family came to Rock Co. and settled on 240 acres in Clinton and 120 acres in Turtle.

The region

• 1841 The Government sent a military detachment to enforce the removal of the Rock River Winnebagoes beyond the Mississippi.
• October 22, 1841 Quarter-section entries were recorded for Margaret Oles Dater (Mrs. Gullik Springen) and Erek Gulbeitson.
• July 12, 1841 A quarter-section entry was recorded for Geesley Saberson Hollen.
• October 7, 1841 A quarter-section entry was recorded for Gubrand Oleson.

Nation and world

• September 13, 1841 President Tyler appointed James Duane Doty governor of the Territory in place of Dodge; another passage gives the appointment date as September 30, 1841.
• January 25, 1841 Dunn was commissioned as secretary of the Territory in place of William B. Slaughter.
• December 7, 1841 Henry Dodge took his seat in Congress for the first time.
• September 4, 1841 Congress approved the pre-emption law.

Beloit

• Summer 1842 The central bridge at Beloit (a toll bridge built by a private company, a timber trestle structure framed by John P. Houston) was built over Rock River; it was later given to the village in 1844.
• February 17, 1842 The town of Beloit was constituted by an act of the territorial legislature.
• July 6, 1842 The corner stone of the "old stone church" (Congregational) was laid at the northwest corner of Broad and Prospect streets, Beloit; the edifice was erected in 1842 (built in 1842 and 1843).
• February 17, 1842 The Territorial Legislature passed an act, approved February 17, authorizing Selvy Kidder, A. L. [and others; the passage is truncated] regarding the wants of the residents of Beloit.

Rock County

• Fall 1842 A house of worship was constructed on the northeast quarter of section 35, town of Milton, and the congregation became known as the First Congregational Church of Rock County.
• July 1842 Adrien Bassett and Annie Gates came to Rock County.
• February 17, 1842 The town of Rock was organized into a separate town.
• April 5, 1842 Rock township held its first town election — the passages disagree on the date: April 5, 1842 or April 15, 1842 , when Dr. Heath was elected supervisor.

The region

• February 19, 1842 Goelick (Goelicke) Holt (Gravdal) was registered as the purchaser of land.
• September 26, 1842 Land was registered to Ole Newhouse (several parcels) and Kittel Newhouse.
• September 29, 1842 Land was registered to Abram Hobartson (Herbrand Halvorson Skavlem).
• November 25, 1842 Ole Knudson (Natesta) took title to his land.

Nation and world

• May 9, 1842 The government patent was issued to Mr. Crane for lots 6 and 7 (he had entered them in 1838 and had reconveyed them to the parties in interest before receiving the patent).
• November 9, 1842 Sleighing began, continuing until April 10, 1843.
• September 1842 Rev. Milton Bourne's pastorate (Sept. 1840 to 1842) ended and Rev. Alpha Warren's (Sept. 1842 to 1843) began.

Beloit

• May 15, 1843 The Moseley family reached Beloit.
• 1843 The Winslow family came to Beloit.
• May 1843 Benjamin Brown joined the Congregational church in Beloit.
• July 3, 1843 Rev. Mr. Winchell was secured to preach each alternate week (Beloit).

Rock County

• November 1843 James Sowle came to Rock County and settled on Sec. 26, purchasing 240 acres; the land was deeded to him from the Probate Court in the fall of 1843.
• 1843 The subject's father moved to Rock county and settled on land his father had purchased.
• 1843 E. Bowerman came to Wisconsin and settled in Fulton Township, Rock Co.
• 1843 The Gaarder family immigrated from Norway and settled in Rock county (Plymouth Township), making the journey from Milwaukee with ox teams.

The region

• April 12, 1843 An act was approved appointing commissioners to alter the Beloit–Madison road and lay out roads from Janesville to Ellis's Mill and to Mineral Point.
• 1843 The log schoolhouse at the "big ford" of Rock river was used until 1843, when another log house was occupied by the school.
• 1843 Surveyor Willard Barrows noted Black Hawk's wigwam and grave while surveying.
• 1843 Thomas Quigley located and claimed sixty acres where the railroad depot later stood.

Nation and world

• December 4, 1843 Henry Dodge took his seat for his second term as delegate at the commencement of the first session of the twenty-eighth Congress.
• August 12, 1843 The Clinton post office was established.
• March 21, 1843 The town of Fulton was organized by act of the legislature.
• March 21, 1843 The township of Johnstown was organized by act of the legislature.

Beloit

• 1844 John Chamberlin and family came to Beloit; he took up 160 acres in Sec. 8 and built a log cabin.
• 1844 Bennett Wooster came to Beloit and began farming about three miles east.
• April 1844 A settler built and moved to the west side of Rock river at Beloit, the second residence there.
• 1844 First brick block erected on Main street (Beloit).

Rock County

• 1844 The Flagler family moved to Rock county and settled on a quarter-section in section 12, Janesville township.
• 1844 The Cleophas Holverson family moved from Dane county to Rock county, settling on forty acres in Newark township.
• May 1, 1844 A settler came to Rock County (Milton Junction).
• 1844 A man came West and settled in La Prairie township, Rock county.

The region

• 1844 The red frame schoolhouse of the joint districts of Rock and La Prairie was erected.
• Winter 1844 Julius Gilbert and Francis Smith "shantied" on the s. e. qr. of section 34; they were young men and single.
• 1844 H. Caldwell purchased 80 acres on Sec. 3, Range 12 north.
• 1844 John Cook sold out to John Shepard, who commenced erecting a grist-mill.

Nation and world

• 1844 A township was settled.
• June 21, 1844 Nathaniel P. Tallmadge was appointed.
• 1844 A church edifice was erected (later rebuilt in 1874).
• June 1844 A convention of Northwestern ministers and churches at Cleveland, Ohio, shaped plans for higher education; the idea of Beloit College originated with ministers returning from a clerical convention held at Cleveland.

Beloit

• September 1845 A tavern-keeper came to Beloit and bought eighty acres of land in Section 4, building a log house.
• 1845 The first bridge across Rock River at Indian Ford was built by private subscription, Stephen Allen, builder.
• January 1, 1845 A merchant (a Buffalo former resident) came to Beloit and commenced business as a merchant.
• 1845 A large brick house was built in Beloit, with a conspicuous front portico supported by four tall Corinthian columns.

Rock County

• 1845 Arrivals and settlements in Rock County recorded without more precise dates: A. Wyatt Smith removed to Janesville ; Capt. William Macloon came from Boston and settled at Janesville ; A. M. Simmons (father) settled in Harmony about 1845 ; a Beloit lawyer removed to Beloit ; Ezra Philo Doty came to Janesville ; a Walworth lawyer came to Wisconsin and located at Janesville ; a New York farmer bought a farm at Beloit ; a Connecticut man took up eighty acres in Sec. 18 at Beloit ; the Millett family located in Beloit ; Hans and Bargitt Halverson's family came to Newark, buying land in Section 12 ; a Durham Co. settler located in Newark, buying and improving two farms ; the Case family moved to Clinton and settled on 160 acres ; L. Burdick's neighbors ; a Rhode Island man located in the town of Lima ; Abram Caufman emigrated to Center ; an 1837-born resident came to Wisconsin ; E. Footville-resident moved to what is now Footville ; a settler located on his present homestead in Center ; families emigrated to Wisconsin ; a Bennett came to Wisconsin and taught school in Union ; Leonard Bullard's family settled in Union Township ; a Hancock Co., Me., man located in Union Township ; the Hubbard family settled on land entered in 1840 in Union Township ; a Cortland Co. man located in Union Township ; a settler bought 200 acres and built one of the first log houses in Plymouth Township ; Jacob Fisher came to Plymouth Township about 1845 ; a Steuben Co. man located at Darien ; a New York man came to Wisconsin locating at Johnstown ; a Scotland-born man came to America in 1845 and settled on a farm in Harmony ; A. Douglas entered forty acres of land settled in 1843 ; Johnstown settlers from New York located there, purchasing farms [B156]; G. came to Rock County and bought a farm of forty acres of government land ; M. Wilcox located and bought 100 acres in Harmony ; the Miller family came to Harmony Township, buying 240 acres ; families from Ohio settled in Milton township ; a father settled on a 1,000-acre farm in Lima township ; the Marquart family moved from Ohio and settled in Wisconsin ; an Irish couple (Clinchy) came to Wisconsin and bought a farm northwest of Beloit ; a family settled in Milton township ; Thomas bought eighty acres in section 6, Bradford township ; the Moore family located near Milwaukee ; the Bradley family settled on a farm in Turtle township ; Mr. Fifield's brothers later joined his lumber business ; a resident came to Janesville prior to January 1845 and served as probate judge for Rock County in 1845 and 1846 ; Carpenter engaged in general merchandising in Beloit .
• Spring 1845 A Norwegian family (Keesey) came to the United States and purchased and settled on a farm in Rock County.
• October 1845 A Freeborn came to Wisconsin and wintered in Cooksville, Rock County.
• Spring 1845 Guy Stoughton contracted with Mr. Hanchett to build a dam at the foot of Lake Koshkonong; the dam was completed during that year and a saw-mill built.

The region

• February 24, 1845 Prior to this date Rock and Walworth counties constituted one election district; the territorial legislature of 1845 passed an act dividing the district and constituting Rock County an election district.
• 1845 Charles C. Cheney, Henry Chesebro (Cheesebro), William Loyd, Adelmon Sherman and Ephraim Leach, Jr., made their land purchases (in 1844 and 1845).
• 1845 The first church organization on Rock Prairie was made by Diedrichson; Lars H. Skavlem was one of its members.
• 1845 Prevost was appointed marshal of the Territory in place of Daniel Hugunin.

Nation and world

• April 8, 1845 Henry Dodge was appointed governor of Wisconsin Territory; the 1908 history gives his term as beginning May 13, 1845, a discrepancy with the April 8 date.
• July 6, 1845 The First Congregational Church at Johnstown Village was organized by Rev. Stephen Peet.
• 1845 Other events outside Rock County dated 1845: admission to the bar of Orange Co., Vt. (spring term) ; admission to practice in New York ; graduation from Hamilton College ; admission to the Supreme court of New York at Utica, July 18, 1845 ; fall of 1845 entering the law office of Judge Charles M. Baker at Geneva ; David R. Platts's family settled in Green Lake county ; a father returned to his native state, married, and brought his bride to Milton township ; a family's removal in 1845 ; removal to Manchester, N. H. ; the Wisconsin lawyer moved to Indiana in 1845 ; increase of the father to Wisconsin since 1845 ; the editor of the 1908 history was born in Beloit in 1845 ; Caswell's canoe trip on Lake Koshkonong in the fall of 1845 ; Milwaukee grain exports commenced in 1845, amounting to 213,448 bushels ; lead production attained its maximum in 1845, nearly 25,000 tons ; land sales 1835–1845 inclusive totaled 2,958,592 acres ; the wheat crop of 1845 commenced the blight ; the founder of the Milwaukee female college died May 29, 1845 ; Uriah Goodrich died September 2, 1845 ; Lewis Cass was in 1845 the Democratic nominee for president ; parts of the "pretentious city" (Milwaukee townsite area) were sold for taxes in 1845 ; since 1845 the townsite has been sold as farming lands ; the state constitutional convention delegates assembled 1845-47-48 ; Grant farm sold in 1845 ; and the first saw-mill lumbering operations on the Oconto were begun by David Jones ; moose tracks seen on the Montreal river in the summer of 1845 ; an epidemic malarial fever of a bilious type visited in 1844 and 1845 .
• April 1, 1845 The first town election of Lima was held at the schoolhouse in District No. 9; Prosper Cravath was made chairman of supervisors.

Beloit

• 1846 The first Catholic services recorded in Rock County were held in Beloit by Rev. Father McKernan, who celebrated mass in the house of Captain Powers.
• 1846 Settlers came to Beloit in 1846: a Connecticut-born settler (40 acres in Sec. 7), a Herkimer Co. N. Y. settler (120 acres in Sec. 21), William Shaw of Ireland (farm outside the city), and a teacher seeking occupation.
• 1846 The Chamberlin family moved to Beloit, to a farm a few miles west of Beloit.
• February 24, 1846 The territorial legislature passed an act incorporating the village of Beloit.

Rock County

• July 8, 1846 A Vermont-born settler came to Rock County and bought ninety-five acres on Sec. 1.
• March 13, 1846 Gullek Olsen bought the S.E. ¼ [of a section, Rock County land].
• Spring 1846 A Rhode Island-born carpenter came to Wisconsin and located in Rock County, buying 160 acres of government land.
• 1846 John J. Van Kirk came to Rock County and located in Harmony Township.

The region

• February 2, 1846 A charter was granted to Beloit College by the Territorial Legislature.
• 1846 Some 1,250 Winnebagoes came back from Iowa and settled along the Fox and Wisconsin, Kickapoo and Lemonweir valleys.
• Spring 1846 A settler located at La Prairie, Sec. 11, purchasing a 160-acre farm from the Government.
• January 31, 1846 "An act in relation to the formation of a state government in Wisconsin" was approved; it authorized a census and the election of delegates to a constitutional convention (the 1879 history describes the same act's provisions without a date).

Nation and world

• January 14, 1846 Morgan L. Martin, territorial delegate, introduced in the House of Representatives a bill to enable Wisconsin to adopt a constitution and form a state government.
• August 6, 1846 The congressional enabling act for Wisconsin statehood became law.
• August 8, 1846 Congress approved an act granting land to aid the improvement of the Fox and Wisconsin rivers and to connect them by canal.
• 1846 A town (not named in the passage) that had been part of Union was organized into a separate town by legislative act.

Beloit

• Fall 1847 A man came to Beloit and bought eighty acres in Sec. 15.
• Fall 1847 Deacon Samuel Hinman moved to Beloit from Prairieville (now Waukesha).
• Fall 1847 A man came to Beloit, Wisconsin, and was interested in land speculations for eighteen months.
• Fall 1847 George Carey came to Wisconsin and located at Beloit.

Rock County

• Fall 1847 A family came to Rock Co. and bought a farm of eighty acres in Sec. 25, Newark Township, and 80 acres in Sec. 30, Beloit Township.
• Fall 1847 Settlers arrived in Rock County townships in 1847: D. I. Daniels, Royal Wood, John Nichols, W. Cator, I. Woodle, Frank Wheeler, A. Lawrence, John M. Keep.
• December 1, 1847 A census of Rock County was taken, showing Janesville at 2,587 and Beloit at 1,851 (the county total from P3 being 14,720).
• Spring 1847 James Sutherland and his wife emigrated to Rock Co. and took up temporary residence in the town of Rock.

The region

• Fall 1847 The cholera (superinduced by misery and starvation) occurred among the Winnebago people.
• Fall 1847 A grist-mill on Bad Fish Creek (built by John Shepard) was completed.
• Fall 1847 A man helped haul stone for the foundation of Middle College.
• March 3, 1847 An act was approved creating an additional land district in the territory (the Chippewa land district).

Nation and world

• Fall 1847 A man was appointed by Gov. Dodge and confirmed by the Legislative Council as Attorney General of the Territory.
• Summer 1847 Mr. Smith, a Democrat, was elected to the first convention to frame a State constitution.
• October 27, 1847 The members of the legislature, having met on October 18, passed an act providing for an election of delegates to a constitutional convention.
• Fall 1847 A stone church edifice (40x60 feet) was finished late in 1847.

Beloit

• Spring 1848 An unnamed settler came to Wisconsin and located at Beloit, where he farmed.
• 1848 The earliest school on the west side of the river in Beloit was taught by Miss Foot.
• Spring 1848 The Crossman family came to Wisconsin; one son settled at Beloit.
• Spring 1848 W. Bullock came to Wisconsin, locating at Beloit.

Rock County

• February 1848 A farm of seventy-three acres in Rock County was purchased.
• August 17, 1848 Surveys were commenced in Rock county for the Rock River Valley railroad.
• December 20, 1848 A meeting of the Board of Commissioners of the Madison & Beloit Railroad Company was held at Janesville, with stock subscriptions agreed to.
• September 18, 1848 The first term of the Circuit Court for Rock County convened at the Court House in Janesville, Judge Whiton presiding.

The region

• February 21, 1848 The territorial legislature approved an act authorizing A. Hyatt Smith, Ira Miltimore and associates to erect a dam across Rock river.
• 1848 Mr. Millett bought 240 acres of Government land in Section 9.
• August 19, 1848 A charter was granted the Madison & Beloit Railroad Company by an act of the first legislature.
• 1848 From 1840 to 1848 six companies of United States soldiers had been kept in Wisconsin to protect citizens and remove renegade Winnebagoes.

Nation and world

• May 29, 1848 Wisconsin was admitted into the Union.
• November 24, 1848 A supplementary treaty was made with the Stockbridges.
• May 8, 1848 William Pitt Lynde was elected Member of Congress for the First District.
• November 7, 1848 Robert C. Cowan was elected Sheriff; at this election a vote on "equal suffrage to colored persons" was taken.

Beloit

• 1849 Benjamin Willford came to Beloit and bought 109 acres in Section 17.
• 1849 A Beloit family built their home (the father being the first drayman in Beloit).
• 1849 A biographical subject came to America and to Beloit, settling on a farm of 576 acres in the towns of Rock and Beloit.
• July 5, 1849 A Hanaford came to Wisconsin, locating at Beloit.

Rock County

• 1849 A father left his native land and came to the United States, settling in Section 33, Johnstown township, Rock county.
• 1849 A settler came to Rock County (from Walworth County).
• 1849 Harvey Frost came with his family to Wisconsin, locating in Union, Rock Co.
• September 1849 A biographical subject came to Wisconsin, locating in Fulton Township, Rock Co.

The region

• November 1, 1849 A meeting of the Board of Commissioners of the Beloit & Taycheedah Railroad was convened at the Planters' Hotel, Watertown, for the purpose of organization.
• 1849 The (Jones) mills were completed.
• 1849 Mr. Hugh Lee made the first survey, of the Rock River Valley Union Railroad, from Chicago to Fond du Lac.
• 1849 Hamilton Richardson purchased the starch-factory property and converted it into a flouring-mill.

Nation and world

• 1849 A post office was established at "The Grove," called "Evansville" in Dr. Evans's honor.
• 1849 A brick house of worship was erected (during 1849 and 1850; dedicated Oct., 1850).
• 1849 Isaac P. Walker was re-elected to the United States senate for a full term of six years from March 4, 1849.
• January 1849 L. Kimball was removed from office (through a change in the administration) and C. S. Jordan was appointed in his place.