The winter of 1836 was very cold and the spring late and backward.

The evidence

• “The winter of 1836 was very cold, and the spring late and backward, so that it was not until the middle of May that cattle could obtain grass enongh s to live upon—on which day Mr. Janes and family started for the present”

  1856-history-of-rock-county/04-correspondence-pioneer-letters.md, PDF p. 54 / book p. 36

  Guernsey, Orrin, and Josiah F. Willard, editors. History of Rock County, and Transactions of the Rock County Agricultural Society and Mechanics' Institute. Janesville, Wis.: William M. Doty & Brother, 1856. Cornell University Library via the Internet Archive, archive.org/details/cu31924028871593.

  Grade A: Found on a page of one of our sources