The Hanchett family came to Beloit, bought forty acres in Sec. 34, and Mr. Hanchett built the dam across Rock River at Beloit.

The evidence

• “H. Hanchett, and lived in Coldwater, Mich., Bristol and South Bend, Ind., before coming to Beloit, in 1840 ; he bought forty acres of land in Sec. 34, and built a large, handsome stone residence, with barns, etc. ; they had ten children, seven are now living. Mr. Hanchett died Dec. 6, 1865, in the house he built; he was by occupation a contractor, and was the contractor who built the dam across Rock River, at this city, in 1840; he also built a dam and a bridge across the St. Josejih River at Bristol, Ind., and a dam over the same river at South Bend, Ind. ; also, across Rock River at Dixon and Oregon, 111. ; he built dams and did other public work of immense value.”

  1879-history-of-rock-county/18-bios-beloit.md, PDF p. 747 / book p. 751

  Butterfield, C. W., et al. The History of Rock County, Wisconsin: its early settlement, growth, development, resources, etc. Chicago: Western Historical Company, 1879. Cornell University Library via the Internet Archive, archive.org/details/cu31924028871585.

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