An act of the legislature granted the unsold congress-granted lands, through the Fox and Wisconsin Improvement company, to trustees.

The evidence

• “It soon became apparent that the moneys realized from the sale of lands were insufficient to meet the obligations of the state issued by its board of public works as they became due ; and in 1853 the work was turned over to the Fox and Wisconsin Improvement company, a corporation created under an act of the legislature of Wisconsin approved July 6, 1853. In 1856, by an act of the legislature of Wisconsin, approved October 3, 1856, the lands granted by congress then unsold were granted by the state, through the said company, to trustees, with power to sell, and to hold the proceeds in trust for the payment of state indebtedness, the completion of the work, thereafter for the payment of bonds issued by the said company, and the balance, if any, for the company itself.”

  1879-history-of-rock-county/04-wisconsin-railroads-commerce-health-statistics.md, PDF p. 222 / book p. 226

  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