The Beloit gas company commenced operations with $42,000 capital.

The evidence

• “Notwithstanding the fact that there is a gas company and gas-works, furnishing a very fair quality of lighting material, located in Beloit, the citizens, as a general thing, prefer the more economical. kerosene lamp, and the result is that the works are not in as flourishing a condition as the advocates of well-lighted streets and homes could desire. The company, consisting of John Hackett, President, and several Philadelphia gentlemen, commenced operations with $42,000 capital in September, 1859, the principal stockholder being Mr. Hopper, a resident of the above city ; but have not, for the reasons above stated, done a large business.”

  1879-history-of-rock-county/15-rock-county-ch09-beloit.md, PDF p. 631 / book p. 635

  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