Charles Stevens built a sawmill on the race near the dam at Janesville.

The evidence

• “The First Mill. — In. the spring of 1845, Charles Stevens, one of the earliest settlers in Rock River Valley, afterward identified with many leading interests of Janesville, built a sawmill on the race, near the dam, where the old Ford mill now stands. The demand for lumber made the business very profitable, and most of the material of which "Old Janesville" was constructed was, the product of this mill.”

  1879-history-of-rock-county/14-rock-county-ch08-janesville.md, PDF p. 557 / book p. 561

  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

  

• “It seems like an idle dream when glancing over the busy factories, which line the river in the little Giant City, that in the memory of men still living, all of this hum and bustle originated in the spring of 1845 when Charles Stephens, one of the earliest settlers in Rock river valley, and who was for many years connected with the greater part of Janesville 's leading industries, built a saw mill on the race near the dam. There was a great demand for lumber in those days, and as the larger part of the old Janesville was built of lumber from this mill, it was taxed to its full capacity of three million feet a year, most of the time running night and day.”

  1908-brown-rock-county/27-early-janesville-manufacturers.md, Vol. 2, PDF p. 88 / book p. 599

  Brown, William Fiske, editor. Rock County, Wisconsin: A New History of Its Cities, Villages, Towns, Citizens and Varied Interests, from the Earliest Times, Up to Date. Chicago: C. F. Cooper & Co., 1908. 2 vols. archive.org/details/rockcountywiscon01brow, archive.org/details/rockcountywiscon02brow.

  Grade A: Found on a page of one of our sources · may repeat 1879-history-of-rock-county, so not counted as independent