Other: Cassoday joined the firm Bennett, Cassoday & Gibbs in November 1858; a Moline partnership was formed; grain and stock buying began; a grist and woolen factory was built at Janesville; Wilson took a partner (Wilson, Payne & Co.); Mr. S. joined the Wisconsin Conference; Frink adopted homoeopathy; Stark served in the Legislature; Wilcox served as Assessor; a Janesville man served as alderman of the First Ward; Strong served as telegrapher at Madison and legislative reporter; the county poor-fund appropriation for 1858; Mr. Hackett had retired about 1858.

The evidence

• “During this time, he taught school two winters, and spent his evenings and Sundays in studyiiii; such books and newspapers as he was able to obtain ; at the end of the five years, he had paid for his place, made it much more valuable, was out of debt and had a small surplus, but his health was so impaired as to reuder it doubtful whether he could longer endure the severe strain of physical labor ; in seeking to recover from this condition, he naturally turned his attention to his books, and soon determined to resume the purpose which poverty had forced him to abandon five years previously ; he at first attended Union Academy, at Knoxville, Penn., and then Alfred Academy, in Allegany Co., N. Y., where he graduated, being equivalent to preparing for the Junior year in college ; during these years, he taught school two winters in Allegany Co., but, on selling his land, he was enabled to continue his duties without further interruption ; on leaving Alfred, he went to Michigan University, where he remained one year, taking a select course; during his school life, he kept up a constant and systematic course of reading, and was strict in his attendance upon the lyceums, and generally enga”

  1879-history-of-rock-county/17-bios-janesville.md, PDF p. 696 / book p. 700

  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

  

• “Shacklett & Co., and seven years later purchased the entire business. In 1858 he took a partner, the firm name becoming Wilson, Payne & Co. This firm continued about two years, but impaired health forced Mr.”

  1908-brown-rock-county/34b-biographical-2.md, Vol. 2, PDF p. 411 / book p. 903

  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