A small steamer was built at Jefferson, which plied on the river a short time before going down the river in July 1841.

The evidence

• “On this occasion the boat took on passengers at the different " points," and pushed her way up as far as Jefferson. In 1840 there was a small steamer built at Jefferson, which, after plying on the river for a short time, in July, 1841, went down to the "father of waters." Again in 1844 a steam boat 130 feet in length, from St. Louis. passed up the Rock to Jefferson, stopping at various towns along its banks—taking on and discharging passengers at the several villages—many of the inhabitants improving this, their last opportunity of steam boat riding excursions on Rock River.”

  1856-history-of-rock-county/24-rock.md, PDF p. 162 / book p. 146

  Guernsey, Orrin, and Josiah F. Willard, editors. History of Rock County, and Transactions of the Rock County Agricultural Society and Mechanics' Institute. Janesville, Wis.: William M. Doty & Brother, 1856. Cornell University Library via the Internet Archive, archive.org/details/cu31924028871593.

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