James T. Watson, of the city of New York, bought from the government about eleven hundred acres of land near the corners of the present towns of Center, Plymouth, Spring Valley and Magnolia.

The evidence

• “Knowlton. The town at that time must have embraced about three-and-a-half townships— about nine miles wide from north to south, and running from rock river on the east, to Green county line on the west, nearly eighteen miles, In 1836, James T. Watson, of the city of New York, bought from the government about eleven hundred acres of land, including the beautiful groves of timber near the corners of the present towns of Center, Plymouth, Spring Valley and Magnolia, Mr.”

  1856-history-of-rock-county/08-center.md, PDF p. 95 / book p. 77

  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