The school board contracted with Stephen Downer to lay up the walls of the new Beloit schoolhouse at $1.80 per yard.

The evidence

• “Wright, entered into a contract with Herman Belden for excavating the cellar at 9 cents per cubic yard, and with Gates & Co. for erecting the basement walls of the new school building at $9 per cord, and, on July 4, with Stephen Downer, to lay up the walls of the schoolhouse at the rate of $1.80 per yard. This work was at once proceeded with, and, on August 19; 1851, a loan of $1,500 at 10 per cent was obtained from Milton Harvey, of Colebrook, N. H., and a note of W.”

  1879-history-of-rock-county/15-rock-county-ch09-beloit.md, PDF p. 621 / book p. 625

  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