The Madison & Beloit Railroad Company was authorized by an act of the legislature to extend its road and its name was changed to the Rock River Valley Union Railroad Company.

The evidence

• “The territorial legislature of 1848 chartered the " Madison & Beloit Railroad Company" with authority to build a railroad from Beloit to Madison only. In 1850, by an act of the legislature, the company was authorized to extend the road to the Wisconsin river and La Crosse,, and to a point on the Mississippi river near St. Paul, and also from Janesville to Fond du Lac^ Its name was changed, under legislative authority, to the " Rock River Valley Union Railroad Company." In 1851, the line from Janesville north not being pushed as the people expected,, the legislature of Illinois chartered the " Illinois & Wisconsin Railroad Company " with authority to consolidate with any road in Wisconsin.”

  1879-history-of-rock-county/04-wisconsin-railroads-commerce-health-statistics.md, PDF p. 172 / book p. 176

  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