Judge William Holmes, visiting from Michigan City, concluded to settle permanently in Janesville, and built a ferryboat of timbers and planks sawed with a whipsaw, which he and his sons carried on for several months.

The evidence

• “In the spring of 1836. Judge Holmes, who had come on a visit from Michigan City to see his two sons, Joshua and William, concluded to settle permanently in Janesville.”

  1879-history-of-rock-county/14-rock-county-ch08-janesville.md, PDF p. 590 / book p. 594

  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

  

• “Rock river used by the Indians and early settlers was from the big bend southwest across to the east side opposite the "big rock." In the spring of 1836 Judge Holmes built a ferryboat of timbers and planks which he sawed with a whipsaw. After the scow was completed the Holmes boys and their father, the judge, carried on that ferry about midway between the big bend and the big rock for several months.”

  1908-brown-rock-county/26-history-of-janesville.md, Vol. 2, PDF p. 86 / book p. 597

  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