The chronology
The land through time
Every documented event, from the property outward: Beloit, Rock County, the region and the world. Each one links to the page of the source that records it. The record so far covers 1820–1864; more years are being added.
1839
Beloit
- July 1839 Merritt Bostwick, of New York, settled in Beloit.
- Fall 1839 John Hopkins came to Beloit and made the first recorded survey of the village of Beloit for Horace White and others.
- 1839 John C. Burr came to Beloit in company with Alfred Field and started a tin shop.
- Fall 1839 The Union school house was built by private subscription at the northeast corner of School and Prospect streets, Beloit.
Rock County
- November 29, 1839 Gisle Sebjerson Hallan became a freeholder in Rock County; on the same date Gooneal G. Doctor (the widow Odegarden) took title to her first land.
- April 1, 1839 The records of Rock County begin; the first meeting of the county commissioners was held.
- February 19, 1839 Rock County was fully organized (a different reading from the February 13 organization act above and the spring organization below).
- March 8, 1839 An act of the Territorial Legislature set off all of Rock County as a separate town named Rock.
The region
- 1839 Biographical events dated only to 1839: a lawyer sold his Illinois farm and opened a law office in Beloit ; a minister toured the Territory for the American Home Mission Society and accepted a call to the First Presbyterian Church of Milwaukee ; another clergyman was called to St. John's Church, Marcellus, New York ; a marriage to Lydia S. Ellsworth took place in Berlin, Connecticut ; a marriage to Cornelia A. Reynolds took place ; a Beloit lawyer located there in practice ; a district attorney was appointed ; a sheriff of Rock County was appointed by Governor Dodge ; a settler came to Beloit to look at land ; a settler came to Wisconsin and bought 235 acres of government land ; the Walker brothers (Aaron, Jason, Alfred) came to Milton and took up large claims ; a father and oldest brother came to Wisconsin and built a large log house ; a father came to Rock County and entered government land in Milton township ; Ezra Goodrich came with his parents to Wisconsin ; settlers came from Jamestown, New York, to Janesville ; Norwegian families emigrated to America and to Newark/Clinton townships ; Ole Knudson Natesta built a small log house in Clinton township ; a widow Odegarden came to America with four daughters ; a man left Janesville going to Missouri ; a family removed from the Rock/Walworth county line to Indiana ; William returned to Bradford County, Pennsylvania, and married Alma H. Wright ; a family moved from Albany County to Rensselaer County, New York ; a settler located at Du Page County, Illinois ; a man came West and settled in the lead mines near Galena ; a blacksmith commenced business in York State ; a factory destroyed by fire in 1838 was rebuilt ; Edward V. Whiton moved into Janesville in 1839 or 1840 ; a man united with the Congregational church in Newburyport, Massachusetts ; a marriage to Susan Sorbor took place in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania ; a marriage to Amanda O. Daniels took place ; a marriage to Mary E. Blakoslee took place in Oneida County ; a marriage to Miss M. J. took place ; a marriage to Annie E. Lindsay took place ; a marriage to Mary Makin took place ; a marriage to Nancy A. Fordham took place and she came to Rock County ; a marriage to Lavina Cravath took place in Cortland County, New York ; a child, Mary Jane, died in 1839 ; Isaac P. Ferguson removed to Wisconsin and farmed in Johnstown Center ; a man came to Beloit and settled at Shopiere in 1841 ; Judge White moved into the city (1839 or 1840) .
- February 13, 1839 The Territorial Legislature approved the act organizing Rock County. (Other passages date the county's full organization to February 19, 1839, and to the spring of 1839 — see those entries.)
- 1839 A post route from Belvidere to Janesville, via Beloit, was established; John Hackett took charge of the new post office.
- Spring 1839 The first public sale of Government lands in the Milwaukee land district was held, bringing into market land east of Rock River and Lake Koshkonong.
Nation and world
- March 9, 1839 Henry Dodge was re-appointed (to territorial office).
- February 28, 1839 An amending act was approved fixing the time for the election of county officers.
- Spring 1839 Followers of Ansten Natesta emigrated on board the "Emelia."
- June 12, 1839 William Wyman located in Bradford on 560 acres.