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.
1845
Beloit
- September 1845 A tavern-keeper came to Beloit and bought eighty acres of land in Section 4, building a log house.
- 1845 The first bridge across Rock River at Indian Ford was built by private subscription, Stephen Allen, builder.
- January 1, 1845 A merchant (a Buffalo former resident) came to Beloit and commenced business as a merchant.
Rock County
- 1845 Arrivals and settlements in Rock County recorded without more precise dates: A. Wyatt Smith removed to Janesville ; Capt. William Macloon came from Boston and settled at Janesville ; A. M. Simmons (father) settled in Harmony about 1845 ; a Beloit lawyer removed to Beloit ; Ezra Philo Doty came to Janesville ; a Walworth lawyer came to Wisconsin and located at Janesville ; a New York farmer bought a farm at Beloit ; a Connecticut man took up eighty acres in Sec. 18 at Beloit ; the Millett family located in Beloit ; Hans and Bargitt Halverson's family came to Newark, buying land in Section 12 ; a Durham Co. settler located in Newark, buying and improving two farms ; the Case family moved to Clinton and settled on 160 acres ; L. Burdick's neighbors ; a Rhode Island man located in the town of Lima ; Abram Caufman emigrated to Center ; an 1837-born resident came to Wisconsin ; E. Footville-resident moved to what is now Footville ; a settler located on his present homestead in Center ; families emigrated to Wisconsin ; a Bennett came to Wisconsin and taught school in Union ; Leonard Bullard's family settled in Union Township ; a Hancock Co., Me., man located in Union Township ; the Hubbard family settled on land entered in 1840 in Union Township ; a Cortland Co. man located in Union Township ; a settler bought 200 acres and built one of the first log houses in Plymouth Township ; Jacob Fisher came to Plymouth Township about 1845 ; a Steuben Co. man located at Darien ; a New York man came to Wisconsin locating at Johnstown ; a Scotland-born man came to America in 1845 and settled on a farm in Harmony ; A. Douglas entered forty acres of land settled in 1843 ; Johnstown settlers from New York located there, purchasing farms [B156]; G. came to Rock County and bought a farm of forty acres of government land ; M. Wilcox located and bought 100 acres in Harmony ; the Miller family came to Harmony Township, buying 240 acres ; families from Ohio settled in Milton township ; a father settled on a 1,000-acre farm in Lima township ; the Marquart family moved from Ohio and settled in Wisconsin ; an Irish couple (Clinchy) came to Wisconsin and bought a farm northwest of Beloit ; a family settled in Milton township ; Thomas bought eighty acres in section 6, Bradford township ; the Moore family located near Milwaukee ; the Bradley family settled on a farm in Turtle township ; Mr. Fifield's brothers later joined his lumber business ; a resident came to Janesville prior to January 1845 and served as probate judge for Rock County in 1845 and 1846 ; Carpenter engaged in general merchandising in Beloit .
- Spring 1845 A Norwegian family (Keesey) came to the United States and purchased and settled on a farm in Rock County.
- October 1845 A Freeborn came to Wisconsin and wintered in Cooksville, Rock County.
The region
- February 24, 1845 Prior to this date Rock and Walworth counties constituted one election district; the territorial legislature of 1845 passed an act dividing the district and constituting Rock County an election district.
- 1845 Charles C. Cheney, Henry Chesebro (Cheesebro), William Loyd, Adelmon Sherman and Ephraim Leach, Jr., made their land purchases (in 1844 and 1845).
- 1845 The first church organization on Rock Prairie was made by Diedrichson; Lars H. Skavlem was one of its members.
1846
Beloit
- 1846 The first Catholic services recorded in Rock County were held in Beloit by Rev. Father McKernan, who celebrated mass in the house of Captain Powers.
- 1846 Settlers came to Beloit in 1846: a Connecticut-born settler (40 acres in Sec. 7), a Herkimer Co. N. Y. settler (120 acres in Sec. 21), William Shaw of Ireland (farm outside the city), and a teacher seeking occupation.
- 1846 The Chamberlin family moved to Beloit, to a farm a few miles west of Beloit.
Rock County
The region
- February 2, 1846 A charter was granted to Beloit College by the Territorial Legislature.
- 1846 Some 1,250 Winnebagoes came back from Iowa and settled along the Fox and Wisconsin, Kickapoo and Lemonweir valleys.
- Spring 1846 A settler located at La Prairie, Sec. 11, purchasing a 160-acre farm from the Government.
Nation and world
- January 14, 1846 Morgan L. Martin, territorial delegate, introduced in the House of Representatives a bill to enable Wisconsin to adopt a constitution and form a state government.
- August 6, 1846 The congressional enabling act for Wisconsin statehood became law.
- August 8, 1846 Congress approved an act granting land to aid the improvement of the Fox and Wisconsin rivers and to connect them by canal.
1847
Beloit
Rock County
- Fall 1847 A family came to Rock Co. and bought a farm of eighty acres in Sec. 25, Newark Township, and 80 acres in Sec. 30, Beloit Township.
- Fall 1847 Settlers arrived in Rock County townships in 1847: D. I. Daniels, Royal Wood, John Nichols, W. Cator, I. Woodle, Frank Wheeler, A. Lawrence, John M. Keep.
- December 1, 1847 A census of Rock County was taken, showing Janesville at 2,587 and Beloit at 1,851 (the county total from P3 being 14,720).
The region
1848
Beloit
Rock County
- February 1848 A farm of seventy-three acres in Rock County was purchased.
- August 17, 1848 Surveys were commenced in Rock county for the Rock River Valley railroad.
- December 20, 1848 A meeting of the Board of Commissioners of the Madison & Beloit Railroad Company was held at Janesville, with stock subscriptions agreed to.
The region
- February 21, 1848 The territorial legislature approved an act authorizing A. Hyatt Smith, Ira Miltimore and associates to erect a dam across Rock river.
- 1848 Mr. Millett bought 240 acres of Government land in Section 9.
- August 19, 1848 A charter was granted the Madison & Beloit Railroad Company by an act of the first legislature.
Nation and world
- May 29, 1848 Wisconsin was admitted into the Union.
- November 24, 1848 A supplementary treaty was made with the Stockbridges.
- May 8, 1848 William Pitt Lynde was elected Member of Congress for the First District.
1849
Beloit
Rock County
The region
- November 1, 1849 A meeting of the Board of Commissioners of the Beloit & Taycheedah Railroad was convened at the Planters' Hotel, Watertown, for the purpose of organization.
- 1849 The (Jones) mills were completed.
- 1849 Mr. Hugh Lee made the first survey, of the Rock River Valley Union Railroad, from Chicago to Fond du Lac.