The land through time

Beloit

• 1850 The Fletcher family (William D. and Mary C.) settled at Beloit.
• 1850 A family came to the United States from Norway and settled in Beloit (later moving to Newark township).
• 1850 An individual came to Beloit in 1850 to work on paper mills.

Rock County

• November 19, 1850 Preliminary steps were taken toward the formation of an agricultural society in Rock County, with a call made on farmers to meet at the Court House in Janesville.
• 1850 An individual came to Wisconsin and located in Rock County, settling in Plymouth.
• 1850 An individual came to Rock County in 1850 and settled in Lima.

The region

• 1850 A willow tree was set out from a little sprout near a house in Waterloo (now Shopiere).
• 1850 An act of the Wisconsin legislature was passed regarding the Oak Hill Cemetery Association.
• 1850 Land that had been pre-empted in 1844 was sold.

Nation and world

• 1850 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 property

• June 1, 1851 The raceway bank above where the Blodgett Mills are broke, and the released water swept across the river and flooded the opposite side, causing considerable damage.

Beloit

• March 10, 1851 The Beloit school board engaged Herman Belden (or Belding) to excavate the cellar for a new brick school house at nine cents per cubic yard.
• July 4, 1851 The school board contracted with Stephen Downer to lay up the walls of the new Beloit schoolhouse at $1.80 per yard.
• August 19, 1851 A loan of $1,500 at 10 per cent was obtained from Milton Harvey of Colebrook, N. H., for the Beloit school building.

Rock County

• January 6, 1851 The Rock County Agricultural Society (and Mechanics' Institute) was organized at a meeting of farmers and mechanics at the courthouse in Janesville.
• February 3, 1851 The second meeting of the Rock County Agricultural Society and Mechanics' Institute was held at the courthouse in Janesville.
• 1851 A man came to America in 1851, staying in New York until coming to Wisconsin in 1854; settled in Rock Co. in 1859.

The region

• December 1851 The church (corner stone laid 1848) was occupied / first services were held in the building.
• January 8, 1851 The Oak Hill Cemetery Association was organized under an 1850 act of the Wisconsin legislature.
• January 8, 1851 The fourth session of the Wisconsin legislature commenced.

Beloit

• 1852 A settler came to Wisconsin about 1852, locating at Beloit.
• 1852 A contractor removed to Beloit and purchased a farm of 444 acres.
• 1852 E. W. Carpenter sold out the Avon water-power and store and returned to Beloit.

Rock County

• 1852 A farmer sold his Dane County land in 1852 and moved to Union Township, Rock Co., buying 243 acres.
• 1852 A machinist removed with his family to Rock County and settled on a new farm in the township of Janesville.
• 1852 A settler came to Wisconsin in 1852, locating in the town of Rock.

The region

• April 17, 1852 A law was approved granting Peter Myers the right to maintain a building in Rock river.
• February 18, 1852 The Beloit and Madison Railroad Co. was incorporated.
• Spring 1852 The mill (upper dam establishment) was re-built and enlarged after flood damage.

Nation and world

• 1852 The Beloit and Mississippi Railroad Company was chartered in 1852, with a capital of three millions of dollars.
• July 30, 1852 An act of congress was approved creating the Stevens Point land district.

Beloit

• 1853 The Henry Knile family came to Beloit in 1853 and bought the east half of Sec. 29.
• October 5, 1853 The Supervisors of the town of Beloit passed a resolution to issue bonds to the Racine & Mississippi Railroad Company.
• May 1853 Mr. Ritcher came to Wisconsin in the latter part of May, 1853, and located in Beloit.

Rock County

• 1853 The Synstegard parents came from Norway about 1853, walked from Milwaukee to Rock county, and bought 220 acres in Avon township.
• Fall 1853 Mr. Rogers came to Rock Co. in the fall of 1853 and settled on Section 33.
• 1853 The Gibbs family settled in 1853 in Porter Township, Rock Co.

The region

• 1853 George Crossman purchased eighty acres (Sec. 34) in 1853.
• January 19, 1853 An Agricultural Convention was to be held at Madison, to which the Rock County society was asked to send delegates.
• 1853 The removal of the Winnebagoes was continued up to 1853, when from 700 to 900 still remained.

Beloit

• Fall 1854 An Irish-born settler came to Beloit
• July 1854 A town was laid out at the junction of Bass (Afton) creek with the Rock river
• 1854 The first Catholic church at Beloit was built by Father Norris

Rock County

• 1854 Settlers and families arrived in Rock County and vicinity: the Baker family to Rock County ; Austin B. Burpee to Janesville ; an Irish family to Center Township ; a settler to the town of Lima ; a settler to Harmony ; a settler to the town of Rock ; a settler to La Prairie ; Wilden Hughes moved to La Prairie ; a settler located at Shopiere ; a settler purchased land at La Prairie ; a young resident of La Prairie ; a settler located at Milton ; Elijah Bullock settled in Wisconsin ; a banker removed to Argyle, Lafayette County ; a settler located in Union Township ; a settler located at Bradford ; a settler located in Bradford ; a family bought land on Section 10, Harmony ; the Dillenbeck family located in Harmony Township ; the Wilcox family settled on a 110-acre Harmony farm ; a physician came to the village of Milton ; a gunsmith located in Beloit ; Simon Nolan came to Janesville ; the Grinnell family settled at Johnstown ; the Fillingham family landed in Buffalo, N. Y. ; the Hansen parents were married in Janesville and moved to Beloit ; John Murray moved to Wisconsin and engaged in stonecutting ; a father returned and bought a Clinton township farm ; the Leonard's wife (a teacher) died ; a family removed to Fulton township ; a Norwegian father emigrated and settled on a farm in Dane county ; Mr. and Mrs. Finney/Hutson-related English families moved to Edgerton [P366, cited above]
• Fall 1854 Almeron Eager came to Rock County and bought eighty acres in the town of Union
• 1854 Rock County was visited by a light choleraic epidemic

The region

• 1854 Another congregation built a house of worship at a cost of $1,500 on a lot given by Peter McEwen
• 1854 The Bushnell House was completed
• 1854 A Congregational society built a small chapel on section 34

Nation and world

• 1854 Rev. John M. [Baker] served by appointment following Judge Doolittle

Beloit

• October 1855 A Beloit-area immigrant removed to Beloit from Rutland, Vt., bought a farm of fifty-six acres and farmed it.
• May 19, 1855 G. W. Walkly came to Wisconsin, locating in Beloit.
• October 1855 B. Crosby engaged in the banking business with the organization of the Rock County Bank.

Rock County

• 1855 Arrivals and settlements dated only to 1855: James Clark came to Canada from Scotland ; Judge Conger came to Janesville ; a lawyer came to Janesville joining Noggle, Williams & Patterson ; Crosby came to Beloit (Newark? — he came to Wisconsin in 1855) ; Keeler came to Wisconsin locating at Beloit ; a carpenter bought fifty acres in Rock Township ; a tailor settled in Beloit and went into business ; Rosenblatt came to Beloit ; a young man came West about 1855 and learned blacksmithing in Beloit ; Cobb came to Clinton and began manufacturing wagons ; Crandall went to Madison and engaged in buying stock and grain ; a home built in Lima about 1855 ; Freeborn located on his farm ; Fritts removed to Rock Co. and owned the Lima store ; a family removed to Wisconsin settling at La Prairie (240 acres) ; a settler located at La Prairie (ninety acres) ; a settler located at Avon ; Fairfield moved to Bradford and purchased 296 acres ; a Fifeshire man purchased a farm on Rock Prairie ; Cooke and son came to Wisconsin ; Magnolia settler returned from California ; a farm rented from J. Montgomery ; a house in Janesville traded for eighty acres in Magnolia Township ; a settler settled in Porter Township ; a broom-maker came to Janesville ; a lime merchant came to Janesville as a teamster ; Wallace came to Footville and went into the mercantile business ; a man came to Rock Co. about 1855 ; a family settled at Turtleville ; a family settled on the present Beloit-area farm ; a family moved from New York and settled in Dunkirk, Dane county ; Finch family came from England ; Grunhuvd family settled in Plymouth township ; a watchmaker went to Fort Wayne, Ind. ; a blacksmith settled on a farm in Rutland township, Dane county ; a man removed to Orleans county, N. Y., and married ; a man came to Beloit and was employed in the lumber yards ; John Murray came to Janesville ; John P. Watson became a resident of Janesville ; a settler came to Johnstown, locating on Sec. 19 ; a man came to Beloit in 1855 and attended school ; Banks returned for Mrs. Banks ; many laborers came to Beloit, including Patrick Mooney and wife, John Leary and wife, and William Condon ; a man came to Wisconsin locating at La Prairie ; the Hardware firm Lawrence, Strong & Co. dissolved ; Magnus Hanson commenced business for himself ; William S. Morgan began learning carpenter trade at Janesville ; a man entered the employ of a lumber firm ; H. Dickinson settled in Edgerton ; Soverhill settled on his present homestead ; settlers came to Footville ; a man came to Wisconsin in 1855 ; a family settled at Footville ; a homestead built in Magnolia ; a homestead built in Magnolia Township .
• Spring 1855 A family came West, locating in the town of Union, Rock county.
• 1855 Mr. [Pease] helped organize the Rock County bank organized as a state bank in 1855.

The region

• January 22, 1855 Mr. Crane executed a deed to Samuel B. Cooper covering Lots 6 and 7.
• 1855 Erastus and Theodore Hopkins bought the water right and erected a sawmill.
• April 23, 1855 Demmon conveyed Lots 6 and 7 to Paul Dillingham.

Nation and world

• 1855 An act gave the Milwaukee & Mississippi Company authority to continue their Milton & Janesville branch to the Mississippi River.
• February 24, 1855 An act of congress formed the Fond du Lac land district.

Beloit

• 1856 A Connecticut-born settler came to Beloit and bought Henry Waterman's property.
• November 5, 1856 Comstock came to Wisconsin, locating at Beloit.
• 1856 Messrs. Wright and Merrill established the Beloit Paper Mills Company, the first paper mill in Beloit.

Rock County

• April 6, 1856 A family arrived in Rock County and settled on land purchased from Benjamin Riddle.
• 1856 Mr. Guernsey wrote the first history of Rock County (350 pages), published with Joshua F. Willard under the auspices of the Rock County Agricultural Society and Mechanics' Institute; the signed pioneer letters were first published that year.
• Spring 1856 A New England-educated settler came West and settled near Emerald Grove, Rock County.

The region

• October 1856 Property came into the possession of James H. Hanchett (held until 1863).
• 1856 The Galena & Chicago Union Railroad operated the Beloit & Madison road from 1856, in connection with the Milwaukee & Mississippi, reaching Janesville by way of Hanover Junction.
• 1856 The Racine & Mississippi (later Western Union) was graded, with 20,000 ties delivered from Porter to Rockton.

Nation and world

• March 31, 1856 An act incorporating the city of Beloit was approved (chapter 452, private and local laws of 1856); the 1879 history dates the legislature's passage of the act to March 1856.
• October 3, 1856 An act of the legislature granted the unsold congress-granted lands, through the Fox and Wisconsin Improvement company, to trustees.
• October 1856 An act approved "on the nth of the same month" granted a portion of the lands to the La Crosse & Mississippi railroad company.

Beloit

• Fall 1857 A man came to Beloit Township and bought seventy-two and one-half acres of land in Section 3.
• 1857 J. Pierron located in Beloit; he brought his family in the fall of the same year.
• 1857 Horace H. Brown came to Wisconsin, locating at Beloit.

Rock County

• May 1857 A man came to Rock County and located in Newark Township, buying forty-five and one-half acres in Section 14.
• 1857 A man settled on the farm he now owns of 325 acres in Rock County.
• 1857 Noah Button settled in Rock County, following his trade as tanner and currier.

The region

• December 1857 The secretary of war's agent sold the remainder of the reservation to claimants of lands on the west side, and the section in Wisconsin known as the Cattle Yard, amounting to 177 acres.
• 1857 The Winnebagoes suffered considerably from chronic diseases, scrofula and consumption.
• 1857 The Milwaukee & Mississippi railroad was built to a village (later identified as Hanover/Shopiere area).

Nation and world

• March 3, 1857 An act of Congress was approved creating the Chippewa land district from portions of the La Crosse and Hudson land districts in Wisconsin.
• April 1857 The secretary of war authorized Hon. H. M. Rice of Minnesota to sell the unimproved part of the reservation in tracts not exceeding forty acres each.

Beloit

• 1858 Churches: the Westminster Presbyterian Church was formed on the west side of Beloit; a cemetery association was formed and a one-acre cemetery located; a church parsonage was built (1858–59) at a cost of $670; pastors took office or ended service (Rev. Robert Blackburn; Rev. Mr. [Frink's successor]; D. O. Jones and Daniel Stansberry; L. G. [successor of M. Pascoe]; B. Hatch from 1858; Rev. Galusha Anderson's term ended 1858; Rev. J. Goodspeed began 1858).
• January 1, 1858 A marriage took place at Beloit (Louisa Love, to a husband born in Weathersfield, Vt.).
• May 1858 John M. Cobb came to Beloit and joined the Rock River Paper Co.

Rock County

• 1858 Arrivals and settlements in the county: Fisher moved to Rock Co.; a settler located in the township of Janesville; a Norwegian bought 300 acres in Beloit; Goodwin went to Moline; Hamelin came to Beloit; Kehoe came to Rockford, Ill.; Ledell returned from Norway; a family settled in Rock County (Lima Center); a Prussian came to America, locating at Milwaukee; a family settled in Rock Township; a family came to Wisconsin settling in Rock County; a family settled on a farm (Sec. 2) in Rock Co.; a family located in Porter; the T. Fisher family came to Wisconsin; a family came to Wisconsin (Brodhead area); the Weirick family settled at Shopiere; the Hutchinson family moved to Janesville; a family came to Rock County settling at Beloit; a Scottish father settled in Harmony township; the Gould family settled in Lima township; a Paning family located in Janesville Township; the West postmastership ended (1855–1858); a family moved to Porter (1857 or 1858).
• Fall 1858 Mr. Huyke sold his Minnesota land, returned to Rock County, and bought a 120-acre farm in Magnolia township.
• 1858 Officials were elected or took office: a Register of Deeds (removing to Janesville), a mayor of Janesville (holding two years), a mayor of Beloit (Anson P. Waterman, re-elected for 1858), a district attorney of Rock county, and a clerk of the circuit court (serving to 1866).

The region

• March 30, 1858 The First Congregational Church of Clinton was organized by a council of delegates from Beloit, Allen's Grove, Emerald Grove and Shopiere.
• 1858 A legislative committee investigated the La Crosse land grant bond matter.
• January 1858 The railroad line west from Janesville was finished to Monroe.

Beloit

• 1859 A settler came to Beloit and bought eighty acres in Sec. 8, with improvements.
• 1859 A widow built the residence she occupied (with barns) in Beloit.
• 1859 A farmer bought 120 acres of land in section 28, Beloit township.

Rock County

• 1859 A father brought his family to Rock county and settled on an eighty-acre tract in section 26, Clinton township.
• April 1859 D. and Martha D. Bliss came to Rock County.
• 1859 A settler (born in County Meath, Ireland, 1823) settled in Rock County.

The region

• 1859 Mr. and Mrs. Edwards bought the property from Elder James Rogers.
• 1859 The bond-holders completed the [rail]road to Freeport during the year.
• 1859 Mr. A. Thompson disposed of [the property he kept] to Mr. T.