The chronology

1842

52 published events.

Overview

In Beloit, the territorial legislature constituted the town of Beloit by act approved February 17, and the court house was raised and roofed in January with A. Richardson as contractor. The corner stone of the Congregational 'old stone church' was laid July 6 at Broad and Prospect streets, and on October 15 the Methodist Episcopal church society was formed by Rev. William Lovesey. The central bridge over Rock River, a private toll timber trestle framed by John P. Houston, was built during the summer, and Daniel Nurse taught the school in the winter of 1841-42 with Mr. Benedict following in the term beginning late 1842. A. Henderson of New York arrived in Beloit in September, the same month the Lars Simonson family located in Beloit Township. ↗ ↗ ↗ ↗ ↗ (+4 more)

Across Rock County, the legislature organized numerous towns on February 17 — Janesville, Rock, Union, Clinton, Milton, and Center — and the system of town government superseded the county-government system in the spring. Rock County's first county Board of Supervisors met in June with six members, Rock township held its first town election (dated April 5 or April 15 in different passages), and Clinton held its first town meeting with fifty-nine votes. New arrivals during the year included Jacob West's family in Union Township, Edward Giles of Vermont in Turtle township, Adrien Bassett and Annie Gates, Colonel Culver and his sons and H. Caldwell at Janesville, and Mr. Miller, Sr., who bought 160 acres in Janesville Township. In Janesville, Harrison Stebbins opened a select school and Mr. Lappin built a two-story frame store. ↗ ↗ ↗ ↗ ↗ (+15 more)

Numerous land registrations were recorded in the region during the year, including purchases by Goelick Holt in February, Norwegian-named settlers such as Tosten Nilsen, Chris Newhouse, Ole and Kittel Newhouse, Abram Hobartson, Gulbrand Gulbrandson, Halvor Nilson, Ole Knudson, and others in September through December, and an eighty-acre purchase recorded May 7. A treaty at La Pointe on October 4 ceded Chippewa lands in northern and northwestern Wisconsin, and that year the last acre within what is now Wisconsin was disposed of. The November snowstorm season began with sleighing on November 9, and one writer recorded being lost on Rock Prairie in a snowstorm on November 17. ↗ ↗ ↗ ↗ ↗ (+8 more)

Month by month

January 1842
The court house was raised and covered/roofed; A. Richardson was the contractor.
BeloitGrade A · 1 independent source
January 1842
The term of office of one class of county commissioners fell due, the earlier act having scheduled the three classes' terms to expire in January 1842, 1841, and 1840 respectively.
Rock CountyGrade A · 1 independent source
February 17, 1842
The town of Rock was organized into a separate town.
Rock CountyGrade A · 1 independent source
February 17, 1842
The town of Beloit was constituted by an act of the territorial legislature.
BeloitGrade A · 1 independent source
February 17, 1842
The town of Clinton was organized by act of the Territorial Legislature.
The regionGrade A · 1 independent source
February 17, 1842
The Territorial Legislature passed an act, approved February 17, authorizing Selvy Kidder, A. L. [and others; the passage is truncated] regarding the wants of the residents of Beloit.
BeloitGrade A · 1 independent source
February 17, 1842
The town of Union was incorporated (then including what is now Union, Porter, and the north half each of Center and Magnolia).
Rock CountyGrade A · 1 independent source
February 17, 1842
Township 3 and adjacent territory was organized into a separate town by the name of Janesville.
Rock CountyGrade A · 1 independent source
February 17, 1842
The town of Center was organized by act of the Legislature.
Rock CountyGrade A · 1 independent source
February 17, 1842
The town of Milton was organized (then united with Lima under the name Milton).
Rock CountyGrade A · 1 independent source
February 19, 1842
Goelick (Goelicke) Holt (Gravdal) was registered as the purchaser of land.
The regionGrade A · 1 independent source
Spring 1842
Mr. Miller, Sr., came with his family to Wisconsin and bought 160 acres of land in Janesville Township.
Rock CountyGrade A · 1 independent source
Spring 1842
The system of town government was first adopted, superseding the county-government system.
Rock CountyGrade A · 1 independent source
April 5, 1842
Rock township held its first town election — the passages disagree on the date: April 5, 1842 or April 15, 1842 , when Dr. Heath was elected supervisor.
Rock CountyGrade A · 1 independent source
April 5, 1842
Clinton held its first town meeting at the house of Charles Tuttle; fifty-nine votes were cast.
Rock CountyGrade A · 1 independent source
May 7, 1842
[The subject, later of Fulton Center] came to Wisconsin and purchased eighty acres.
The regionGrade A · 1 independent source
May 9, 1842
The government patent was issued to Mr. Crane for lots 6 and 7 (he had entered them in 1838 and had reconveyed them to the parties in interest before receiving the patent).
Nation and worldGrade A · 1 independent source
June 1842
The first meeting of the county Board of Supervisors was held, composed of six members.
Rock CountyGrade A · 1 independent source
June 1842
Jacob West and family arrived in Union Township and began improving land for farming.
Rock CountyGrade A · 1 independent source
June 1842
Edward Giles of Vermont came to Turtle township.
Rock CountyGrade A · 1 independent source
July 1842
Adrien Bassett and Annie Gates came to Rock County.
Rock CountyGrade A · 1 independent source
Summer 1842
The central bridge at Beloit (a toll bridge built by a private company, a timber trestle structure framed by John P. Houston) was built over Rock River; it was later given to the village in 1844.
BeloitGrade A · 2 independent sources
July 6, 1842
The corner stone of the "old stone church" (Congregational) was laid at the northwest corner of Broad and Prospect streets, Beloit; the edifice was erected in 1842 (built in 1842 and 1843).
BeloitGrade A · 1 independent source
September 1842
The [Lars] Simonson family located in Beloit Township.
BeloitGrade A · 1 independent source
September 1842
A. Henderson of New York arrived in Beloit.
BeloitGrade A · 1 independent source
September 1842
Rev. Milton Bourne's pastorate (Sept. 1840 to 1842) ended and Rev. Alpha Warren's (Sept. 1842 to 1843) began.
Nation and worldGrade A · 1 independent source
September 19, 1842
Land was registered to Tosten Nilsen, Jas. Hilbeitson, Tore Halgesen, and Erick Hilbeitson.
The regionGrade A · 1 independent source
September 25, 1842
Land was registered to Chris Newhouse.
The regionGrade A · 1 independent source
September 26, 1842
Land was registered to Ole Newhouse (several parcels) and Kittel Newhouse.
The regionGrade A · 1 independent source
September 29, 1842
Land was registered to Abram Hobartson (Herbrand Halvorson Skavlem).
The regionGrade A · 1 independent source
Fall 1842
A house of worship was constructed on the northeast quarter of section 35, town of Milton, and the congregation became known as the First Congregational Church of Rock County.
Rock CountyGrade A · 1 independent source
Fall 1842
Colonel Culver and his two sons came to Janesville (traveling on combined runners and wheels) and located their future home in the oak openings on the east bank of the Rock.
Rock CountyGrade A · 1 independent source
Fall 1842
H. Caldwell came to Janesville with his father-in-law.
Rock CountyGrade A · 1 independent source
October 4, 1842
A treaty was made at La Pointe, on Lake Superior, with the Chippewas, ceding their lands in northern and northwestern Wisconsin; in 1842 the last acre within what is now Wisconsin was disposed of.
The regionGrade A · 1 independent source
October 15, 1842
The Methodist Episcopal church society (Beloit) was formed by the Rev. William Lovesey.
BeloitGrade A · 1 independent source
October 31, 1842
Land was registered to Gulbrand Gulbrandson.
The regionGrade A · 1 independent source
November 1842
[The subject] came to Wisconsin, locating at La Prairie, where his father purchased 120 acres.
Rock CountyGrade A · 1 independent source
November 9, 1842
Sleighing began, continuing until April 10, 1843.
Nation and worldGrade A · 1 independent source
November 14, 1842
Land was registered to Halvor Nilson (Aae).
The regionGrade A · 1 independent source
November 22, 1842
A. Hyatt Smith arrived at Janesville — the passages disagree: November 22, 1842 or December 1842 .
Rock CountyGrade A · 1 independent source
November 25, 1842
Ole Knudson (Natesta) took title to his land.
The regionGrade A · 1 independent source
December 15, 1842
Land was registered to Tellef Helgaison, Guleke Oleson, Torris Sebarison, Margarett Nutes (Mrs. Gisle Sebjornsen Hallan), and Ole Pederson Buckstrung.
The regionGrade A · 1 independent source

During 1842

Events the sources date only to the year.

1842
Harrison Stebbins opened the first select school in Janesville — the passages give two readings: either in the latter part of 1841 or in the beginning of 1842.
Rock CountyGrade A · 1 independent source
1842
Mr. Lappin built a two-story frame store on the present site of Lappin's Block (Janesville).
Rock CountyGrade A · 1 independent source

By ring

The property: 0
Beloit: 8
Rock County: 21
The region: 12
Nation and world: 3

People who came here

Born in 1842, elsewhere, and later settled in Rock County.

Spring 1842
[Mr. Richardson] again turned his face westward, locating at Milwaukee and securing employment as a bookkeeper.
Fall 1842
Mr. Rollin Thorpe came to Wisconsin, settled on his land, and broke the first ground.
October 1842
George Barnes came to Milwaukee.
October 4, 1842
Mr. Winchell resigned his pastorate.
November 1842
[The writer] visited Fort Atkinson (his sister Amanda was then living at Aztalan).
November 17, 1842
[The writer] was lost on Rock Prairie in a snowstorm; the snow was two feet deep and increased to four feet during the winter.

Key themes

Municipal organization by the territorial legislature. On February 17, 1842, the territorial legislature simultaneously organized the towns of Beloit, Rock, Janesville, Union, Clinton, Milton, and Center, and passed an act naming Selvy Kidder and others regarding the wants of Beloit residents. The town-government system superseded county government in the spring, followed by first town meetings in Rock and Clinton, and the first county Board of Supervisors met in June with six members. ↗ ↗ ↗ ↗ ↗ (+9 more)

Land purchases and Norwegian settlement. A series of land registrations through 1842 record purchases by settlers with Norwegian names — Tosten Nilsen, Jas. Hilbeitson, Tore Halgesen, Erick Hilbeitson, Chris, Ole, and Kittel Newhouse, Abram Hobartson (Herbrand Halvorson Skavlem), Gulbrand Gulbrandson, Halvor Nilson, Ole Knudson, Tellef Helgaison, and others — alongside Goelick Holt's registration in February and an eighty-acre purchase on May 7. The Lars Simonson family also located in Beloit Township in September. ↗ ↗ ↗ ↗ ↗ (+6 more)

Church formation and religious change. Religious institutions took form in 1842: the corner stone of Beloit's Congregational stone church was laid July 6, the Methodist Episcopal society of Beloit was formed October 15 by Rev. William Lovesey, and a house of worship was built in the fall on section 35 of Milton, where the congregation became known as the First Congregational Church of Rock County. Pastoral changes occurred elsewhere, with Rev. Milton Bourne's pastorate ending and Rev. Alpha Warren's beginning in September, and Mr. Winchell resigning his pastorate on October 4. ↗ ↗ ↗ ↗ ↗

In-migration and settlement across the county. Others located at Milwaukee or La Prairie. ↗ ↗ ↗ ↗ ↗ (+7 more)

Building, schooling, and winter conditions. The Beloit court house was raised and roofed in January, the toll bridge over Rock River was framed by John P. Houston in summer, and Mr. Lappin built a two-story frame store in Janesville. School terms were taught by Daniel Nurse and Mr. Benedict, and Harrison Stebbins opened a select school in Janesville (dated to late 1841 or early 1842). ↗ ↗ ↗ ↗ ↗ (+3 more)