Founded in Beloit,
Wisconsin, in 1910, the Society's vision is to make history a focal
point of community pride and to serve as a constant reminder to the
community of its great and diverse heritage. With an enthusiastic
staff, many dedicated volunteers, and a number of enriching
programs, the Society endeavors to enlighten the community and to
contribute to an understanding and appreciation of its history. The
Society operates two sites, the Hanchett-Bartlett Homestead, and
Lincoln Center, the location of its offices, exhibits, and
collections.
Located at the confluence of the Rock
River and Turtle Creek, what is now Beloit was long home to various
tribes of Native-Americans, from the ancient
Mound
Builders to the
Winnebagos, the last to have a semi-permanent settlement at the
future Beloit. This last tribe abandoned their settlement in 1832
when Black Hawk and his followers were pursued through the area
during the Black
Hawk War.
Joseph Thibeau was the first white
man in Beloit following the departure of the Winnebagos. A French
fur trader who had a good reputation with the Indians, Thibeau
settled at the southwestern corner of present day State St. and
Shirland Ave. It was he who greeted Caleb Blodgett, Beloit’s first
permanent settler. Thibeau sold to Caleb “three looks” of land, and
this purchase marks Beloit’s beginning as a village.
With the arrival of the New England
Immigrating Company in 1836, the future of the fledgling community
was assured. This group came from Colebrook, New Hampshire, and was
led by the able scout Dr. Horace White. They bought land from Caleb
Blodgett, started developing it, and soon family and friends were
moving to the area. Only eleven years later the cornerstone of
Beloit College was laid.
Churches and schools were planned, mills were running using the
water of the Rock River, and business took root in the village to be
named Beloit.