Rock County, Wisconsin

From: Wisconsin Gazetteer by John Warren Hunt ©1853 Beriah Brown, Printer, Madison p. 43 Courtesy of Lori

AVON, Town, in the county of Rock, being town 1 N., of range 10 E.; centrally located, seventeen miles southwest from Janesville. The population in 1850 was 588. It has 7 school districts.

From: Combination Atlas Map of Rock County, Wisconsin ©1873 Everts, Baskin & Stewart, Chicago, Ill. p. 71 Courtesy of Lori

This is the least valuable township in the county for agricultural purposes, as there is a great portion of it either timber land or so sandy as to render in comparatively useless for the raising of many kinds of grain: the soil is a light sandy loam. Along Sugar Creek is a large, fine bottom, capable of producing great quantities of grass and hay. The village of Avon is located on Sugar Creek or River, where there is a very fine flouring-mill, chesse factory, etc. The town was settled in 1844. Among the early settlers were Joseph KINNEY, Jr., Mr. NORTHROP, Joseph HUNTLEY, William CRIPPIN, H. BEALES, W. F. THOMPSON, William GRIMES, and Joseph WATSON. The population is principally American; yet, in the northeast part of the town, there are a great many Norwegians, who are of the enterprising class and make good citizens. The improvements of the town are not so good as the other towns adjoining; but every year adds more to the few good buildings already existing.

From: The Portrait and Biographical Album of Rock County, Wisconsin ©1889 p. 1010 Courtesy of Carol

Avon, the southwest town of the county, contains township 1 north, range 10 east. It was surveyed in 1833 and 1834, and was legally set apart and named, Feb. 11, 1847. The first town meeting was held at the house of William CRIPPIN, on the first Tuesday in April, 1848. Among the early settlers were Joseph KINNEY, Jr., Joseph HUNTLEY, William CRIPPIN, H. BEALES, W. F. THOMPSON, William GRIMES and Joseph WATSON. There were numerous Norwegian pioneers. They laid out a village which they called Bornitz [actually located in Section 33 of Plymouth Township], where in 1847 they had built a church. The Rev. Claud Lars CLAUSON was their first pastor. Avon, in the town of Avon, twenty-five miles southwest of Janesville, contains two churches, a school, the steam flouring-mill of J. FINCH, a general store, and a shoemaker's shop, a blacksmith shop and a pump factory. Population 150.

Additional Resources...

John Sill's History of Avon, Wisconsin*