Rock County, Wisconsin

From: Wisconsin Gazetteer by John Warren Hunt ©1853 Beriah Brown, Printer, Madison p. 219 Courtesy of Lori

TURTLE, Town, in county of Rock, being town 1 N., of range 13 E.; centrally located, 7 miles east from Janesville. Population in 1850 was 966. It has 7 school districts.

From: A New Complete Gazetteer of the United States by Thomas Baldwin and J. Thomas, M.D. ©1854 Lippincott, Grambo & Co. , Philadelphia p. 1166 Courtesy of Kathy Lenerz

TURTLE, a township in the S. E. part of Rock co., Wisconsin. Population, 966.

From: Combination Atlas Map of Rock County, Wisconsin ©1873 Everts, Baskin & Stewart, Chicago, Ill. p. 39 Courtesy of Lori

This town, located in the southern tier of the county, is one of the finest towns in the county, possessing in its own limits a good supply of wood, timber, limestone, clay for bricks, creeks, water-power, and an excellent soil, properly proportioned between timber and openings, all well watered. Turtle Creek passes through the township, affording several fine water-powers. There are other smaller streams running through the town. The first settlers here were D. B. EBERY, D. BENNETT, Chancey TUTTLE, John LEWIS, S. G. COLLEY, R. DOLE, and John HOPKINS. Shopiere, located on Turtle Creek, is a fine little village; at this point there is a splendid water-power of nine feet head and fall; they have a four-story grist-mill with a capacity of 50,000 bushels annually. At Turtleville, a short distance down the creek, there is another flouring-mill. In point of improvement, Turtle is not behind other towns of the county.

From: The Portrait and Biographical Album of Rock County, Wisconsin ©1889 p. 1022-1023 Courtesy of Carol

Turtle is situated on the southern boundary of the county. It was organized by an act of the Legislature, approved Feb. 2, 1846, and included in its limits township 1 and the south half of township 2 north, of range 13 east. Subsequently the last half township was set off to La Prairie. Among the first settlers were D. B. EGBERY, D. BENNETT, R. DOLL, Chauncey TUTTLE, John LEWIS, A. LEWIS, S. G. CALLEY, and John HOPKINS. Others, who came from 1836 to 1856, were the following: Dr. D. M. PELTON, J. H. POOLE, Albert PORTER, W. PICKETT, C. PROVOST, Chauncy ROSS, J. F. ROSS, E. C. REIGART, L. E. ROSS, F. L. ROSS, J. H. REIGART, S. D. ROSS, William H. STARK, SWINGLE, S. H. SLAYMAKER, Alexander THOM, H. L. SHOEMAKER, W. S. THOM, C. M. TREAT, S. W. HART, B. F. MURRAY, S. MURRAY, G. M. MURRAY, H. H. McLENEGAN, H. J. MURRAY, Joel MINER, C. P. MURRAY, S. A. MURRAY, N. McLAUGHLIN, Philo PORTER, Benjamin PARK, George W. PORTER, R. J. BURDETTE, William BRAND, Adam BELL, Thomas CROSBY, Mrs. A. E. COE, E. J. CARPENTER, C. T. CURTIS, G. H. CROSBY, G. H. CULVER, E. J. DOLE, D. D. EGERY, J. M. EVERETT, O. C. GATES, J. B. GORDON, William GATES, J. B. GORDON, William GATES, Erastus GILES, Edward GILES, Russell HARVEY, F. A. HUMPHREY, and Thomas HOLMES. The first town meeting was held April 7, 1846. Shopiere, in the town of Turtle, on Turtle Creek, and on the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad, eleven miles south of Janesville, was first made the abiding place of a white man in 1839, by Caleb E. CULVER. Mr. HOPKINS came in 1840, Mr. BLACKSTONE and Mr. BLODGETT, two or three years later. The first log house was erected by Mr. CULVER, the first farm house by Jared RANDALL, in 1841, and the first stone house by Mr. CULVER, in 1842. Mr. BLACKSTONE opened the first store. The first birth was that of Charles CULVER, shortly after the arrival of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Caleb E. CULVER. The post-office was established in 1850, with S. P. HARVEY as Postmaster. The flouring-mill was built in 1848-49 by HARVEY, RANDALL & DEXTADER [DOCKSTADER?]. George SEARS acquired a half-interest in it in 1866, and became sole proprietor in 1873. The Turtle Cheese Factory was established in 1873, by F. N. PARKER. The school house was built in 1856. Besides the flouring-mill, Shopiere contains a wagon factory and two churches. Population, 300.   [Transcriber's Note - the surname SWINGLE in the middle of the first paragraph did not have a first name with it.]