means of transit when the La Crosse and Milwaukee railroad is completed, will add another important feature to its prospects. With such natural advantages, and these evidences of prosperity, who can wonder that Beaver Dam should make such rapid strides in advancement and business facilities, while it requires no prophetic eye to discover that, ere long, she is to be ranked among the most populous, wealthy, and business inland towns in Wisconsin.

BEAVER, Lake, is near the centre of the town of Merton, a short distance east of Pine lake, in Waukesha county, into which it has its outlet. It is about a mile in length.

BEETOWN, Town, in the county of Grant, being townships 4 and 5 N., of range 4 W.; 6 miles west from Lancaster. It has 7 school districts.

BEETOWN, P. V. on section 30, in town of same name in Grant county, town 4, range 4 W.; is surrounded by rich lead mines and a good farming region of land, with timber on the east, and prairie on the north, west, and south. The population is about 300; with 55 dwellings, 9 stores, and 1 hotel. BEETOWN, Diggings, a mining place on section 17, town 4, range 4 W., in Grant county.

BELFONTAINE, P. O., in Columbia county.

BELGIUM, Town, in the county of Ouzaukee, being township 12 N., of range 22 E.; located 7 miles north from Ouzaukee. The population in 1850 was 1,154. It has 7 school districts. BELMONT, formerly P. O., in town of same name, in northwest corner of Lafayette county, at Platte Mounds. At this place the first session of the territorial legislature of Wisconsin was held. It is now the residence of Hon. Charles Dunn, chief justice of the territorial supreme court.

BELOIT, Town, in county of Rock, being township 1 N., of range 12 E.; located southerly, 10 miles from Janesville, the county seat. The population in 1850 was 2,750. It has 9 school districts.

BELOIT AND MADISON RAIL ROAD COMPANY.-Directors: John B. Turner, W. L. Newberry, Edward J. Tinkham, and E. S. Wadsworth, Chicago, Ill.; L. G. Fisher, Hazen Cheney, and John Hackett, Beloit, Wis.; Volney Atwood, J. A. Sleeper, and Otis W. Norton, Janesville, Wis.; Simeon Mills, F. G. Tibbits, and Elisha Burdick, Madison, Wis.; John P. Turner, President; Benj. Durham, Secretary; Edward J. Tinkham, Treasurer; and John P. Ilsley, Chief Engineer. This company was incorporated by act of the legislature, approved Feb. 18, 1852. By the charter the company are authorized to create a capital stock of $1,200,000, and to locate, construct and operate a single or double track railroad, from the village of Beloit in the county of Rock, via Janesville in the county of Rock, to Madison, the capital of the State of Wisconsin, with power also to connect or consolidate with other railroad companies. The company was organized at Madison on the 1st day of July, the same year, by the election of officers as above stated. Preliminary surveys were immediately commenced, preparatory to the location of the line, and the attainment of the right of way. The report of the chief engineer shows the length of the line from Beloit to Madison to be 52,08 miles, and the estimated cost $790,000, or $15,027 per mile, laid with heavy Trail. Some portions of the work have already been contracted, and the engineer is now actively engaged in completing the surveys and procuring the right of way, and the whole line will soon be ready for contract, and it is confidently believed that the entire road will be completed to Madison by the 4th of July, 1854. By an amendment to its charter, passed February, 1853, this company are authorized to construct their road direct from Beloit to Madison, and by running about twelve miles west of Janesville, the line will be reduced in length something over four miles, and be entirely removed from competition with rival roads. The district of country through which this road passes to its present terminus, the capital of

Wisconsin, is equal, if not superior, in population, productiveness and natural beauty to any portion of the state; while its ultimate extension to the Wisconsin river at Portage city, and thence through the extensive pine regions of the north to Lake Superior, or the Upper Mississippi, insure for it an immense and constantly increasing business, as that interesting portion of the country becomes settled and more fully developed. The very favorable terms upon which this company have arranged with the Chicago and Galena railroad company, to run in connection with and operate this road as a branch of that already popular and profitable thoroughfare, added to the many other superior advantages already enjoyed by this company, warrant the belief that this will prove one of the most useful, as well as most profitable, railroad enterprises in the Great West. To Simeon Mills, Esq., of Madison, is due the credit of originating and largely contributing toward the successful prosecution of this enterprise.

BELOIT, P. V., Rock county, on sections 35 and 36, in town of same name, being town 1 N., of range 12 E., 12 miles south from Janesville, and 45 miles southeast from Madison. It is situated on the State line, at the junction of Turtle Creek with Rock River. Its commercial and manufacturing facilities are of a superior character, and the means of education are as great as in any other town in the State. It has a population of 3,000, with 400 dwellings, 1 baptist, 1 congregational, 1 methodist, 1 presbyterian, 1 episcopal, and 1 catholic church; 18 dry goods stores, 10 grocery and provision, 2 hardware and 3 drug stores; 3 stove and tin, 2 shoe, 4 clothing and 2 book stores; 2 cabinet, 2 barbers, 2 jewellers, 4 market and 2 paint shops; 3 saddle and harness, 4 blacksmiths and 2 coopers shops; 1 tobacco factory and store, 3 hotels, 3 flouring, 1 oil, and 1 saw mill, 1 flax factory, 1 foundry, 1 machine shop, 1 manufactory of reapers and fanning mills, 2 carriage and waggon factories, 1 scale manufactory, 1 woollen factory, and 1 candle and soap factory.

BEM, P. O., in Greene county.

BENTON, Creek, rises in town 23, range 23 E., Kewaunee county, runs southerly, emptying into the west Twin River in Manitowoc county.

BERLIN, Town, in county of Marquette, being township 17 N., of range 13 E. It has 9 school districts.

BERRY, Town, in the county of Dane, being township 8 N., of range 7 E. It is 15 miles northwest from Madison.

BERRY, P.O., in town of same name, Dane county, on section 29, town 8 N., range 7 E.

BIG BEND, P. O. in southern part of Waukesha county.

BIG, Creek, a small tributary from the southeast of Black River, in La Crosse county, into which it empties, in town 19 N., of range 5 W.

BIG PLOVER, River, is a tributary from the northeast of the Wisconsin, which it enters between Plover and Stevens' Point.

BIG, Prairie, Waushara county, is a crescent shaped prairie in the eastern part of the town of Oasis, town 20 N., of range 8 E. Its greatest length is six miles, and extreme width three miles. It contains about 15,000 acres of land.

BIG QUINNESEC, Falls, are rapids in the Menominee river, about one and a half miles in length, in which distance the fall is 134 feet. This distance is divided into four chutes, at the lowest of which the river dashes over a perpendicular fall of rocks forty feet in height.

BIG SUAMICO, River, rises in Oconto county, and runs east, through township 25, emptying into Green Bay from the west.

BILLING'S, Creek, in Bad Ax county, is a branch of the Kickapoo river.

BIRCH, Lake, on Red Cedar river, between Sketch and Pine lakes. BIRD'S RUIN, see Hanchettville P. O.

BLACK, Creek, Sheboygan county, rises in the southwest part of town 13, range 23 E., and runs north easterly to the northeast corner of the town of Wilson, where it falls into Lake Michigan.

BLACK, Creek, is a small tributary, from the west of Fox River, which it enters near the line between towns 16 and 17, in Marquette county.

BLACK, Creek, rises near the N. E. corner of Outagamie county, and runs southwesterly, uniting with the outlet of White Lake, and falls into Wolf river, in the town of Ellington.

BLACK EARTH, Town, (formerly Farmer'sville) in county of Dane, being township No. 8 N., range 6 E., located 20 miles from Madison. It has 3 school districts.

BLACK EARTH, P. V., Dane county, in town of same name, on section 26, town 8 N., range 6 E., 21 miles nearly west from Madison. Population 75; 15 dwellings, 1 store, 1 hotel and a good flouring mill. It is situated in the fertile valley of the Black Earth creek, 9 miles above its entrance into the Wisconsin. This village was laid out in 1850, and has a good water power.

BLACK EARTH, River, rises in Middleton, in Dane county, and runs N. W., entering the Wisconsin at Arena, in Iowa county.

BLACK, River, (Sappah,) rises in Marathon county, and runs south west, entering the Mississippi, in La Crosse county, about half way between La Crosse and Trempeleau rivers. It is navigable to the Falls, to which place it maintains a width of 200 yards.

BLACK RIVER, Falls, are about 50 miles from the mouth of the Black River, in Jackson county, at which place the stream is about 200 yards wide, and falls 22 feet in the distance of 100 yards.

BLACK RIVER FALLS, P. V., on Black river, in Jackson county town 21 N., range 4 W.