Beloit

Beloit is a city of 37,000 people (2018) in Southwest Wisconsin. Its downtown is anchored by a core of historic buildings and the Ironworks office and industrial campus. Beloit's riverfront park system, mainly Riverside Park, extends north of the downtown along the east bank toward the Town of Beloit.

Understand
Beloit lays claim to such inventions as the speedometer, Korn Kurls, and John Francis Appleby's twine binder. Korn Kurls, which resemble Cheetos, was the original puffed cheese snack.

History
Twelve men in Colebrook, New Hampshire created the "New England Emigrating Company" in October 1836 and sent Dr. Horace White to find a suitable region of Wisconsin in which to settle. The level fields and the water power of Turtle Creek and the "unlimited gravel" in the area around what is now Beloit fixed the site of the intended village and farms. White purchased the land. At the same time as the Colebrook settlers, six families from Bedford, New Hampshire arrived and settled in the region. They said that the Rock River Valley had a "New England look", which made them feel at home. The village was platted in 1838 and was planned with wide streets which built on the New England model.

Beloit was founded as New Albany (after Albany, Vermont) in 1837. The name was changed to Beloit in 1838. The name Beloit was coined to be reminiscent of Detroit.

By car
Interstates 39, 43, and 90 serve Beloit.

By bike
To get to Beloit by bicycle from Chicago, take the Union Pacific/Northwest METRA from Ogilvie Station to Harvard, Illinois ($7). At Harvard, make a right onto W. Diggins Street/Ramer Road; 1.5 mi. Enter the bike path from Ramer Road at Lawrence Road. Take the bike path to its terminal at Maxon Road; 2 mi. Take a left on Maxon Road/Right on South Oak Grove Road; .5 mi. Make a right on IL-173 (careful: no shoulder); 2.3 mi. Make another right on Boone/McHenry County Line Road; .5 mi. Enter Long Prairie State Trail; 14.4 mi. Enter Stone Bride Trail (crushed limestone); 4.5 mi. Make a left on a bike trail and follow it until it ends; .5 mi. Take a right on the Hononegah Bike Trail and follow it to a second wooded section; 2 mi. Turn right onto a bike trail that leads into Kelly-Meyers Park, follow the road to the front of the park, and turn left out of the park. Turn right in one block on the Dorr Rd. bike trail and follow it until it ends; 3 mi. Right at Elmwood Avenue/Lathrop Terrace; 1 mi. Left at Wheeler Avenue; .25 mi. Right at Gardner Street; .25 mi. Left at Park Avenue; .25 mi. Enter Beloit at Turtle Creek bridge/Wisconsin state line.