Janesville, Wisconsin, with a population of 59,000, is located in the center of Rock County and of four towns - Janesville, Harmony, La Prairie, and Rock. Janesville is the county seat of Rock County, which lies comfortably in the south-central portion of Wisconsin. Both the town and, later, the city were named after Henry F. Janes, who operated a ferry service in Janesville's early years.

In 1833, the United States government surveyed the west bank of the Rock River at the present-day site of Janesville following the resolution of the Black Hawk War. As word of the fertile lands along the Rock River spread east, settlers retraced the soldiers' steps and the development of Janesville began. The first settlers arrived in the Summer of 1835 when John Inman of Philadelphia, William and Joshua Holmes of Ohio, and George Follner of Milwaukee arrived at the banks of the Rock River. There they built a log cabin -- the first permanent structure on the site of present-day Janesville. In December, 1835, Samuel St. John and his family of five arrived at the cabin, and all nine settlers wintered together in the single cabin.

More settlers arrived the following Spring and several land claims and "paper towns" were platted on lands near Inman's cabin. In 1836, the territorial legislature established the county seat on the claim of Henry Janes -- a small tract of land on the east bank of the Rock River that is marked today by the intersection of Main and Milwaukee Streets. Janes applied for a post office on the site, recommending himself as postmaster and "Black Hawk" as the name for the office. But Amass Kindle, then US Postmaster General, while granting the office and appointing Janes its postmaster, named the office "Janesville."

From that settlement of fewer than 300 in 1840, Janesville grew tenfold to 3,000 persons in its first decade. By 1900, Janesville, Wisconsin, was a small but modern city of 13,000. The commercial district boasted concrete curbs and gutters, electric lighting, and electric street rail cars. Over the next decades, the city's reputation was based on its manufacturing enterprises, notably the production of GM automobiles and fountain pens manufactured and sold worldwide by Janesville's own Parker Pens.

For more information on activities in and around South Central Wisconsin, visit:

• Visit Madison
• Downtown Madison
• University of Wisconsin - Madison
• Wisconsin: Life's So Good!

Janesville Homes, Properties and Special Feature Real Estate

Janesville, Wisconsin real estate includes a wide variety of homes for sale, condos for sale, water access properties (waterfront or scenic view), active adult communities, farms/hobby farms and executive properties. Sellers who have been in the area for a while know our reputation for knowledgeable advice, enthusiastic service, creative marketing and professional networking. Dairyland Real Estate mines every source for suitable properties so you can feel at ease that your search will produce the right kind of solution for you.

For buyers new to the area, Dairyland Real Estate will provide the specialized services you deserve: a strong work ethic, personal real estate expertise to help define your needs, help with selecting and securing standard financing for your purchase, special technology, constant communication throughout the transaction, and more. Our many years living and working in the area, combined with our cumulative years of experience in real estate, means we can cover all aspects of your search - from existing homes for sale, properties for sale, lots, vacant land, new construction, 55-plus and retirement communities, investment properties, waterfront, golf and recreational properties, golf course lots - all the way to luxury villas, estates and executive homes.

So when you're ready to buy or sell real estate in or around Janesville, Wisconsin, please let Dairyland Real Estate help you find the home or property of your dreams. Contact Dairyland Real Estate today!

Other nearby communities have similar real estate characteristics as Janesville and may also be of interest to you in your home search. Please feel free to ask Dairyland Real Estate about homes for sale, lakeside/riverside properties and other real estate listings for nearby communities, such as Evansville, Stoughton, Janesville, Beloit, Madison, Dane County, Rock County, Green County, Fulton, Edgerton, Milton, Albion, Lima Center, Koshkonong Mounds, (Lake Koshkonong), Cambridge, McFarland, Deerfield, Orfordville, Brodhead, Albany, Monticello, Monroe, Newark, Rutland, Fitchburg, Verona, Monona, Oregon, Mt. Horeb, Mount Horeb and much more.

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