John Sabaka stands along Pleasant Street in downtown Beloit with the Hendricks Center for the Performing Arts in the background. The building formerly served as the Beloit Post Office and the Beloit Public Library. Some of these historic facts will be shared during a Downtown History Walk that Sabaka will lead on July 23. Clint Wolf/Beloit Daily News.
BY Clint Wolf, Beloit Daily News – Jul 14, 2022
BELOIT–Did you know that State Street in downtown Beloit used to be called Turtle Street? And there used to be six miles of track downtown on which a trolley would shuttle people to destinations on both sides of the Rock River.
These bits of Beloit history and more will be shared by Beloit history buff John Sabaka during a Beloit History Walk set for 9–11 a.m. July 23. The event, presented by the Beloit Historical Society, Downtown Beloit Association and the City of Beloit Parks and Recreation Department, will start at the Beloit City Hall building, 100 State St., and then move through the downtown area.
The event is free and participants are encouraged to wear comfortable, durable shoes, since the tour will cover a lot of ground.
The tour has not been held for the past few years, mostly due to health precautions initiated due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But, now the tour has returned and Sabaka is eager to share his knowledge of local history.
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