John P. Houston, bridge builder and farmer, arrived in Beloit during December 1837 with his wife Eunice. Both had been members previously of the Bedford, New Hampshire, Presbyterian Church and during 1840 became members of this church. John P. had also been captain of the Bedford Grenadiers.

Upon arrival here and erecting a home, Houston framed the Goodhue flour mill built on the race west of Blodgett’s sawmill. This gristmill was later purchased by his brother George Houston who carried on as the Houston Mill. John also helped frame our first wooden toll wagon bridge on the now Grand Avenue. He also framed the first bridge over Turtle Creek, as well as the first railway bridge over Rock River in 1854. He was purported to be a cousin of the famed Texan Sam Houston, coming from a long line of New England political figures.

During 1849, Houston assisted in organizing the local Presbyterian Church where he served as trustee and remained a member for the ensuing forty years. His brother George became a partner of O.E. Merrill in 1873, organized under the name of Merrill & Houston Iron Works. George Houston had received a patent upon a flat water turbine wheel, which permitted the obtaining of water-power from low head streams as encountered along the subsequent mill race running parallel with the river on the west side of the village. This invention permitted such companies as Besley, Beloit Corporation, Dowd Knife Works and Gaston Scale Works to settle along this race and obtain their source of power. George Houston’s water wheel won over all competition at government sponsored testing at Holyoke, Massachusetts.