Where Past Meets Present

RCHS Resource List

The following is a list of resources available through the Rock County Historical Society.

Scrapbooks

Over 500 scrapbooks about or from:

  • Family scrapbooks, Police News Articles, Local PTAs, MacDowell Music Club, Janesville Arts League, Celebrations, Wars, Clubs and Organizations, Beloit-Janesville Orchestra

Photographs

Over 12,000 photographic images by subject including:

  • Early Rock County History and People, Architecture and Buildings, Industry, Organizations and Clubs, Downtown and Rural Areas, Events, Schools

Information and Document Files

  • The Archives contains over 30 shelves of information files that contain relevant topics from news clippings, reports, and research requests. Topics are relevant to genealogy, history, and all parts of the county.
  • Document files are also available, which include archives by topic, such as: contracts, company records, diaries, letters, ledgers, etc.

Indexes

There are various indexes, most of which were completed by the Rock County Genealogical Society and are available for purchase:

  • Janesville Recorder (1874-1913), Janesville Gazette Birth Death and Marriage (1845-1907), Cemetery Indexes, Probate Indexes (over 20,000 probates are available in the archives), Marriage License Applications (1918-1988).

Maps and Plat Books

  • Over 20 cubic feet of maps and blueprints for certain areas and buildings are available.
  • Rock County Plat books are available from the following years: 1858, 1873, 1891, 1904, 1917, 1929, 1940, 1958, and other miscellaneous years. Some of the maps may not be duplicated due to size.

Books

  • The Archives contain books on local history, local authors and celebrities, school yearbooks, studies and reports by local governmental agencies, church histories and directories, and city directories.

Tallman Archives

  • The Tallman Family Archives contain over 3,000 documents referring to land contracts, house construction of the Lincoln-Tallman House, railroad matters, and legal issues. Tallman family scrapbooks, photographs, and diaries are included in the collections.

Microfilm

  • First Congregational Church of Christ – Janesville 1845-1972 (21 reels)
  • J. Whitehead Register (4 reels)
  • Gazette obit index 1849-1894 (2 reels)

Our Mission

2021 RCHS Logo

The Rock County Historical Society enriches and engages the communities in Rock County, Wisconsin through preservation and dissemination of the unique history and heritage of our area.

 

Gathering here today in the Rock River Valley, the Rock County Historical Society (RCHS) acknowledges the Indigenous People whose ancestors thrived for thousands of years in this region. RCHS welcomes all the First Nations as the nations pass along their native language and traditions to younger generations.

Learn more about RCHS

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Visit Us

RCHS Museum & Visitor Center
426 N. Jackson St.
Janesville, WI  53548
(608) 756-4509
View hours

Lincoln Tallman Museum
440 N. Jackson St.
Janesville, WI  53548
(608) 756-4509
View hours