WI Roots.org

Established: 1836
County Seat: Janesville
Parent: Territorial County

* Records before the establishment of the county may be in the parent records.

Neighboring Counties

Green County - west Dane County - north Jefferson County - northeast Walworth County - east Boone County, Illinois - south Winnebago County, Illinois - south

From: Handbook of Wisconsin by S. Silas, 1855

ROCK--Population 31,364. (1855)

pg. 97-98

Lies on both sides of Rock River, and is bounded on the south by Illinois. It is mostly prairie and openings, there being no heavy timber. The prairies are more extensive than in other sections, Rock Prairie being the largest in the State. The soil is exceedingly rich, especially in the valley of the Rock. The eastern part is not as well watered as other portions. It is a thickly settled county. Janesville is the County Seat, and the fifth city in size in the State, many routes of travel centering there. Beloit, in the southern part is a flourishing village, having water power on the Rock River and Turtle Creek. It is the location of Beloit College, a well endowed and flourishing institution, under the charge of the Wisconsin and Illinois Convention of Presbyterian and Congregational Churches.

The Milwaukee and Mississippi Rail Road passes through the northern part of Rock, having a branch from Milton to Janesville, which is ultimately to be continued west to the Mississippi, as the Wisconsin Southern. Rock River Valley Rail Road from the State line up the River. Beloit and Madison, now running about 18 miles from Beloit. Racine, having its terminus at Beloit, and the Kenosha and Janesville Road.

General Genealogy and History Links

This section contains links to websites that have multiple databases or webpages with genealogical information.

Vital Records

Birth, Death, & Marriage Records:
Earliest Registration Dates*:
Births 1856
Deaths 1871
Marriages 1847

Rock Register of Deeds
51 S. Main St.
Janesville, WI 53545-3951
Telephone: (608) 757-5650

Cemetery and Obituary Links

Census Links

Censuses contain valuable information about families. This section contains links to transcribed censuses, census indexes or census images for the county.

Residents of the County

This section contains links to family tree websites, biographies and information about individuals that lived in the county.

Area History

This section contains links of published histories and historical information about the county, its villages, cities or towns. Sometimes within these histories is information about founders, or other people that settled in the area. It may also include ethnic or religious histories of the communities.

Maps and Atlases

Military

Societies, Libraries and Offline Resources