Full Text, Searchable Rock Co., WI Historical Resources
50+ Resources organized chronologically
RCGS assembled these over 50 searchable, full text PDFs of historical Rock County, Wisconsin Resources: books, directories, plat maps and manuscripts courtesy of the Digital Public Library of America (DP.LA), the Wisconsin State Historical Society, The Hathi Trust, the Janesville Hedberg Public Library and Google Books.
Because copyright restrictions typically expire after 72 years, these older books and other documents now become accessible to researchers from their home PCs in an easy to search and/or zoom format. The Rock County genealogy links below are exemplary of these useful and user-friendly formats. Enjoy!
Because copyright restrictions typically expire after 72 years, these older books and other documents now become accessible to researchers from their home PCs in an easy to search and/or zoom format. The Rock County genealogy links below are exemplary of these useful and user-friendly formats. Enjoy!
1837-1998 - City on the Rock River : Chapters in Janesville's History - searchable PDF of full-text images of text and photos from the original book of Janesville history, including commerce, education, government and biographies of notable people (the State of Wisconsin Collection)
1839 -1939 - Luther Valley Centennial: Springen Grove, Rock County, Wisconsin - Page images only, 91 pages.
1848-1948 - The Wisconsin century book : official publication of the Wisconsin Centennial -Exposition - searchable text with high resolution images of the original centennial book (Wisconsin Historical Society)
1854-1954 - The Footville Story : a History of Footville, Wisconsin : Footville Centennial - - searchable PDF of full-text images from the original book (HathiTrust)
1856 - History of Rock Co. - Transactions of the Rock Co. Agricultural Society & Mechanic's Institute - searchable PDF of full-text images from the original book (HathiTrust)
1857-58 - Rock County Gazetteer, Directory and Business Advertiser - searchable PDF of full-text images from the original directory (the State of Wisconsin Collection)
1859-1890 Janesville City Directory, History, and Business Advertiser - searchable PDF of full-text images from from the original directory.
1858 - Atlas & Plat Map of Rock County, Wisconsin - searchable text and zoomable high resolution images of the original wall-size plat map showing landowners for all 20 Rock County Townships (Wisconsin Historical Society)
1861-1865 - Wisconsin Volunteers, War of the Rebellion - searchable PDF of full-text images from the original "Regimental and Descriptive Rolls" that listed every soldier and what happened to him derived from handwritten "muster rolls" were set in type and printed in two large volumes (State of Wisconsin Collection)
1866-1867 - Catalogue of Officers & Students of Evansville Seminary, Evansville, Rock Co., Wis. - searchable PDF of full-text images from the original catalog (State of Wisconsin Collection)
1873 - Atlas & Plat Map of Rock County, Wisconsin - zoomable high resolution images of the original wall-size plat map showing landowners for all 20 Rock County Townships (Wisconsin Historical Society)
1876 - Owen's Janesville City, Rock County Gazetteer, and Directory - searchable PDF of full-text images from the original directory (Wisconsin Historical Society)
1876 - Centennial Records of the Women of Wisconsin - searchable PDF of full-text images from the original directory (Wisconsin Historical Society)
1876-1898 - Henry and Elizabeth Baird Papers - non-searchable, high resolution images of handwritten correspondence concerning the Baird and Tenney families from Dane and Rock County areas (Wisconsin Historical Society) .
1879 - History of Rock County, Wisconsin - searchable PDF of full-text images from the original book (HathiTrust)
1885 Census of Civil War Veterans in Wisconsin - in two parts, each organized by surname, A-Z
1887 - Map of the city of Beloit, Wisconsin - zoomable full-text images of the original map identifying landholders, merchants and industry names (Digital Commonwealth)
1888 - Picturesque Janesville - searchable PDF of full-text and high resolution photo images from the original pictorial collection of Janesville residences, schools, churches, street scenes, bridges and dams (the State of Wisconsin Collection)
1889 - Portrait and Biographical Album of Rock County, Wisconsin - searchable PDF of full-text images from the original book containing hundreds of biographies (HathiTrust)
1891 - Plat Book for Rock County, Wisconsin - searchable text and zoomable, high resolution images of the original map & plat book (the State of Wisconsin Collection)
1893 - Art Work of Rock County - photographs of Janesville, Beloit and Edgerton, Wisconsin, including public and commercial buildings, Rock River scenic views, residences, street scenes, churches, schools and one-of-a-kind other images as well as squatter's claims, earliest steamboat and railroad development, early settlers, and town development. Textual information concludes in 1861 at the beginning of the Civil War. (State of Wisconsin Collection)
1895 Census of Civil War Veterans in Wisconsin - in eight parts, each organized by surname, A-Z
1896 – Headlight Souvenir Edition: Janesville, Wis - The "Headlight Souvenir Edition: Janesville, Wis." was a special issue (volume 10, no. 4, May 1896) of the serial publication "Headlight : a Journal of Progress and Development." (the State of Wisconsin Collection)
1896 - 50th anniversary of the First Congregational Church, Emerald Grove, Wis. - searchable PDF of full-text images from the original book (HathiTrust)
1896-1997 - Wright's Directory of Rock County, Wisconsin - searchable PDF of full-text images from the original directory of citizens, merchants, city and county officers, schools, churches, banks, institutions, societies, etc. (the State of Wisconsin Collection)
1900-1999 Century of stories : a 100 year reflection of Janesville and surrounding communities - searchable PDF of full-text images from the original book pub. 2000. (the State of Wisconsin Collection)
1901 - Commemorative Biographical Record of the Counties of Rock, Green, Grant, Iowa and Lafayette, Wisconsin - searchable PDF of full-text images from the original book containing hundreds of biographies (HathiTrust)
1902 - A Political History of Wisconsin - searchable ebook of full-text images from the original book containing hundreds of prominent names (Google Books)
1902 - Janesville Fire Department: Souvenir Published in the Interest of the Firemen's Relief Association - searchable PDF of full-text and photo images from the original pamphlet containing a portrait of the department, some residences, street scenes, and the many businesses that they protected (the State of Wisconsin Collection)
1904 - Plat Book of Rock County, Wisconsin - searchable text and zoomable high resolution images of the original wall-size plat map showing landowners for all 20 Rock County Townships (the State of Wisconsin Collection)
1905 Census of Civil War Veterans in Wisconsin - in six parts, each organized by surname, A-Z
1908 - Rock County, Wisconsin; a New History of its Cities, Villages, Towns, Citizens and Varied Interests - searchable PDF of full-text images from the original book (HathiTrust)
1909 - Wright's Directory of Rock County, Wisconsin - searchable PDF of full-text images from the original directory of citizens, merchants, city and county officers, schools, churches, banks, institutions, societies, etc. (the State of Wisconsin Collection)
1915 - Wisconsin Losses in the Civil War - searchable PDF of full-text images from the original list of names of Wisconsin soldiers killed in action, mortally wounded or dying from other causes in the Civil War (Wisconsin Historical Society)
1915 - Pioneer days of Evansville and Vicinity - searchable PDF of full-text images from the original manuscript (HathiTrust)
1919 - Wright's Directory of Rock County, Wisconsin - searchable PDF of full-text images from the original directory of citizens, merchants, city and county officers, schools, churches, banks, institutions, societies, etc. (the State of Wisconsin Collection)
1922 - Plat Book of Rock County, Wisconsin - zoomable high resolution images of the original bound plat map pages showing parcel landowners for all 20 Rock County Townships (the State of Wisconsin Collection)
1928 - Rock County, Wisconsin Farm Directory - searchable PDF of full-text images from the original directory including farms, farmers and advertisers (the State of Wisconsin Collection)
1933 - Medical History of Janesville, 1833-1933 - sketches of the lives of physicians, surgeons, and hospitals that have helped to make the history of their profession in Janesville, Wisconsin, during the century of progress extending from 1833 - 1933 (the State of Wisconsin Collection)
1935 - History of Janesville 1835-1935 by Mary Ann Bostwick Hulick from the 1935 Phoenix Yearbook of Janesville High School Janesville, Wisconsin (Janesville Hedberg Public Library and the State of Wisconsin Collection)
1940 - Plat Book of Rock County, Wisconsin - searchable PDF of full-text, including a reference directory and zoomable high resolution images of the original bound plat map pages showing parcel landowners for all 20 Rock County Townships (the State of Wisconsin Collection)
ca. 1946 - Service Record Book of Men and Women of Orfordville, Wisconsin - searchable PDF of full-text images from the original directory, including a short biographies and photograph images.
1848-1958 - Plymouth Township Centennial, Rock County, Wisconsin - searchable PDF of full-text images from the original centennial publication (University of Wisconsin/Google Books)
1950? - Janesville’s Early History: compiled primarily by Janesville teachers and residents (Janesville Hedberg Public Library and the State of Wisconsin Collection)
1955 - Map of Rock County, Wisconsin - zoomable high resolution image of the original wall-size plat map showing landowner parcels for all 20 Rock County Townships (the State of Wisconsin Collection)
1959 - History of the Janesville Public Schools, Part 1 1839-1959 - Compiled by Miss Bernice Cadman History Instructor at the Janesville Senior High School (Janesville Hedberg Public Library and the State of Wisconsin Collection)
1965 - Rock County Schools - searchable PDF of full-text images of text and photos from the original book (the State of Wisconsin Collection)
1969 - History of Janesville - by Raymond E Fenrick is a searchable digitized version of a hard copy (Janesville Hedberg Public Library and the State of Wisconsin Collection)
1984 - Janesville Public Library: A Centennial History, 1884-1984 - (Janesville Hedberg Public Library and the State of Wisconsin Collection)
1986 - Courthouse Hill Historic District: a Guide - searchable PDF of full-text images of text and photos from the original guidebook for a Janesville walking tour, including historic and architectural descriptions of residences and businesses (the State of Wisconsin Collection)
1987 - Look West Historic District: a Guide - searchable PDF of full-text images of text and photos from the original guidebook for a Janesville walking tour, including historic and architectural descriptions of residences and businesses (the State of Wisconsin Collection)
1989 – Main and Milwaukee Historic District: a Guide - searchable PDF of full-text images of text and photos from the original guidebook for a Janesville walking tour, including historic and architectural descriptions of residences and businesses (the State of Wisconsin Collection)
1990 – Fourth Ward Historic District: a Guide - searchable PDF of full-text images of text and photos from the original guidebook for a Janesville walking tour, including historic and architectural descriptions of residences and businesses (the State of Wisconsin Collection)
1995 – Benton Ave Historic District: a Guide - searchable PDF of full-text images of text and photos from the original guidebook for a Janesville walking tour, including historic and architectural descriptions of residences and businesses (the State of Wisconsin Collection)
2005 – Columbus Circle Historic District: a Guide - searchable PDF of full-text images of text and photos from the original guidebook for a Janesville walking tour, including historic and architectural descriptions of residences and businesses (the State of Wisconsin Collection)
1839 -1939 - Luther Valley Centennial: Springen Grove, Rock County, Wisconsin - Page images only, 91 pages.
1848-1948 - The Wisconsin century book : official publication of the Wisconsin Centennial -Exposition - searchable text with high resolution images of the original centennial book (Wisconsin Historical Society)
1854-1954 - The Footville Story : a History of Footville, Wisconsin : Footville Centennial - - searchable PDF of full-text images from the original book (HathiTrust)
1856 - History of Rock Co. - Transactions of the Rock Co. Agricultural Society & Mechanic's Institute - searchable PDF of full-text images from the original book (HathiTrust)
1857-58 - Rock County Gazetteer, Directory and Business Advertiser - searchable PDF of full-text images from the original directory (the State of Wisconsin Collection)
1859-1890 Janesville City Directory, History, and Business Advertiser - searchable PDF of full-text images from from the original directory.
1858 - Atlas & Plat Map of Rock County, Wisconsin - searchable text and zoomable high resolution images of the original wall-size plat map showing landowners for all 20 Rock County Townships (Wisconsin Historical Society)
1861-1865 - Wisconsin Volunteers, War of the Rebellion - searchable PDF of full-text images from the original "Regimental and Descriptive Rolls" that listed every soldier and what happened to him derived from handwritten "muster rolls" were set in type and printed in two large volumes (State of Wisconsin Collection)
1866-1867 - Catalogue of Officers & Students of Evansville Seminary, Evansville, Rock Co., Wis. - searchable PDF of full-text images from the original catalog (State of Wisconsin Collection)
1873 - Atlas & Plat Map of Rock County, Wisconsin - zoomable high resolution images of the original wall-size plat map showing landowners for all 20 Rock County Townships (Wisconsin Historical Society)
1876 - Owen's Janesville City, Rock County Gazetteer, and Directory - searchable PDF of full-text images from the original directory (Wisconsin Historical Society)
1876 - Centennial Records of the Women of Wisconsin - searchable PDF of full-text images from the original directory (Wisconsin Historical Society)
1876-1898 - Henry and Elizabeth Baird Papers - non-searchable, high resolution images of handwritten correspondence concerning the Baird and Tenney families from Dane and Rock County areas (Wisconsin Historical Society) .
1879 - History of Rock County, Wisconsin - searchable PDF of full-text images from the original book (HathiTrust)
1885 Census of Civil War Veterans in Wisconsin - in two parts, each organized by surname, A-Z
1887 - Map of the city of Beloit, Wisconsin - zoomable full-text images of the original map identifying landholders, merchants and industry names (Digital Commonwealth)
1888 - Picturesque Janesville - searchable PDF of full-text and high resolution photo images from the original pictorial collection of Janesville residences, schools, churches, street scenes, bridges and dams (the State of Wisconsin Collection)
1889 - Portrait and Biographical Album of Rock County, Wisconsin - searchable PDF of full-text images from the original book containing hundreds of biographies (HathiTrust)
1891 - Plat Book for Rock County, Wisconsin - searchable text and zoomable, high resolution images of the original map & plat book (the State of Wisconsin Collection)
1893 - Art Work of Rock County - photographs of Janesville, Beloit and Edgerton, Wisconsin, including public and commercial buildings, Rock River scenic views, residences, street scenes, churches, schools and one-of-a-kind other images as well as squatter's claims, earliest steamboat and railroad development, early settlers, and town development. Textual information concludes in 1861 at the beginning of the Civil War. (State of Wisconsin Collection)
1895 Census of Civil War Veterans in Wisconsin - in eight parts, each organized by surname, A-Z
1896 – Headlight Souvenir Edition: Janesville, Wis - The "Headlight Souvenir Edition: Janesville, Wis." was a special issue (volume 10, no. 4, May 1896) of the serial publication "Headlight : a Journal of Progress and Development." (the State of Wisconsin Collection)
1896 - 50th anniversary of the First Congregational Church, Emerald Grove, Wis. - searchable PDF of full-text images from the original book (HathiTrust)
1896-1997 - Wright's Directory of Rock County, Wisconsin - searchable PDF of full-text images from the original directory of citizens, merchants, city and county officers, schools, churches, banks, institutions, societies, etc. (the State of Wisconsin Collection)
1900-1999 Century of stories : a 100 year reflection of Janesville and surrounding communities - searchable PDF of full-text images from the original book pub. 2000. (the State of Wisconsin Collection)
1901 - Commemorative Biographical Record of the Counties of Rock, Green, Grant, Iowa and Lafayette, Wisconsin - searchable PDF of full-text images from the original book containing hundreds of biographies (HathiTrust)
1902 - A Political History of Wisconsin - searchable ebook of full-text images from the original book containing hundreds of prominent names (Google Books)
1902 - Janesville Fire Department: Souvenir Published in the Interest of the Firemen's Relief Association - searchable PDF of full-text and photo images from the original pamphlet containing a portrait of the department, some residences, street scenes, and the many businesses that they protected (the State of Wisconsin Collection)
1904 - Plat Book of Rock County, Wisconsin - searchable text and zoomable high resolution images of the original wall-size plat map showing landowners for all 20 Rock County Townships (the State of Wisconsin Collection)
1905 Census of Civil War Veterans in Wisconsin - in six parts, each organized by surname, A-Z
1908 - Rock County, Wisconsin; a New History of its Cities, Villages, Towns, Citizens and Varied Interests - searchable PDF of full-text images from the original book (HathiTrust)
1909 - Wright's Directory of Rock County, Wisconsin - searchable PDF of full-text images from the original directory of citizens, merchants, city and county officers, schools, churches, banks, institutions, societies, etc. (the State of Wisconsin Collection)
1915 - Wisconsin Losses in the Civil War - searchable PDF of full-text images from the original list of names of Wisconsin soldiers killed in action, mortally wounded or dying from other causes in the Civil War (Wisconsin Historical Society)
1915 - Pioneer days of Evansville and Vicinity - searchable PDF of full-text images from the original manuscript (HathiTrust)
1919 - Wright's Directory of Rock County, Wisconsin - searchable PDF of full-text images from the original directory of citizens, merchants, city and county officers, schools, churches, banks, institutions, societies, etc. (the State of Wisconsin Collection)
1922 - Plat Book of Rock County, Wisconsin - zoomable high resolution images of the original bound plat map pages showing parcel landowners for all 20 Rock County Townships (the State of Wisconsin Collection)
1928 - Rock County, Wisconsin Farm Directory - searchable PDF of full-text images from the original directory including farms, farmers and advertisers (the State of Wisconsin Collection)
1933 - Medical History of Janesville, 1833-1933 - sketches of the lives of physicians, surgeons, and hospitals that have helped to make the history of their profession in Janesville, Wisconsin, during the century of progress extending from 1833 - 1933 (the State of Wisconsin Collection)
1935 - History of Janesville 1835-1935 by Mary Ann Bostwick Hulick from the 1935 Phoenix Yearbook of Janesville High School Janesville, Wisconsin (Janesville Hedberg Public Library and the State of Wisconsin Collection)
1940 - Plat Book of Rock County, Wisconsin - searchable PDF of full-text, including a reference directory and zoomable high resolution images of the original bound plat map pages showing parcel landowners for all 20 Rock County Townships (the State of Wisconsin Collection)
ca. 1946 - Service Record Book of Men and Women of Orfordville, Wisconsin - searchable PDF of full-text images from the original directory, including a short biographies and photograph images.
1848-1958 - Plymouth Township Centennial, Rock County, Wisconsin - searchable PDF of full-text images from the original centennial publication (University of Wisconsin/Google Books)
1950? - Janesville’s Early History: compiled primarily by Janesville teachers and residents (Janesville Hedberg Public Library and the State of Wisconsin Collection)
1955 - Map of Rock County, Wisconsin - zoomable high resolution image of the original wall-size plat map showing landowner parcels for all 20 Rock County Townships (the State of Wisconsin Collection)
1959 - History of the Janesville Public Schools, Part 1 1839-1959 - Compiled by Miss Bernice Cadman History Instructor at the Janesville Senior High School (Janesville Hedberg Public Library and the State of Wisconsin Collection)
1965 - Rock County Schools - searchable PDF of full-text images of text and photos from the original book (the State of Wisconsin Collection)
1969 - History of Janesville - by Raymond E Fenrick is a searchable digitized version of a hard copy (Janesville Hedberg Public Library and the State of Wisconsin Collection)
1984 - Janesville Public Library: A Centennial History, 1884-1984 - (Janesville Hedberg Public Library and the State of Wisconsin Collection)
1986 - Courthouse Hill Historic District: a Guide - searchable PDF of full-text images of text and photos from the original guidebook for a Janesville walking tour, including historic and architectural descriptions of residences and businesses (the State of Wisconsin Collection)
1987 - Look West Historic District: a Guide - searchable PDF of full-text images of text and photos from the original guidebook for a Janesville walking tour, including historic and architectural descriptions of residences and businesses (the State of Wisconsin Collection)
1989 – Main and Milwaukee Historic District: a Guide - searchable PDF of full-text images of text and photos from the original guidebook for a Janesville walking tour, including historic and architectural descriptions of residences and businesses (the State of Wisconsin Collection)
1990 – Fourth Ward Historic District: a Guide - searchable PDF of full-text images of text and photos from the original guidebook for a Janesville walking tour, including historic and architectural descriptions of residences and businesses (the State of Wisconsin Collection)
1995 – Benton Ave Historic District: a Guide - searchable PDF of full-text images of text and photos from the original guidebook for a Janesville walking tour, including historic and architectural descriptions of residences and businesses (the State of Wisconsin Collection)
2005 – Columbus Circle Historic District: a Guide - searchable PDF of full-text images of text and photos from the original guidebook for a Janesville walking tour, including historic and architectural descriptions of residences and businesses (the State of Wisconsin Collection)