The Rock County Genealogical Society

05/17/2026

Milton House Museum has Civil Wat Days events all weekend, beginning with school age attendees on Friday. Many stopped by our booth learning what a family trees is, or what was the origin of their last name. Ask questions. Get started early.

05/13/2026

Last night Bob Bocke, a retired Wisconsin Crime Lab expert presented on Wisconsin's POW camps, revealing that the state had 38 camps housing over 20,000 German POWs. If you missed it, he provided a copy of his slide show PDF along with the audio recording posted to our website, www.rcgswi.org . Attached is a picture of Camp McCoy drawn by a German POW, and the POW Watch Tower there. . . . discussion covered several topics, including military history and genealogy research. Bob shared information about German POWs during World War II, mentioning the War Resource Board and the challenges of tracking prisoners. He suggested checking the National Archives and local museums for records, noting that some archives were destroyed in the 1950s. The conversation also touched on personal experiences with family members who served in the military and the challenges of accessing historical records due to fires at some archives. Later in the meeting, there was discussion about political topics and advertising, including commentary on a politician's delivery style and various product advertisements.

05/10/2026

Just a quick reminder about Bob Block's in-person presentation at the Milton House Museum this Tuesday at 6:30 pm CDT:

WW II German POWs in Wisconsin

Join us in person if you can, or by Zoom if you cannot.
Zoom Link and password: https://www.rcgswi.org/events--speakers.html

05/01/2026

Rock County Genealogical Society Offers Free In-Person (and Zoom) Presentation by Bob Block:
World War II POWs in Wisconsin, Tuesday, May 12, 6:30 PM at the Milton House Museum.

Bob Block is a resident of Oregon, WI. He retired from the Wisconsin Crime Lab in Madison, WI, after 34 years. Before retiring as head of the drug identification unit and has testified in courts of law 500 times as an expert witness. Bob is an active member of the Oregon Area Historical Society with an interest in local history.

Program Summary: Most people are unaware that Wisconsin had POW (Prisoner of War) camps during WWII and are surprised to learn that there were camps at 38 locations, with a total of 20,000 mostly German POWs. This presentation tells interesting stories of those who may have lived in a community that once had a POW camp, those who worked side by side with POWs, and those who were once prisoners in a POW camp. You will find this presentation informative, educational, and entertaining.

How to Attend: The public is invited to this live, in-person presentation at the Milton House Museum, 18 S. Janesville Rd., Milton, WI (Map Link) or view via Zoom on your Home PC or Smartphone with the Zoom app. The Zoom link, passcode, and audience handout can all be found at the RCGS website at: www.rcgswi.org/event-speakers . . . Download the handout from there as well.

05/01/2026

RCGS Live Presentation: WW II POWs in WI, Tues. May 12, 2026, 6:30 pm at the Milton House

04/02/2026

Friends of RCGS - Please mark your calendars!

Free Zoom-Only Presentation by the Rock County Genealogical Society
LOYALIST LEGACIES: THE OTHER SIDE OF THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR
Kate Penney-Howard is a lifelong family researcher who earned a Master of Divinity from Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis, and a pastor in Fort Wayne brings an enthusiastic and authoritative presentation style to this program. Not every colonist wanted independence... and one of them might be your ancestor. She'll explore how to identify and research Loyalist family members, understand their motivations, and follow their paths to Canada, England, or reconciliation with the new nation.
How to Attend: Anyone is invited to attend this free Zoom presentation on Tuesday, April 14 at 6:30 PM. This is a Zoom-only presentation and must be watched at the scheduled time. The Zoom link, passcode and audience handout can all be found at the RCGS website at: www.rcgswi.org/events--speakers.

03/10/2026

Tonight! Login via Zoom link on rcgswi.org at 6:30 to learn what you need to know before visiting Wisconsin Historical Library. Don't forget to download the handout found on the website. "See" you there!

The RCGS HOME page is home to exclusive & unique family history research materials; see birth, marriage, death and cemetery indexes, atlases and helpful tutorials. Most materials are public, but some pages are restricted to current RCGS members.

02/21/2026

Free Zoom-Only Presentation by the Rock County Genealogical Society
VISITING THE WISCONSIN HISTORICAL SOCIETY AND USING ITS HOLDINGS
Located at 816 State Street in Madison, the Wisconsin Historical Society holds one of the top five genealogical collections in the country, with materials from across the U.S. and Canada. Reference Librarian, Jill Fuller will help you discover more about the extensive family history collections at the WHS, including newspapers, family history books, court records, and more. Learn how to search the catalog and website to find materials on your family, both during a visit to WHS and remotely from home.
How to Attend: Anyone is invited to attend this free Zoom presentation on Tuesday, March 10 at 6:30 PM. This is a Zoom-only presentation and must be watched at the scheduled time. The Zoom link, passcode and audience handout can all be found at the RCGS website at: www.rcgswi.org/events--speakers.

02/13/2026

Local Friends of RCGS,
The Hedberg Public Library would like us to be aware of this free live and in-person presentation:
Topic: The Shaping Beloit's African American Community
Speaker: Cheryl Caldwell, founder of the African American Historical Society of Beloit
Date & Time: Tuesday, February 24, 6-7:30 pm
Location: The Community Room of the Hedberg Library, 316 S. Main St., Janesville, WI
This program is part of Hedberg Public Library's America 250 - Rock County history series. Each month beginning Tuesday, February 24 and continuing through June 16, this program series will explore and honor contributions multiple groups have made to Rock County history. Presentations from local experts will highlight Yankees from the northeast, African-Americans from the south, Irish and Norwegian immigrants, women, and U.S. Military Veterans. Join us as we showcase a rich tapestry of Rock County stories to celebrate and commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Our history is America’s history!
Please direct questions to Mary Buelow, Public Services Librarian, Hedberg Public Library at MBuelow@hedbergpubliclibrary.org

The RCGS HOME page is home to exclusive & unique family history research materials; see birth, marriage, death and cemetery indexes, atlases and helpful tutorials. Most materials are public, but some pages are restricted to current RCGS members.

02/11/2026

The theme of our April "Roots in the Rock" Society newsletter is Rock County Residents.
Do you have an interesting story or biography of an ancestor who was a Rock County resident?
If so, please forward it for possible publication to Ruth Anderson, our newsletter editor at rcgs.library@gmail.com.
Even if newsletter space doesn't allow every submission, with your permission, we'll try to publish your story on our website's Family Stories page.

Thanks

The RCGS HOME page is home to exclusive & unique family history research materials; see birth, marriage, death and cemetery indexes, atlases and helpful tutorials. Most materials are public, but some pages are restricted to current RCGS members.

02/03/2026

Friends of RCGS,

Free Presentation by Rock County Genealogical Society
Jennifer Warner, family historian and frequent speaker, presents, "Do I Have Indigenous Ancestors in My Family Tree?". Attendees will learn about Native American Tribes’ past/present. We touch on unique cultural issues involving tribal membership and heritage - and will go over the different records that are available and how to best access them.

Anyone is invited to attend this free Zoom presentation on Tuesday, February 10 at 6:30 PM. The Zoom link, passcode and audience handout can all be found at the RCGS website at:

The RCGS Speakers & Programs page provides information about dates, times, location (including map directions), speakers biographies for the Society's FREE program, seminar, workshop and field trip topics.