Rock County Historical Society

RCHS History Brief Organizational Overview

The Rock County Historical Society began operation in 1949 and assumed the administration of the Lincoln-Tallman House in 1951, when the City of Janesville received the property. The RCHS was then charged with the responsibility of operating the house as a public museum. The Historical Society is accredited by the American Association of Museums (AAM), a substantial honor awarded to only 9.4% of museums in the United States. Of all the museums in Wisconsin, only 17 are accredited.

The Rock County Historical Society is a non-profit educational organization whose purpose is to locate, acquire, preserve, publish, and educate regarding the history and culture of Rock County. The Historical Society currently operates three museum sites in Janesville, Wisconsin, a south-central Wisconsin community of over 65,000 residents: The Lincoln-Tallman Restorations (includes the Wilson King Stone House), the Helen Jeffris Wood Museum Center, and the Frances Willard School House. Through its collections, exhibits, programs, and activities, the Historical Society endeavors to enrich the community and to contribute to an understanding and appreciation of its history.

Currently, the Rock County Historical Society:

• Operates five museum structures;
• Serves over 25,000 people annually;
• Preserves and cares for collections of more than 50,000 artifacts;
• Provides new and exciting exhibits;
• Sponsors workshops, lectures, and other educational programs for children and adults;
• Publishes area histories and brochures;
• Provides a research facility for authors, scholars, genealogists, and the public;
• Sponsors traveling exhibits, special events, and historical reenactments;
• Provides services for RCHS members;
• Provides consultation in historic preservation.

RCHS Timeline

1948 - Rock County Historical Society (RCHS) founded.

1949 - First professional director hired.

1950 - George Kemp Tallman, son of William Henry Tallman deeds the Tallman House to the City of Janesville on June 26 to be "…used and maintained by it permanently as a public museum…" He dies July 8.

1950-57 - Alice MacGregor Tallman, widow of George Kemp Tallman and her sister Margaret Ehrlinger donate significant family heirlooms to the museum.

1951 - The Tallman House opens to the public as a house museum.

1957 - Alice MacGregor Tallman dies August 29 leaving significant Tallman memorabilia to the museum.

1967 - Fred Jungblut, former caretaker for George Kemp Tallman donates additional Tallman memorabilia and furniture.

1969 - Frances Willard School given to RCHS.

1970 - Lincoln-Tallman House listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

1971 - Piano purchased by William Morrison Tallman is returned to the Tallman House by Stanley Dexter Tallman family.

1977 - The Rock County Historical Society moves into the old Armory building at the corner of High and Dodge. The building included exhibit space, a gift shop, offices, archives, research facility, and room for educational programming.

1989 - Tallman artifacts and furniture purchased by the Society from Mrs. Laurel Kapke, great-great-granddaughter of William Morrison Tallman.

1991 - Drawing room, Cornelia Augusta Tallman's bedroom and guest room furniture including the Lincoln bed along with other furnishings and artifacts are purchased by the Society and returned to the Tallman House.

1999-2000 - The Rock County Historical Society moves out of Armory and into the newly renovated Helen Jeffris Wood Museum Center, formerly the home of Stanley Tallman, on North Jackson.