Mr. Guernsey wrote the first history of Rock County (350 pages), published with Joshua F. Willard under the auspices of the Rock County Agricultural Society and Mechanics' Institute; the signed pioneer letters were first published that year.

The evidence

• “Mr. Guernsey in 1856 wrote the first history of Rock county, a work of 350 pages, published under the auspices of the Rock County Agricultural Society and Mechanics' Institute.”

  1908-brown-rock-county/12-janesville-schools.md, Vol. 1, PDF p. 280 / book p. 257

  Brown, William Fiske, editor. Rock County, Wisconsin: A New History of Its Cities, Villages, Towns, Citizens and Varied Interests, from the Earliest Times, Up to Date. Chicago: C. F. Cooper & Co., 1908. 2 vols. archive.org/details/rockcountywiscon01brow, archive.org/details/rockcountywiscon02brow.

  Grade A: Found on a page of one of our sources

• “lle School Board. View Resource Other Rock County Digitized Resources Maps and Books 1858 Plat Map of Rock County 1891 Plat Book of Rock County 1904 Plat Book of Rock County 1917 Standard Atlas of Rock County 1940 Plat Book of Rock County Beloit Local History Collection Search a collection of rare and historic books unique to Beloit, including the earliest city and telephone directories, plat book, farm directory, and more. History of Rock County and Transactions of the Rock County Agricultural Society (1856) Browse a comprehensive overview of the history of Rock County, including its political, social, and cultural development from its earliest days. History of Rock County (1879) Explore an extensive and minute sketch of Rock County’s cities, early settlers, their improvements, industries, manufactories, churches, schools, societies, war record, biographical sketches, and portraits. Portrait and Biographical Album of Rock County, Wisconsin (18”

  https://www.hedbergpubliclibrary.org/resources/local-history

  hedbergpubliclibrary.org, https://www.hedbergpubliclibrary.org/resources/local-history

  Grade B: Found on an institutional web page