The Rock County Agricultural Society (and Mechanics' Institute) was organized at a meeting of farmers and mechanics at the courthouse in Janesville.

The evidence

• “This Society was organized January 6th, 1851, at a meeting of the farmers and mechanics of the county, who assembled at the court house, in Janesville, in pursuance to the following call for that purpose.”

  1856-history-of-rock-county/26-agricultural-society-1851.md, PDF p. 217 / book p. 195

  Guernsey, Orrin, and Josiah F. Willard, editors. History of Rock County, and Transactions of the Rock County Agricultural Society and Mechanics' Institute. Janesville, Wis.: William M. Doty & Brother, 1856. Cornell University Library via the Internet Archive, archive.org/details/cu31924028871593.

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