The Beloit Historical Society, founded in 1910, is the oldest historical society in Rock County.
The Beloit Historical Society headquarters are in the Lincoln Center. In the heart of Beloit’s west side, the site was home to Lincoln Junior High School from 1919 to 1985. The Center houses the Beloit Historical Society’s offices, archives, community room, collection storage rooms. Public resources and displays include: the Luebke Family Memorial Library, the Elliott-Perring Sports Hall of Fame, the Arthur Missner Veterans Gallery and Memorial, and Beloit Historical Society Hall of Fame.
Researchers, genealogists, and curious visitors are invited to use the Society’s research materials. The Society staff is on hand to answer any questions you may have and to guide you in your research.
The Beloit community has a rich history. Located at the confluence of the Rock River and Turtle Creek, it was once home to various tribes of Native-Americans, from ancient Mound Builders to the Winnebago and Ho-Chunk.
Joseph Thibeau was the first white man in Beloit. Thibeau was a French fur trader who settled at the southwestern corner of what is now State Street and Shirland Ave. Thibeau sold Caleb Blodgett, Beloit’s first permanent settler, “three looks of land” which marked the beginning of Beloit as a village.
In 1836, the New England Immigrating Company, led by scout Dr. Horace White, arrived from Colebrook, New Hampshire. Members of the group bought land from Blodgett, started developing it, and soon family and friends were moving to the area. Churches and schools were planned, mills were running using water from Turtle Creek and the Rock River, and businesses started to grow in the village that was would later be named, Beloit.
In its many years, Beloit has produced many remarkable inventions and technologies in a variety of industries. The automobile speedometer and “Korn Kurls” (AKA Cheetos®) are but two examples. Of the many notable people, was Roy Chapman Andrews, an explorer who became the director of the American Museum of Natural History, and one of the many historic scientists that inspired the movie character of Indiana Jones.
Donations to the historical society come from individuals and businesses, many with ties to the Beloit area. One of the most interesting pieces ever donated to the society is an advertising broadside promoting a Wisconsin baseball championship game played in Beloit in September 3, 1867. It was conserved and mounted it with the help of Beloit College.
Learn more about the Beloit Historical Society at beloithistoricalsociety.com.
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