Welcome to Rock River Heritage and beyond...

The Rock River Valley

Welcome to my genealogy blog “Rock River Heritage and beyond…” The Rock River Valley located in northwestern Illinois gets its name from the river that flows through it. The Rock River's source is in central Wisconsin just north of Horicon Marsh. It meanders in a southwesterly direction and flows almost 300 miles where it eventually joins the Mississippi River at Rock Island, Illinois. Rivers were often what brought settlers to an area and towns would soon build up along their waterways. My families came to the Rock River Valley and settled in towns along the river and in nearby communities. The "beyond..." in my title is for families that lived in places other than the Rock River Valley. Most came from the east and northeastern parts of the United States and some came from Canada, Ireland and Scotland.  I've created this blog mainly to learn more about my ancestors; their history and the history where they came from. I won't only be writing about my families. I intend to share research tips, sites of interest and other genealogy related topics as well. Genealogy has been a life-long pursuit of mine and I especially enjoy sharing what I have learned with others. I'm really looking forward to learning more about my ancestors. 

Link of Interest: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_River_(Mississippi_River)