Robert J. Cross arrived in Roscoe in 1835, and by the 1840s the village had two churches, sawmills, a gristmill, a woolen mill, and a distillery. Roscoe had become the musical center of the area, with the city's brass band performing at the ceremony for the laying of Beloit College's cornerstone. Founded by hardworking, temperate abolitionists, the village was named after an Englishman well known for his antislavery poems. The villagers were interested in culture, education, and civic improvement. The annual fall festival, which was famous for its pageants and parades, was begun to provide funding for sidewalks, electricity, telephones, and a fire department. The fall festival continues to be an annual community event, and the Harlem-Roscoe Fire Protection District is one of the finest in the area.