There are a couple of excellent books on the subject: Quest for the Rose - A Historical Guide to Roses, by Roger Phillips and The Rose: An Illustrated History, by Peter Harkness. Both are available on Amazon.

Wild roses grow on my wooded property that had not been disturbed until we cleared the land and built here 20 years ago. The single blooms are 3", bright pink and profusely cover the small leafed, sprawling bush for about a month in the summer. Wild roses line the sides of the roads all over this area along with wild bachelor buttons, lupin, achillea, buttercups, cow parsnips and daisies.

So far, the dreaded RRV, hasn't found it's way to this neck of the woods. There is a massive clump of wild roses just down the road from me that I watch like a hawk.

These native wild roses look pretty much like a lot of single roses in commerce today. We removed all except one in my veggie garden that I can keep a close eye on. Another one keeps trying to come back under my Eden rose that I dig out every year. The old ones are persistent.