Rockford, Illinois
:''This article is about Rockford, Illinois. For the Cheap Trick album of the same name, see
Rockford (album)Rockford is the county seat of
Winnebago County, Illinois,
USA. Traditionally referred to as "The Forest City," Rockford is classified as a mid-sized city as it has 150,115 residents, while the metro area has 320,204 residents (2000 Census). It is the third largest city in
Illinois and
county seat of
Winnebago County. The mayor is
Lawrence J. Morrissey, an
independent elected to a four year term in April
2005.
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Skyline of Rockford along the Rock River. |
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Location of Rockford, Illinois |
Rockford is located at (42.269770, -89.069754).
Due to its location in the
midwest, Rockford's climate contains four clearly defined
seasons. Summers are usually very warm with the high temperature in July, the hottest month, being 83°F (28°C). The
winter months can bring bitterly cold air masses from
Canada. The average high temperature in January, the coldest month, is 27°F (-3°C). June is Rockford's wettest month while February is the driest. During a typical year, Rockford receives 36.3in (922mm) of precipitation.
Rockford and surrounding areas are prone to violent
thunderstorms during the months of March, April, May, and June. On
April 21,
1967, the neighboring town of
Belvidere was struck by a violent
F4 tornado, in which thirteen were killed and hundreds more injured at Belvidere's High School. Other severe weather events, such as
hail and strong winds are common in these storms. On
July 5,
2003 at around two o'clock in the morning,
microbursts caused major damage on both the east and west sides of Rockford. Approximately 70,000 people were without power, with many on the west side suffering in the heat for weeks. It took months for the damage to be completely cleared, but because the storm struck so early in the morning there were no injuries or fatalities. However, these sometimes violent storms bring the majority of summer rainfall.
The city is also prone to severe
snowstorms in winter, and
blizzards are frequent winter occurrences. On
January 13,
1979 over 9 inches (.23m) of snow fell on Rockford in just a few hours during one of the strongest blizzards in the city's history. The city averages approximately 36 inches (.92m) of snowfall in a normal winter, but greater amounts are common. The snowiest winter in the history of the city was the winter of 1978-1979, when 75 inches (1.91m) of snow fell.
As of the
census of 2000, there were 150,115 people, 59,158 households, and 37,328 families residing in the city. The
population density was 1,034.8/km² (2,680.4/mi²). There were 63,570 housing units at an average density of 438.2/km² (1,135.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 72.81%
White, 17.37%
African American, 0.32%
Native American, 2.20%
Asian, 0.04%
Pacific Islander, 4.80% from
other races, and 2.46% from two or more races.
Hispanic or
Latino of any race were 10.18% of the population.
There are 59,158
households of which 31.5% include children under the age of 18, 43.8% were
married couples living together, 14.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.9% were non-families. 30.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.09.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.7% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 93.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $37,667, and the median income for a family was $45,465. Males had a median income of $37,098 versus $25,421 for females. The
per capita income for the city was $19,781. 14.0% of the population and 10.5% of families were below the
poverty line. Out of the total people living in
poverty, 19.6% of those under the age of 18 and 8.0% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Rockford surpassed Peoria as Illinois' second largest city in the late 1950s, and held onto that position for nearly half a century before being dislodged by Aurora in 2003.
Rockford, Illinois, was first settled in 1834-1835 by
Germanicus Kent,
Thatcher Blake, and
Lewis Lemon, who came from Galena and established themselves on the west bank of Rock River; and Daniel Shaw Haight, who founded a settlement on the east bank. (Lemon, a slave, later bought his freedom, but stayed in the area as a truck farmer.) Halfway between Chicago and
Galena, the community was briefly known as Midway, but quickly became known as Rockford, because of the excellent
ford across the
Rock River. A post office was established in
1837. The settlement was incorporated as a village in
1839, and chartered as a city in
1852.
The first weekly newspaper was published in
1840 and the first successful daily newspaper appeared in
1877. Between 1890 and 1930 the city had three daily newspapers. Rockford Female Seminary was chartered in
1847, became
Rockford College in
1892, and became fully coeducational in
1958. Best known of the college's graduates is
Jane Addams (RFS Class of
1881), the founder of Chicago's
Hull House and recipient of the
Nobel Peace Prize in
1931. Rockford Public Library, the second such institution in Illinois, first opened to the public in August
1872; the library's first dedicated building, a
Carnegie library, was completed by
1902.
Although Rockford was a sleepy country village up until the
1850s, the city is now the
seat of
Winnebago County. In
1851, the Rockford Water Power Company was organized and in 1852 the
Galena and Chicago Union Railroad reached the city. These two events, which brought inexpensive power and inexpensive transportation to the area, changed Rockford forever. By 1860 Rockford had become a significant, growing industrial center, noted for production of the John H. Manny reaper and other agricultural machinery. By the
1880s a furniture industry was begun, using the talents of Swedish craftsmen and capitalists, and by the first half of the 20th century Rockford was the second largest furniture-manufacturing center in the United States. Many of the furniture companies were
cooperatives, reflecting a different business approach from that of the old Yankee entrepreneur, with laborers and craftsmen holding significant power. The agricultural implement industry was already in decline by the
First World War, and the furniture industry was severely damaged by the
Great Depression and the
Second World War. By the end of the
1960s both were extinct in the city.
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1992 Motion Picture starring Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, and Madonna. They all played members of the Rockford Peaches |
Rockford's 20th Century industry revolved around machine tools, heavy machinery, automotive, aerospace, fastener and cabinet hardware products, and packaging devices and concepts. The city's industrial background has produced many important and interesting inventions, among them the Nelson knitting machine, airbrush, electric brake, electric garage door opener, dollar bill changer, and electronic dartboard. Some defunct Rockford concerns of historical interest are: Air Brush Manufacturing Company, Free Sewing Machine Company, Haddorff Piano Company, Hanson Clock Company, Hess & Hopkins Leather Company, Norse Pottery Company, Rockford Brewing Company, Rockford Silver Plate Company, and Rockford Watch Company.
The
USS Rockford, a
Tacoma class frigate named for the city, was commissioned in March
1944 and earned two
service stars during World War II.
Camp Grant, a training depot used during World Wars I and II, was torn down in
1947 and became the site of the
Chicago/Rockford International Airport by late
1954.
During the early to late 1940s the Rockford Peaches (of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League) were one of the first all-female baseball teams in the world. They played their home games at Beyer Stadium which was razed several years ago. A placard displays where the stadium once stood, along with additional historical information. Although the 1992 motion picture "A League of Their Own" features the Rockford Peaches, all of the characters playing on the team were fictional. The team, however, did lose the league championship in 1943 as depicted in the film. The Peaches won the league championship in 1945, 1948, 1949, and 1950.
The
Chicago/Rockford International Airport (locally known as RFD) serves the region with daily non-stop flights to major U.S. cities in addition to offering seasonal vacation service to international destinations. Current scheduled airlines include
United Airlines and
Allegiant Air.
Festival Airlines, a low-cost, vacation-oriented airline has announced that RFD will be the home of it's new hub. As of August 2006 airport leaders are courting additional airlines (rumored to be
Southwest Airlines and
JetBlue Airways).
The airport is home to
United Parcel Service's second largest air-hub. The Chicago/Rockford International Airport is presently ranked as the twenty-third largest cargo airport in the nation when measured by land weight. The airport is undergoing a major effort to recruit travelers from the
Chicago,
Milwaukee and
Madison metropolitan areas as well as from western Illinois, southern Wisconsin, and eastern Iowa.
Rockford is at the intersection of
Interstate 90 (
Northwest Tollway),
U.S. Highway 20, and
Interstate 39. In 2006 the
Illinois Tollway is revamping all toll-collection sites and incorporating the method of
Open Road Tolling using the
I-Pass System. This is expected to reduce delays on the highway between Rockford and Chicago.
Rockford is served by several different railroad lines, such as
Union Pacific,
Canadian National, and the
Iowa, Chicago & Eastern.
Rochelle, a community of 10,000, 25 miles south of Rockford is home to Union Pacific Railroad's Global III Intermodal Facility. The complex is one of the largest intermodal facilities in the world. Construction on the state-of-the-art facility was completed in 2003 in Rochelle due to the close proximity to interstate highways and rail routes.
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Proposed High-rise Condominiums. Architects: Larson & Darby |
The Rockford economy has suffered since the decline of the manufacturing industry in the late
1980s. Once a national leader in manufacturing and industry, the focus of the local economy has been forced to change. Many of the "family-owned" companies that once inhabited Rockford were bought out by larger companies, the larger companies then relocated the products being made to lower wage parts of the United States or sent them overseas altogether. The city's new focus relies on high-technology businesses, tourism generated by outstanding museums and a great park system, and the westward growth of the
Chicago metropolitan area. As of 2006, studies are being conducted to determine the benefits of passenger train traffic, future commercial airline service, and highway infrastructure upgrades.
When the
Northwest Tollway was constructed in the
1950s, many commercial businesses relocated from the city's center to the new thoroughfare six miles east. As a result, the downtown area is not the bustling center of commerce expected from a city of its size. The commercial center of Rockford is currently on East State Street, and more recently, Perryville Road, which boast closer proximity to the highway. As of 2006, new commercial and residential development is planned in the downtown area. The city is also considering plans for a Convention Center, Casino, and Riverwalk.
Post-secondary
Rockford, Illinois is the site of Northern Illinois University Rockford,
Rockford Business College,
Rockford College,
Rock Valley College, and the
University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford.
Rockford College is best known for graduating
Jane Addams, recipient of the
Nobel Peace Prize in 1931 for her efforts to promote international peace and justice. Laura Jane Addams (1860 - 1935) entered what was then Rockford Female Seminary in 1877 and became the first graduate to receive a B.A. degree from the newly accredited baccalaureate institution in 1882 (the school was renamed Rockford College in 1892).
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NIU Rockford*
Rockford Business College*
Rockford College*
Rock Valley College*
U-Illinois College of Medicine RockfordPublic School District 205
The Rockford Public School District covers about 170 square miles and serves over 27,000 students. It is the third largest
school district in the state, with 40
elementary schools, five
middle schools, and four
high schools. It is also a center of controversy due to its involvement in continued court cases with groups against alleged
racial discrimination and illegal taxing.
In May of
1989, a group of citizens called People Who Care filed a class action suit against District 205 challenging a reorganization plan. The intent was to keep West High from being closed or converted to a middle school. Once it became clear that the school would not remain open as a high school due to lack of need, the orginal supporters surrendered the cause. However, led by attorney B. Howard, who refused to abondon the case, attention shifted from keeping the school open to punishing the school district. This escalated into a 12-year
desegregation case, which the city, by federal law, was deemed segregated. The School District's neighborhood school policy (where students attended the closest school) by default unintentionally failed to follow the most basic principles of Brown v. The Board of Education. In July of that year, the Rockford Board entered into a consent decree. West High closed, and other schools were re-organized so that they had a more even ratio of white to black students by means of busing students across great spans of the city to the expense and dismay of the taxpayers.
In
1993, U.S. Magistrate Judge P. Michael Mahoney found the district guilty of systematic discrimination against African-American and Hispanic students (Adversity.net). In March
1994, the school district was ordered to "eliminate all vestiges of discriminating against black and Hispanic students." Not long after, another judge ordered District 205 to implement "system-wide remedies." These remedies include extensive
busing of children from one side of town to the other, because most of the schools on the west side of the Rock River are predominantly African-American and Hispanic, while those on the east side are predominantly
Caucasian. The remedies also include building new schools and updating existing ones on the west side of Rockford (ISU School Law Quarterly)and lessening requirements of the once world-acclaimed advanced studies programs within the district to allow more minority students entrance to the programs.
For over a decade, the federal court's orders regulated virtually every aspect of school administration in Rockford, requiring the district to expend over $210 million through the 1998-99 school year. Areas of federal judicial control include student assignment, within-school assignment, extra-curricular activities, discipline, curriculum and instruction, transportation, disposition and acquisition of facilities, district boundaries, facilities and equipment.
On April 18,
2001 Rockford school desegregation lawsuit came to an end when the 7th Circuit of Appeals overrulled Judge Mahoney and returned control of the school district ot he school board. Middle and high schools are open enrollment with a priority given to students living within one and one/half miles of the school. Under-performing schools will be targeted with special initiatives to bring up the performance. Children currently enrolled in a school can stay there even if it is not their attendance area school, and students with brothers and sisters already enrolled in a certain school have a better chance to attend the same school. Each
magnet school is also given an attendance area (Nans.org).
Currently, the superintendent of
District 205 is Dr. Dennis Thompson.
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The MetroCentre, a multi-purpose 10,000 seat arena-auditorium is located in downtown Rockford's River District. |
Sports Teams
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Rockford Forest Citys (
Baseball, 1871)
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Rockford Lightning (Basketball)
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Rockford IceHogs (Ice Hockey)
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Rockford RiverHawks (Baseball)
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Rockford Peaches (Baseball, 1943-1954)
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Rockford Metros (Arena Football, 1986 'playtest game')
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Rock River Raptors (Indoor Football) (relocated from Alabama, have yet to change the name)
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Rockford Ravens (Rugby)
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Rockford Thunder (Indoor Soccer - now defunct)
Notable Rockfordians
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Jane Addams, Nobel Peace Prize Winner
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Ginger Lynn Allen, adult film actress
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John Bayard Anderson, U.S. Representative and 1980 presidential candidate
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Jodi Benson, actress and voice of Ariel in
The Little Mermaid*
James Henry Breasted, scholar, first American teacher of
Egyptology*
Cheap Trick, rock band, circa 1970-present
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City of Rockford Pipe Band, Competition Pipe and Drum Band
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Thomas Fleming, editor,
Chronicles: A Magazine of American Culture*
Susan Saint James, actress, childhood years
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Sarah Kelly,
contemporary Christian artist
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Janet Lynn, ice skater
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Joe Mantello,
Tony Award winning actor and director
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Lynn Martin, US Secretary of Labor and Congresswoman
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Phantom Regiment, Drum and Bugle Corps
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Shawn Ryan, television writer, creator of FX show "The Shield"
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Janice E. Voss, American
Astronaut*
Michelle Williams, member of
Destiny's Child*
James "Big Jim" Wright, music producer, songwriter, (
Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis,
Flyte Time)
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Barbara Hale, Actress, "
Perry Mason"
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Matt McDonough, Drummer,
Mudvayne*
Paris Bennett,
American Idol Season 5 Finalist (Fifth Place)
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"Chicken" George Boswell,
Big Brother Season 1 reality television contestant (Fifth Place),
Big Brother All-Stars contestant.
Media
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Rock River Times, Weekly Newspaper. Independently owned since 1993. Circulation: 20,000.
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Rockford Register Star, Daily Newspaper. Founded 1855. Circulation: 75,000.
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Chronicles: A Magazine of American Culture, Monthly Magazine. Founded 1977. Features a monthly column on Rockford entitled "The Rockford Files" by executive editor
Scott P. Richert.
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WREX-TV, NBC Affiliate. Channel 13.
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WTVO, ABC Affiliate. Channel 17.
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WIFR, CBS Affiliate. Channel 23.
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WQRF-TV, FOX Affiliate. Channel 39.
* WTJK 1380, ESPN Radio.
* WFEN-FM 88.3, Christian Radio.
* WGFB-FM 103.1, Adult Contemporary Radio.
* WGSL-FM 91.1, Christian Radio.
* WYHY-FM 95.3, Classic Rock Radio.
* WNIU-FM 90.5, Classical Radio.
* WNIJ-FM 89.5, NPR.
* WNTA 1330, News/Talk Radio.
* WQFL-FM 100.9, Christian Radio.
* WROK 1440, News/Talk Radio.
* WXRX-FM 104.9, Active Rock Radio.
* WXXQ-FM 98.5, Country Radio.
* WZOK-FM 97.5, Top 40 Radio.
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Anderson Japanese Gardens, a garden by
Hoichi Kurisu which is ranked the top
Japanese garden in
North America*
Burpee Museum of Natural History, home of
Jane the Rockford T-Rex.
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Discovery Center Museum, a large and well-respected interactive children's museum
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Klehm Arboretum and Botanic Garden, 150 acres of rare trees and shrubs
* Metro Centre, multipurpose indoor arena seating 10,000, located downtown
* Rockford Art Museum, part of Riverfront Museum Park, featuring a good selection of modern artwork and regular exhibits unique to the community or pop culture
* Sportscore I & II
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Tinker Swiss Cottage Museum, a preserved
Victorian "cottage" built in 1865
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Mary's Place - The oldest Bar in Rockford
* Mendelssohn Performing Arts Center [
1] the oldest, continuous community music organization in the United States, exists to provide quality music for all people of the northern Illinois region through live performances by local and world renowned artists.
Brovary, Ukraine - Since 1995
Changzhou, China - Since 1999
Borgholm, Sweden - Since 2002
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GoRockford.com - Rockford Area CVB travel guide*
City Of Rockford Website
