Editing Rockford, Illinois (section)

==History==

===Settlement and development===
[[File:Rockford Il Memorial Hall2.jpg|thumb|[[Winnebago County War Memorial]]]]
[[File:Rockford 1880-1899.jpg|thumb|Rockford Station, circa 1890]]

Rockford traces its roots to 1834, as the combined settlements of Midway were founded on both banks of the Rock River. On the west bank, Germanicus Kent and Thatcher Blake (with his slave Lewis Lemon) founded Kentville; the east bank was settled by Daniel Shaw Haight. With the location of the Rock River equidistant between Lake Michigan and the Mississippi River, the combined settlement derived the name "Midway".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rockford|title=Dictionary and Thesaurus - Merriam-Webster|access-date=July 4, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/506337/Rockford|title=Rockford - Illinois, United States|access-date=July 4, 2016}}</ref> In 1836, Winnebago County was created (from both [[Jo Daviess County, Illinois|Jo Daviess]] and [[LaSalle County, Illinois|LaSalle]] counties), with Midway named as its county seat, as it was "halfway between Galena and Chicago on a line of four-horse coaches."<ref>{{cite book |last=Addams |first=J. |year=2004 |title=My friend Julia Lathrop |location=New York |publisher=MacMillan}}</ref>

In 1837, the village of Midway was renamed Rockford, highlighting a rocky [[Ford (crossing)|river ford]] across the Rock River in the village.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.gorockford.com/includes/media/docs/Rockford-Fact-Sheet.pdf|title=All About Rockford, Illinois|last=Bridget|first=French|website=Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau|access-date=June 27, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904110947/http://www.gorockford.com/includes/media/docs/Rockford-Fact-Sheet.pdf|archive-date=September 4, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> In the same year, Rockford established its first post office, with Daniel Shaw Haight as the first postmaster. In 1840, the first weekly newspaper began circulation. In 1847, Rockford Female Seminary  – today [[Rockford University]] – was founded. On January 3, 1852, Rockford was officially chartered as a city;<ref name="ilarch"/><ref>{{cite news |title=The History and Statistics of American Water-Works |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nMlBAQAAIAAJ&pg=RA1-PA6 |access-date=March 16, 2021 |work=Engineering News-record |date=January 7, 1882}}</ref> a year later the long-running "Forest City" nickname first appeared, used by the ''[[New-York Tribune|New York Tribune]]''. Also in 1852, the [[Galena and Chicago Union Railroad]] connected Rockford to Chicago by railroad.

At the time of its founding, many of the village's residents were transplants from the [[Northeastern United States]] and [[upstate New York]].<ref>{{cite book |title=History of Rockford and Winnebago County, Illinois: From the First Settlement in 1834 to the Civil War |page= 253}}</ref> Descended from English Puritans, the Midway/Rockford population was similar to much of the rest of northern Illinois and nearly all of Wisconsin during the mid-19th century. After the [[Black Hawk War]], additional immigrants moved to northern Illinois; during the 1830s and 1840s, Rockford and Winnebago County were considered a cultural extension of New England.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Expansion of New England: The Spread of New England Settlement and Institutions to the Mississippi River, 1620-1865 |author=Lois imball Mathews |pages=210–212}}</ref>

During the antebellum period, Rockford shared abolitionist leanings, lending considerable support to the [[Free Soil Party]] and the later [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]]. In 1848, 42 percent of voters in Winnebago County (where Rockford dominated as the county seat) voted for [[Martin Van Buren]]. In 1852, Free Soil candidate [[John P. Hale]] became the first presidential candidate to visit Rockford, although he would only receive 28 percent of the vote. In 1860, [[Abraham Lincoln]] won 3,985 votes in Winnebago County to the 817 votes of [[Stephen A. Douglas]].<ref>{{cite book |title=History of Rockford and Winnebago County, Illinois: From the First Settlement in 1834 to the Civil War |page=379}}</ref>

The 1850s brought industry that would change Rockford forever. In 1853, inventor [[John Henry Manny]] moved to Rockford to produce horse-drawn mechanical [[reaper]]s for farmers and transport the finished products by rail. Chicago implement manufacturer [[Cyrus McCormick]] (whose company became [[International Harvester]]) took Manny to court after he produced nearly 6,000 machines; Manny would prevail on both judgement and an appeal. Along with the production of agricultural machines, Swedish furniture cooperatives established the city as a manufacturing base. The Rockford Union Furniture Company, under [[John Erlander]], spearheaded these cooperatives. Today, Erlander's home is a Rockford museum that shows his efforts in elevating Rockford to second in furniture manufacturing in the United States, behind [[Grand Rapids, Michigan|Grand Rapids]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Lundin |first=Jon W. |title=Rockford, An Illustrated History |publisher=Windsor Publications |year=1989 |page=8}}
</ref>

During the [[American Civil War|Civil War]], one of the first Illinois regiments to be mobilized, the Zouaves, were from Rockford. The city also served as the site for Camp Fuller, a training site for four other infantry regiments.
[[File:11TH_ILLINOIS_INFANTRY_OF_COMPANY_D_FLAG.png|thumb|Digital remake of the flag Carried by the Zouaves during the Civil War<ref>{{Cite web |title=EXTRAORDINARY SILK FLAG, COMMISSIONED BY OR PRESENTED TO THE ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS "WIDE AWAKES," |url=https://jeffbridgman.com/inventory/abraham-lincoln-silk-flag-rockford-illinois-wide-awakes-1860-o5073.html |access-date=2024-12-21 |website=jeffbridgman.com}}</ref>]]
In 1884, Rockford established its first city-wide public school district, constructing [[Rockford Central High School]] in 1885; following the construction of the high school, the district began construction of brick multi-story multigrade school buildings across the city.

The Rockford Female Seminary became the alma mater of [[Jane Addams]] in 1881. The move accompanied the Seminary's transition into a more complete curriculum, which was represented by its renaming to Rockford College in 1892. Culture flourished with the founding of the Mendelssohn Club in 1884, which became the oldest operating music club in the United States. It was complemented by the construction of a [[Carnegie library]] in 1902, which became the first building of Rockford's public library system. 1903 saw the dedication of the [[Winnebago County War Memorial|Winnebago County Veterans Memorial Hall]] in the presence of sitting President [[Theodore Roosevelt]]. Roosevelt returned to Rockford during his [[1912 U.S. Presidential election|campaign in 1912]] and again to address the soldiers at [[Camp Grant (Illinois)|Camp Grant]], a training site for [[World War I]] soldiers.

===20th century===
[[File:John F Kennedy campaigns in downtown Rockford circa October 1960.png|thumb|[[John F. Kennedy]] campaigning and driving through State Street in downtown Rockford, 1960]]
[[File:Illinois - Red Bud through Rockford - NARA - 23939943 (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|Rockford in 1936]]
The twentieth century saw demographic changes to Rockford. An influx of Italians, Poles, Lithuanians, and African Americans replaced the previously dominant Irish and Swedes. The city was also no stranger to contemporary political issues. Electorally divided between wets and drys on the subject of [[Prohibition in the United States|prohibition]], Rockford featured a coalition of labor unionists and socialists that elected numerous aldermen and carried 25 to 40 percent in mayoral elections. During World War I, an antiwar protest by the [[Industrial Workers of the World]] led to 118 arrests. In 1920, the city was a target of the [[Palmer Raids]]. While its congressional district favored Republicans, Rockford continuously elected former socialists as mayor between 1921 and 1955.

One of its contemporary attractions, the [[Coronado Theatre]], opened in 1927. Noted for its [[Atmospheric theatre|atmospheric styling]], the Coronado rivaled its counterparts in Chicago and was added to the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 1979.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/411|title = Coronado Performing Arts Center|access-date = June 27, 2014|website = Cinema Treasures|last = Krefft|first = Bryan}}</ref> Camp Grant was turned over to the Illinois National Guard. During World War II, it reopened as an induction center and POW detention camp. The [[USS Rockford (PF-48)|USS ''Rockford'']], a [[Tacoma-class frigate]] named for the city, was commissioned in March 1944 and earned two service stars.

In the September 1949 issue of ''[[Life Magazine|Life]]'' magazine, postwar Rockford was described as "nearly typical of the U.S. as any city can be." Due to this archetypal nature, sociologists like [[W. Lloyd Warner]] warned of the necessity to "understand the realities of their system."<ref>{{Cite news|title = A sociologist looks at an American community|last = Warner|first = W. Lloyd|date = September 12, 1949|work = Life Magazine|publisher = Life Magazine|pages = 108–119}}</ref> In the late 1950s, Rockford lost over 50,000 trees to [[Dutch elm disease]], thinning the tree canopy of the "Forest City" for decades.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rockfordreminisce.com/tidbits/|title=tidbits|last=Services|first=DNC Web|website=RockfordReminisce.com|language=en-US|access-date=April 23, 2019}}</ref>

From 1955 to 1965, several events would take place that would shape the development of Rockford into the 21st century.  In 1956, construction was approved for a four-lane US 20 bypass;<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.rockfordreminisce.com/timeline/|title=timeline|last=Services|first=DNC Web|website=RockfordReminisce.com|language=en-US|access-date=April 23, 2019}}</ref> along with shifting truck traffic away from the downtown routing of the highway, the bypass established much of the southern border of the city (which remains to this day). In 1958, Interstate 90 was completed in Illinois, becoming the Northwest Tollway;<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.midwayvillage.com/pdfs/timeline-of-rockford-history.pdf|title=TIMELINE OF ROCKFORD'S HISTORY|website=Midway Village}}</ref> in a decision that would change Rockford forever, the interstate highway was not routed through the city, but near the Winnebago-Boone county line, with the eastern terminus of the US 20 bypass in Cherry Valley.

In 1963, the Rockford area was selected by Chrysler Corporation to construct an assembly plant; the final site of what is now the [[Belvidere Assembly Plant]] is southwest of Belvidere, between US 20 and Interstate 90.<ref name=":2" /> While not located directly in the city, the Chrysler assembly plant has served as one of the largest employers of the region since its 1965 opening.

The growth of Rockford led to many changes to its educational systems. In 1955, Rockford College – now [[Rockford University]] – became co-educational for the first time. Coinciding with the expansion of the student body, the college outgrew its near-east side campus in use since the 1840s. After the acquisition of land in 1957, construction began on its present-day campus location, opening in 1964.<ref name=":2" /> In 1964, [[Rock Valley College]] was founded as a two-year community college, with construction on its campus commencing in 1965.<ref name=":2" />

Prior to the 1960s, neighborhood and economic growth in Rockford largely mirrored itself on both sides of the Rock River. As the 20th century progressed, growth in western Rockford (and established neighborhoods in eastern areas of the city) struggled to compete with economic development that moved further east. From the late 1950s, downtown Rockford (centered around the intersection of IL 2 and US 20; Main Street and West State Street) began to decline as the primary shopping district of the city. In 1956, North Towne Mall opened on the far northwest side of the city, with Colonial Village opening on the (then) far east side in 1962, both of which were partially enclosed (some stores had exterior entrances).<ref>{{cite web | title=THE MALL AT CHERRYVALE | website=MALL HALL OF FAME | date=2004-02-28 | url=https://mall-hall-of-fame.blogspot.com/2009/10/cherryvale-mall-harrison-avenue-and.html }} Also see [[Cherryvale Mall]] confirming assertion</ref> In 1973, [[Cherryvale Mall]] was opened as the first fully enclosed shopping mall in the city; nearly 6 miles from the city center, the mall was located at the intersection of the US-20 bypass and the Northwest Tollway, sharing a city border with Cherry Valley.

While growth at the eastern end of Rockford undersaw favorable conditions for growth, established neighborhoods began to suffer irrevocable decline.<ref name="Lundin, Jon W p.122">{{cite book |last=Lundin |first=Jon W. |title=Rockford, An Illustrated History |publisher=Windsor Publications |year=1989 |page=12}}</ref> In the 1970s, efforts commenced to revitalize downtown Rockford, once the primary shopping district. In a highly criticized decision, the city reconfigured several blocks of downtown into a [[Pedestrian malls in the United States|pedestrian mall]], closing off the Main Street/West State Street intersection to traffic.<ref name="Kolkey">{{Cite web|url=http://www.rrstar.com/article/20081211/News/312119856|title=Goodbye, pedestrian mall: Downtown gets a 'cool, hip image'|last=Kolkey|first=Jeff|date=December 11, 2008|website=Rockford Register Star|access-date=June 26, 2014}}</ref> In 1975, what the local press characterized as one of the most well-known and haunting crimes<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wifr.com/content/news/Man-convicted-of-1975-murder-dies-in-prison-414542893.html|title = Man convicted of 1975 murder dies in prison| date=February 22, 2017 }}</ref> took place when newspaper delivery boy Joey Didier was kidnapped and murdered by Robert Lower. In the late 1970s, ''Symbol'', a 47-foot tall [[Alexander Liberman]] abstract sculpture was placed in the center of the pedestrian mall.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://rockfordsymbol.com/bykevinschwitters/history.html|title=Historical Facts About Symbol|last=Schwitters|first=Kevin|website=Symbol—The Official Rockford Sculpture|publisher=Kevin Schwitters|access-date=June 27, 2014}}</ref> In 1980, then Congressman [[John B. Anderson]], representing the 16th Congressional District in Illinois which includes Rockford, ran for President of the United States. Further attracting commercial growth, the [[BMO Harris Bank Center|MetroCentre]] 10,000-seat multi-purpose arena, was opened in 1981.

Rockford was hit hard by the [[Early 1980s recession in the United States|early 1980s recession]] and became one of the highest-unemployed cities in the United States. In 1981, rail service to the city ended as [[Amtrak]] ended the Dubuque-to-Chicago [[Black Hawk (Amtrak train)|Black Hawk]] route.<ref name="Hilkevitch">{{Cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2014/04/10/amtrak-rail-service-between-chicago-and-rockford-to-begin-in-2015/|title=Amtrak rail service between Chicago and Rockford to begin in 2015|last=Hilkevitch|first=Jon|date=April 10, 2014|website=Chicago Tribune|access-date=June 26, 2014}}</ref> After struggling to compete with more modern facilities, the Coronado Theatre showed its last movie in 1984, shifting solely to stage performances.<ref name="Coronado PAC">{{Cite web|url=http://www.coronadopac.org/about/history/|title=About Coronado Performing Arts Center|website=Coronado Performing Arts Center|publisher=Coronado PAC|access-date=June 27, 2014}}</ref> To expand passenger service, the Greater Rockford Airport rebuilt its passenger terminal in 1987, although the access of Rockford to the Northwest Tollway (to the much larger O'Hare Airport) became a popular alternative.

In a decision that continues to affect Rockford to the present day, in 1989, Rockford Public School District 205 closed several schools across the city in a cost-cutting decision. In the aftermath of the decision, the school district was found guilty in federal court of discrimination against minority students.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|url=http://www.rrstar.com/article/20090224/News/302249850|title=People Who Care: It all began 20 years ago|last=Curry|first=Corina|date=February 24, 2009|website=Rockford Register Star|access-date=June 27, 2014}}
</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite web|url=https://gatehousenews.com/segregatedagain/|title=Segregated Again - But Equal?|website=Segregated Again|language=en-US|access-date=April 23, 2019}}</ref> From 1993 to 2001, the school district was under federal oversight to desegregate its schools, costing over $250 million.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":4" />

===21st century===
During the 2000s, a movement began to reverse urban blight of downtown Rockford, which had begun in the 1960s. After an 18-month multi-million dollar renovation and expansion, the Coronado Theatre was reopened in 2001.<ref name="Coronado PAC"/> In 2008, the MetroCentre downtown arena completed a $20 million renovation (renamed the [[BMO Harris Bank Center]] in 2011).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rrstar.com/x1768843713/MetroCentre-revamp-project-winding-down-revenue-going-up|title=MetroCentre revamp project winding down, revenue going up|last=Wiser|first=Mike|date=July 11, 2008|website=Rockford Register Star|access-date=June 26, 2014}}
</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rrstar.com/x181940245/RAVE-to-sell-naming-rights-to-Rockfords-MetroCentre|title=Rockford MetroCentre has new name: BMO Harris Bank Center|last=Kolkey|first=Jeff|date=August 11, 2011|website=Rockford Register Star|access-date=June 26, 2014}}
</ref> In 2009, the downtown pedestrian mall was removed as part of a street refurbishment project, restoring Main Street (Illinois Route 2) to two-lane traffic for the first time in nearly 45 years.<ref name="Kolkey" />

Prior to the onset of the [[Great Recession in the United States|Great Recession]], housing in Rockford was affected by catastrophic weather events. In 2006 and 2007, Keith Creek underwent [[100-year flood|100-year flooding events]], damaging hundreds of older homes on the near east side of the city. In response, the city secured [[Federal Emergency Management Agency|FEMA]] grants, demolishing over 100 homes; to reduce the severity of future flooding events, the creek is being reconstructed (through 2019) and left as greenspace.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rrstar.com/article/20091009/News/310099882|title=Keith Creek home demolition to start soon|last=Kolkey|first=Jeff|date=October 9, 2009|website=Rockford Register Star|access-date=June 28, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rrstar.com/article/20131213/NEWS/131219751/10330/NEWS|title=An empowered Rockford neighborhood celebrates accomplishments|last=Green|first=Chris|date=December 13, 2013|website=Rockford Register Star|access-date=June 28, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://cdn.rockfordil.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/2019-2023-Capital-Improvement-Plan_Council-Approved-120318.pdf|title=2019-2023 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM|website=City of Rockford (IL)|page=17}}</ref> As an effect of the recession, by 2013, thirty-two percent of mortgages in the city were [[Upside-down mortgage|upside-down]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424127887324324404579043300994815702|title=Welcome to Rockford, Ill, the Underwater Mortgage Capital of America|last=Dougherty|first=Conor|date=September 8, 2013|website=The Wall Street Journal|access-date=June 26, 2013}}</ref> While remaining the largest city in Illinois outside Chicago and its suburbs, estimated population decline from 2010 to 2017 led Rockford to be overtaken by Joliet and Naperville (the latter, slightly), effectively making it the fifth-largest city in Illinois.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/rockfordcityillinois/LND110210|title=U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Rockford city, Illinois|website=Census Bureau QuickFacts|language=en-US|access-date=November 1, 2018}}</ref>

From 2014 to 2018, the unemployment rate in Rockford has fallen from 12.9 percent to 4.4 percent (the lowest since 2000).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bls.gov/eag/eag.il_rockford_msa.htm|title=Economy at a Glance|date=June 20, 2014|website=Bureau of Labor Statistics|access-date=June 26, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rrstar.com/news/20180621/unemployment-falls-across-rockford-region|title=Unemployment falls across Rockford region|last=Kolkey|first=Jeff|date=June 21, 2018|website=Rockford Register Star|access-date=August 15, 2018}}</ref> While predominately a manufacturing community since World War II, Rockford has struggled to diversify its industrial base. Shifting from agricultural machinery and furniture, manufacturing in the city remains dominated by fasteners, automotive suppliers (representing FCA Belvidere Assembly), and the aerospace industry ([[Woodward, Inc.|Woodward]] and [[Collins Aerospace]]; the latter, tracing its roots to [[Sundstrand Corporation]]). In 2012, Woodward selected suburban Loves Park for a $200 million manufacturing campus toward its energy control and optimization systems.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.rrstar.com/article/20120823/Blogs/308239865|title = Woodward picks Loves Park for $200M expansion|date = August 23, 2012|access-date = June 28, 2014|website = Rockford Register Star|last = Gary|first = Alex}}</ref> [[Boeing]] included Rockford in a list of five finalists to manufacture the [[Boeing 777X|777X]] during union disputes in 2014.<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://www.chicagotribune.com/2014/01/09/illinois-had-shot-to-land-777x-plant/|title = Illinois had shot to land 777X plant|date = January 9, 2014|access-date = June 28, 2014|website = Chicago Tribune|last = Karp|first = Gregory}}</ref> In 2016, [[AAR Corp]]oration opened a [[Maintenance (technical)|MRO]] facility at the Rockford airport with a hangar large enough to fit a [[Boeing 747-8]].

During the 2010s, all three major health care providers in Rockford underwent major expansions of their facilities. SwedishAmerican, in partnership with the [[University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center]], opened a $39 million Regional Cancer Center in 2013.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rrstar.com/article/20131009/News/131009811|title=New SwedishAmerican cancer center opens next week in Rockford|last=Westphal|first=Melissa|date=October 9, 2013|website=Rockford Register Star|access-date=June 28, 2014}}</ref> In 2014, [[Mercyhealth|MercyHealth]] (based in [[Janesville, Wisconsin]]) acquired Rockford Health System, the operator of Rockford Memorial Hospital. In 2019, MercyHealth opened Javon Bea Hospital-Riverside (named after the MercyHealth CEO and its Riverside Boulevard/Interstate 90 location); its second hospital in Rockford, the $505 million complex was the largest construction project in the history of the city.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rrstar.com/article/20160302/NEWS/160309847|title=Negotiations continue as city tries to keep MercyRockford from moving $485M project to Wisconsin|last=Leaf|first=Brian|date=March 2, 2016|website=Rockford Register Star|access-date=August 15, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://mercyhealthsystem.org/press-release/mercyhealth-breaks-ground-485-million-womens-childrens-hospital-rockford/|title=Mercyhealth breaks ground on $485 million women's and children's hospital in Rockford|date=June 6, 2016|website=Mercy Health|access-date=August 15, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rrstar.com/news/20170928/construction-on-pace-for-new-mercyhealth-hospital|title=Construction on pace for new Mercyhealth hospital|last=Green|first=Chris|date=September 28, 2017|website=Rockford Register Star|access-date=August 15, 2018}}</ref>

In July 2024, a [[Severe weather sequence of July 13–16, 2024#Rockford, Illinois|200-year flooding event]] overwhelmed the city's [[Stormwater#Stormwater management|stormwater management]] systems, killing at least one.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.wifr.com/2024/07/16/rockford-area-flash-floods-turn-fatal-keeping-community-edge/ |title=Rockford-area flash floods turn fatal, keeping community on edge |publisher=[[WIFR-LD]] |date=July 15, 2024 |access-date=August 8, 2024 }}</ref>