Editing Rockford, Michigan (section)

==History==
The area was first settled by Marlin Hunter, who settled along the [[Rogue River (Michigan)|Rogue River]] in 1842.  By 1845, several other families arrived and settled the community under the name Laphamville, and the community received a post office under that name.  The community was [[plat]]ted in 1865 and incorporated as a village in 1866.  At that time, the community's name changed to Rockford.  The community was originally based around the lumber industry but was soon supported by a shoe factory and tannery at the turn of the century.  The village incorporated as a city in 1935.<ref>{{cite web|last=City of Rockford|url=https://www.rockford.mi.us/Portals/1087/docs/Rockford-Master-Plan.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211029174203/https://www.rockford.mi.us/Portals/1087/docs/Rockford-Master-Plan.pdf |archive-date=2021-10-29 |url-status=live|title=City of Rockwood: 2020 Master Plan|date=June 2020|accessdate=October 11, 2021|page=3}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Godwin|first=Jennifer|url=http://www.migenweb.org/kent/towns/rockford/centennial/earlyhistory.html|title=The Early History of Rockford|date=4 February 2000|accessdate=October 11, 2021}}</ref>

[[Wolverine World Wide]] has major operations in the city for over 100 years. In modern times, its former tannery site used [[Scotchgard]] chemicals to waterproof shoes, which contaminated local areas with the active ingredients at the time of [[Perfluorooctanoic acid|PFOA]] and [[Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid|PFOS]].<ref>{{Citation|title=About |url=https://wearewolverine.com/about/ |website=We are Wolverine |publisher=Wolverine Worldwide |access-date=4 August 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|last=Ellison |first=Garret |date=May 6, 2018 |title=Wolverine tannery back in EPA crosshairs 5 years later |publisher=MLive Media Group |url=https://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/2018/05/wolverine_tannery_epa_rockford.html |access-date=4 August 2019}}</ref>

The downtown area hosts a summer farmer's market on Saturday.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-05-31|title=2021 summer guide to outdoor social districts in Michigan|url=https://www.mlive.com/michigansbest/2021/05/2021-summer-guide-to-outdoor-social-districts-in-michigan.html|access-date=2021-06-24|website=mlive|language=en}}</ref> The city also hosts a Fall Harvest Festival.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Dewey|first=Charlsie|date=2017-09-22|title=Rockford Brewing Pitches Tent at Harvest Festival|url=https://www.grmag.com/food-drink/must-try/rockford-brewing-pitches-tent-harvest-festival/|access-date=2021-06-24|website=Grand Rapids Magazine|language=en-US}}</ref>  Start of Summer Celebration is a community organization annually held in early June at the beginning of summertime.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-06-10|title=Rockford Start of Summer Celebration returns this weekend|url=https://www.woodtv.com/news/kent-county/rockford-start-of-summer-celebration-returns-this-weekend/|access-date=2021-06-24|website=WOODTV.com|language=en-US}}</ref>