Editing Rockton, Illinois (section)

== History ==
Native American tribes originally inhabited the region. [[Stephen Mack, Jr.]] was the first white settler in the Rockton area. He was married to [[Hononegah]], a respected Native American woman from one of the surrounding tribes. His original outpost (c. 1830s) eventually became [[Macktown Historic District|Macktown]]. William Talcott arrived to the area later and, after a disagreement with Mack, settled on the other side of the nearby river within the present village of Rockton. Citizens who lived in Macktown would frequently travel across the river to Rockton but in 1851, the bridge from Macktown to Rockton washed away. The bridge had been built with funding from Stephen Mack and its destruction, along with Mack's death in 1850, led citizens to permanently move to Rockton.<ref>{{cite web|last=Carr|first=Edson|title=The history of Rockton, Winnebago County, Illinois, 1820 to 1898|url=https://archive.org/details/historyofrockton00carr|year=1898|publisher=Herald Office Print.|access-date=August 19, 2013|location=Rockton, IL}}</ref> In northern Illinois, Macktown is the only community from the 1830s that is still standing without subsequent development.<ref>{{cite web|last=Carlson|first=Anna|title=Macktown: When the West Was Illinois|url=http://www.lib.niu.edu/1999/ihy990450.html|year=1999|publisher=Illinois History|access-date=August 19, 2013}}</ref>
 
On June 14, 2021, a large explosion and [[2021 Rockton fire|subsequent fire]] affected the Chemtool Lubrication production plant in Rockton. There were no serious injuries, but an area within a one-mile radius from the fire was evacuated. The massive smoke plume from the fire was reported to be visible up to 75 miles away from Rockton.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/14/us/illinois-industrial-fire/index.html|title=Fire at Illinois chemical plant is contained but mandatory evacuation order remains in effect|website=[[CNN]]|date=June 14, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wifr.com/2021/06/14/structure-fire-chemtool-rockton-early-monday-morning/|title = Firefighter injured, mandatory evacuation in Rockton from fire at Chemtool facility| date=June 14, 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/06/15/rockton-illinois-chemical-plant-fire-chemtool-burning/7697638002/|title = Illinois fire crews say massive chemical fire is now under control; cause being investigated|website = [[USA Today]]}}</ref>