Editing Rockford, Illinois (section)

===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" />