Browse Items (306 total)
- Tags: Rockford Illinois - History
Sort by:
Women and Children
A large group of well-dressed children, three women, and a dog pose under a tree in the yard of a large home. The people and the location are unknown.
Steam Engine 18
Steam engine 18 and crew idle in the railroad yard while posing for this photograph. It is highly likely that this photograph was taken in the Illinois Central yard on South Main Street.
Fairgrounds Horse Show Event
A large crowd has gathered at the Fairgrounds (aka Agricultural Society) for a horse show. The track is visible in the foreground with the grandstand and concession areas visible in the background. The Fairgrounds were bordered by Avon Street on the…
Tuxedo Tennis Club Court
A doubles game is in progress on the Tuxedo Tennis Club cinder court at the corner of Elm and S. Winnebago Streets. Similar photographs of club members and another view of this court can be found in photos 88.122.762, 88.122.714, and 88.122.695.
Sinnissippi Park Lagoon
The Sinnissippi Park Lagoon was acquired by the Rockford Park District in 1909. The lagoon sits on the east side of the Rock River below Sinnissippi Park, which is to the west. This photograph was taken looking north along the path of the Rock River…
Fred Moffatt's Horses
D. Fay, a pacer horse owned by Fred Moffatt, poses with its sulky (a lightweight, two-wheeled vehicle for harness racing) and driver in front of a stable. Fred Moffatt, owner of Moffatt Cigar Company, 212 W. State Street, was very active in horse…
Men in the Park
A large group of well-dressed men pose in a grassy clearing within a park-like setting. The men's names and their location are unknown.
Water and Woods Scene
It is unclear which local river or lake is featured in this scenic view of woods by the water.
Actors
A large group of actors in costumes and makeup pose for this photograph. It is unclear where the photo was taken or what performance they were preparing to rehearse.
Fairgrounds Horse Show Event
A large crowd has gathered at the Fairgrounds (aka Agricultural Society) for a horse show. The track is visible in the foreground and numerous buildings partially screened by the crowd and trees are visible in the background. The Fairgrounds were…
Small Steam-powered Boat at the Shore
A small steam-powered boat is at the shore near some large wooded bluffs. The pipe-smoking captain holds the wheel and looks at the photographer. As personal watercraft on the Rock River, steamboats were not common at the time. This photograph may…
Large Home
This large two-story home is screened by several trees in the foreground on what appears to be a large lot. A woman stands in the yard (right) by the front porch. It is unclear where this house was located, who designed it, and the names of the…
Gaggle of Geese
A gaggle of geese gather in a fenced-in area in a rural setting. It is unclear where this photograph was taken.
Winnebago County Bar Association Clambake
This photograph displays a large group of County Bar Association (Winnebago) members gathered in a wooded area for a clam bake at Macktown Forest Preserve, about 12 miles north of Rockford on the banks of the Rock River near present day Rockton, IL.…
Baseball Fun
Over twenty-five men sit in a grassy open area, some with baseball gloves, bats, and balls, ready to play. Baseball was a popular recreational and competitive sport in Rockford and Northern Illinois beginning in the 1860s. It is unclear where this…
Fred Moffatt's Horses
Mack F., a trotter horse owned by Fred Moffatt, poses with its sulky (a lightweight, two-wheeled vehicle for harness racing) and driver in front of a stable. Fred Moffatt, owner of Moffatt Cigar Company, 212 W. State Street, was very active in horse…
Winnebago County Courthouse
This photograph of the Winnebago County Courthouse looks southeast from West State Street. The courthouse collapsed during construction in 1877 and was rebuilt according to the original design. The courthouse was bordered by West State Street, S.…
Tinker Swiss Cottage and Suspension Bridge
This photograph looks southwest from below the Tinker cottage and bridge from Kent Creek. A small dam is in the foreground.
Spanish-American War Enlistees Parade
This parade of Company H enlistees marches west on West State Street in front of the D. F. Sullivan Jewelers building,crossing the Wyman Street intersection. The Spanish-American War lasted from April to August 1898. Note the Golden Eagle Clothing…
Rockford Insurance Co. of Illinois: Business Office Interior
The Rockford Insurance Company of Illinois was founded in 1866. The President in the 1890s was John Lake. The company typically underwrote flood and fire disasters. In this time period, Rockford Insurance was on the sixth floor of the William Brown…
Three Men on a Bicycle
A unique bicycle with three riders pedals past the Nelson Hotel in downtown Rockford. The Rockford Clothing Company and Second Congregational Church are in the background looking west. (Reference - Sinnissippi Saga, page 127.)
Willow Creek Presbyterian Church Sanctuary
This photograph was taken from the back of the Willow Creek Presbyterian Church sanctuary looking over the heads of the congregation in the pews. There are people on a raised platform before the congregation and more people seated on a second tier…
Winnebago County Courthouse
This photograph of the Winnebago County Courthouse looks southeast from West State Street. The courthouse collapsed during construction in 1877 and was rebuilt according to the original design. The courthouse was bordered by West State Street, S.…
Rock River Scene
It is unclear where this photograph was taken on the Rock River. Several church steeples appear on the right (Second Congregational?). The industrial area around Rockford High School and the Rockford Watch Factory are also visible to the right.
Community Ice Skating on the Rock River
During the winter, the Rock River became a popular place for citizens to ice skate. This photograph was taken directly north of the State Street bridge looking east. The Rockford Wholesale Grocery building is in the background. This photograph may…
Rockford Business College
Rockford Business College was founded in 1862. It moved several times before settling into the Stewart Building in 1892 at 113, 115 and 117 S. Main Street. This photograph shows one of the coed classrooms in that building. The college still exists…
Rockford Insurance Co. of Illinois: Business Office Interior
The Rockford Insurance Company of Illinois was founded in 1866. The President in the 1890s was John Lake. The company typically underwrote flood and fire disasters. In this time period, Rockford Insurance was on the sixth floor of the William Brown…
Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) Banner at South Main and West State Streets
The GAR (Grand Army of the Republic, the Union in the Civil War) Banner hangs at the corner of South Main and West State Streets looking south. GAR was founded on April 6, 1866, on the principles of Fraternity, Charity, and Loyalty. (Reference -…
African-American Laborers
A large group of African-American laborers stand in the foreground of this photograph posing as a group with hats removed. A rough-looking wooden structure is in the background. The location is unknown.
South Main Street Business District
A photograph of Rockford's South Main Street taken from 300 South Main looking north with Nelson Hotel in right foreground. The William Brown building is to the north of this and the Hotel Holland, at South Main and Elm Streets,is further north…
Emmanuel Episcopal Church and Fairfield Memorial Parish House
This photograph shows the Emmanuel Episcopal Church on the right and Fairfield Memorial Parish House on the left. The church was orgainized on May 1, 1849, and the church building at 412 N. Church Street opened in 1857. The Fairfield Memorial Parish…
St. Mary's Oratory Church
This photograph looking northwest shows the St. Mary's Oratory Church at the corner of Winnebago and Elm Streets to the far right. The large building in the center foreground may be the African Methodist Episcopal Church founded in 1891.
J. B. Whitehead and His Buggy
Three buggies and drivers sit in front of the Fairgrounds Park Exposition Hall. J. B. Whitehead, founder of a real estate company in 1891 that is still in existence in Rockford today, occupies the buggy at the far right.
Chicago & Northwestern Railroad Depot, Shriner's Train Stop
A train engine and cars stop at the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad Depot in Rockford at S. Main and Cedar Streets. The Shriner's symbol hangs at the front of the steam engine. It appears that dignitaries, soldiers, and police have gathered at this…
Willow Creek Presbyterian Church Sanctuary
This photograph was taken from the back of the Willow Creek Presbyterian Church sanctuary looking over the heads of the congregation in the pews. There are people on a raised platform before the congregation and more people seated on a second tier…
River Dredging
Dredging on the Rock River (and other northern Illinois rivers) was not an unusual sight in the late 1890s. The floating dredging barge seen in this photograph was probably in use for increasing the depth of the channel. Similar dredging also took…
President Theodore Roosevelt Visits Rockford
This photograph, looking southwest, captures the Rockford Military Band and a large group of Rockford Police Officers waiting for President Theodore Roosevelt to arrive at the Illinois Central Train Depot on South Main Street. The President dedicated…
Cobblestone House
Although this cobblestone house looks very similar to the Herrick home at 2127 Broadway, its general facade in the front and profile from the side is different. If it is the Herrick home, it was significantly modified since photographs were taken…
Rock River Ice Skating
A large group of spectators have gathered on the ice-covered Rock River just north of the State Street bridge to watch the ice skaters. The Rockford Wholesale Grocery building is in the background. (Reference - Sinnissippi Saga, page 292.)
Willow Creek Presbyterian Church in Argyle
The church was founded in December 1844, and the present building was built in 1877. The church was originally founded by Scottish settlers as was the small community of Argyle, which no longer exists. Services are still held in the 1877 building at…
Winnebago County Courthouse
This photograph of the Winnebago County Courthouse looks south from West State Street. The jailhouse building is visible to the left. The courthouse is decorated with numerous patriotic banners and flags. This photo may have been taken during the…
Rockford Factory
A large, single-story factory with a smokestack dominates the center of this photograph. A Chicago & Northwestern railroad car sits next to the building. The name and location of this factory are unknown.
Untitled [men on lawn]
This photograph features a group of men posing on a lawn with trees in the background.
Men's Tuxedo Tennis Club
Fourteen men pose on a cinder tennis court for this photograph. A club banner proclaiming "Tuxedo Tennis Club" is suspended from the net. The club was formed in 1895 and played matches at the corner of Elm and S. Winnebago Streets on the Briggs lot.…
Spanish-American War Enlistees Parade
This parade of military enlistees marches west on West State Street approaching the N. Church Street intersection. The Spanish-American War lasted from April to August 1898. Note the Golden Eagle Clothing Company owned by C. F. Henry on the right. A…
Architectural Rendering of Emmanuel Church and Parish House, Rockford, Illinois
Architect Alfred Smith from Chicago produced this drawing to demonstrate how a new and larger sanctuary might be connected to the Fairfield Memorial Parish House. This particular concept was not used in the final approved project. The new church was…
Rockford Insurance Co. of Illinois: Business Office Interior
The Rockford Insurance Company of Illinois was founded in 1866. The President in the 1890s was John Lake. The company typically underwrote flood and fire disasters. In this time period, Rockford Insurance was on the sixth floor of the William Brown…
American House Hotel
American House Hotel, 127 N. Madison Street, sat at the southeast corner of Market and Madison Streets in Rockford near the east side of the Rock River. It was one of many early hotels in the city.
Rockford Insurance Co. of Illinois: Business Office Interior
The Rockford Insurance Company of Illinois was founded in 1866. The President in the 1890s was John Lake. The company typically underwrote flood and fire disasters. In this time period, they were on the sixth floor of the William Brown building on…
Rockford Insurance Co. of Illinois: Business Office Interior
The Rockford Insurance Company of Illinois was founded in 1866. The President in the 1890s was John Lake. The company typically underwrote flood and fire disasters. In this time period, Rockford Insurance was on the sixth floor of the William Brown…