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Rockford Factory Interior
This photograph of a factory/workshop interior shows numerous heavy, belt-driven machines and their operators in a production environment. Hanging chains and metal parts and scraps can be seen strewn about. The name and location of the factory and…
Elegant Rockford Home
This unidentified home makes a significant impression for its unique architecture and style. The address, owner, and architect are unknown.
Riverbank View
People on a long, sloping riverbank look out on a tranquil water scene.
Rockford City Railway Co. Electric Car
A Rockford City Railway Company electric car that served the Church Street and Harlem Avenue route is stopped with the motormen posing for a photograph. In 1881 the Rockford Street Railroad Company started with horse-drawn vehicles, switching to…
Rockford Military Band
There were numerous bands providing community concerts in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The Rockford Military Band poses for this photograph in one of the area's parks. (Reference - Sinnissippi Saga, page 245.)
Special Event at the Illinois Central Train Depot
This photograph, looking west, frames a large group of people standing just in front of the train depot overhang. Two young men dressed in outfits similar to the Zouave uniforms worn during the Civil War stand next to two mules each held by a woman…
Skating on the Rock River
A very large group of people stand on the ice on either side of the Rock River and also on the East State Street bridge. This photograph was taken looking southeast. Rockford High School and Rockford Watch Company rooflines are visible just to the…
Child Actors
A large group of elementary school children pose in costume in front of some background staging. They appear to be in a large carpeted rehearsal room/classroom. A similar depiction can be found in photo 88.122.813.
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…
Rockford Military Band
There were numerous bands providing community concerts in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The Rockford Military Band poses for this photograph in one of the area's parks. (Reference - this is a slightly wider view than the one found in Sinnissippi…
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…
Home Interior: Late Victorian or Early Modern
This interior photograph shows parts of two rooms. The lighting is electric. Several plants are on display around the room as well as artwork on the walls. The location and the homeowner's name are unknown. An additional photo of a home interior can…
Large Group of Performers in Costume
A large group of seated and standing male and female performers appear in costume in this photograph on a multi-level stand in front of a large stained glass window. It is unclear where this photograph was taken. One performer stands at the center at…
Three Couples Cross a Creek
Three couples in very nice outfits hold hands as they traverse a creek, crossing on a large tree that has fallen across the water.
Catch of the Day
A large group of fish of various sizes hang from a single stringer under the roofline of an outdoor structure. There appears to be a mirror in the photograph that shows the stringer of fish from the opposite angle. A wood-shingled roof line appears…
Bicycle Racing
This closed-course race is about to start for nine cyclists at the Fairgrounds (aka Fairgrounds Park). This event may have taken place during the county fair typically held in September. Cycling competitions were quite common in Rockford and of…
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. For similar photographs and other views of players, club members, and this court, see photos 88.122.762, 88.122.714, 88.122.802, and…
A Good Day's Catch
Numerous fish hang from stringers in this photograph. It is similar to photos 88.122.722 and 88.122.740.
Carcaluly Camp
This well-dressed group of men and women sit under a "Carcaluly Camp" banner in an opening in a wooded area. Several individuals are holding musical instruments in the foreground in addition to a bicycle propped against a tree. A hammock or two…
Winnebago County Bar Association Clambake
This photograph depicts 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.…
Freight Engine 491 Collision
Freight Engine 491 was involved in a head-on collision with a much smaller engine, Switch Engine 116, just west of the 7th Street crossing of the Illinois Central Railroad. The freight train was running about 30 minutes ahead of schedule at the time…
Home Interior: Man Reading a Newspaper
A well-dressed man sits quietly, intently perusing a newspaper in his lap while a dog lays on a rug near his feet. The lighting is electric. Several plants are on display around the room as well as artwork on the walls. The location and the man's…
Wooded Bluffs and Creek
A small creek cuts through wooded bluffs and areas of grassy fields. The location is unknown.
Rockford City Railway Co. Electric Car
A Rockford City Railway Company electric car that served the Church Street and Harlem Avenue route is stopped with the motormen posing for a photograph. In 1881 the Rockford Street Railroad Company started with horse-drawn cars then switched to…
Men on a Boat
A large group of men relax at the stern of a boat. The names of the men, the boat, and the location are unknown.
Female Equestrians
Five women are on horseback ready for a day of casual riding. A similar view can be seen in photo 88.122.716. This photograph is from the H. W. Williams Collection. (Reference - Sinnissippi Saga, page 193.)
Wooded Bluffs and Creek
This beautiful nature scene features a small creek that separates wooded bluff areas from fields and meadows. The location is unknown.
Dry Goods Store Interior
This photograph features a very busy and well-stocked interior of a typical dry goods store. It is unclear where this store is located and the proprietors' names.
Family Winter Scene in the Front Yard
A woman and three children are in the front yard of a home in a wooded neighborhood near the front porch. A sidewalk is visible at the far left. The homes in the background look large and stately.
Rock River Scenic View of Harlem Avenue
This photo looks southwest from the Sinnissippi Park area toward Harlem Avenue (National Avenue and Harlem Boulevard) and its riverfront homes.
Coed Baseball Fun
Over forty men and women 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 starting in the 1860s. It is unclear where…
A Good Day's Catch
Numerous fish on stringers hang from a wooden structure. They appear to be primarily walleye and bass.
Ten Men and their Watermelon
Ten young men, five standing and five seated, pose for this photograph that includes a large watermelon with one slice removed set next to it. The location, occasion, and the names of the men are unknown.
Guitar and Mandolin Quartet
On stage comprising the (2) guitar(s) and (2) mandolin(s) quartet are Carl Ross, L. Harold Clark, Bert Parmele, and H. W. Williams. In 1902, professional musicians in Rockford formed the Rockford Musical Association, an affiliate of the American…
Fred Moffatt's Horses
Mack F., a trotter horse, and D. Fay, a pacer horse, pose by their sulkies (lightweight, two-wheeled vehicles used by jockeys for harness racing) in front of a stable. The owner, Fred Moffatt, may be standing in the background. Fred Moffatt, owner of…
Rock River Dredging
Dredging on the Rock River was not an unusual sight in the late 1890s. The floating dredging barge seen in this photo was probably in use for increasing the depth of the channel. Similar dredging also took place for harvesting freshwater clams and…
Train Wreck Clean-up
A large crowd gathers to watch as a special locomotive with a front-end crane moves into position to start removing train cars that have left the track during a wreck. The river is visible to the left and a two-lane road to the right. It is unclear…
Female Equestrians
Five women are on horseback ready for a day of casual riding. This photograph is from the H. W. Williams Collection. (Reference - Sinnissippi Saga, page 193.)
Densely Wooded Scene
A densely wooded scene dominates this photograph taken when the evergreen trees appear perhaps laden with snow. The location of this scene is unknown.
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. Photographs of club members and an additional view of this court can be found in photos 88.122.762 and 88.122.695.
Rockford College Campus
Rockford College was chartered as the Rockford Female Seminary in 1847. In 1881 it occupied a campus bordered by Morgan (aka Bluff St.), Seminary, and Division Streets on the Rock River. This photograph appears to look northwest with Sill Hall in…
Winnebago County Bar Association Clambake
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.
Winnebago County Bar Association Clambake
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. (Reference - Sinnissippi…
Large Home
This large two-story home is screened by several trees in the foreground on what appears to be a large lot. It is unclear where this house was located, who designed it, and the names of the owners.
Fred Moffatt's Horses
It is likely that the gentleman in the doorway in this photograph is Fred Moffatt, owner of Moffatt Cigar Company, 212 W. State Street, and also owner of Mack F., the trotter with the sulky (two-wheeled harness racing vehicle) and driver. Horse…
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…
Rockford Parade on Main Street
This parade route view of horse-drawn wagons was taken from the Chestnut and South Main Street intersection looking north. Note several businesses along the east side of the street: People's Bank, H. W. Buckbee at 220 S. Main, and Empire Mercantile.…
Interior of the Grand Opera House
This photograph was taken during an amateur show at the Grand Opera House. The performers were L. Harold Clark, Mayme Axt, Mrs. Robert Porter, and Carl Ross. The Opera House opened on November 11, 1881 on Wyman Street. (Reference - Sinnissippi Sage,…
Hunter with Two Dogs
A hunter with a shotgun stands in a barren field with his two dogs looking for birds. This photograph was taken in a rural area with farm fields apparently in autumn. The same hunter and dogs can be viewed in photo 88.122.809.
Freight Engine 491 Collision
Freight Engine 491 had a head-on collision with much smaller Switch Engine 116 just west of the 7th Street crossing of the Illinois Central Railroad. The freight train was running about 30 minutes ahead of schedule at the time and was not expected.…