A September tornado in 1928 hit the manufacturing district of Rockford Illinois hard, and several died when the buildings they were working in collapsed. But nearby schools were spared. In the end, 14 people were killed and 80 hospitalized; and over 360 buildings were damaged or destroyed, half of them family homes.
Tinker Swiss Cottage Museum and Gardens is a beautiful mansion tucked away on Rockford’s west side. Quite a few Rockfordians know it is there, and some of them even know its history. What might surprise people is that the cottage has the reputation of being haunted. The house is a very unique place for several
The Police raids continued, and in 1930 a squad of federal agents was sent to the Rockford area. Agents from the United States Secret Service joined them. The Secret Service’s main interest was one of the gang leaders in Rockford, Tony Musso. They later learned that he moved out to California, and they followed Musso
Prohibition was a dangerous time in Rockford’s History. Police conducted
raids on houses and speakeasies, seeming to be always one step behind the rumrunners. By 1923, the police were desperately trying to catch up. They developed undercover men called “snoopers” and “spotters.” These men worked from the inside of the bootlegger business and reported back
Susan Brady and Cecilia Burns were very excited. They had made plans for Susan to go over to Cecilia’s house after school. It was December 20, 1965, and it was chilly, so the girls bundled up before leaving the school. They left the school around 3:15 p.m. and walked to Cecilia’s house on Irving Avenue
There are certain images that come to your mind when you hear the word
“prohibition.” One might be sharp-dressed men driving fancy cars; the other might be wild parties with bob-haired women dressed in flapper-style dresses dancing their cares away as the bathtub gin flows. A darker image might be of the gangsters from that
The Legend of Blood’s Point Cemetery has been shared for many generations. It is probably one of the most discussed legends in the whole area. The legend that is most often shared speaks of a witch named Beulah that lived and died near the cemetery back in the early days of settlement here. The name Blood’s
Joe Greco was happy that May Day in 1959. Joe and his partner, Donald Burton had been on the road for a while and were just getting back to Rockford early in the evening. Joe was feeling pretty good. Their “sales trip” as they referred to it, had been lucrative and they were hoping
A September tornado in 1928 hit the manufacturing district of Rockford Illinois hard, and several died when the buildings they were working in collapsed. But nearby schools were spared. In the end, 14 people were killed and 80 hospitalized; and over 360 buildings were damaged or destroyed, half of them family homes.
Tinker Swiss Cottage Museum and Gardens is a beautiful mansion tucked away on Rockford’s west side. Quite a few Rockfordians know it is there, and some of them even know its history. What might surprise people is that the cottage has the reputation of being haunted. The house is a very unique place for several
The Police raids continued, and in 1930 a squad of federal agents was sent to the Rockford area. Agents from the United States Secret Service joined them. The Secret Service’s main interest was one of the gang leaders in Rockford, Tony Musso. They later learned that he moved out to California, and they followed Musso
Prohibition was a dangerous time in Rockford’s History. Police conducted
raids on houses and speakeasies, seeming to be always one step behind the rumrunners. By 1923, the police were desperately trying to catch up. They developed undercover men called “snoopers” and “spotters.” These men worked from the inside of the bootlegger business and reported back
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