Rockford's Past

Cedar Bluff is tree lined and while the tombstones are not as ornate as those found in Greenwood Cemetery, the people here have just as rich histories. Some of Rockford’s founding families were laid to rest here.

Sam Rotolo probably never knew what hit him. Sam was standing on the road with a flash light to warn people about an accident just as he had countless times before.  Sam worked as a Deputy Sheriff for two years and was assigned to the traffic division. The newspapers are filled with the cases he investigated from 1935 and 1936.

  An article written in the Daily Gazette in March of 1886 told the strange story of Goodliff family.  Mrs Goodliff had suffered for some time with pain in her …

“The best woman in Winnebago County died last night.” These words were spoken after the death of Hononegah Mack in 1847.

The Der Rathskeller Restaurant on Auburn Street has been known for its tasty food and unique atmosphere since the 1930’s.

Sue Lewandowski is the Board President for the Ethnic Heritage Museum and she has a real passion for Rockford History. 

1927 was an exciting time for Arthur Bassett.  At 28 years old, Arthur was already a highly respected police officer who had served in the department for three years.

There was much debate at the time about whether the bullets that struck him were actually meant for him or not, but one thing was abundantly clear on that August night in 1930: Joe Giovingo was dead. One minute, Joe was standing on South Main Street speaking to two detectives, and the next, he was crumpled on the sidewalk in a pool of blood.

A story about a man having a mouse in his house may not seem very newsworthy today, but that is exactly what was in the headlines of the Rockford newspapers in December 1883.  Apparently, Mr. Blakesley, who lived “at the foot of Winnebago Street” during that time, had been awakened by strange noises in the night.  He described the sounds much like the singing of a canary.