In the 1920s, if you were to ask anyone who the best coach in Rockford was, chances are they would say “Honk Garrett.” Honk was born in Pennsylvania in May 1881. Prior to moving to Rockford, Honk was a coach at
The name of Clinton St. Clair has now been forgotten by most people in Rockford. But that wasn’t always the case. For the better part of 1910, everyone in town knew the name.
Carrie Spafford’s family was well known in Rockford during the early days; in fact, they are often considered one of the founding families. Carrie was the oldest child of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Spafford.
John Cooper would be the first to say that he had been blessed by life. Born in Exeter, New York on May 6, 1844, John came of age just as the Civil War began and he proudly wore the colors of the Union Army during the conflict. He felt very fortunate to survive the war …
This is the story of the very first Rockford police officer slain in the line of duty. His name is listed as Lorenzo Gillogly in the modern papers, but people back in 1917 knew him as “Jack.”
Northern Illinois was once inhabited by the Native American tribe known as the Potawatomi. The major chief for this area was Chief Big Thunder, supposedly named this for the sound of his thundering voice. Before
The holiday season is always filled with excitement and anticipation. Stores of all types feature sales and gimmicks, always competing for the most eye-catching, dramatic way to entice shoppers inside. But sometimes
Alexander Folz was not from Rockford. In fact, he was not even from the United States. He was born Nov. 10, 1886, in a very oppressed part of Russia. He arrived in Rockford in 1914, and found employment with the
In an article from the Morning Star of Oct. 30, 1898, the paper mentions that true ghost stories are a novelty, and most ghostly claims can be explained by “natural causes.”
This is the story of little Freddie Griffin. Freddie was a very energetic 6-year-old who lived in downtown Rockford. Freddie’s family was poor, and they lived in a small house by the river. Mrs. Griffin supported herself and the six children by working as a washer woman for the Spafford family. She was at work the day this story took place.
People have always been fascinated by what happens after we die. Thousands of stories have been shared about personal encounters with the “other side.” Rockford newspapers have reported these experiences since the early 1890s.
One of the first written accounts of a personal encounter with a ghostly presence in Rockford
Rockford was a pretty wild place in 1856. The city was making advances in what would become the foundation for the manufacturing boom that was to put Rockford on the map. But in the early days, crime was very common. Robbery and cattle rustling were especially prevalent.
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