Original Stories From Rockford's Past

This story could be a screenplay from the golden days of Hollywood, when men like John Wayne and Jimmy Stewart rode the wild frontier and saved their town from the clutches of the lawless bandits.

Mr. and Mrs. Damon must have felt a great relief when the armistice was completed and World War I finally seemed to be over. They had two sons serving in the war, Sgt. Clinton Damon, who was a member of

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

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.”

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.”