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Rockford, Illinois

Located in Winnebago County, Illinois, Rockford was established in 1834. Rockford Peaches were in A League of Their Own. Once rivaled Grand Rapids in furniture.
Founded 1834 | Population 146,881 | Peak 146,881 (2024) | County Winnebago County

Top 10 Most Important Events for Rockford, Illinois

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1884 Furniture Capital: Rivals Grand Rapids in furniture production.
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1940 WWII Production Boom: Factories convert to wartime.
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1943 Rockford Peaches Founded: WWII women's baseball team.
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1981 Manufacturing Decline: Recession and offshoring begin.
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2023 Revitalization Efforts: Downtown and riverfront investment.
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Complete Historical Timeline

1884 Industry
Furniture Capital
1940 Industry
WWII Production Boom
1943 Sports
Rockford Peaches Founded
1981 Business
Manufacturing Decline
2023 Business
Revitalization Efforts

Did You Know?

1
Rockford Peaches were in A League of Their Own.
2
Once rivaled Grand Rapids in furniture.
3
Sock monkey invented here from Nelson Knitting socks.
4
Rockford is located in Winnebago County, Illinois.
5
Rockford was founded in 1834.

Famous People from Rockford, Illinois

JB
Jodi Benson
Teacher, Singer · Born Oct 10, 1961 · Age 64
JB
James Henry Breasted
Pharmacist, Historian · Born Aug 27, 1865 · Died Dec 2, 1935 (age 70)
SC
Steve Cherundolo
Association Football Coach, Association Football Player · Born Feb 19, 1979 · Age 47
VA
Virgil Abloh
Composer, Architect · Born Sep 30, 1980 · Died Nov 28, 2021 (age 41)
MW
Michelle Williams
Actor, Composer · Born Jul 23, 1979 · Age 46

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