Rockford High School - RHS Yearbook (Rockford, IL)

Page 29 text:

El aa? -een-' GRO

Page 28 text:

53..'.1l'f. S. 1933 Student Administration SQ? .4- XXQ-liglit. l':ilmini. Wing. lirziiilnii, llilvluqiril, MvN:ixm-N. 'I'i'i-vziliu, Sli'-uni. r is l 7. ,I rig, 4571 llt-inilvi-1-ii, Smith. Sliulnxxxiy. Nli'Yqi11ii-s, ll.. Rwpi'i', llxilh-ii, llii-Ili-rirli. l':ti'-nr, klivliilxml. Xlr. ll,iii:ht. tflvv :-1' turl, llixhy. llnrrie. julmx. .Xliih-ixivii, lim-uw-ii. S4'lvi1ii'lm'i'. llt-rlwlt. lit-liii MONITORS thu- ul' thi- lllflhi l'k't'i'lll :1i'g:iiiiz:itiwi1s iiistzillwl in Sliiiulcl :my pupil wish tu un hi his lwulwi' cliiriiig thc Iiuckfiwrl SVlllUl' high fvllflfll ii tht' Nl l1ll 1' SNS- thc lwur, written pcriiiissi-ui must ht- iihtziint-il friini te-iii. lt is 111-xx' AllIlKll'l' tht- tllI't'l'lllIll 1It NlI': ,ltfllll his tcziulii-i'. Sliwulrl ll stiiclviit rvsist :1 iiimiitwii at llilllllll- llilml llll l ', l'lA'l'l l'g 1 fl1'S lllmf M55 writtvii :lest-riptiim wt' him, with his iizliiiv. must ht' llsilzvl l'iitii:im, :ls sulviwi' .ul 'thi' Stiiclciit tiviiiicril mlmlmwl m1lwUtm.L,- xvlncli haul Itwiiiwl thc wgsiiiizzilitwii, hzul tllurgu ul it. 'l'liii'I5'-lin' hillrils 2lI'l' liirlu-fl t-zirli inimtli hy Xlr. Ill ilu' Gisli 'll :my illlwlllii Ut- il lllmmllli' il Sllllftir llzlight Illilk'l' ht' has 1'vvt'ix'm-rl lish liuiii thi' limiic- Ulu' ls lll 'V l l' llllls il WM 'S llmicl' lvl' Vzlliillll- llw I-,,,,m u.m,lu.I-Q WIN, :H-K. Hxkwl in ,CIWI Um. mk.mi,L.,- 'lilly limo Il iiiuiiitur may vzlczitn' his phat is wlii-ii :lc- tw wrw in the Hk'Illl'5lt'I'. 'l'hvy :irc wlwtt-rl lu-czxiisv f 'Nl'1l1U'lN2 VlSll l'S lt' lhk' lllt'l'Z Wl1l'11 tllFlWV5iH2 tif tht' miilirlviin- plzwwl iii tlin'ir:ihili1y :mtl gmitl jmlgf lrvitn-ring pupils in thi- hnllxg :mtl wlicii hringiiig sus- lllvtll tu fultill thi- ixiiipmu til' this mwjuct, lam piviuiis t'li:Li'z1i'tci's tu thi- ollicc. yi-zu' wif thi' Iirft yvzni' that iiiwiiilfnm ii'ci'i- ulimcii lrfiiii thc liffiiiv-iwnm. Ihr pri-viwiis tu this, hwys frfmi . , . tht- niilitzlrv wvtiuii iii-rv xtxitiwiiiwl :it thc vzirirvus N Ht Sf'ff1H'ftf'flW 'N l '1 'l llll' 'lill' lmilllll' ' iiw the litwiiit'-lwriii In-i'iiul 'it thi-Ni hit posts: thi' Iwukts. N 1 - Xlniii lCi1ti'z1i1cu, huvlc uf stiimly hull 212, iippiiyiii- rimni ,, . . . . Xl . , ,,i . . lhi- piirptiw :il lizuviiig tht- iiiiviiitmw mi fhity is tu lm' r 'l' lll'l- 'l lllt l lV' lllml' 'l l' rllrrvt vmtm'a lu iiliviw- tht-5' xxish tw gm tif im-wrw lmlllli 'lmlllu dum l l 'l53 l Vlllllllmlll lW.5llll5M'l'5i Nut llllly IlI'l' tliurv iiimiittws :ct thcsc x':u'iuiis chitivs. :mil tw piwtt-vt tht' pi'riin'i'tx' in thi- lwwlwix Irivm :mv l . UNH - - hilt zxlsu thuic :irc thusc stzltlwiicml :ihimt thi- hulls ' cliiriiig' thu hiiirh lnfiirs. 'lihi-ir rliitv is tn kvum stu! . . - I , . . . . . ili-ills Irwin living in thc hiiihliiigt wlii-i't' claissvs :irc NXIIQ-iicix-i' vm!-in wiiii- llllll thc lmilrliiig, tha-x' - - . V . .. I A b v V - -. - A' . ' in scssimi, :mil thcv :irc plckvrl lrwni hum in thi- Mih- .nv uviiitwwiisly flirt-cti-fl lu tht- utlicn-. ll tlivic in :my try fl Y -I In 'X' H V ' f 1.1 I 1 . quit-stnni :ia hi tlu-ir lI1lk'gI'Ilj', thi- iiiniiittiix Zlfftilllllllllj' il - Ll'l.l lm 'lf NI, lff MTH Ur ul tllllll thi-m tw tht' tittiuv. 'lihi' iiiiuiitwi' zilw at-cs that siivh MQ rullll Ufml' Hug lu' Wm 5 - 'W , ll' Il pwwii nr llt'I'5Hll5 la-:nw thv lllllltllllil- hut sliuulrl thcy lmlll l'i'5 llwll 'f'll1U'Hl' 1 illl' llH1Cl1 l1l'l1l' 1ll I1lT I'S ,-Q-tml. U, tmw, ith. m,,,m,,,- ,Q ,-Ulm,-,.K1 11, ,-L.1,,,,-I mom inicluq thi aiiptixmwii ul l.uiitii1.u1t l .ml K . lliixu in thi- nllivv. :mtl ti-:iuli .Xrtliiir XX. l.imrl:lhl. twi-nity lwu

Page 30 text:

Industrial Progress in Rockford N the year 1839, a small settlement on the banks of the Rock River was incorporated as a village. At that time, not one of the town's meager population ever thought that the year 1933 would see that village as Illinois' second industrial city. It was in 1845, that the first signs of industrial awakening began to show themselves. In the Autumn of that year, a dam was completed over Rock River. At the head of a mill-race, on one side of the river, three men, Gregory, Phelps, and Daniels, had a saw-mill. Another cradle of industry was an iron foundry located in a little stone building. Thus was Rockford in 1847 a long way from the industrial center it is today. However, to go back a little, the attempt on February 28, 1843, to utilize the water power is considered the First step in the transition of Rockford from a hamlet to a manu- facturing city. At this date, an act of the legislative body was approved to improve the navigation of the rapids in Rock River, and to incorporate the Rockford Hydraulic and Manufacturing Company if they would put in a dam that would not raise the river more than seven feet and provide locks to accommodate steamboats with a draft of three feet. This dam was built of gravel, brush, and stone, and went out in 1851 necessitating the organization of the Rockford Water Power Company, which consisted of a group of public-spirited citizens. The new dam built at this time is the present one. It supplied many industries with power before steam was used in the factories. Some of the industries it started are George D. Roper Corporation, The Ward-Love Corporation, The Nelson Knitting Company, and the Union and Central Furniture Companies. However, the first impetus given to Rockford manufacturing interests was the advent of John H. Manny in 1853. This man was a New Yorker who had invented a reaper that had made a success on the market. He was persuaded to come to this locality because of the better water power. The popularity of this machine demanded a large amount of capital. More men were added to their firm until in 1854 it became the J. H. Manny Company. In the sixties and seventies, Rockford was known far and wide as the Reaper City because of the large number of reapers made here. The demand was so great that new factories had to be built. At last, a two-wheel reaper made in Ohio came on the market and Rockford lost its hold upon the industry. The Knitting industry, which holds a prominent place in Rockford today, had its inception in 1866 when john Nelson and W. W. Burson formed a partnership for the out- put of knitting machines. They had a small shop located on the water power. Today five knitting companies uphold Rockford's claim to prominence in this industry. Any story of the city's growth and advancement Without mention of the extensive furniture interests here, an industry in which millions of dollars of capital is invested, would be far from complete. Rockford's furniture industry was cradled in the Firm of Upson and Johnson who, for ten years, were engaged in business on the water power. After this was burned to the ground, several other companies were organized. In 1904, sixteen plants were located here. Today the number reaches a total of 29. The reputa- tion of Rockford-made furniture has been strongly established the world over. Closely affiliated with the furniture factories are the Mirror Works and the Rockford Glass Bending Company. Also bearing a connection is the piano industry, represented in Rockford by the Schumann, Haddorff, Bush and Gerts Piano Companies, and Thayer Action Company.