Rockford High School - RHS Yearbook (Rockford, IL)

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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.

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Class-'35 Allen, Richard C4635 scholarship Anderson, Harriet C4635 scholarship Anderson, Margaret C1095 scholarship Armour, William C4645 scholarship Ascani, Fred C4645 scholarship Bailey, Allen C4645 scholarship Bailey, Charlotte C4645 scholarship Belfield, Charlotte C2165 scholarship 50 Brees, Burch, Caesar, Breckenridge, Branca, Carter, Carlson, Burd, Brown, Burke, Anderson, Carlsten Campbell, Brown, Braid, Bradley, Carr, Broach Miss Bardo Cteacher5, Anderson, Brigham, W. Braid, Bradford, Cadwell, Brinegar, D. Brinegar, Zukas. Peterson, Poorman, tuvis, H. Peterson, ,rs Plambeck, Patton, Young, Witkowski, Perry, Potts, Ramsey, Perricone, Pon- Peterson, Paulson, Nelson, Quigley, D. Olson, Platt, Quanstrom, Miss Wein- schenk Cteacher5, Prentice, J. Nelson, Belling, Pearman, Pearson, Olson, Pavzon, Pozkens. f'!6 fy F56 Hickman, Nelson, Tornow, H. Nelson, Sutherland. Rosenquist, Stenholm, Totten, Herdklotz, Hawn, Beckett, Nickless, Thomas, Straub, Tobinson, H. Thomas, Tuttler, Tooman, Tucker, Thelander, Swanson, Spitz, Sydlouski, Stover, Tuman, Hen- drickson, Miss Wiegert Cteacher5, Stewart, Tan- gorra, Hilberg, Crum, Sorenson, Snyder, Stephen- son. lui-lily foul'