In Print

Rockford Writes is a collection of short stories (both fictional and historical), as well as poetry, prose, drawings and photography all done by Rockford natives, or current or former residents. It showcases much of the artistic talent, passion, pride, and dreaming that are still present in Rockford, Illinois to this day. If you enjoy the work, let the contributors know and share it with others.

Contributor Jenny Mathews once said that when everything else was lost, and when all else was gone, that the makers would remain. Rockford does, indeed, possess an abundance of such individuals: the makers, the dreamers, the writers, the poets, the musicians, the artisans, the craftspeople, and the volunteers. It is through their generosity of spirit that this book came to be. A small group …

Secret Rockford pulls back the curtain to reveal the hidden side of life in the Forest City. Join us as we go behind the headlines to explore the interesting people, places, and events that make our city unique. On these pages, you will find the unconventional, gritty, and sometimes shocking truth. This anthology contains many snapshots of life in Rockford: A history of Mattison Machine Works. The battle over …

Rockford rightly prizes its prosperous heritage, earned by manufacturing concerns like the Rockford Watch Factory and the Manny Reaper Company. But the town once named Midway also harbors a history of crime and calamity. Gunfire broke out in the streets when networks of Prohibition informants slid sideways. In 1893, John Hart forced his own sisters to drink poison. Three years later …

Just beneath the glossy surface of Rockford’s rich heritage lies a dark history of tragedy. The city’s troubled and turbulent past left scars that still resonate today. Geraldine Bourbon’s final struggle still echoes throughout the farmhouse where her estranged husband pursued her with a pistol from room to room before gently laying her corpse on the bed. The sobs of society darling Carrie Spafford …