A Digital Collection of Rockford, Illinois History
Sgt. J.F. Bold (Ambulance Company 344 -311th Sanitation Train), a Rockford resident, details his activities in WWI in an unusual 55 page typed diary, from august 24,1918 (Camp Grant IL) to his discharge on January 31, 1919.
Rockford Public Library Local History Archives – Military Collection
Source: Rockford Magazine, July 1995
“Capt. Johnson is German Prisoner; Revives Hope Local Man is Safe” Reported missing in action in the north African campaign February. Johnson 34, was commanding a tank unit near Faid pass. Graduate of Rockford High School and University of Illinois. Was employed as an industrial engineer at Twin Disc Clutch. Called to active duty 1939 went overseas last May, first to England. wife, Mrs. LaWanda Johnson, kids Donald and Kathlyn (died 10/21/2012)
Source: Rockford Morning Star 4/18/1943
21, Leaf River, a ball turret gunner on 8th Army B-17 Flying Fortress awarded air medal in England for meritorious achievement bombing over German military and industrial targets entered air force March 1943 (Harlingen Field, Texas). Was machinist for J.L. Clark Co.
Source: Rockford Morning Star 8/20/1944
wounded in invasion; in hospital in England recuperating member of field artillery unit; overseas since May, 1943 in hospital in England, on crutches
Source: Rockford Morning Star 7/23/1944
second oak leaf cluster to his air medal, navigator on B-17 Flying Fortress based in England. Bombing operations over enemy Europe, overseas since February
Source: Rockford Morning Star 7/23/1944
http://www.genuki.org.uk
Family Tree Magazine reader favorite
databases, maps, newsgroups, links, bulletin boards, church databases, gazeteers, more
England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Isle of Man, Channel Islands
Counties (or shires) have been the maid administrative divisions in England for at least a thousand years.
Some websites helpful in locating records in an English county are:
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archon
Bedforshire and Luton Archives and Records Service (BLARS) www.bedforshire.gov.uk/CommunityAndLiving/ArchivesAndRecordOffice/ArchivesAndRecordOffice.aspx
Centre for Buckinghamshire Studies:
http://www.buckscc.gov.uk/leisure-and-culture/centre-for-buckinghamshire-studies/
Cambridgeshire and Huntingdonshire Archives http://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk
Cheshire and Chester Archives and Local Studies http://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/libraries/eresources/useful_information_sites/local_and_family_history.aspx
Cumbria Archive Service http://www.cumbria.gov.uk/archives/
Derbyshire Record Office http://www.derbyshire.gov.uk/leisure/record_office/
Durham County Record Office http://www.durhamrecordoffice.org.uk/Pages/home.aspx
Essex Record Office http://seax.essexcc.gov.uk/
Gloucestershire Archives http://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/archives/article/107703/Archives-Homepage
Hampshire Record Office http://www3.hants.gov.uk/archives
Kent Archives Service http://www.kent.gov.uk/leisure-and-community/history-and-heritage/kent-history-and-library-centre
Record Office for Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland: http://www.leics.gov.uk/recordoffice
London Metropolitan Archives: http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/things-to-do/visiting-the-city/archives-and-city-history/london-metropolitan-archives/Pages/default.aspx
Medway Archives: http://cityark.medway.gov.uk/
Archives in Norfolk: http://www.archives.norfolk.gov.uk/
Nottinghamshire Archives: http://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/learning/history/archives/
Archives in Oxfordshire: https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/cms/public-site/oxfordshire-history-centre
Shropshire Archives: http://www.shropshire.gov.uk/archives/
Somerset Archive and Record Service: http://www1.somerset.gov.uk/archives/
Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Archive Service: http://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/leisure/archives/homepage.aspx
Warwickshire County Record Office: http://heritage.warwickshire.gov.uk/warwickshire-county-record-office/
Wiltshire and Swindon Archives: http://www.wshc.eu/our-services/archives.html
Archives in Yorkshire: http://www.archives.wyjs.org.uk/, http://www2.eastriding.gov.uk/leisure/archives-family-and-local-history/, http://www.northyorks.gov.uk/article/23003/Libraries-and-archives
Source: Inspired by Internet Genealogy magazine, July 2008
* Website URLs checked for continuity and availability Dec. 2014
Illinois Central Railroad
The wages were $1.25 a day to build the railroad
It was completed September 27, 1856, taking five years to construct
705 mile railroad
Connected the northern, southern and central parts of the State
The city of Centralia was named after the Illinois Central Railroad
Later, four additional railroads were built east to west
It expanded the social, political, and economic climate of the State
The 1836 legislature granted a charter to build a railroad from Cairo to Galena
$3.5 million was set aside from the State for the building of a central railroad
The work was halted by the financial panic of 1837
The concept was kept alive by Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas
The 1850 Douglas Act was signed by President Fillmore
The bill called for Illinois to receive Federal land to build a central railroad
4000+ miles were made available
The State granted the charter to the Illinois Central Railroad Company
2.5 million acres were transferred to the company
The railroad would have to pay 7% shipping tax
The groundbreaking was at Cairo, IL on 12/23/1851
By 1852 funds were raised via bond sales in England to build the railroad
The chief Construction Engineer was Col. Roswell Mason
Hundreds of German and Irish immigrants were recruited from Europe to work on the railroad
Iron rails at $45 per ton were floated from England via New Orleans and Chicago
The line crossed the Great Western Railroad
The state hired Andrew Carnegie’s company to build a bridge across the Mississippi River
The state of Illinois’ population grew 2.5 million from 1850-1880
Illinois Central’s income in 1861 was $4 million, and in 1865 it was $8 million
Illinois Central hauled 291 million tons of goods in 1870, and 1,302 million tons in 1890
In 1877, Illinois Central bought the Chicago, St. Louis and New Orleans Line
Illinois Central purchased the Havana, Rantoul and Eastern Railroad and the Iowa Line in 1887
In 1888, Illinois Central built a line from Chicago to Freeport
Illinois Central built a huge bridge at Cairo over the Ohio River; it was completed in 1889
The Illinois Central headquarters was in Chicago, IL
Illinois Central installed telegraph lines, and the telegraph operators could signal station masters up and down the line
Illinois Central built the first sleeping cars, three years before Pullman
They were the first railroad to establish Post Office cars
Illinois Central was the first railroad to develop refrigerated freight cars
They were one of the five largest railroads in the U. S. by 1900
By 1926 the suburban line trains converted from steam to electricity
Source: “Historic Illinois”, Vol. 29, No. 4, December 2006, Pages 3 – 7, Rockford Public Library’s Local History Collection
Richings, Dr. Henry son of Dr. Charles Henry Richings Rockford To-Day 1904 pp 15-16
Richings, Dr. Charles Henry born in England 2/26/1815 Rockford To-Day 1904 pp 15-16
Richings, Dr. Charles Henry medical education in Belgium Rockford To-Day 1904 pp 15-16
Richings, Dr. Charles Henry 2nd physician in Rockford Rockford To-Day 1904 pp 15-16
Richings, Dr. Charles Henry died 8/13/1884 Rockford To-Day 1904 pp 15-16
Source: Rockford To-Day 1904
