Source: Rockford Register-Republic, Feb. 15, 1968; Sesquicentennial Edition. Feb 15-16
Forest City Furniture Co.
Forest City Furniture Co. – photographs, combination bookcase and bed
See door, full height of bookcase: opens to store/remove bed. (Above) Plus…
Cabinet pulls out, and swivels to reveal bed in the back, which folds down. (Above)
Bed is shown fold down. (Above)
Source: Photographs donated by owner of this piece of furniture.
Forest City Furniture Co., advertising postcard
Source: (Combination Bookcase with fold up bed) “Chronology of Rockford….how the years passed and city grew to greatness” [oversized book with blue cover} R 977.33 R65 c 1952
Forest City Furniture Co., newspaper 3/9/1936 – photo of 1896 fire
Source: Photograph taken after 1896 Fire at Forest City Furniture, reprinted in newspaper 3/9/1936
Manufacture of phonographs in Rockford – 1920
Source: Furniture Worker; Vol. 37, January 1, 1920
***Full text, full copy at www.hathitrust.org
Main St., North, 306
Miller, H., 306 N. Main, W.R.
Source: 1876 Rockford City Directory
Erickson, Miss Anna, domestic, 306 N. Main
Miller, Frank J., clerk Forest City Furniture Co., res. 306 N. Main
Miller, Mrs. Susan B., widow of Henry, res 306 N Main
Source: 1889-1890 Rockford City Directory
Knowlton, Miss Eva, res. 306 N. Main
Knowlton, Miss M.T., teacher music
Knowlton, W.A., machinist, res. 306 N Main
Source: 1899 Rockford City Directory
“Chicago Fire Had Role in Launching Furniture Industry Here”
Source: Rockford Morning Star Mar. 20, 1938
Chicago Fire – Oct. 8, 1871 Jonas Peters was working in a furniture plant that fire destroyed, so he came back to Rockford and tried to find interested parties to produce furniture.
In 1874 Gilbert Woodruff interested Johnson and Anderson into starting Forest City Furniture. Began in 1875, pictured above. Rockford Chair and Furniture, Palace Furniture, Rockford Excelsior Furniture Co., Co-Operative Furniture and Standard Furniture Co. soon followed.
Forest City Furniture Co. – 1891
“Forest City Furniture Co. Rockford’s pioneer industry in the furniture line. The business was established in 1869 by A. C. Johnson, and the present company was incorporated in 1875. The officers are: Gilbert Woodruff, President; R. W. Emerson, Secretary and Treasurer. A. C. Johnson, Superindent. A General line of furniture and office desks is manufactured. The capital stock of the company is $150,000. The plant of th4e company includes four large four-story brick buildings, with a floor area of 150,000 square feet. They also have six acres of yard room for lumber storage. They employ an average of 240 hands and do business exceeding $300,000 a year.”
Source: “Industrial and Picturesque Rockford,” Eugene Browne and F. Ford Rowe, 1891
Source of picture: “Industrial and Picturesque Rockford,” Eugene Browne and F. Ford Rowe, 1891
“Forest City Furniture. Gilbert Woodruff, President; R.W. Emerson, secy. and treas., Wholesale manufacturers of bookcases, office desks, library cases, chamber suits, parlor desks, sideboards, table washstands, table beds, etc., R.A. ave. between Seventh and Eighth.”
Source: 1892 Philippi’s Rockford City Directory
Map from 1892 Winnebago County Atlas shows company on both sides of the RR tracks,, Railroad Ave. between 7th and 8th Ave.
The 1928 Sanborn Fire Insurance map is covered over and shows Forest City Phonograph Co. in this location. In 1919 Forest City Furniture was being sold to Forest City Phonograph Co. “400 men to be at work in sixty days.”
Forest City Furniture Co.
Forest City Furniture Co., Gilbert Woodruff, pres’t; R. W. Emerson, secy. and treas. Manufacturers of book cases, office desks, library cases, folding beds, chamber suites, parlor desks, sideboards, table wash stands, table beds, etc., Rail Road ave. between Seventh and Eighth sts.
Source: Philippi’s Rockford City Directory for 1894-95.
in 1899: C. O. Upton, vice-pres’t., C. A. Hult, sec’y and treas. Also manufacture music cabinets, chiffoniers and odd tables.
Source: Philippi’s 1899 Rockford City Directory
You must be logged in to post a comment.