Rockford Historical Society

Nuggets of History, Summer 2017 – Rockford Remarkable Restaurants

Jan

Source:  Nuggets of History [Rockford Historical Society]; Summer 2017 issue, Vol. 56, Number 2; cover shown. Article by Amanda Becker.

Nine page article mentions the following restaurants and restaurateurs:  The Irish Rose, Stockholm Inn, Der Rathskeller, Capri and Linos, The Smokehouse Barbeque and Alvarez Restaurant, Mike Leifheit p. 4, Eklund Brothers Café p 4, Sweden House Restaurant p. 4, The Stockholm Inn p 4, The Brad-Lynn Restaurant p 4, Gus and Maxine Peterson p 4, Jim and Vera Osborn p. 4, John and Elaine Bilka, p 4, The Lingonberry Group, p. 4, Der Rathskeller Restaurant p 5, Fred Goetz p 5, Betty Giesen, p 5, Dick Giesen, p 5, Michael DuPre, p 5, Dom’s Restaurant p 5, Leonardi’s Restaurant p 5, Maria’s Restaurant, p 5, Capri Restaurant p 6, Vito Grisanzio p 6, Domenic Grasanzio p 6, Michael and Pat Battista p 6, Lino’s Restaurant, p 6, Joe Battista p 6, Frank Zammuto, p 6, Zina Horton p 6, El Dorado Club p 6, Archie “Papa” Hawkes, p 6, BB’s Soul Food Restaurant, p 7, Boria Blankenship p 7, Box’s Barbeque p 7, Smokehouse Authentic Bar-B-Que p 7, Gail and Stanley Fort, p 7, Wong S. Fong, p 8, Mandarin Gardens p 8, Lung Fung, p 8, Imperial Palace p 8, Kuma’s p 8, Wong’s p 8, Peking Restaurant p 8, Victor Yu, p 8, Great Wall Restaurant, p 8, Paul Wang, p 8, Gene and Suzy Wang, p 9, Yen Ching, p 9, Wen “Alex” Zeng, p 9, Alvarez Restaurant, p 9, Frank Alvarez, p. 9, Olympic Tavern p. 9, Guy Mutimer, p 9, Anthony Rotello, p 9, Town Hall Tavern, p 9, Chicken Charlie’s, p 10, The Feather Club, p 10, Ross’s, Piano Players, p 10, Gibby Anderson and Vern Ott, p 10, The Little King, p 10; Ten Stop-It, p 10, The Saddle and Cycle, p 10, Welch’s, p 10, Jacks or Better, p 10, Lee Pizzuto, p 10, Mike Pizzuto, p 10, Hick, Hickey’s,  Johnson’s and Erwin’s, Little Italy, p 10, North Main Manor p. 10, The Blackhawk, p 10, The Grotto, p 10, D’Augostine’s, p 10, Jim Cantrore, p 10, Jimmy Vitale, p 10, Jungle Jim’s, p 10, Stone Eagle, p 10.The Branding Iron, p 11, The Last Straw, p 11, The Mayflower Restaurant, cover.

Rockford City Hall – 1941 photo

Jan

Source:  Rockford Streamlined, 1834 – 1941, page 81

Between the rounded top of the center door on first floor and the 3 windows above that, you can see the whiter carved-in-cement letters of Manufacturers National Bank.

The Robert Borden photograph from the Rockford Historical Society Robert Borden Collection below, was taken in 1976 and shows the black raised letters spelling out Rockford City Hall went up over the carved Manufacturers National Bank as a temporary solution to identifying the building.

***See the parking meters?

In August of 1993, City Hall’s sign was replaced with one that was carved-in-concrete.

 

Rockford Forest City Baseball Club, 1871 – Molyneaux

Jan

Source: Nuggets of History, Vol. 50  Sept 2012  Number 3      9 pages

Sock Monkeys, Fiberglass – Nuggets of History

Jan

See Rockford Historical Society’s Nuggets of History Vol. 53  No.  2, Spring 2015 Article by Carol J, Fox

The original sock monkey was made with Nelson Knitting Co. red-heeled socks (red heels since 1932) of Rockford, Il  in business from 1880 – 1992.

In 1953 Helen Cooke from Aurora, IL patented the sock monkey.  She sued Mr. Stanley Levy for patent infringement.  Levy enlisted the help of Nelson Knitting Co., of Grace Winget, who made a sock monkey in 1951.  Nelson Knitting Co., then bought all patents for the sock monkey until it expired in the 1970’s.

Joan Sage, marketing director of Midway Village and Museum Center, inspired by Chicago’s fiberglass Cow Parade, suggested that Rockford could do similar with Rockford as the Hometown of the Sock Monkey. In 2004-5 businesses and individuals were asked to sponsor six-foot tall fiberglass sock monkeys,  Lpcal artists designed each monkey.

Where they are located:  [pictures of each in the article]  additional information in article

  1.  “Soxanne”  Artists: Marion Olson, Carol Anderson, Carol Ubben   Seated monkey, outdoors, Midway Village.
  2.  “Forest”  Artist Diane Garrett, Location: Chicago Rockford International Airport
  3.  “Earthly Angels”  Artist: Carol Jacobson,  Location:  Swedish American Hospital
  4.  “Lady Liberty” Artist:  Cora Hutchinson, Location:  National Business & Industrial Centre, in the old National Lock Building, 7th St. and 18th Ave.
  5.  “Rockford in Bloom”   Artist: Marty Panzer,  Location: Rockford Arts Council
  6.  “Carl Anders”  Artists: Marion Olsen, Candy Wolf and Carol Jacobson.  Location: Stockholm Inn
  7.  “Symbol” Artist: Deborah Stromsdorfer  Location:  Private residence of sponsor, Dr. Kris Tumilowicz,  across the river from the namesake “Symbol” sculpture.
  8. “Paper Boy” Artist: K Dyer Location: Rockford Register Star lobby.
  9.  “Rockford College Sock Monkey”  Artist: Jeanne Coe. Location:  Nelson Hall, Rockford University
  10.  “Victor e. Lane” Artist:  Jeanne Coe.  Location: Rockford Speedway
  11.  “Patriot”  Artist:  Lonny Stark  Location: Midway Museum Center inside,
  12.  “Cheap Trick”  Artist: Jeanne Coe  Location: Midway Museum Center  inside
  13.  “J. Nelson Pollack” Artist: Lorie Painter  Location: Library Center, Nelson Elementary School
  14.  “Julia M. Scout” Artists:  Karen Harding, Sandy Ures, Lisa Normoyle.  Location:  Camp Medill McCormick, Friendship Center
  15.  “Stillman”  Artist:  Joyce Bietau Rienken  Location:  Stillman Bank, Oregon, IL (now in storage area)
  16.  “Tradesman”  Artist:  Doug Adcock  Location: Project First Rate
  17.  “Building Rockford”  Artist:  Doug Adcock  Location: Fridh Construction
  18.  “Power of the Sun”  Artist:  Nicole Georgis  Location: Rockford Day Nursery
  19.  “Faces of Rockford”  Artists:  Mary Rosandich, Jeanne Coe, Joe Marchione  Location:  Transatlantic Connection   resides in private residence, and has been on display in Stewart Square
  20.  “Rockford Sports Tourist”  Artist: Jessica Cannova   Location unknown, once seen in Stewart Square
  21.  ” E.A.R.L.” Artist: Lorie Painter  Location: Private residence

Source: Nuggets of History, Midway Village, 2015 President: Scott Lewandowski

 

“Remembering one of Rockford’s finest” – Kathi Kresol

Jan

remembering-1

Source:  The Rock River Times Sept 7-13, 2016

remembering-2

Source: The Rock River Times Sept 7-13, 2016

Thatcher Blake house – photo: 1965

Jan

Thatcher Blake

Source:  Nuggets of History, bulletin of the Rockford Historical Society, July August 1965

Thatcher Blake - 2

 

Seventh St. in year 1904 – 1904, Robert Borden Collection

Jan

23-Seventh Street, 1904 Rockford, p. 47

Items of note:  the trees, telephone lines, streetcar tracks, horse  1904 photo, between 5th and 6th Ave. (The 600 block of 7th St,)

The building on the left side of photo with “dome” is still there in 2016 www.rockfordtownshipassessor.net shows the building as owned by  James Locklund, and/or 6th St. Partners LLC in 2016.

Source: Rockford Borden Collection, Rockford Historical Society