rockford moments in time: the biggies

May 6th, 2008 at 07:34am Jennie Pollock

we’ve been working on a timeline of notable points in rockford history for this project, from the metrocentre opening in 1981 to the deseg case ending in 2002.

while people who have lived here a long time will remember all of them, those of us non-natives sometimes remember things from the first year we moved here.

for me it was 1995. the homicide rate was high, for sure, as gang warfare exploded. i also, oddly enough, remember serial killer ray lee stewart’s execution in 1996, waiting by the phone to hear the news.

on a happier note, i remember the coronado opening in 2001 and rockford winning the america in bloom contest in 2005.

do you have suggestions for other milestones to include?

Entry Filed under: History, 180 Degrees