Museum Tour: Rockford Area Museum in Rockford
ROCKFORD, Mich. (WOOD) — A local museum in northern Kent County tells the history of a town that would have a different name today if it weren’t for the railroad companies.
Originally opened in 1975 by the Rockford Area Historical Society, the Rockford Area Museum spent 37 years in the city’s former powerhouse. When the museum began to outgrow that building, the historical society asked the city if it could move into the former 63rd District Court building.
“The historical society asked the city if we could use the vacated space, and after some fundraising and some renovations, the city did say yes,” Ian McCormick, director of the Rockford Area Museum, said.
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When visitors explore the museum, now located at 21 S. Monroe St. near Maple Street, they enter through the main doors and have three pathways to choose from when exploring.
An undated courtesy photo of items on display inside the Rockford Area Museum. An undated courtesy photo of items on display inside the Rockford Area Museum. An undated courtesy photo of items on display inside the Rockford Area Museum. An undated courtesy photo of items on display inside the Rockford Area Museum. An undated courtesy photo of items on display inside the Rockford Area Museum.
“If you go in (to the) west, you’ll turn right to start going north that room is the chronological history of the Rockford area. It goes from prehistory to about 1900,” McCormick said.
This history includes the town that would become Rockford: Laphamville.
According to the city of Rockford’s website, Laphamville was named after Smith Lapham, who came to Kent County in 1843. He came to the area to help build a dam and a sawmill started by William Hunter. For his trouble, Hunter gave Lapham 40 acres of land on the east side of the Rough River.
“When the railway came through, they told the city, the town at the time, that they can only fit eight letters on the sign, so Laphamville would have to change its name to something that was eight letters or less. There are two theories of how it ended up as Rockford. One is that it was named after the Rocky Ford in the area, across the Rogue River. And two is that someone from Rockford, Illinois, was in town and (suggested it),” McCormick said, adding that he thinks it is more likely it is named after Rockford, Illinois.
In addition to the founding of Rockford, the room explores the local logging industry, the rise of farming, the train tracks that later became the White Pine Trail, and the flood of 1904 and the construction of the new dam.
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If you continue going straight when you enter the museum, you can see class photos from 1923 to 1962.
If you go to the left from the entrance, you can explore the different aspects of Rockford’s history.
“We have displays on athletics, academics, different schools, social organizations (and) veterans exhibits,” McCormick said.
An undated courtesy photo of items on display inside the Rockford Area Museum. An undated courtesy photo of items on display inside the Rockford Area Museum.
Among the items in the veterans’ exhibit is John C. Sjogren’s Medal of Honor. He was the only Rockford resident to ever receive the Medal of Honor. According to the statue and placard outside the museum, Sjogren joined the U.S. Army’s Pacific-bound 40th Infantry in 1943 under limited service due to a congenital back defect. He was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Harry S. Truman on Oct. 12, 1945, for his heroics on May 23 of that year.
When his squadron was on the island of Negros in the Philippines, his squadron killed 43 Japanese soldiers and destroyed nine bunkers with only grenades. After all the grenades were gone, a Japanese machine gunner fired on them. Sjogren yanked the gun out of the pillbox by the barrel, severely burning his hand. The squadron killed the remaining Japanese.
An undated courtesy photo of a statue dedicated to John C. Sjogren located at the Rockford Area Museum. An undated courtesy photo of the plaque next to the statue dedicated to John C. Sjogren located at the Rockford Area Museum.
In the spring, the museum welcomes all second-grade Rockford classes in to learn more about the town’s history. It is also looking for more opportunities with other grades and groups.
“Every city, be it a small town up to a metropolis like New York City, needs a place where their history can be reposited. It’s somewhere where someone can go a view the past because, unless you understand the past of where you’re living, I don’t think you can truly appreciate it… So by giving these residents and outsiders a place to go and learn about Rockford’s history, I think they can better, one, appreciate where they live and, two, it also helps with future decision-making,” McCormick said.
McCormick said that the museum is looking for “newer” historical items that have Rockford history because many of the items currently on display are from before the 1970s. Anyone who has an item that they would like to donate is asked to contact the museum at rockfordareamuseum@gmail.com.
The free museum is open year-round Tuesday through Sunday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The museum does close due to weather or when Rockford Public Schools closes or is delayed due to weather. For more information, visit the museum’s website.
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