History

Pre-1820's	Native American nomadic tribes including the Sauk, Fox and Winnebago inhabited the area.

1820's 1830's	The first settlers of European and African descent arrived on foot and by wagon. Scottish immigrants established settlements in Caledonia and Argyle.

1840's 1850's	The railroad brought immigrants of Irish, German, Swedish, Norwegian and Danish descent.

1860's 1900	During the post Civil War era, waves of immigration joined the existing Swedish, Irish, English, German and Norwegian communities.

1900's 1930's	Immigrants from Italy, Poland, Lithuania, Russia and Austria joined our community in large numbers.

1940's 1950's	The "Great Migration" from the American South broadened our diverse ethnic mix and included the settlement of many African Americans in our community.

1960's 1970's	Populations of Hispanics, Indians, Koreans and Filipinos grew within our area

1980's 1990's	The late 20th century saw the arrival of Asians and Eastern Europeans including immigrants from Vietnam, Laos, Albania, Bosnia, the former Yugoslavia and the Arab States.

2000 and beyond	As we dedicate this Peace Plaza, Rockford area children are speaking fifty-five different native languages. We pray that all children can grow up in peaceful communities where respect and tolerance for our differences are encouraged.