Rockford

History

The area was first settled by Marlin Hunter, who settled along the Rogue River in 1842. By 1845, several other families arrived and settled the community under the name Laphamville, and the community received a post office under that name. The community was platted in 1865 and incorporated as a village in 1866. At that time, the community's name changed to Rockford. The community was originally based around the lumber industry but was soon supported by a shoe factory and tannery at the turn of the century. The village incorporated as a city in 1935. Footwear manufacturer Wolverine World Wide has major operations in the city for over 100 years. In modern times, its former tannery site used Scotchgard chemicals to waterproof shoes, which contaminated local areas with the active ingredients at the time of PFOA and PFOS. The downtown area hosts a farmers market every Saturday from May through October. The city also hosts a Fall Harvest Festival. The Start of Summer Celebration is a community organization and carnival annually held in early June at the beginning of summertime.

Geography

According to the Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which, is land and (2.13%) is water. White Pine Trail State Park runs through the downtown area of Rockford, next to the Rogue River and the Rockford Dam. Indian Trails provides daily intercity bus service between Grand Rapids, Michigan and St. Ignace.

Race & ethnicity