The Village of Rockton, founded by William Talcott, began as a settlement across the Rock River, opposite that of Macktown. It was officially named in 1846 or 1847, and grew after the death of Stephen Mack in 1850 and destruction of the connecting bridge in 1851, causing citizens to permanently consolidate in Rockton.

Population: 7,613 (U.S. Census Bureau 2013 estimate) up from 5,558 in 2000.

Schools: Rockton School District 140 contains Rockton Grade School for grades K-2, Whitman Post Elementary for grades 3-5, and Stephen Mack Middle School. Hononegah High School for grades 9-plus is in District 207.

Famous Natives: Hononegah, wife of Stephen Mack. She was a respected Native American woman of the area and helped introduce Mack to the area. The two of them founded a small trading post, which eventually became Macktown. Hononegah High School and Hononegah Forest Preserve are named after her.

Don’t Miss: Macktown, historic settlement that shows how life was lived in the early 1800’s with Stephen Mack’s home, the Whitman Trading Post, and programs from the Macktown Living History Education Center. Reconstruction and restoration of the area have are underway to replicate the nearby village in the same time period. Open to the general public at 2221 Freeport Road. Rockton is also home to dozens of vintage buildings, including a historic district bounded by River, Warren, Cherry, and West Streets.

Long gone: Rockton was known as home to the Wagon Wheel Resort, major tourist attraction in the 1950s and 1960s and home to shops, a golf course, restaurants, dinner theater, horseback riding stablesand an ice skating rink. A series of fires in the 1990s damaged much of the resort and it was finally demolished in 2004.

Also check out: Hononegah Forest Preserve, the oldest forest preserve in the area, measuring at 228 acres with multiple sports fields, rest stops, campgrounds, and biking trails. Also contains 2 miles of hiking trails and access to the Rock River for boating and swimming. Open to the public at 80 Hononegah Road. T

Community Festival: Old Settler’s Days is the village’s summer festival, running this year from June 18-21. Attractions include music performances, parades, rides, and games. Blood donation drives are run during the event, and all proceeds go back directly to Rockton.

Coming Up: Hug An Athlete 5K, the annual Special Olympics run, will be held Feb. 22 at 1006 West Lincoln Ave. Athletes who finish get free hugs at the end of the race, and all proceeds will go to equipment and uniforms for next year. Entrance fee is $30, or $35 the day of the event.

Sources: The Village of Rockton, http://www.rocktonvillage.com/, Rockton School District, http://www.rockton140.org/, Macktown Living History, www.macktownlivinghistory.com, Old Settler’s Days, www.oldsettlersdays.com. Written by Matt McCarthy, photos by Winnebago Chronicle.