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The History of North End Square Neighborhood
Schools
Greenwood Cemetery
Buildings/Homes of Interest
Rockford/North End Square Area Maps 1853-1905
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Today's North End Square neighborhood was annexed by the City of Rockford on May 23, 1911 (3:42 PM). However, the streets, generally as they exist today, existed as early as 1892. Although the City at that time had a population of approximately 20,000, the northern concentration of residences was in the vicinity of North Main and Whitman.
Schools
A one-room rural school (West View District 68) was situated near the southeast corner of Main and Halsted, on the site previously occupied by Keide's Restaurant (now a self-storage business). It was established before 1853. Children from nearby farms went to this school, including the John, Brown, Halsted, Lake, Willoughby, and Eddy families. In the 1890's children in the growing area to the south attended the North End School, built in 1891 at 1221 Custer (current site of Third Presbyterian Church). This school was abandoned in 1912 when Walker School was opened, and the premises were subsequently purchased by Third Presbyterian Church in 1913. When North End School was closed, the West View School, near Halsted and Main, was expanded to two rooms.
Welsh School, named in honor of R. K. Welsh, was opened in 1927 at the northwest corner of Custer Avenue and Huffman Boulevard. The school's namesake, R. K. Welsh, died on August 2, 1942, at the age of 80 years. A prominent lawyer and retired judge, Welsh was active in education and government, organizing the first Rockford Board of Education and acting as its first President. He was also an organizer and first President of the Chamber of Commerce.
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Greenwood Cemetery
Chartered in 1845, it was originally located near today's Cedar-Winnebago Street intersection, where the earliest burial was made about 1838. Rockford Cemetery was rechartered in 1852, and later, relics of early graves were moved to present-day Greenwood Cemetery, which, by 1892, was identified as West Side Cemetery.
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Buildings/Homes of Interest
 The Talcott residence, on Main Street, north of Whitman.
The sketch to the right shows that the area was not built up in 1856, when the sketch was made. In 1856, Rockford's population was approximately 13,000. At the time, the residence was beyond the northern city limits, which were extended to present day Auburn Street by 1886, to Custer in 1911, and to Riverside in 1952.
In the late 1800's and early 1900's, North End Square had a growing City to its south and prosperous farmer's to the north. Among these farming families were the Eddy's, the Willoughby's, and the Halsteds.
In the late 1800's and early 1900's, North End Square had a growing City to its south and prosperous farmer's to the north. Among these farming families were the Eddy's, the Willoughby's, and the Halsteds.
 Otis Eddy Farmhouse
The former Otis Eddy farmhouse restored by Village Green Nurseries in 1987, was built in 1876. Eddy purchased the farm in 1864, after coming to Rockford in 1861. Architectually, the building isn't significant, except that it's unusually large (5,650 square feet) for a farmhouse. It has fourteen rooms, on four levels (including the basement). It features uncommonly large windows (3' x 7'; 31 of them, most with original panes, and most shuttered outside. It also features high ceilings (10'9" main floor; 9'6" upstairs). The house was continually occupied from 1876 until 1987. However, in the 1950's the grounds became overgrown with trees, to muffle traffic noise, when Main Street became four lanes. Many people passing by on Main didn't realize that in the thick overgrowth of trees there was a huge house and barn, with an Otis Eddy descendent living in the house. She died in 1987 and is buried in Greenwood Cemetery..
Otis Eddy, who built the farmhouse, was born in Rhode Island in 1804 (the seventh descending generation of his 1630 immigrant ancestor, Samuel Eddy (1608-1687) from Cranbrook, Kent, England). Otis Eddy died in Rockford in 1907. At the time of his death, he was the oldest mason in the world and the oldest person in Rockford.
 Jonathan B. Halsted Farmhouse
The Halsted farm consisted of 300 acres, starting at the southwest corner of Main and Halsted and running west. The Halsted farmhouse was built in 1859 and still remains at 3318 N. Main, along with the original wrought-iron fencing.
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The History of North End Square and Surrounding Area in Maps, 1853 -- 1905 |
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The five maps below provide topographic snapshots of change in and near the North End Square neighborhood between 1853 and 1905. Click the thumbnails to enlarge a map (Thanks to Gertrude Smith Klimek, mother of Village Green's owner, for the first three maps!).
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Northwest Rockford, 1853. The only current landmarks visible are Auburn and Main Streets. Notice the school near the southeast corner of Halsted and Main. This eventually became the Westview School and was located on the site of the former Keide's Restaurant, currently a self-storage business. The Regan plot at the SW corner of Main & Halsted was purchased by Jonathan B. Halsted and he built a farmhouse on the property at 3318 N. Main in 1859. The farmhouse, with original wrought-iron fence, is still there today.
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 Northwest Rockford, 1871. Changes from the (previous) 1853 map: (1) Otis Eddy (for whom Eddy Avenue, next to the present Eagle's Supermarket, was named) is shown as the owner of a plot of land west of Main and, further north, east of Main, (2) A cemetery has emerged at Auburn and Main Streets, (3) Willoughby (for whom Willoughby Avenue is named, and whose daughter would subsequently marry the son of Otis Eddy) is shown as the owner of land on the east side of N. Main. This farm would eventually become the current Rockford Country Club, and (4) WestView School is shown approximately at the SE corner of N. Main and Halsted.
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Northwest Rockford, 1886. Changes from the (previous) 1871 map: Railroad tracks have been installed. This probably was a reflection of railroad expansion, following the railroads coming to Rockford in the 1850's. Latter resulted in the creation of Greenwood Cemetery in 1852, when the former cemetery (under the present Winnebago Viaduct) was converted to a rail yard.
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 Northwest Rockford, 1892. Changes from (previous) 1886 map: (1) Cemetery name has been changed from Rockford Cemetery to West Side Cemetery, (2) former Willoughby farm has been subdivided into a neighborhood known as "Edgewater," and (3) the current North End Square neighborhood (although not yet within the City Limits) is visible. This may have resulted from Edward H. Marsh's purchase of land in 1890, including what is now the Edgewater Neighborhood. Also, in 1891 Winthrop Ingersoll brought his company to Rockford from Cleveland, building a plant on Fulton Avenue. The Schumann Piano Factory was also built on Fulton, next door to Ingersoll. Also, the Rockford Chair Company and Van Wie Stove Company were founded about this time. The combination of E. H. Marsh's development efforts, northward expansion of Rockford, industrialized growth in the area, and the installation of trolley lines (enabling citizens to live in the "suburbs" and work downtown) contributed to expanded housing.
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Northwest Rockford, 1905. Notice "Thomas Street" (currently Ridge Avenue) and "Oakley Street" (currently Hecker Avenue, one block west of N. Main). Except for these, the streets in 1905 were the same as they are today. Notice that the current Welsh School (Custer & Huffman Blvd) was part of the Palmer & Kings subdivision and was subdivided into plats, with Price and Bruner running north to Brown (currently these two streets end at Custer). In 1905 the northern boundary of the City of Rockford was still Auburn Street. The area north of Auburn (current North End Square) was annexed into the City on May 23, 1911.
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