Tag: Rockton

Rockton is a village in Winnebago County, Illinois, United States located on the banks of the Rock River. It is part of the Rockford, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 7,685 at the 2010 census, up from 5,296 at the 2000 census.
Rockton is located at 42°27′3″N 89°3′50″W / 42.45083°N 89.06389°W / 42.45083; -89.06389 (42.450753, -89.063844).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 3.7 square miles (9.6 km), of which, 3.5 square miles (9.1 km) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.52 km) of it (4.86%) is water.
Native American tribes originally inhabited the area. Stephen Mack, Jr., who married the Native American princess named Hononegah, is considered the founder of the Rockton area. His original outpost (c. 1830s) became part of an area called Macktown. He was the first white settler in the area. Citizens lived in Macktown and would commute to Rockton over the Rock River. In the winter of 1846 an ice jam damaged the…