Rockford, Jackson County, Indiana
Encyclopedia
Rockford is an unincorporated town in Redding Township
, Jackson County
, Indiana
.
where easier crossing was permitted by a rock river bottom.
The area was first settled in about 1813 by James Reno, who was the grandfather of the infamous Reno Gang
.
The small community was known as New Rockford and Old Rockford in the 1840s.
In 1854, the terminus of the north-south Jeffersonville, Madison and Indianapolis Railroad
was in Rockford.
It was known as a pork packing center and had several established businesses such as a grist mill, post office, Masonic Lodge
and a newspaper.
The last newspaper, the Rockford Herald, was printed by Dr Jasper Monroe in 1857. He was persuaded to move to nearby Seymour, Indiana
by the town's founder, Meedy Shields
, where he published under the name Seymour Times.1
Meedy Shields, through skillful maneuvering, succeeded in getting a new east-west rail stop of the Ohio and Mississippi Railroad
two miles south of Rockford, which spelled eventual economic doom.
Most original structures were burned out in the 1860s and much of the unkept property was owned by the Reno family.1
page for external links which describe the eventual demise and criminal activity in and around Rockford in the 1860s.
Redding Township, Jackson County, Indiana
Redding Township is one of twelve townships in Jackson County, Indiana, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 4,002.-Geography:Redding Township covers an area of ; of this, or 1.57 percent is water. Lakes in this township include Peters Lake...
, Jackson County
Jackson County, Indiana
Jackson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2010, the population was 42,376. The county seat is Brownstown.-History:...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
.
History
Rockford was named for the "rocky ford" of the East Fork of the White RiverWhite River (Indiana)
The White River is a two-forked river that flows through central and southern Indiana and is the main tributary to the Wabash River. Via the west fork, considered to be the main stem of the river by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names, the White River is long.-West Fork:The West Fork, long, is...
where easier crossing was permitted by a rock river bottom.
The area was first settled in about 1813 by James Reno, who was the grandfather of the infamous Reno Gang
Reno Gang
The Reno Brothers Gang, also known as the Reno Gang and The Jackson Thieves, were a group of criminals that operated in the Midwestern United States during and just after the American Civil War. Though short-lived, they carried out the first three peacetime train robberies in U.S. history...
.
The small community was known as New Rockford and Old Rockford in the 1840s.
In 1854, the terminus of the north-south Jeffersonville, Madison and Indianapolis Railroad
Jeffersonville, Madison and Indianapolis Railroad
The Jeffersonville, Madison and Indianapolis Railroad was formed in 1866 as a merger between the Indianapolis and Madison Railroad and the Jeffersonville Railroad.- Genealogy :*Jeffersonville, Madison and Indianapolis Railroad...
was in Rockford.
It was known as a pork packing center and had several established businesses such as a grist mill, post office, Masonic Lodge
Masonic Lodge
This article is about the Masonic term for a membership group. For buildings named Masonic Lodge, see Masonic Lodge A Masonic Lodge, often termed a Private Lodge or Constituent Lodge, is the basic organisation of Freemasonry...
and a newspaper.
The last newspaper, the Rockford Herald, was printed by Dr Jasper Monroe in 1857. He was persuaded to move to nearby Seymour, Indiana
Seymour, Indiana
Seymour was the site of the World's First Train Robbery, committed by the local Reno Gang, on October 6, 1866 just east of town. The gang was put into prison for the robbery, and later hanged at Hangman's Crossing outside of town....
by the town's founder, Meedy Shields
Meedy Shields
Meedy White Shields was an early Indiana Pioneer, the founder of Seymour, Indiana, a successful capitalist and Indiana politician...
, where he published under the name Seymour Times.1
Meedy Shields, through skillful maneuvering, succeeded in getting a new east-west rail stop of the Ohio and Mississippi Railroad
Ohio and Mississippi Railroad
The Ohio and Mississippi Railway was a railroad operating between Cincinnati, Ohio, and East St. Louis, Illinois, from 1857 to 1893.General Ormsby M. Mitchel was a civil engineer on this project....
two miles south of Rockford, which spelled eventual economic doom.
Most original structures were burned out in the 1860s and much of the unkept property was owned by the Reno family.1
Further reading
See wiki's Reno GangReno Gang
The Reno Brothers Gang, also known as the Reno Gang and The Jackson Thieves, were a group of criminals that operated in the Midwestern United States during and just after the American Civil War. Though short-lived, they carried out the first three peacetime train robberies in U.S. history...
page for external links which describe the eventual demise and criminal activity in and around Rockford in the 1860s.