Rockford, Ohio
| Rockford, Ohio | |
|---|---|
| Village | |
Main Street downtown
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| Motto: "Oldest Village in Mercer County" | |
 Location in Mercer County and the state of Ohio. |
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| Coordinates: 40°41′28″N 84°38′55″W / 40.69111°N 84.64861°WCoordinates: 40°41′28″N 84°38′55″W / 40.69111°N 84.64861°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Ohio |
| County | Mercer |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Amy Joseph |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.84 sq mi (2.18 km2) |
| • Land | 0.82 sq mi (2.12 km2) |
| • Water | 0.02 sq mi (0.05 km2) |
| Elevation | 814 ft (248 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 1,120 |
| • Estimate (2012) | 1,117 |
| • Density | 1,365.9/sq mi (527.4/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 45882 |
| Area code(s) | 419 |
| FIPS code | 39-67874 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1061624 |
| Website | http://www.rockfordohio.org/ |
Rockford is a village in Mercer County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,120 at the 2010 census.
Deep into remote times dip the history of what once was Shanesville, later Shane's Crossing, and last by Post Office Department decree, Rockford. This community is rich in lore and legend.
There is no doubt that the high ground adjacent to the St. Marys River at Rockford served as a camping ground and village site for Native American tribes long before Columbus discovered America. Weapons, tools, arrow heads and stone axes tell of long occupancy.
From time immemorial the St. Marys River has been a busy thoroughfare for traders, trappers, and adventurers. Trails along the banks of the rivers were used greatly, one of these became known as the Piqua-Fort Wayne Trail, which crossed to the north side of the river here, a part of the journey from the Great Lakes to the Ohio River.
The earliest records of the history of Rockford and community, begins with that of Anthony Madore, a French-Indian who ran a trading post located just north of the Junction of Routes 118 and 33, and east of the Rockford American Legion home. It is not known how long Madore owned the post, but he died around 1815.
A few years before this period were the bloody Indian Wars. The Miamis and the Shawnees and other tribes were then entrenched in their stronghold at Fort Wayne. General Josiah Harmar and his army went through Rockford en route to Fort Wayne where he was more or less defeated.
This bloodshed went on unchecked until General Anthony Wayne came on the scene. After mopping up at Fort Recovery, he built a stockade which was unsuccessfully stormed by the Indians. He made his way diagonally across Mercer County to the St. Marys where he built Fort Adams, a temporary relay station and supply depot, east of U.S. Route 127, North of Mercer. Wayne and his army dealt the Indians many defeats.
During the War of 1812, Rockford heard martial music. General William Henry Harrison camped here with his army en route to Detroit to fight the British and their Indian allies. He was joined at Rockford by 200 mounted Ohio volunteers and 800 foot soldiers. The Indians who were besieging the garrison at Fort Wayne fled when Harrison's army approached. When Tecumseh, the famous Indian warrior was killed in a duel with Col. Richard M. Johnson at the Battle of Thames, this almost ended the War of 1812 in this country.
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Wikipedia