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Twenty-five Years of Serving History to the Rockford Area
Andrea Guzzo
Midway Village and Museum Center, which lays on 137 acres of land, is a place where many go to learn about Rockford's history. Over the past twenty-five years, the museum has provided numerous exhibits ranging from "Sheep to Shawl" to the industrial manufacturers of Rockford. There is also a turn-of-the-century village that portrays life in the early nineteenth century. The museum was created by people who did not want the history of Rockford to be forgotten. Individuals from three local Organizations worked to preserve Rockford's history. The three societies also combined forces to obtain park district support, and to broaden interest in Rockford. In 1971 the Swedish, Rockford, and Harlem Historical
Societies combined forces to form the Rockford Museum Association. Many individuals helped create Midway Village. Chief among them were Mary Barb Martin Bittle, Harold O'Donnell, and Carl Severin. Bittle, who later became the chairperson at the ground-breaking ceremony for the museum center, was one of the founders of the Harlem Historical Society, and one of the people who presented the idea of merging with the Rockford Park District. After her presentation, the park district and the Rockford Museum Association made an agreement. O'Donnell came to Rockford during World War II to run an electrical school at Camp Grant. O'Donnell married Helen Trahern, and her father piqued O'Donnell's interest in Rockford history. O'Donnell financed a twenty-thousand-dollar diorama of the water power district that he donated to the Rockford Museum. Another of the founders was Carl Severin. He donated half of the museum's first thirteen acres and also donated countless hours of labor. Because of Carl Severin's philanthropic gesture the lake near the museum was named Lake Severin. Many obstacles had to be overcome before the museum could begin. One was money. Where were they going to get the money to start the museum? The answer: donations. The museum received donations from different organizations and from individuals. Local citizens also donated buildings and artifacts. People were also needed to help build the museum. As soon as the word got out that there was the possibility of a museum, people volunteered to help. Something that makes Midway Village and Museum Center distinctive is the walk-through. The village consists of different buildings that date from about 1900 or earlier. Few other museums have a village with staff and volunteers dressed in period clothing ready to interpret the lives of those from the era, give the history of the buildings, and answer any questions visitors might have. The purpose of the village is to show people what it would be like to live in early-nineteenth-century northwestern Illinois. It gives a chance for people to look at the way their ancestors lived. Children learn local history almost effortlessly. Eighteen buildings constitute the village. Some of those include the Midway Community Church built in 1890 as the Bethel Community Church in Harrison Township. The Old Stone School, a one-room wooden schoolhouse built in 1902, originally stood near the town of Byron. The stone structure was reconstructed after it was destroyed by fire. The Harlem Town Hall was moved from the corner of Harlem and Forest Hills Roads in Rockford. This building, which once was considered the social center of the community, was built in 1874 at a cost of $41,095. The Breckenridge House, which was originally located at what is now the corner of Spring Brook and Mulford Roads in Rockford, was the pre-Civil War home of the village seamstress. Other buildings lining the village's gravel street are the general store, the hardware store, the police station, the fire station, the hotel, and the blacksmith shop. For those who enjoy reading and looking at historical artifacts, there is much to do at Midway Village and Museum Center. In the history building visitors can peruse a variety of exhibits and find information on Rockford and Winnebago County. There is an exhibit on the Rockford Peaches—a women's professional baseball team—and another on clothing styles of a century ago. The industrial building, attached to the historical building, opened in 1976. By 1985 the industrial building represented thirty-two local industries. Rockford's Midway Village and Museum Center is a place where one can learn about Rockford's and Winnebago County's history. The museum is celebrating twenty-five years of operation in 1999.— [From "Breathing Life into History," Rockford Register Star, Mar. 6, 1988; '"Few Facts' Research Formed Full Society," Morning Star-Register Republic, Aug. 22, 1974; "Guess Who Finds Roost at Museum," Rockford Register Star, Feb. 16, 1975; "Historic Museum Built with Dreams," Rockford Register Star, Dec. 16, 1974; "In Memory of Mary Barb Martin Bittle and Alien C. Mallquist, " Midway Village and Museum Center Newsletter, Sept. 1998; John W. Lundin, Rockford; "Midway Village: Ideal Name," Rockford Register Star, April 8, 1975; "Rockford Museum Center Preserves Turn-of-the-Century," The TAB News Section, Jan. 24, 1985; "New Museum Director Envisions Williamsburg," Rockford Register Star, May 9, 1984; student historian's interview with Lucy Eklund, Jan. 6, 1999; student historian's interview with Katherine Hughes, Jan. 6, 1999; "Village Gets Name, Bright Future," Rockford Register Star, April 6, 1975; Daniel Voll, Common Ground-Visual History of Rockford Park District (video), Rockford Park District.]
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