Rockford History

The Birth of Rockford Illinois: An Activity Book By: Bobbi Koch Montessori School 7-13-07 Units 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Settlement and Birth of Rockford Shelter and Buildings Tools and Items for Work and Comfort Food and Clothing Transportation Communication Professions Social Comforts Politics Famous People Germanicus Kent along with his friend Thatcher Blake desired to form a new town between Galena and Chicago. Pictures from: Burke, 1982 When Blake and Kent left Galena they traveled to a spot like this along the Rock River to set up what would later become Rockford. Picture from: Lundin, 1996 The Journey Kent and Blake set out from Galena in the spring of 1834 to form a new town in between Galena and Chicago. They traveled by wagon, canoe and on foot on their journey. They came in contact with Stephan Mack in the northern area of the Rock River and with American Indians in the area now known as Freeport. They finally settled on an area. Upon an examination they discovered a place that was on high ground to avoid any health issues from the creeks and rivers which would be a good source of trade and travel. They saw land that would be good for the farming of cash and food crops and an abundance of fine wood for construction and development. Once the decision to start a town on this spot was completed the two men went back to Galena and stocked up on supplies and also brought with them 2 others to help with the work. One was named Evans and the other was thought to be a slave (Believed by some to be Lewis Lemon). They arrived in the area now known as Rockford on the evening of August 24th, 1834. Work began to build the settlement. The Settlement Work started with the building of two cabins for the men to live in, such as the one pictured below. Picture from: Lundin, 1996 During the initial time in the currently un-named settlement the first order of business was to construct a dam and a sawmill, which would help lead to future growth and prosperity. As time went on more men were need to help the settlement grow. It was in the spring of 1835 that another settler set his sights on the new area and that was Daniel S. Haight. He was so sure that he wanted to settle here that he brought his wife, sister and a hired man with him. With the addition of Kent’s wife who came near the end of his new home being built there were now 3 women in the settlement. Blake by this time had started to farm and Kent’s sawmill was becoming very busy. It was at this time that Mrs. Kent gave the still un-named settlement the title Midway. Some feel that this was because the settlement was midway between Galena and Chicago. The name Rockford did not come until some time later. There are several stories as to how and where the name came from. Some feel it is from the fact that the Indians used to cross the river in this area and the Indian word for this place is Rock Ford. Another is that on a trip to Chicago the Dr. Goodhue stated “Why not Rockford for the splendid rock bottom ford”(Lundgren, 1967). Shelter and Buildings The first homes in the area were very primitive in there construction. Better constructed and much more modern homes for the time and buildings would come over time. Haight would be the responsible for several building firsts in Rockford. He was the first to build a house on the east side of the river. His house was approximately 18 feet x 18 feet and had a cellar. His cabin was constructed of Oak logs which was a very common wood for the area and was built without any nails. His floors were not the normal dirt floors that most cabins had. He had Puncheon floors, which were logs that had been split and were laid flat side up. Haight was also the first to build frame home in Winnebago County. His home is pictured below. Picture from: Bateman, 1916 When Haight and his family moved into their frame home they were the first to move out of a cabin. As more people made money they were able to afford wood and would also build a frame home. However, as soon as six years after Rockford’s beginning bricks were being used to build buildings and homes, as seen in the picture below. Picture from: Lundin, 1996 Rockford was growing as a town and the pride in the area showed in the houses and the structures all around town. Many visitors would comment how beautiful they thought the area was. The towns charm was one of the draws that brought new settlers. Emerson House 1855, Picture from: Johnson, 2003 Purchase of Land When early settlers came to Rockford they would simply stake their claim to the land they wanted and would put up a fence. They would not however own this land until they officially bought it from the government. The problem was many people did not have the $1.25 an acre to pay for the land so they would just stay on, farm on or build a house there until they were able to pay. However, at times multiple people would stake a claim to the land or the government may have already promised the land to half breed Indians and sometimes people such as Polish immigrants. Therefore, sometimes it took many years to settle the issues surround the purchase of land. Tools and Items for Work and Comfort In the time of Rockford’s beginnings there were not the luxuries we have today. Many of the items were both very basic and very necessary to survive. One of the most used was the wagon. The wagon was used to haul equipment and supplies and as a way to get around. Picture from: Kids Discovery Pioneers, 1999 Other tools that were useful were ones that helped get a job done, such as those for farming. Pictures from: Strohl & Schneck, 1991 Other items would be those found in the house. Tools that helped to cook, see, or even eat. Oil Lamp Heating and cooking stove Pictures from: www.loc.gov Pictures from: Strohl & Schneck, 1991 Other tools were used to provide some comforts in life. Pictures from: Strohl & Schneck, 1991 Pictures from: Strohl & Schneck, 1991 Food and Clothing The diet and foods of people in the early times in Rockford was based heavily on the foods that were found, grown, hunted or bought from other settlers. The settlers diet was many times centered around foods found or grown during certain seasons. Many food s may be grown on family farms or in family gardens. Some food may be traded with another settler, or at a trading post. With other foods such as meats coming from animals hunted or from animals that were once livestock on the farm. Year round -salt pork -potatoes -corn and oat meal -bread -milk, cheese, and butter Spring & Summer -fresh greens such as dandelion leaves -eggs -maple syrup -honey -fish and eels -fresh vegetables (grown in home gardens) -squirrel Fall & Winter -venison -pigeons -wild geese, partridge, chicken and turkeys -hares -preserved meat from livestock ( salt pork, sausages, smoked ham) -dried apples -root vegetables (carrots, onions, potatoes - stored in root cellar) http://www.projects.yrdsb.edu.on.ca/pioneer/pioneer_home.htm When it came time to cook these foods the measurements that we use today were not used. We may say today add 1 tablespoon of butter, but in early times those tools were not always available in many households so relationships were used instead and one may say add a hens egg size of butter to the recipe. Often if one had only one spoon or one cup they would use that and estimate how much a ¼ or ½ a cup or tea or table spoon would be. When it came to cooking the food we say cook it for 45 minutes or cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes. However, they would say cook it for ¾ hour or 1 ¼ hour. Just like if we would say it is 1:30 in the afternoon. Time was measured or expressed in fraction form and one may say 1 ½ o’ clock. Some popular recipes at the time may have been: Corn Meal Rusks: 6 cups corn meal, 4 cups wheat flour, 2 cups molasses, 2 tablespoons saleratus, mix into dough and bake ¾ hour. Recipe from the Winnebago Forum, August 11, 1843 Found in: Lundgren, 1967 Molasses Pies 2 cups molasses, 1 cup vinegar, and 3 tablespoons of flour wet up in a cup of water. Add butter the size of a hen’s egg, stir while boiling until it thickens. Flavor with nutmeg or lemon. Recipe from the Rockford Republic, Dec. 16, 1853 in: Lundgren, 1967 Found Try one of these recipes: Try one of these recipes: Clothing for people in the early days of Rockford were limited. The clothes they did have had to be very durable and versatile. Women and girls would wear simple dresses usually made of cotton. They would normally have two every day dresses and one Sunday dress. These dresses were several inches shorter than normal because of the dirt and mud, and would be covered with an apron to help keep the dress clean. Most women and girls would wear a bonnet or some type of head cover and at least one petticoat under their dress. Men and boys clothes had to be tough to deal with the wear and tear from farming or other manual labor. Men and boys would wear cotton or wool pants or even jeans. Suspenders were worn to hold up their pants. Cotton shirts which were many times covered by a vest. A hat to shade them from the sun and weather and leather boots. An example of a families everyday dress: Picture from: Kids Discovery Pioneers, 1999 Transportation When it comes to travel it was not easy to get around. The roads were many times rough gouges or trenches that had been made from repeat travel. Picture from: www.loc.gov It took time for real roads to be made. In town areas were cleared of brush to make travel easier. However, these were still basic dirt paths. It was not until 1836 that the government order a state road be made from Galena and Chicago. Then Rockford had its first real road that later became State Street. After this, trails or roads started to lead out of town in many areas and to many places that we now travel today. It would be sometime before the roads would be laid with crushed stone, bricks or planks to make more formal roads. These were useful for the wagons, horses or the future stage coaches that would help people to get around. The Stage Coach The stage coach was a source of transportation that people started to use. It was a wagon that would travel on a regular basis to specific destinations. Picture from: Nelson, 1968 The stage coach only traveled on certain days and would travel at a speed of 4 miles-per-hour. The cost of a ride from Chicago to Galena was $5.00 each way. The coach would leave Chicago at 2 A.M. and arrive in Rockford at Midnight depending on the weather. These were not the most comfortable way to travel. They had hard narrow seats that many times were over crowded. Many times people actually had to walk along the side of the stage coach due to crowding. One problem that came with this form of travel was the risk of thefts from roadside bandits. Who at times could steal the luggage without anyone even knowing what happened until the end of the trip. Water Travel Water travel was a natural source for Rockfordians. With the Rock River it offered many forms of water travel. From the use of a simple canoe to a flat bottom boat. People also would simply ford across the river by either tying their wagons together and driving through the river or by floating across on their own or on some planks or logs. Picture from: Kids Discovery Pioneers, 1999 As the number of travelers grew the size and need for transportation also grew. This lead to the use of ferry’s to get across the river. The ferry in Rockford ran across the Rock in the same place as the State Street bridge today. The ferry consisted of two forms of boats. The first, a skiff which was a light weight boat that would carry passengers and the second a scow which was a flat bottom raft like boat. Picture from: Kids Discovery Pioneers, 1999 The cost for the ferry ride varied depending on the size and what was being hauled. In this time shillings were used for money. A shilling was equal to 12.5 cents. Man on foot = ½ a shilling – 6 ¼ cents Man on horseback = 2 shillings – 25 cents A wagon, cart or carriage with a horse, mule or ox = 3 shillings - 37.5 cents If drawn by 2 animals = 5 shillings – 62.5 cents Hogs, sheep and goats = 4 shillings a score – 50 cents Score = 20 animals Steamers As time went on and technology advanced water travel steamers were used to travel on the river. The problem was however that the river was very shallow in some spots making it difficult for many to travel to Rockford. It took some engineering on the part of the citizens of Rockford to dig a trench in the river and clear debris to allow for frequent stops and use of steamers. However, the rewards the steamers brought was worth the time and effort it took to alter the river. Picture from: Nelson,1988 Bridges To make it easier to cross the river the idea of building a bridge was discussed. The two sides of the river was feeling like separate towns instead of the same place. The first bridge was built of oak logs that were to be supported by rocks on each side of the river. However, on Christmas night in 1843 the parts of the bridge that were up were pushed up and sent down river. The parts were recovered and put back together ata cost of $5500. The bridge was designed to flow into two tracks, one going and one coming. First bridge in Rockford. Picture taken from: Lundin, 1996 As time aged the bridge and traffic needs grew it was determined that a new bridge was needed. In 1853 construction began on the new covered bridge. The bridge was very costly and the city borrowed 15 thousand dollars in bonds from people out east. Picture taken from: Lundin, 1996 Railroad The railroad had been in existence in the country for several years before planning began to bring it to Rockford. The railroad was many times faster than a wagon a boat or the stage coach. This would be great addition for the town and would propel the city forward in its ability to grow, develop and expand trade and business. Planning to bring the railroad to Rockford began in 1847. It would take until August of 1852 for the train to finally make its arrival to much fanfare and a party. From that day on Rockford felt it was a big city. A train sitting near a factory in Rockford in the 1850’s Picture from: Lundin,1996 Communication As it is today keeping in touch with friends and family is important. Mail was something that came from time to time, not everyday. In 1837 Daniel Haight was made postmaster and a post office was built at 107 S. Madison. Some of the first mail arrived in September to what should have been an exciting day. However, the mailpouch was sent without the key required to open it. It would take some time for the mail to return with the key need to open the pouch. As time went on mail came more often and people began to send more and more packages and letters to friends and family. Which required a new post office be built on East State Street one year after the first went up. Postage Rates Postage was between 6 cents and 25 cents based on the distance. 30 miles or less = 6 cents Under 80 miles = 8 cents Under 150 miles = 12 ½ cents Under 400 miles 18 ¾ cents More than 400 miles = 25 cents Telegraph In 1844 the story of the first telegraph reached the town of Rockford. It was not until 1850 that it finally came to Rockford after a cost of more than $2000 to the citizens. The town was hooked up to the Milwaukee and Chicago lines and eventually national and world wide. Picture From: www.telegraphmachine.com Newspaper Another form of sharing information was achieved through that of newspapers. Newspapers were able to share local information and some limited national news. It was not until the advent of the telegraph that more up to date news was able to be shared rapidly. The Rock River Express was the first newspaper in Rockford, with an initial publishing in May of 1840. This paper was circulated weekly. This paper did not last long because people refused to pay their bill. The second newspaper to come to Rockford was the Rockford Star in 1840, which lasted a very short time also. The third paper to arrive in Rockford was the Rockford Pilot in 1841. This was also a short lived paper which only lasted around a year. The follow up paper was the Rockford Forum which ran for 10 years. Which was longer than all the other papers combined. Other papers of the time included the Rock River Democrat, the Rockford Republican and the Rockford News. The paper layout was different from today. The paper did not have any headlines, but rather re-printed a story from a magazine on the first page. The Second page was used to finish the story from the front page and to post little short stories. Some of the stories were funny, some had interesting facts and some had morals. Farther in the paper were the editorials and the death notices, marriage notices and other facts. Many parts of the paper was dedicated to swap or trade notices and to advertising sales or products ads and advertising recipes. Professions One of the basic professions of the time was that of a farmer. A farmer was able to provide food for both himself and his neighbors. He could use his crop as if it were money to also pay for goods and services. Picture from: Lundin, 1996 Another vital job was that of the sawmill owner. The sawmill provided lumber for buildings and lead to growth and increased construction. Picture from: www.sawmillhistory.com A blacksmith was vital in the frontier land. The blacksmith would make shoes for animals, make nails, tools or other metal work products. He would help repair broken farm equipment and make new parts for buildings and factories. Picture from: Lundin, 1996 Just as today people became sick in the early days of Rockford's history. Therefore it was important to have a doctor that was able to offer aid and fix injuries whenever they happened and in a very dangerous time of farming and other hard jobs injuries happened often. One of the first hospitals in Rockford Picture from: Lundin, 1996 As Rockford grew the need for a way of protecting ones money and a place to borrow money banks became necessary and the first opened in 1848. First Bank Picture from: Lundin, 1996 People had needs for supplies. Some things could be made, traded for or grown, but some things had to be bought. It was from this need that stores were built. One of the first stores was housed in a log cabin and carried simple groceries, dress goods and tools and hardware products. However, in less than 20 years Rockford would have grown to have numerous stores of many different types. Many of these Dry Good stores carried a much wider inventory of items and merchandise. A sample of a Dry Good Store that was found in Rockford. Pictures from: Lundin, 1996 A newspaper story listed a inventory of local stores some 20 years after the first stores in Rockford had opened. 24 Dry Good Stores 10 Tailoring Shops Drug Stores Groceries Boot & Shoe Shops Hardware Stores Book Stores Harness Shops Millinery Shops Meat Markets Jewelry Stores Bakeries Barber Shops Tin Shops Livery Stables Gun Shops Music Store Hat Stores Tobacconist Daguerrean Parlors Crockery Store 6 List From: Lundgren, 1967 14 6 5 3 5 9 4 4 3 4 5 3 2 1 2 1 2 1 Early Drug Store in Rockford. Picture from: Lundin, 1996 As Rockford grew and people came to visit and need arose for a place for them to stay. This helped to bring a start of hotels in Rockford. In 1837 Rockford’s first Hotel was the Rockford House. It was located near the corner of State and Madison. Two of the more prominent hotels of that time were the Washington House and the American House, which were well known for their dinners. It was in 1856 that the most prominent hotel was finished the Holland House. It was a four story building in the front and 5 story in the rear because the hotel slanted towards the river. It was shaped in an L and covered a large area of Main and Elm streets. The Hotel was built at a cost of over 70 thousand dollars. Holland House Hotel Picture from: Lundin, 1996 Social Comforts When people came to the Rockford area they also were seeking quality of life comforts. Those would come from the growth of churches, schools and libraries and other clubs and organizations. The people in the area were usually frequent church goers. However, before churches were built the people were preached to by traveling ministers known as circuit riders or would read the Bible at home on their own as a family. The first official church in Rockford was the First Congregational Church that was started by the Congregationalists. However, they were unable to finish it and that job was completed by the Methodists who bought the church and turned it into their own. Picture from: Bateman, 1916 In addition to churches schools were needed to train the children of the new citizens of Rockford. Eunice Brown became the first teacher in a log cabin 3 years after the settlement started. Many other private schools popped up in houses around town and in the basements of churches. One of the most successful was the Rockford Female Seminary, that would later go on to become Rockford College. It was in 1850 that the first free public school opened in the basement of the Baptist church. However, after a short time the money to run it ran out and the school became a private school for boys called the Classical Institute. It would take several more years before a sustainable free public school system would operate in Rockford. In the private schools the content areas stressed were reading, writing and arithmetic. It was available to also receive training in other subjects such as history, science, foreign language, needlework, painting and music. These would of course be taught at an additional charge. Finally it took until 1855 for the town to formalize a free public school system. The town was separated into two districts. The East side being District 1 and the West side District 2. It was found that 3 schools would be needed to hold 900 students each. It would take until 1956 for one of the school and 1857 for the other two to open. The schools were divided into four departments: primary, elementary, intermediate and high school. School started at 9 A.M. with a lunch break at noon, with classes starting back at 2 P.M. and ending at 5 P.M. Following Pictures from: Bateman, 1916 Rockfrod Female Seminary Picture from: Bateman, 1916 Site of 1st public school in basement of Baptist church picture from: Lundin, 1996 Libraries Libraries were around at the settlement of Rockford but they were for adults and were private. The Sons of Temperance had a collection of 200 books that could be borrowed if one had a membership for a dollar a year. Children had no real area to get books until schools started to form school libraries. In 1852 the Sons of Temperance was to disband and it was decided that they would transfer into the Rockford Library Association. People were invited to join the association and pay a membership. The Civil War began in 1861 and in 1865 the Library closed and the books were sold at auction. It would not be until 1872 that the state would vote to form a library tax and again interests in libraries again surfaced. Early Rockford Library Picture from: Bateman, 1916 Politics For there to be any political events in Rockford, the settlement would have to become a city within a county. This began with the area forming a county approximately 2 years after Kent and Blake started the settlement. There were nearly a thousand people in the area and the men held an election to elect county officers and select a name. This was the birth of Winnebago County. The county was growing fast but the settlement was slow to expand. It would take 150 settlers to be qualified as a village. It was in 1839 that this event took place and that village trustees were elected. Some time following the formation of the county and village a county seat was allowed to be elected to represent the county at the state level. This seat office was first placed in a small new village of Winnebago but sometime later an election was held and the location of that seat office was changed to Rockford. For this office a courthouse was also to be built. However, the building did not start until Haight and several other men took up the charge and raised the funds and had the building constructed in 1844. Picture from: Lundin, 1996 In addition to the courthouse there became need for a jail for serving out sentences passed down by the judge. Picture of an early jail in Rockford in 1872 Picture from: Lundin, 1996 As time went on the village was growing and people wanted to form into a city and form a city government instead of village government. The men voted in 1852 and the village became the City of Rockford. A mayor was elected and alderman to serve the 4 wards. The first mayor of Rockford was Willard Wheeler. Willard Wheeler 1st Mayor Picture from: Bateman, 1916 Once the mayor had been elected it was necessary to build a city hall to house the governmental offices. Picture of an early Rockford City Hall Picture from: Lundin, 1996 Famous People & Companies Rockford has had many people go onto to do great things both on a local and national stage. Several of these people were John H. Manny, Ralph Emerson, Wait Talcott, Amos W. Woodward, John Nelson, John S. Barnes, Julia Lathrop, Robert H. Tinker, Lewis Lemon, John T. Haight and many more. John H. Manny was a trendsetter in the design and manufacturing of reapers and mowers. He was famous for his work in this industry along with a lawsuit brought against him for which he was defended by Abraham Lincoln. The suit which he won took a toll on his health and he died two weeks after its completion at the age of 30. Pictures from: Swanson, 2007 Julia Lathrop was a women who in a time of a man controlled world took over and fought for social change for the poor, women, children and the working class. She became a friend of Jane Adams and went to work at the Hull House in Chicago. Using her knowledge gained as the secretary of her lawyer father she went on to promote legal changes for the underclass. Picture from: Swanson, 2007 Robert Tinker a businessman came to Rockford on the request of a friend to help manage the Manny company now owned by the widow Mrs. John H. Manny. As time went on Tinker became friends with Mary Manny and eventually they married. He flourished as a businessman in the area and served as the Mayor of Rockford from1875-1876. He went on to help raise money for and push for the building of many cultural projects in Rockford such as the Opera House. Pictures from: Swanson, 2007 Lewis Lemon was the slave of Germanicus Kent who along with Kent and Thatcher Blake settled the area now known as Rockford. Lemon worked settling Rockford and for Kent until Kent arranged for Lemon to earn his freedom by working for some of Kent’s businesses. Lemon earned his freedom after a little more than 4 years. Lemon stayed in Rockford as a framer until his death in 1877. Picture from: Swanson, 2007 Bibliography Bateman, Newton. Charles Church, ed. 1916. Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois and History of Winnebago County- Volume II. Munsell Publishing, Chicago. Cunningham, Pat. 2000. Rockford: Big Town, Little City. Rockford Register Star. Rockford. X Lundin, Jon. 1989. Rockford: An Illustrated History. Windsor Publications, Inc. Chatsworth, California Lundgren, Emma. 1967. Pioneer Town. Rockford Public Schools Print Shop. Rockford. Nelson, Hal, ed.. 1968. Sinissippi Saga: A History of Rockford and Winnebago County, Illinois. Nelson, Hal, ed.. 1975. We, the People of Winnebago County, Illinois. Winnebago County Bicentennial Commission. Scher, Linda. 1999. Kids Discover: Pioneers. Kids Discover, New York. Strohl, Mary. 1991. Colonial America: Cooperative Learning Activities. Scholastic, New York. Swanson, Don. 2007. Using Cemeteries as Primary History Sources. Rockford. www.angelfire.com/ar3/townevictorian/pioneerlady.html www.loc.gov www.projects.yrdsb.edu.on.ca/pioneer/pioneer_home.htm www.sawmillhistory.com www.telegraphmachine.com Activity Book Lesson Plan The activity book lesson will be set-up by a creative writing activity that asks the student to think about what Rockford would have been like 200 years ago. Ask the students to think of what they would have seen, done or what the area would have looked liked if they could have gone back in time. After they have written some ideas and you have shared it as a class and discussed it some, you will introduce them to the idea of researching the formation of Rockford. You can discuss that the town was not always here and you can brainstorm on how it came to be. It is then that you may want to share the power point presentation that briefly goes over the history of Rockford’s birth. Discuss with the students the importance of knowing ones past because it will influence ones future. Share with the students that they will be creating a history book on Rockford’s past and formation. You will have an example book already made to share with the students as an example of what they will create. Along with the help of your school librarian you will want to show the students where they can look in books and on the internet to find the information they will be asked to research. The students book will be a long term project that will be worked on for a quarter in and out of the class along with other activities on the history of Rockford. The book will consist of a cover page that will be designed with a picture that represents early Rockford. The book should be constructed as a pocket book. Each pocket will cover a separate topic of research that the students will write information on. They will create several artifacts that will validate their findings and act as a visual aide. The students will then combine all their pockets into a book that they will share with the class and that will then be placed on display. Rockford Book You are going to create a pocket research book on the history of Rockford. You will have time to work on this in school and at home. You will have a decorated cover with a design that shows something from Rockford’s past. Each pocket will a have topic that you will need to research. You will have to write a minimum of 5 topic paragraphs with a picture that goes with each paragraph fact. The topics that you need are: Settlement and Birth of Rockford: Discuss how, when and by who Rockford was founded. Share information on what lead to the formation of the city. Shelter and Buildings: Discuss what types of homes and buildings would have been built at this time. What materials would have been used and how would houses and buildings change over time? Tools and Items for Work and Comfort: What sort of tools would have been used or needed at this time and how did they work? What were their purpose and how did they help early Rockford’s citizens lives? Food and Clothing: What types of food were eaten? Where did they get their food? Why did they eat these foods? Transportation: What ways were people able to travel? How did they get around and why was this form of travel useful? Communication: How did early citizens talk to others? How were they able to find out news or in what way was information shared with people? Professions: What were jobs people did during this time? How did people earn a living? Why were these jobs important? Are these still jobs that are done today? Social Comforts: What were some additional places that made life easier? What were some places that were required to make life productive, such as clubs, churches, libraries or schools? Politics: What type of government was in Rockford? How was it formed? Who were the early political leaders? Famous People: Rockford has produced many famous people. Discuss what contributions these people made to the city, state or nation. What effect have they had on us today? Once you have gathered and typed this information you will place your written paragraphs and pictures on card stock. These information cards will then be slipped into your pocket pages to complete your book. You will need to share this information in your class. You will need to share what you found and be able to answer any questions your classmates may have about your book. If you need help along the way feel free to ask.