President Theodore Roosevelt visited Rockford five times from 1900 to 1917. His
most memorable stop came June 3, 1903 when Roosevelt traveled to Rockford for the
dedication of Memorial Hall. Crowds gathered at the Illinois Central train
depot to greet President Roosevelt. He delivered a speech on the steps of
Memorial Hall.
Herbert Hoover's presidential train pulled into the
Chicago and North Western railway yards in Rockford November 5, 1932. A huge crowd
gathered to hear Hoover
speak. There were so many people that repeated warnings were shouted through
the amplifiers to prevent those behind from pushing others into the path of the
train.
It was more
than 30 years later before the next presidential visit. On October 30th, 1964, President Lyndon B.
Johnson addressed a crowd of about 30-thousand people at Rockford's Airport. It was the first time a democratic
president visited the city of Rockford.
President
Richard Nixon made several stops in the Forest City.
As commander in chief he visited Rockford
October 30, 1964. And the most recent sitting president to stop in Rockford was Gerald Ford.
He came to Rockford
on several occasions.
On March 11,
1976, Ford spoke at the Greater Rockford Tool, Die and Machining Association.
That was the last visit by a sitting president to Rockford. Other presidents did visit Rockford but it was
before they became commander in chief.
