Rockford Rewind: "Women in WWII"

As men went off to war, women entered the workforce. Women like...

"Olive Ellson, she worked in Woodward Governor as a factory worker during WW II. This was her coveralls." says Mark Herman, Curator of Education at Midway VillageMuseum.

In some cases, Rockford factories were running three shifts a day -seven days a week to keep up with demand from army contracts.

"At that time, Rockford industry was taking off and taking on much more with very few men taking the shifts and it really changed women's lives. For the first time, they were working outside the home."

Production at companies like Woodward Governor, Nelson Knitting, and Rockford Screw Products was being done almost entirely by women.

"It was a big change in Rockford history and American history because of the lack of men and the fact that women picked up the slack."

After the war, many jobs were given to male veterans returning to work. Women who wanted to stay in the workforce were transferred back to lower paying "female" jobs. Most women were laid off and told to go back to their homes.