Rockford’s historic past at a crossroads

By Kelly Terpstra, kterpstra@charlescitypress.com

The Iowa Northern Railway still powers its way through the town of Rockford.

It’s an early stop on a 253-mile span of railroad track that cuts through scenic and historic places that represent the backroads and byways of Iowa.

Grain cars rumble on down the line into nearby Marble Rock, with a final stop in Cedar Rapids.

Some 50 years ago, folks could step out of passenger cars in Rockford, stretch their legs and take a stroll into the Rock Island Railroad Depot that still stands to this day, some 140 years after it was erected.

Time has taken its toll. Those tracks don’t get used like they used to and the door to the depot seldom swings open like it did before.

The depot and the historic museum downtown are links to Rockford’s past. They’re both aging and in need of repair.

“When I saw the condition of the museum, I cried,” said Pat Sinning, president of the Rockford Historical Society.

Residents got together this past Saturday for a community meeting titled “The Path Forward.” About 25 people voiced their opinions about what could be done to save each historical Rockford institution.

“We’ve got to deal with one problem at a time, otherwise it’s so overwhelming,” said Sinning.

The 20-year lease that the city of Rockford had with the railway company ran out 10 years ago, according to Historical Society board member Don Nelson. Now the lease continues on a year-to-year basis.

“As long as we’ve been handing them a dollar a year for rent they let us stay in there,” said Sinning. “The railroad has been more than nice to us.”

Nelson said the depot has plenty of problems, like a roof that leaks and has caused mold to grow.

The depot received a remodel and a fresh coat of yellow paint 10 years ago. The caboose that sits nearby was painted red and white letters adorned the front, spelling out “Rock Island.”

Railroad memorabilia, past remnants of the brick and tile business in Rockford, an old-time kitchen and a recreation of a depot agent’s living quarters upstairs highlight some of the displays visitors can see.

“We’ve been told by the railroad we could buy it if we want to move it,” Nelson said about the depot, but added that would likely cost more than $250,000.

He said there aren’t many places the depot could be moved in town, unless somebody wanted to donate land for it to be placed on.

The depot’s fate may come down to a tear down at some point, but Sinning wasn’t sure about the possibility of demolition.

“Again, we don’t know this for a fact,” she said.

The museum — which features an old school room upstairs and military memorabilia — has issues as well.

Sill plates have rotted on the building, siding and the front windows need to be replaced. There are also “unfriendly” stairs that lead up to the second floor that are hard for tourists to navigate, especially the elderly.

“It’s something that has been left in disrepair for so many years that the amount of money to fix it is unreasonable at least for a community our size,” said Sinning. “We’re basically a cleanup crew is what we’re trying to do.”

Nelson said some artifacts and relics in the museum have been compromised because of temperature variations that come with the change of seasons.

“It needs an environmentally controlled building for much of the stuff there,” said Nelson.

Sinning, who helped create the Rockford Historical Society in the late 1970s, said the town has put on several fundraisers since she got back on board last summer.

“The amount of money that we look for expenses and the amount of money we can raise — they’re not meeting at all,” she said. “It’s hard to ask such a small community, when there are so many things that they are asked to give. There’s only so much money to go around.”

Nelson said the most realistic building to be saved would be the museum if enough money can be raised.

“It’s not really a choice between the two. The only one that really is possible is the downtown museum,” said Nelson.

If plans fall through to save the two buildings, donors or their family members would be notified of items they could reclaim. If those items are not taken, they could be sold at an auction or given to other museums in the area such as Nora Springs, Marble Rock, Rudd or the Floyd County Museum in Charles City.

“My personal opinion is that we don’t need a museum in every town that has exactly the same stuff,” said Nelson.

Nelson and Sinning wanted to make clear that they aren’t placing blame for the deterioration of the two buildings.

What’s done is done, they said.

“We’re not saying that anybody did anything wrong. Everybody did the best they could at the time with what information and resources and everything,” said Nelson.

All will not be lost if the reclamation projects don’t come to fruition.

Thousands of photos or what Sinning called the “archives,” sit in the Rockford City Hall and are waiting to be put on display. Hundreds more will be created after snapshots are taken of the historical artifacts that still reside inside the depot and museum. Those photos are currently being processed and will be on display somewhere in the near future, as well as online.

“It’s just times have changed,” said Nelson. “People can look at the pictures, they just won’t have the physical object.”

Nelson said an informal meeting among board members of the Historical Society will be held this Thursday. He said the town could know more then. The next regular board meeting is scheduled for Feb. 21.

The odds are long for the depot to find a new home unless someone steps in to save the day.

“It was all daydreaming as far as we were concerned. Without any money, what can you do?” said Sinning. “We’re going to save what we can, we hope. Bring in enough funding to at least keep the museum downtown.”

Sinning said she wanted to thank everyone who attended the community meeting this past weekend. She also added that it won’t be one person or a single group that would determine the fate of a part of Rockford’s historic past. It will be the community as a whole that has the final say-so.

“I would like everyone to know in the community that all of the people on the Historical Society are there because we really care about Rockford’s history and we want to preserve it as best we can,” said Sinning. “We’re just trying to do what we think people want us to do.”

Sinning was also realistic about the challenges that lay ahead for the small town.

“That’s all part of life. You have to move on. It’s always sad,” she said.