This bike tour will highlight the growth of Rockford’s residential neighborhoods from 1900 to the 1960s. The tour starts promptly from Katie’s Cup at 502 7th Street at 8 am on Saturday, June 29, 2024.

The tour highlights architectural styles popular for residential homes during that period. We will ride through the Churchill Park neighborhood, talk of the impact of Rockford Plaza in 1955, see remnants of Rockford’s industrial past to the south of the Plaza, and then ride into Rolling Green and see Mid-Century housing styles. Our return trip will ride by the site of the Rockford Interurban rail line,  stop at one of Rockfords oldest homes, the Cobblestone  House on Broadway,  and then over to Hallstrom School to talk about its architectural style, and complete the tour riding through the 1920’s on our way back to Katie’s Cup.

This educational tour will feature home styles of the late Victorian period, American Four Square, Craftsman, Cape Cod, Ranch, Tudor, a carpenter’s mix of variations to those styles, and a few Lustron Steel homes.

This tour will have a few hills to climb. I’ve tried to minimize the hills, but the sites we visit will require more peddle power. We intend to finish by 10 am. The length of the ride is a little over 7 miles.