Macktown Living History

Macktown Living History Welcome to Macktown, a place where history comes to life. It was founded in the mid-1830's by Stephen Andrew Mack, Jr., and his wife, Mary Hononegah.

On a forested bluff overlooking the Rock and Pecatonica Rivers in Rockton are the remnants of Winnebago County's earliest settlement. Macktown, then known as Pekatonic, represents a time and place of change on the Illinois frontier when the fur trade collided with a progressive world. In prosperous times, Pekatonic boasted of the Mack's two-story home and store, a furniture store, a school room, a

shoemaker's shop, a tavern, a trading post, fur trapper's cabins, and other homes belonging to the population of 200-300. A ferry and bridge traversed the Rock River. Following Mack's death in 1850 and the destruction of the bridge in 1851, the Macktown settlement area failed to thrive. The northern part of the settlement prospered and officially became known as Rockton in 1846 or 1847. The Winnebago County Forest Preserve District, which owns the land on which Macktown and the trading post once sat, and the Macktown Living History Education Center have undertaken plans to restore Macktown to its 1830 - 1846 historic condition.

It is team member Thursday! With a new season at Macktown Living History begining, we thought we would introduce you to ...
04/03/2025

It is team member Thursday! With a new season at Macktown Living History begining, we thought we would introduce you to some of the the people you may bump into at the site this year! These individuals both new and old have been helping get all of the programs and buildings ready for the 2025 season. Some of them also help with various committees. If you are interested in working with our volunteers please drop us a DM and we will get back to you as quickly as we can.

First up is,

Lucy Pilbin Adrignola
Master Gardener & Community Advocate

With a rich background in horticulture and community service, Lucy has dedicated decades to cultivating beauty and knowledge in the world of plants and gardening. Becoming a Master Gardener in 1986 marked the beginning of a lifelong journey in the green industry. Lucy spent formative years working for a plant maintenance company, a garden center, and as a florist, where they honed their expertise and passion for plant care and floral design.

In addition to their professional endeavors, Lucy has made significant contributions through volunteering and leadership roles in various garden-related organizations. Over nearly 20 years, they served as a board member and held several pivotal positions, including Chair of Gardens and Native American programs. Their commitment extended to roles such as Board Secretary, where they played a crucial part in organizational governance and strategic planning. Lucy also dedicated time to conducting tours, sharing their extensive knowledge with the community and fostering a deeper appreciation for gardening.

Originally from Rockford, Lucy moved to Roscoe 45 years ago and later settled in Lake Summerset 5 years ago. Though retired for more than a decade, their passion for gardening and community service remains as vibrant as ever

Happy April Everyone ! Coming up is our Native American history event on April 13th from 1:00 pm to 4:00pm. This month ...
04/02/2025

Happy April Everyone !

Coming up is our Native American history event on April 13th from 1:00 pm to 4:00pm. This month we will be providing some historical context for various tribes before and after our event on Tuesdays and Wednesdays this month. While also highlighting books/ activities for the entire family to enjoy as well. We acknowledge that these posts may highlight various aspects of a tribe's culture and history, but that it does not begin to scratch the surface. More reading, research, and conversation will always be needed to help further our understanding and not repeat the injustices of the past.

Coming up is our Native American history event on April 13th from 1:00 pm to 4:00pm. This month we will be providing s...
04/01/2025

Coming up is our Native American history event on April 13th from 1:00 pm to 4:00pm. This month we will be providing some historical context for various tribes before and after our event on Tuesdays and Wednesdays this month. While also highlighting books/ activities for the entire family to enjoy as well. We acknowledge that these posts may highlight various aspects of a tribe's culture and history, but that it does not begin to scratch the surface. More reading, research, and conversation will always be needed to help further our understanding and not repeat the injustices of the past.

Thanks for being a shining star and making it on to our weekly engagement list! 🎉 Cathy Froeliger, Pete Zaleskas, Posto ...
04/01/2025

Thanks for being a shining star and making it on to our weekly engagement list! 🎉 Cathy Froeliger, Pete Zaleskas, Posto Pezdo, Mary Gabel Beasley, Joe Hyland

A few housekeeping things for you to start your week: A massive thank you to everyone for showing up for women's history...
03/31/2025

A few housekeeping things for you to start your week:

A massive thank you to everyone for showing up for women's history posts! If there are any topics you would like our team to deep dive into next for you feel free to drop the in the comments section or dm us and we will do our best to accommodate them!

Spring has officially sprung around the site and we have a few new projects underway that we can't wait to share with! If you are interested in volunteering this season at Macktown please dm us and a volunteer will be with you shortly! 😀

Our next in person event will be on April 13th where we will have information and activities centered around Native American experiences. This will be a family friendly event and we look forward to seeing everyone there!

Hello Everyone, For the Month of March we will be honoring the women of the 19th century for women’s history month by f...
03/31/2025

Hello Everyone,

For the Month of March we will be honoring the women of the 19th century for women’s history month by featuring one individual every day this month. These women were either born or lived during the 19th century and made a notable impact on history as well as how we live our lives today. It was difficult for us at Macktown to narrow down the women to just 31 individuals, but we hope you enjoy learning about them as much as we have. If you are interested in learning more about a specific individual please DM us and we will connect you with some of the resources we have been poking through.

Hello Everyone, For the Month of March we will be honoring the women of the 19th century for women’s history month by f...
03/30/2025

Hello Everyone,

For the Month of March we will be honoring the women of the 19th century for women’s history month by featuring one individual every day this month. These women were either born or lived during the 19th century and made a notable impact on history as well as how we live our lives today. It was difficult for us at Macktown to narrow down the women to just 31 individuals, but we hope you enjoy learning about them as much as we have. If you are interested in learning more about a specific individual please DM us and we will connect you with some of the resources we have been poking through.

Hello Everyone, For the Month of March we will be honoring the women of the 19th century for women’s history month by f...
03/28/2025

Hello Everyone,

For the Month of March we will be honoring the women of the 19th century for women’s history month by featuring one individual every day this month. These women were either born or lived during the 19th century and made a notable impact on history as well as how we live our lives today. It was difficult for us at Macktown to narrow down the women to just 31 individuals, but we hope you enjoy learning about them as much as we have. If you are interested in learning more about a specific individual please DM us and we will connect you with some of the resources we have been poking through.

Hello Everyone, For the Month of March we will be honoring the women of the 19th century for women’s history month by f...
03/27/2025

Hello Everyone,

For the Month of March we will be honoring the women of the 19th century for women’s history month by featuring one individual every day this month. These women were either born or lived during the 19th century and made a notable impact on history as well as how we live our lives today. It was difficult for us at Macktown to narrow down the women to just 31 individuals, but we hope you enjoy learning about them as much as we have. If you are interested in learning more about a specific individual please DM us and we will connect you with some of the resources we have been poking through.

Hello Everyone, For the Month of March we will be honoring the women of the 19th century for women’s history month by f...
03/25/2025

Hello Everyone,

For the Month of March we will be honoring the women of the 19th century for women’s history month by featuring one individual every day this month. These women were either born or lived during the 19th century and made a notable impact on history as well as how we live our lives today. It was difficult for us at Macktown to narrow down the women to just 31 individuals, but we hope you enjoy learning about them as much as we have. If you are interested in learning more about a specific individual please DM us and we will connect you with some of the resources we have been poking through.

Hello Everyone, For the Month of March we will be honoring the women of the 19th century for women’s history month by f...
03/24/2025

Hello Everyone,

For the Month of March we will be honoring the women of the 19th century for women’s history month by featuring one individual every day this month. These women were either born or lived during the 19th century and made a notable impact on history as well as how we live our lives today. It was difficult for us at Macktown to narrow down the women to just 31 individuals, but we hope you enjoy learning about them as much as we have. If you are interested in learning more about a specific individual please DM us and we will connect you with some of the resources we have been poking through.

Hello Everyone, For the Month of March we will be honoring the women of the 19th century for women’s history month by f...
03/23/2025

Hello Everyone,

For the Month of March we will be honoring the women of the 19th century for women’s history month by featuring one individual every day this month. These women were either born or lived during the 19th century and made a notable impact on history as well as how we live our lives today. It was difficult for us at Macktown to narrow down the women to just 31 individuals, but we hope you enjoy learning about them as much as we have. If you are interested in learning more about a specific individual please DM us and we will connect you with some of the resources we have been poking through.

Hello Everyone, For the Month of March we will be honoring the women of the 19th century for women’s history month by f...
03/22/2025

Hello Everyone,

For the Month of March we will be honoring the women of the 19th century for women’s history month by featuring one individual every day this month. These women were either born or lived during the 19th century and made a notable impact on history as well as how we live our lives today. It was difficult for us at Macktown to narrow down the women to just 31 individuals, but we hope you enjoy learning about them as much as we have. If you are interested in learning more about a specific individual please DM us and we will connect you with some of the resources we have been poking through.

A massive thank you to both the Forest Preserves of Winnebago County and Josh Normington excavating for the soil and mov...
03/21/2025

A massive thank you to both the Forest Preserves of Winnebago County and Josh Normington excavating for the soil and moving it into place for us! The gardening committee is very excited for the upcoming season and we couldn't have done it without you!
❤️

Hello Everyone, For the Month of March we will be honoring the women of the 19th century for women’s history month by f...
03/21/2025

Hello Everyone,

For the Month of March we will be honoring the women of the 19th century for women’s history month by featuring one individual every day this month. These women were either born or lived during the 19th century and made a notable impact on history as well as how we live our lives today. It was difficult for us at Macktown to narrow down the women to just 31 individuals, but we hope you enjoy learning about them as much as we have. If you are interested in learning more about a specific individual please DM us and we will connect you with some of the resources we have been poking through.

Address

2221 Freeport Road
Rockton, IL
61072

Telephone

+18156244200

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Macktown Living History posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Museum

Send a message to Macktown Living History:

Videos

This week we will be posting videos from Lincoln and Liberty

Shortcuts

Share