
Rockford earned the nickname "Screw City" for a reason. For many years, the city was full of factories making screws, tools, and other hardware that kept farms, factories, and machines running across the country. The name made sense. It showed that Rockford was a place built on hard work, skilled workers, and people who took pride in making things that worked well.
The city is known by many names, including "Forest City" and "City of Gardens," but "Screw City" is an enduring name that honors a proud blue-collar tradition.