By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — Rockford has an effed up problem. Or to put it more plainly, the Rockford sign had an upside down F.
The picturesque sign at the gateway to Davis Park in downtown has been a popular spot to stop for photos, but for weeks the fifth letter has gone through a variety of bends and breaks that left it tilted, slanted or otherwise off-kilter. Attempts at short-term fixes never seemed to stick, and on Wednesday the letter F was flipped off its mount and rested upside down and in reverse.
Cue John Groh, Rockford’s cheerleader in chief as the head of the Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau.
“They’re going to be sent to the letter hospital and get fixed,” Groh said.
That “letter hospital” is Your-Type 3D Event Letters in Winona, Minnesota, which will fabricate a new and more durable letter F “and a few of the other letters that have taken some dents and dings,” Groh said.
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The letter F was put back right-side up Wednesday evening after the latest break was brought to the attention of the visitors bureau. That’s still a temporary fix until the new letters arrive.
The visitors bureau CEO said there’s no indication the sign was broken in a way that was intentional or malicious. Rather, he suspects it’s the wear and tear of people frequently sitting or laying on it for photos.
There are signs at Davis Park that warn people not to sit or stand on the four-foot tall aluminum letters, but that hasn’t stopped people.
“It’s sort of this magnet for people to sit on it and drape themselves on it and take pictures around it, which in a way is awesome, but that much love has ultimately created a little bit of damage,” Groh said.
Stephanie Pearson, a native of Rockford, said she’s seen how popular the spot can be for photos. She’s even used it as the backdrop for family photos with her husband, Eric, and their two kids, Stella, 13, and Emmett, 7.
“It’s a good photo-op,” Pearson said. “If you’re coming in from west side of Rockford, it’s a good ‘welcome to Rockford’ type of sign. Being a Rockfordian my whole life, I just think it’s a good representation of the city.”
She hopes the fixes planned by the visitors bureau will help the sign, which was installed in summer 2020, “stand the test of time.”
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The Rockford sign will remain in Davis Park through the first phase of a park makeover that includes a future sun-tanning beach, splash pads, a multi-use trail, a skate park, a canopy stage and a plaza with space for food trucks during special events. When the later phases of the multi-year plan arrive, the sign could be relocated, Groh said.
The new letters, being made at a cost of approximately $4,000, will be a heavier grade aluminum. The existing, damaged letters will be refurbished to serve as a backup if needed in the future, Groh said.
“Hopefully, with the changes that are being made, it will be able to withstand all the love in the future,” Groh said.
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on Twitter at @KevinMHaas.