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Downtown in Rockford in Winnebago County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
 

Cheap Trick
⎯⎯⎯
Germanicus Kent

 
 
Cheap Trick side of marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Mark Parker, July 17, 2023
1. Cheap Trick side of marker
Inscription.  
(side one)
Founded by Rockford Region natives Rick Nielsen, Tom Petersson, Bun E. Carlos and Robin Zander in 1973, Cheap Trick tours, writes and records consently. The band gained respect quickly and is particularly popular in Japan, where its first three albums became gold records and it recorded its famous classic "Live at Budokan." The hit songs "I Want You to Want Me," "Surrender", "Dream Police" and others have been covered by countless artists, and Cheap Trick is widely considered by music experts to be one of the most influential bands in rock history.

(en Español)
Fundada en 1973 por Rick Nielsen, Tom Petersson, Bun E. Carlos y Robin Zander, nacidos en la región de Rockford, Cheap Trick hace giras, escribe y graba constantemente. La banda se ganó el respeto rápidamente y es particularmente popular en Japón. Los expertos en música consideran a Cheap Trick como una de las bandas con mayor influencia de la historia del rock.

(Side two)
Germanicus Kent, a native of Connecticut, came to this area in 1834 to stake his claim to land on the banks of the Rock River. He was the first white settler to
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live permanently within the existing boundaries of Rockford, and his sawmill was its earliest business enterprise. Kent lost most of his money in the Financial Panic of 1837 and by 1844 had surrendered his business interests in Rockford and moved to Virginia.

(en Español)
Germanicus Kent, nacido en Connecticut, llegó a esta región en 1834 para reclamar unas tierras en las orillas del río Rock. Fue el primer colono blanco que vivió permanentemente dentro de los límites de Rockford, y su aserradero fue una de las primeras empresas comerciales de Rockford.
 
Erected by Rockford Illinois, Chicago Illinois.
 
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, MusicEntertainmentSettlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1834.
 
Location. 42° 16.023′ N, 89° 5.751′ W. Marker is in Rockford, Illinois, in Winnebago County. It is in Downtown. It is at the intersection of South Wyman Street, on the left on South Wyman Street. The location of the marker is at Davis Park at Founders Landing. It is at the south end of the park along the walking trail near a gazebo along the
Germanicus Kent side of marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Mark Parker, July 17, 2023
2. Germanicus Kent side of marker
Rock River. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Rockford IL 61101, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the American Midwest and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture and also the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 7 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: The William Brown Building (approx. 0.2 miles away); Jesse Barloga's Architecture (approx. 0.3 miles away); Victory (approx. 0.4 miles away); Memorial Hall (approx. 0.4 miles away); Ho-no-ne-gah (approx. half a mile away); Stephen Mack (approx. 6.2 miles away); Black Hawk (approx. 6.2 miles away); Theodore Roosevelt (approx. 6.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Rockford.
 
Also see . . .  Cheap Trick - Surrender (from Budokan!) (YouTube, 4:34).
Mother told me, yes, she told me, I'd meet girls like you
She also told me, "Stay away, you'll never know what you'll
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catch"…
(Submitted on December 27, 2024.) 
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on December 27, 2024. It was originally submitted on December 1, 2024, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. This page has been viewed 266 times since then and 57 times this year. Photos:   1, 2. submitted on December 1, 2024, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
 
Editor’s want-list for this marker. Photo of the marker in its environment. • Can you help?
m=261973

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Sep. 19, 2026