Summer Palooza created Old School OSD vibes
Fun was had by everyone at the final Summer Palooza of 2026!
Rockton’s Main Street was filled with fun as the third and final Summer Palooza of 2026 on Aug. 15, where record crowds enjoyed hours of pure fun.
The Palooza date also fell on 815 Day.
Reminiscent of the former Old Settler’s Days hay bales were set out along the street.
A special horse named “Sunny”Summer Palooza” was ready and waiting for Pallooza attendees to have their photos taken.
Under the direction of an artist from Wam Bam Entertainment young and young at heart created beautiful bubbles, some in an extra large size.
As Pallooza visitors set up their chairs as musical sounds of Nauti-Nauti and That 70’s band Chicagoland were heard. Some even put their dancing feet on the street.
Pork chop sandwiches were offered from a Rookie’s food truck or from Fibs. All businesses were open and welcomed everyone who stopped in to shop, eat or to grab a drink.
Reverent Henna returned with the application of tattoo artistry.
Dave Hickman of Macktown Living History had two anvils, often used in blacksmithing on display, one was a Swedish anvil from 1889, with a weight of 128 lbs.
The other was a Peter Wright design dated 1923, weighing 130 lbs. Though Peter Wright production under the original family name ended around 1920, anvils using their dies, patterns and acquired assets continued to be made under the Issac Nash Company name until 1943.
The company was sold and operations stopped as demand for wrought iron anvils collapsed after World War I with the rise of electric arc welding and structural steel fabrication. No further genuine Peter Wright anvils were produced under that name after roughly 1920.Key Identification Stampings were:Pre-1890s/1910: were marked with the two-piece circular stamp reading "Peter Wright Patent" and Solid Wrought".
1890/1910–1920: Added the word "ENGLAND" across the waist to comply with international export tariff requirements.
There is a WWI Connection to Portable Cavalry Forges
During World War I, standard portable cavalry and pack forges (often produced by makers like Buffalo Forge Co. or Champion) were issued to cavalry divisions, field artillery units, and pack trains.
Self-Contained Design: The forge was built as a heavy-gauge sheet steel field chest where the legs, hand-crank blower, tuyere assembly, and a small companion anvil or stake could be packed directly inside the firebox for rapid mule or wagon transport.Field Utility: Farriers and military smiths relied on them directly behind the front lines to shoe cavalry and draft horses, dress entrenching tools, and repair wagon hardware on the move.
Hickman froze modeling clay which when placed on an anvil molds to life. Visitors had a chance to place the clay on an anvil to see how it changes its shape.
"Chilling modeling clay does the opposite of adding flexibility—it increases firmness and stiffness.
Warm clay squashes instantly under a hammer, whereas keeping it on ice or chilled allows it to resist deformation and accurately mimic the plastic flow and structural resistance of hot steel during blacksmithing demonstrations,” Hickman said.
The Summer Palooza was generously sponsored by Envoy Mortgage, and John and Sheryl Peterson, Peterson & Co.Homes, Real Broker, LLC.
Summer Palloza created the perfect old time Old School OSD vibes.
Following this event Rockton Township Historical Society had a presentation on the history of Old Settler’s Days on Monday, August. 24.
Prior to the very first Old Settler’s Days on Trading Post Days were held in 1970. Locals were encouraged to dress in old style clothing.
Vera (Geertz) Flood, member of the original Old Settler’s Days committee laid out details from the very first Old Settler’s Days in 1981 on Rockton’s Main Street until its final year in 1996, running a total of 15 years.
In 1981 Rockton Mayor Bill Vedra pitched the idea to see if there was any interest in hosting an annual Old Settler’s Day’s event. Vedra served as the Chair and was joined by a dedicated committee who together found great success through the years.
Preparations included putting up barricades on Main Street in the early morning, unloading hay bales to be placed along the curbs, which were used for seating, getting the stages set up, and handling electrical needs.
The final year of Old Settler’s Day’s was in 1997 when the village made improvements to the village’s water system,leaving the downtown area under construction, and part of Main Street completely closed. The construction was in the previous festival area.
In 2014 it was decided to dissolve OSD, Inc. All of the remaining dollars were divided between Macktown Living History and the Rockton Township Historical Society. Both organizations are gold mines to learn about Rockton’s rich history.
OSD, Inc. donated to provide a matching grant in the amount of $23,000 to develop an extension of the Hononegah recreational path, plus the creation of a gazebo style shelter house that now sits in Settler’s Park. In 2007 a ribbon cutting marked the newest special place in the park.
An additional $2,000 was left to go toward possible future celebrations or purposes that were provided under the OSD bylaws.
For a number of years The Rockton Chamber of Commerce helped to organize and host the festival.
The Rockton Lions Club who have been organizing the OSD festival since the year 2000- a total of 26 years.
These and many extra details will be featured in a fuller story about the Old Settler’s Days and its long running historical ties to the Rockton community!
