Randolph County ILGenWeb
John Hickman arrived here in 1805. His house was located a bit south of where Rockwood is now, the land is now under the Mississippi River. In 1809 John MANSKER moved to the Island in the river. Samuel MANSKER built the first house in Rockwood. James McCormick opened a store. Emsley Jones arrived in 1809. He killed a man named Reed and was hung at Kaskaskia. Alexander Barber had lived in Kaskaskia from 1805 to 1825 when he moved to this township. James Clendinen arrived in 1808 from KY with son John H. James moved to Chester in 1837. William Bilderback (BUILDERBACK?) settled the area in 1814.
Rockwood was formerly known as Jones Creek and Liberty. It seems that the underground railroad may have gone through Rockwood. May runaway blacks came to Jones Creek and called it Liberty. The Post Office was est. under the name Jones Creek in 1830, in 1865 citizens wanted to change the name to Liberty but there was a town by that name so they called it Rockwood in 1865. John Steans bought the land in 1832 and the town was laid out. In 1836 Capt. W. B. Charles, James Dean, Dr. Manning, Harvey Clendinen, Samuel Barber, Thomas Frazier and EG Hall bought lots in town. Mansker, Clendinen and Barber were in the grain shipping business. There was also a good wool market here. Silas Tuthill came to the village in 1842 to make chairs. In 1856 a flourmill was opened and the town was shipping more flour and goods than any other in the county.. The first post office was est. in 1836 under the name of Jones Creek, the name was changed to Rockwood about 1863 or so. The coopermine was lost to fire in 1863 but rebuilt it, burnt again in 1920 and was not rebuilt. The first school was in 1835, it burnt in 1913 and a new one was built in its place and used until 1956. The United Presbyterian Church was organized in Rockwood.
Liberty Island was once a stop over place for runaway slaves from MO. Due to flooding no one lives on the island and since the river has changed course it is no longer and island.