Is There A Sock Monkey Rivalry In Illinois?

There seems to be a little controversy when it comes to the world of Sock Monkeys in Illinois.

Which Illinois City Does The Sock Monkey Call Home?

I have to be honest, before Rockford made the huge push to claim the Sock Monkey as its own, I didn't know much about the stuffed animal. I never had one as a kid. I remember seeing them when my mom dragged me to craft shows.

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I think it's a cool thing that is part of Rockford's history. When my daughter was little, we used to take her to Sock Monkey Madness at Midway Village. She always enjoyed going to Sock Monkey Giveaway Night with the IceHogs too.

According to Go Rockford...

In 1868, Swedish immigrant John Nelson revolutionized sock-making in Rockford by patenting an automatic knitting machine capable of mass-producing socks, an innovation unheard of at the time.

 

While the exact origins of the first sock monkey are unknown, the design featuring Rockford’s iconic red heel as its mouth became so popular that by the 1950s, it sparked a patent dispute.

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In my eyes, with the history, Rockford is definitely the home of the Sock Monkey in Illinois, but recently I saw something interesting. Hanging in the windows of the Belvidere Oasis on I-90, there is a giant advertising sign for the Sock Monkey Museum, but it's not in Rockford.

The Sock Monkey Museum is located in Long Grove. Are they trying to steal the iconic toy from Rockford? I did some research, and I was happy to find out that they just thought the quaint little town was a good spot for the museum, which by the way features the world's largest collection of Sock Monkeys. I would like to visit it someday.

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