Did You Know This Illinois House is Hiding a Tiny Western Town in the Backyard?
Today I was searching for fascinating information about abandoned/old homes and buildings in Illinois, and I came across this 2014 post from Rockford Rocked...
Now, I've lived in the Rockford area my entire life and I never knew this unique home existed, AND I have never heard anyone talk about it...how could that be?!?
Does this home still stand in Rockford? Did the current owners keep the unique Western town standing in the backyard? Of course, I had to find out more.
Rockford, Illinois Home With a Tiny Western Town in the Backyard
During my quest to find out more about this unique Rockford home, I discovered it last sold in 2015 according to Zillow.
The Boyhood of Home of Bun E. Carlos
The Rockford Rocked post above mentions that this home was where Bun E. Carlos, the original drummer for Cheap Trick, lived for several years as a child. Several of the post comments also mention that Bun's parents were big fans of the show Gunsmoke, and that was the inspiration behind the creation of the small Western town that was built in the late 60s/early 70s.
What Happened to Rockford's Western Town?
While satellite imaging may show the buildings still standing in the backyard, commenters on Rockford Rocked's post shared more information on what happened to some of the antique pieces that were housed within them.
One commenter said;
Some of the pieces of the buildings were sold to a western town like this out in Colorado.
Another person said;
A lot of the old western town can now be seen at Midway Village along with many other things Vi Carlson traveled the world and brought back to this home.
The town had a barber shop -- drug store--jail-- all built around the swimming pool.
Do you have any memories of this awesome Rockford home? Just send us a message on the app, because we'd love to know more!
