Northwest Quarterly Magazine (Old Northwest Territory Edition)

08/22/2025

Our Summer/Fall 2025 issue has landed! ✨

Inside you’ll find:

🍕 Rockford’s pizza story ranges from tavern-cut classics to mostaccioli-stuffed pies — and even four-day doughs that bring big flavor.
🍷 Regional wineries pour the last bright wines of summer, with sunset decks, live music, grape stomps and wine slushies.
✈️ Air shows thunder back over northern Illinois with vintage warbirds, ribbon cuts and a Super Stearman named “Big Red.”

Find your copy on local newsstands, or click the link in our bio to read more!

08/20/2025

One gravestone at a time, Janie Jenkin and 815 Stone Scrubbers are restoring the stories of Rockford’s forgotten Civil War veterans.

For this community servant and her team of volunteers, the work isn’t just about honoring Civil War veterans. It’s about uncovering and preserving the stories time almost erased.

08/18/2025

Who cares for the caregivers when their work is done? In Rockford, the Forest City Nurse Honor Guard offers a final salute to the hands that healed and the hearts that served.

For some people in Rockford, the path to home isn’t an easy one. This group helps to make that process easier, rebuilding lives and a community in the process.

08/13/2025

From leading her family’s construction firm to supporting education through Rockford Promise, Christie Stenstrom Jarrett is shaping both her industry and her hometown’s future.

Community Builder Maybe it was inevitable that Christie Stenstrom Jarrett would end up in the family business, but she never took it for granted. From the time she was 16, her father encouraged her to work, whether it was at the mall, a major financial firm, or the odd job at their family-own

08/11/2025

After a $1.5 million restoration, The Dixon: Historic Theatre has reopened with 1920s-era glamour — and a season packed with shows, concerts and community performances.

Following a $1.5 million restoration, this historic performing arts theater is once again shining the spotlight upon some showstopping moments.

08/08/2025

𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴: 𝗖𝗼𝘀𝘁-𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗕𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 🏡🧰

Feeling like your home has lost its spark? Before you consider a major remodel or packing up for something new, a full overhaul isn’t always the answer. Sometimes, all it takes is a few smart, budget-friendly updates to make your space feel fresh and inviting again.

In the 2025 Summer Issue of the Northwest Quarterly Magazine (Old Northwest Territory Edition), you’ll find practical tips on how to revitalize your home without draining your wallet. Plus, Stillman Bank's very own Bryan Markham, Senior Vice President of Mortgage Banking, shares expert insights on financing options for those bigger projects on your wish list.

To read the article, click the link below.
https://oldnorthwestterritory.northwestquarterly.com/2025/07/11/home-remodeling-cost-effective-strategies-for-better-living/

08/08/2025

Meteorology’s loss became Beloit’s gain — meet the man behind the city’s renaissance.

The Road Less Traveled There was a time when Celestino Ruffini had every intention of being a meteorologist. Travel and tourism were just the side attraction. Luckily for Beloit, fate intervened. As CEO of Visit Beloit, Ruffini has spent the past decade advocating for and building an envir

08/06/2025

Overflowing with small-town charm, Monroe, Wis., captures the heart of Americana. It’s no surprise folks keep coming back time and again.

Brimming with local charm, this idyllic Wisconsin town is a true slice of Americana. No wonder it has a reputation of drawing people back.

08/05/2025

As it introduces an updated lounge and three-season patio, Rockford staple SAMS Ristorante Pizzeria & Banquets is inviting diners to enjoy classic Italian fare – and some new additions – in a whole new way.

As it introduces an updated lounge and three-season patio, this Rockford staple is inviting diners to enjoy classic Italian fare – and some new additions – in a whole new way.

08/01/2025

It started with coffee and conversation — now it’s changed thousands of lives. As Carpenter's Place marks 25 years, Rockford’s day shelter continues to rebuild hope, one person at a time.

Guests at the Carpenter’s Place day shelter receive personalized case management through a 14-point Life Recovery Plan. Twenty-five years ago, Allan Barsema invited eight homeless individuals into his construction company at 1149 Railroad Ave., in Rockford. He brewed a pot of coffee and

07/31/2025

Wild spaces don’t protect themselves. Across northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin, conservation groups are restoring native habitats, educating the next generation and quietly reshaping the future of the Midwest.

Our region’s patchwork of city, suburb, farmland and nature preserve might feel distinct, but not to the wildlife that calls it home – or the nonprofits who are keeping our world a little more wild.