And that's the year the name of the town changed from Pondalassa to Rockford. Pondalassa carried the name of Judge Ebenezer Pond, but the town's name was not considered suitable for a county seat. Its new name of Rockford is symbolic of the rocky, river country. Located some 50 miles southeast of Birmingham, Rockford is also a just a few miles south of the Talladega National Forest. The economy was based then on cotton production and of many tiny sawmills cutting timber.
Timber is still an important crop, but the mills are now located elsewhere.
Rockford is a little town of 450 people, with several arts and crafts shops. There is an ongoing attempt to restore an old school to house more of these shops. High school age children attend classes at nearby Hanover Central High School, home of the Cougars. There's lots of good fishing at nearby Mitchell Lake. That's a glimpse of our Town of the Week, Rockford, Alabama.