The Lincoln Highway through Rochelle was originally a Potawatomi Indian trail. In 1853, Robert P. Lane purchased land from Charlotte Bartholomew, Sheldon Bartholomew's widow, near the settlement known as Hickory Grove, and the community became officially known as Lane. After a hanging scandal, the citizens renamed their village Rochelle. From then, the town grew to the largest city in Ogle County. Rochelle's famous railroad park and the diamond (crossing of the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railroad and the Union Pacific Railroad) attract visitors throughout the year. The park's tourist center is located in a refurbished Standard Oil gas station. The Flagg Township Historical Museum offers times gone by in many forms in the 1884 city hall, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. Rochelle offers suburban amenities with the healthy atmosphere of the small town where actress Joan Allen grew up.