Harold "Red" Grange, legendary football player nicknamed "The Galloping Ghost," was born in Forksville. A member of the College Football Hall of Fame, he began his career at Wheaton, Illinois, High School, where he scored 75 touchdowns. He played for the University of Illinois from 1923 to 1925 and was an All-American each year. As a professional player from 1925 to 1934, he played mainly with the Chicago Bears. He lived in Forksville until age five, and his family had farmed and worked in nearby lumber camps.