Raised on a farm in Pecatonica, Jesse Barloga earned an architectural degree from the University of Illinois in 1911, worked first as a draftsman for Rockford architect Frank A. Carpenter, and founded his own firm in 1919. During his career he designed more than 140 buildings in Rockford, including commercial buildings such as those at 107 and 109 North Main Street, though mostly private residences, many of which were still standing in 2017. His homes can be found on National Avenue, in Brown's Hills, and in the Edgebrook Addition areas. He worked in many design styles but was best known for including half and whole spider windows in his designs. Among his most famous public buildings were the Rockford News Tower, the façade of what is now West Middle School, and an addition to the American Insurance Company building at 304 North Main Street. His wife, Viola, was an accomplished interior designer who completed many interiors for his buildings. Hit hard by the Depression, Barloga struggled to get by in the 1930s, worked during the Second World War on designs for the B-29 bomber in Detroit, Michigan, returned to Rockford after the war, and died of cancer in 1947.