EXHIBIT 99

FIRST FINANCIAL CORPORATION                          NEWS RELEASE

First Financial Center                               Contact:  Ken Csinicsek
1305 Main Street
Stevens Point, WI  54481                             Telephone:  715-345-4352

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               FIRST FINANCIAL CORPORATION COMPLETES ACQUISITION
                           OF FIRSTROCK BANCORP, INC.


Stevens Point, Wisconsin and Rockford,  Illinois,  February 28, 1995 . . . First
Financial  Corporation  (NASDAQ-FFHC)  today announced that it has completed the
acquisition  of  FirstRock  Bancorp  of  Rockford,  Illinois.  FirstRock's  bank
subsidiary,  First  Federal  Savings  Bank,  FSB,  has been  merged  into  First
Financial Bank, FSB, the banking subsidiary of First Financial Corporation.

At meetings held earlier today, shareholders of the two companies overwhelmingly
approved the acquisition  and the issuance of shares of First  Financial  common
stock to stockholders of FirstRock.  FirstRock  shareholders will receive 7.7893
shares of First Financial stock,  worth $27.10,  for each  outstanding  share of
FirstRock stock.

"We are very pleased to welcome the  employees  and  customers of First  Federal
Savings Bank to First  Financial,"  said John C.  Seramur,  president  and chief
executive  officer.  "We look forward to continuing the high calibre of customer
service  provided  by First  Federal as well as  offering  an  expanded  line of
financial  products to Rockford area  consumers.  With this  acquisition,  First
Financial  now has a strong  competitive  position  in the  three  top  Illinois
banking markets outside of Chicago -- Rockford,  Peoria and the Illinois portion
of the St. Louis metropolitan area."

First Federal Savings had  approximately  $400 million in assets and six banking
offices.  This acquisition  brings to First Financial a $1 billion mortgage loan
servicing portfolio as well as a substantial increase in capital.

An  estimated  one time after tax charge for  acquisition-related  costs of $4.0
million is anticipated.  It is expected that there will be little or no dilution
to First  Financial's  future  earnings  per share or book value per share after
this charge for  acquisition  costs is taken by FirstRock and First Financial in
the first quarter of 1995.

First  Financial  Corporation now has  approximately  $5.5 billion in assets and
operates 130 banking offices in Wisconsin and Illinois.