QC Living your guide to our great community Q-C Living -INDEX- Towns............ 3-12 Schools .. 12-13, 18-22 A legendary Area map ....... 16-17 Higher Education .22, 24 Q-C perspective Phone Numbers .... 26 As an old Native the Quad-Cities in the population exceeding serves as the home to Libraries............ 26 American legend tells early 1920s when East 314,000 people. Adding Arsenal Island — the it, the area that became Moline, then the fourth- the other Illinois coun- largest island in the up- Top Q-C Employers . 27 the Quad-Cities was a largest city in the area, ties boosts that popula- per Mississippi. place so beautiful that, was included. tion to about 440,000 Arsenal Island also as the Great Father of Yet in the 1960s people. houses famous National Convention Centers .24 the Waters was carving and ’70s, Bettendorf ’s Historically, the bluffs and Confederate cem- his way southward and population shot past East along the river were eteries and the original Entertainment... 30-31 creating a new mighty Moline’s, so the Iowa home to the Sauk, Fox home of Col. George river, he turned his head city staked its claim as and Mesquakie tribes. Davenport. for a lingering look the fourth entity of the At one time, a village of The Quad-Cities has and altered the river’s Quad-Cities. 7,000 Sauk and Fox was become a popular Mid- course forever. Some people started one of the largest Native west tourist destination It’s where the Missis- using the name Quint- American settlements because of the Missis- sippi River runs east to Cities to avoid confusion in North America but sippi River, riverboat west, instead of north to and controversy, but the eventually gave way to gambling and entertain- south. name Quad-Cities stuck. the country’s westward ment venues such as the It’s also a place where The metropolitan area expansion. iWireless Center in Mo- “quad’’ has come to served by The Dispatch The first railroad ar- line, rated among the top mean more than four. and The Rock Island Ar- rived in 1854, followed such venues for several The region once was gus includes the rest of two years later by the consecutive years. called the Tri-City area, Rock Island County and building of the first rail The Quad-Cities is the in recognition of Dav- parts of Henry, Mercer bridge across the Missis- largest metropolitan area enport, Rock Island and and Whiteside counties sippi. on the Mississippi River Moline. on the Illinois side and The area boasted large, between Minneapolis It became known as Scott County, Iowa. bustling rail yards and and St. Louis. The Quad- Estimated populations became a mecca of the Cities is within a day’s of the area, according to farm-equipment manu- drive of many major met- Reserve your seat! census numbers, range facturing industry when ropolitan areas: Cedar from about 376,000 to John Deere settled his Sunday, August 7th – Wildrose Casino – $18 pp Rapids is 90 miles away; 450,000. The two largest company headquarters Peoria, 95; Springfield, Saturday, August 13th – Bishop Hill – $21 pp Pick up in Rock Island and Davenport Freight House counties, Rock Island and in the area. 150; Des Moines, 174; Call for more information 309.788.7932 Scott, have a combined The Quad-Cities also Chicago, 180; Milwaukee, 201; St. Louis, 240; India- Midsized Coaches • School Buses napolis, 303; Omaha, 305; NOW PURCHASING ALL GRADES OF Minneapolis, 330; Kansas City, 350; Cincinnati, 413; SCRAPSCCRAPC METAL and Detroit, 415. $ Bring In This Ad and Receive This book has been 10 ExtraExtra perp ton scrapp metal designed to share infor- ¢ mation about local cities, Transportation for Personal or Business Occasions! 3 /lb Extra on nonferrous towns, schools, colleges, HIRING MONITORS 3¢ Extra per lb Aluminum Cans parks, sites of interest, AND DRIVERS entertainment venues, Sign On Bonus For Drivers 3301 4th Ave. • Moline, IL notable events and a 309.788.7932 www.midlanddavis.com • 309-764-6723 variety of other facts and OPEN: Mon-Fri. 8am-4pm, Sat. 7:30am-11:30am figures newcomers espe- 115 31st Ave., Rock Island, IL cially may find useful. 2 The Dispatch and The Rock Island Argus Sunday, July 24, 2016 Towns — Aledo to Atkinson Providing Here is a list of area sold to fire departments vices: Police: 309-794-9111. cities, towns and villages, worldwide. Fire: 309-798-2030. Ambu- opportunities to our excluding unincorporated Population: 838. lance: 309-798-5406. areas: Village hall: 122 N. Main www.bhc.edu community through St.; 309-482-3424. Andover Aledo Village board meetings: higher education, 7 p.m. the first Monday Narrowly escaping Founded in 1855 by Levi after the first Tuesday at death in the war of 1812 career training and Willits, an early settler the Alexis Community convinced Andover’s and New Boston business- Center. founding father, Ithamar adult education man, and Judge John S. Nonemergency ser- Pillsbury, to become a Thompson, one of Mercer vices: Police: 309-482-5537. minister. Rev. Pillsbury sincesince 1946.1946. County’s first lawyers, Fire: 309-482-5551. founded Andover in 1835. Aledo became the Mercer His wife planned to join County seat in 1857. It also him in 1837 but died be- lured Chicago, Burling- Alpha fore she could make the ton and Quincy Railroad When Anson Calkins trip. The Rev. Lars Esb- to send its locomotives mapped out the town, he jorn, a Lutheran minis- through the city. The decided to name it Alpha ter, came to Andover and growing business envi- because he believed it founded the Jenny Lind ronment later inspired was the “beginning” of Chapel in 1850, a treasure officials to call Aledo: a great city. It owes its of Swedish-American “The City of Pride and existence, as many towns culture, largely made Progress.’’ in the nation do, to the possible by donations 309-796-5000 Population: 3,700. railroad system. People from Ms. Lind, an opera 6600 34th Ave. | Moline, IL 61265 City hall: 120 N. College from a now non-existent singer often referred to Ave.; 309-582-7241 town named Oxford as the Swedish Nightin- Website: aledoil.org moved three miles east gale. City council meetings: to a railroad junction to Population: 574. 6:30 p.m., with committee start Alpha. It was incor- Village hall: 342 5th St., meetings at 6:15 p.m., the porated Jan. 11, 1895. Andover; 309-521-8116. first and third Mondays of Population: 652. Village board meet- the month at city hall. Village hall: 102 S. 2nd ings: Nonemergency ser- St.; 309-629-9881. 7 p.m. the first Monday vices: Police: 309-582-2331. Website: villageofalpha. of the month at the vil- Fire: 309-582-2208. org lage hall, in the Ameri- Village board meetings: can Legion Building. Alexis 7 p.m. the first Monday of the month. Atkinson Thirty-six miles south Nonemergency servic- of Moline, Alexis was es: Police: 309-937-3911. Atkinson is surround- founded by Col. Robert ed by dozens of lakes Holloway and J.E. Alex- with all types of game ander and incorporated Andalusia fish. The Izaak Walton in 1870. It’s part of Mer- The old river town of League’s Giant Goose cer and Warren counties Andalusia was incorpo- Conservation area is just and encompasses the rated in 1884. Making east of the village, and townships of Suez, North buttons cut from mussel the Illinois-Mississippi Henderson, Spring Grove and clam shells taken out Canal is a mile north. and Kelly. The village of the Mississippi River The village’s park, gar- was named after the was a flourishing industry dens, flowering boule- Grand Duke of Alexis, in Andalusia in the 1920s vards and greenspace are an heir to a Russian and 1930s, but died out highly regarded. throne. The duke and a about 1945. Population: 953. guest spent time buffalo Population: 1,183. Village hall: 107 W. hunting in the area and Village hall: 221 1st St.; Main St.; 309-936-7658. stayed at Col. Holloway’s 309-798-2215. Website: atkinsonil.org home during the trip. Website: andalusiail.org Village board meet- Since 1947, the village Village board meetings: ings: 7 p.m. the first and has been headquarters of 7 p.m. the first and third third Monday of each the Alexis Fire Equip- Mondays of the month at month. ment, a manufacturer of the village hall. Nonemergency ser- fire and rescue apparatus Nonemergency ser- vices: Police: 309-936-7600. Sunday, July 24, 2016 The Dispatch and The Rock Island Argus 3 Cities, Towns and Villages — Annawan to Coal Valley Annawan Bettendorf son’s home parish in Bis- Buffalo Nonemergency ser- kopskulla, Sweden. Bishop vices: Police: 309-937-3911; Named after a Win- Elias Gilbert settled Hill leaders once refused to Buffalo, Iowa, origi- Fire: 309-937-5572; Ambu- nebago Indian chief, in a German-American allow the Chicago, Burling- nally was known as Clark’s lance: 309-937-2526. according to a 1953 town named Lillienthal in ton and Quincy Railroad Ferry in honor of its centennial publication. 1850. The town later was to lay tracks to the city. founder, Capt. Benjamin Carbon Cliff Annawan drew its first renamed Gilbert in his The colony also sent an Clark, a Virginia native settlers to live near its honor, then became Betten- entire company of men and military commander Coal mines in the hills Green River marshes in dorf in January 1903, after to fight for the Union in in the Black Hawk War along what is now Illinois 1846, and the population industrialists William and the Civil War.