About Rock Island County
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Monday - Friday: 8am -12pm, 2pm-6pm WELCOME TO Saturday: 9am - 1pm Sunday: By Appointment Only ROCK ISLAND COUNTY Walk-Ins Welcome ILLINOIS Dr. Anette Svendsberget NEW PATIENT SPECIALS! 4-5 The County At A Glance Book Online, Call, or Send Us a Message! 309-592-7000 A Closer Look: 1535 47th Ave, Suite 5 | Moline, IL 61265 veruschiro.com [email protected] 6-7 Rock Island 8-9 Moline GREATER 10 -11 East Moline QUAD CITIES Things To Do Your Quad Cities Realtor! 12 Activities & Events Davenport 13 East Moline Tedd D. Lear Geneseo Licensed in IA & IL 16-17 Quad City Botanical Center Silvis Rock Island 18 Directory Design, Layout, & Published by Mobile: 309-269-6001 Heartland Marketing Inc. 1310 El Camino Drive Office: 563-345-6520 Pekin, IL 61554 Phone: 309.349.3282 Fax: 309.349.3484 Keller Williams Realty Greater Quad Cities www.heartlandmarketinginc.com 1225 E River Drive, Suite 110 Davenport, Iowa 52803 Each Office is Independently Owned & Operated tlear.kw.com 2018 Rock Island County, IL Community Guide | 3 About Rock Island County With the Mighty Mississippi River to the north and west and the Rock River flowing ROCK ISLAND COUNTY through the center, Rock Island County offers a varied landscape ranging from rich agricultural fields to rolling bluffs. With low housing costs, exceptional health care, quality schools and a wide range of recreational activities and tourist attractions, it’s AT A no wonder Rock Island County is home to nearly 150,000 residents and thousands of visitors each year. Rock Island County is part of the Quad Cities Metropolitan Area of approximately GLANCE 360,000 residents, nestled along the Mississippi River on the Illinois/Iowa border between Chicago and Des Moines. The area is served by interstates I-80, I-88, I-74, I-280, several major state highways and the Quad City International Airport. Rock Island County 146,133 Rock Island County Mission . History: On February 9, 1831 the Illinois General Assembly established Rock Island County "To build the future and improve the quality Rock Island 39,018 and defined its boundaries. In 1833 early pioneers approved formation of a county of life for our community." government with the first county election held on July 5th of that year. In 1856 petitions were submitted to the County Board requesting the formation of townships Andalusia 1,178 during the next election in November. In this election Col. George Davenport, John W. Carbon Cliff 2,134 Spencer and George W. Harlan were the first County Commissioners elected along Coal Valley 3,743 with Benjamin Axe being chosen first Sheriff and Levi Wells first County Coroner. This township form of government is still in existence after nearly 150 years. Cordova 672 East Moline 21,302 Hampton 1,863 Hillsdale 523 Milan 5,099 Moline 43,483 Oak Grove 607 Port Byron 1,647 Rapids City 959 Reynolds 539 Silvis 7,479 Find out more at: www.rockislandcounty.org 4 | 2018 Rock Island County, IL Community Guide 2018 Rock Island County, IL Community Guide | 5 ROCK ISLAND ILLINOIS The City of Rock Island is a full-service community Golf courses, parks, a casino, botanical center, Industries and families adjusted as GIs returned. Labor located on the Mississippi River, approximately marina, historic tours, bike paths, and festivals Actions of the Citizen’s Improvement Association unrest was a common occurrence, with long labor strikes 175 miles west of Chicago. Rock Island is a will keep you entertained. Nineteenth century prosperity brought about at the J.I. Case and Farmall plants in 1945. By September major city in what is known as the Quad Cities, active business and civic associations, including of 1950, 14,000 workers in the Quad Cities were on strike a region with a population approaching 400,000 Welcome to Rock Solid, Rock Island! the Citizen’s Improvement Association. This group at the same time and labor organizations were competing that encompasses Rock Island, Moline, and East of some 100 influential businessmen began to for control of industries and workers. Tensions calmed Moline, Illinois, and Davenport and Bettendorf, Rock Island History exert pressure on the City Council to pave roads by the mid-1950s, when the AFL and CIO merged and Iowa. According to the 2010 census, Rock Island’s Since 1835 and sidewalks, demolish undesirable buildings, collective bargaining began. population is 39,018. The great Sauk warrior Black Hawk lived here and enhance the appearance of the City. Their when the U.S. Army secured the upper Mississippi successes led to the brick paving of city streets and Post-War Culture Establishment Organization of the City for white settlers. Ft. Armstrong, built on what is the hiring of the City’s first park commissioner. The prosperous late 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s saw the creation of a number of The City is organized under a council-manager now Rock Island, served as both a trading post The beautiful community parks are still a source institutions that are still going strong in Rock Island. Don Wooten founded the form of government, with legislative authority and military installation, attracting more white of pride in Rock Island. The extension of the trolley Genesius Guild in 1956, and free classical summer theater continues in Lincoln vested in a City Council made up of a mayor settlers and eventually leading to the fall of Black car lines to the bluff top opened up huge tracts of Park. The consequences of the 1965 flood, where the Mississippi River was above and seven aldermen. Aldermen are elected Hawk and migration west by the Sauk and Fox land for development in early 20th-century Rock flood stage for nearly a full month and crested at an unbelievable 22.48 feet, from wards to staggered four-year terms. The Indian nations. Growth of the Ft. Armstrong Island. resulted in the construction of the levee from 1970 to 1973. The levee forever City is a home rule unit under the 1970 Illinois post came about due to its strategic location in a changed the appearance of Rock Island’s downtown; buildings were protected but Constitution and, as such, has broad powers to shallow area of the Mississippi River, which eased About John Patrick Looney’s Influence on the Area access to the river was limited until the Schwiebert Riverfront Park reestablished support development activity in the community. access for riverboats. Within a few years, the Joining the bluff-top development in a famous this connection in 2010. Administrative functions are unified through the small town across from the trading post became a stone mansion on 20th Street was a crooked direction of the city manager who is appointed thriving and growing frontier river town of several lawyer named John Patrick Looney, who used Urban Blight & Unemployment by the mayor and council and charged with hundred families. The original City plat was filed bribery, extortion, and violence to manage During this period, Rock Island experienced consequences of urban blight. As overseeing the day-to-day operations of the City on July 10, 1835, and was named Stephenson. It gambling, prostitution, and illegal liquor in the the oldest of the Quad Cities, Rock Island also had aged housing stock. Combine and its more than 350 full-time employees. was renamed Rock Island in 1841. Tri-Cities. One of Looney’s strongest weapons this with a large minority population that was finding it difficult to get good was his newspaper, the Rock Island News, which jobs, and the stage was set for disinvestment in neighborhoods. Rock Island City Services Advancement of Railway & Industry was actually a scandal sheet used to attack many looked to federal relief for these problems, including the construction of public City staff provide a variety of services through nine Rock Island’s economy prospered after 1856 prominent citizens and politicians. Looney’s two housing, urban renewal, and the Model Cities program, but none achieved the departments that include Police, Fire, Community when the Chicago and Rock Island Railroad built decades of crime had a bloody ending in 1922 security and success necessary. and Economic Development, Finance, Parks the first railroad bridge across the Mississippi. when Looney’s 24-year-old son, Connor, was and Recreation, Human Resources, Library, The railway brought industry to Rock Island: killed in a street shoot-out. At least eight violent The deep, national economic recession of the 1980s further compounded Public Works and the Martin Luther King, Jr. lumbering, pottery, and the manufacture of farm deaths that year were linked to Looney and his neighborhood and business disinvestment. Lack of industrial diversity resulted Community Center. implements and railroad supplies, among others. gang. in massive job losses as the farm implement manufacturers closed. Rock Island’s population went from a high of 51,863 in 1960 to 39,684 by 2000. Community Establishment of Augustana College in the Area Activities During the World War Efforts Learn all about what it’s like to live, play, and River towns of the mid-19th century were known Rock Island citizens were soon concentrating The Annexation of Southwest Rock Island work in Rock Island. to be raucous, often unrefined and even downright on the war effort, which had significant impact In 1959, Rock Island’s City Council directed planners to jump the Rock River rough-and-tumble communities. Rock Island was locally. Like in World War I, workers converged and annex a tract of land in Rock Island County next to Milan. This bold move Rock Island has great neighborhoods where no exception. Augustana College moved to Rock here for employment on Arsenal Island and for has proven prosperous for Rock Island, as it is the only expansion area left to the residents feel at home.