Villa de Chantal
16th Avenue at 21st Street The Villa de Chantal, pictured in this circa 1912 postcard, served as a Catholic boarding and day school from 1901 to 1978. It was the vision of an order of cloistered nuns known as the Sisters of the Visitation who came to Rock Island from Kentucky, bringing with them a … [ Continued
St. Mary’s School & Convent
5th Avenue & 22nd Street St. Mary’s, the oldest Catholic Church in Rock Island County, celebrated its 150th Anniversary in 2001. Founded in 1851 by Rev. George Alleman, it was initially known as St. James, but the name was changed to St. Mary’s about 24 years later. The current church building was constructed in 1862, … [ Continued
Second Avenue West from 18th Street
Second Avenue is the undisputed heart of downtown Rock Island, both historically and today. It has been the destination of shoppers, tipplers, and travelers, of salesmen, milliners, attorneys and blacksmiths. Historically, the commercial area extended from 15th to 20th Streets. West of 15th Street the avenue was residential, while east of 20th Street, the Chicago, … [ Continued
House at 1103 2nd Avenue
It’s a quiet street, a nice, tree-shaded street – and it could be anytown USA. But this postcard is a view of 2nd Avenue looking east from 11th Street as it appeared at the turn of the 19th Century. In some way, it’s a strange choice for a postcard –mostly trees and paving, it’s not … [ Continued
