New Armory
Much of the material in this story comes from “Rock Island’s Modernistic Architecture,” published by the Preservation Commission. You can pick up a free copy at the downtown Rock Island library or at City Hall. You can’t help but be impressed by its size. It is huge — 232 feet long, 148 feet wide and … [ Continued
Parade & Stable on Third Avenue
Third Avenue West from 17th Street In 1908, Rock Island was home to the annual statewide conclave of the Knights Templar, a Masonic organization that claims roots in the Crusades. The Knights began arriving on Monday, October 12. The following morning at 11, an estimated 1200 to 1500 Knights marched through downtown and nearby residential … [ Continued
Teddy’s Day
Second Avenue East from 17th Street This unused postcard from Shannon Hall’s collection shows a parade along Second Avenue, apparently celebrating a visit to Rock Island by President Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt. Someone has even penciled in a 1909 date at the top. All we had to do was find the occasion. Mr. Roosevelt visited Rock … [ Continued
State Bank Building
Second Avenue & 17th Street Second Avenue and 17th Street north of Market Square has been home to a bank since the earliest days of Rock Island. The story owes much to “The First One Hundred Twenty-Seven Years,” a 1981 book by Lewis B. Wilson, who provides an excellent history of banking at this location. … [ Continued
