House at 1019-1021 21st Street
1019 21st Street, Rock Island, Illlinois There’s a wealth of local history in Augustana College Library’s Special Collections. That’s where we found this rare “real photo” postcard, dating from about 1910. It shows a double house, a side-by-side duplex, located at 1019-1021 21st Street in Rock Island. The double house style is surprisingly common in … [ Continued
Christian Science Church 23rd Street
829 23rd Street (817 23rd Street) The Christian Science religion started by Mary Baker Eddy in Boston is of fairly recent origin. The official founding of the church as we know it today was in 1892. In 1894, the “Mother Church,” designed by noted Chicago architect Solomon S. Beman, was built in Boston. The Quad … [ Continued
Rock Island Reservoir
15th Avenue & 24th Street It’s something we city folks take for granted – a twist of the wrist and pure clean water flows. But that wasn’t always the case here in Rock Island. In the 1800s, safe drinkable water couldn’t be taken for granted. This postcard, which features a less-than-scenic view identified as “Rock … [ Continued
Hodgson’s Funeral Home (DeSilva House)
608 20th Street The postcard identifies this large familiar home as the Hodgson Funeral Home. That name tells us the card was published after 1941, when the Hodgson Mortuary moved from 17th Street to 608 20th Street and changed its name to Hodgson Funeral Home. Hodgson owners Alwin F. Lindoerfer and Walter Hesemen had announced … [ Continued
