Rock Island County

The history of Rock Island County, once known as the “farm implement capital of the world,” starts well before that industry sprung up on the Mississippi River at a point where the river runs east to west. Fur trading, farming, mining, milling, and lumber all played a key role in the county’s formation. As the railroad moved west, the first rail bridge over the Mississippi at Rock Island created a transportation hub and furthered the area’s process of industrialization. This volume of vintage pictures looks at the county from the early 1800s, prior to its creation, through the mid-1960s. It illustrates the rich rural influence of the settlements, villages, and townships; the development of the cities and their industries, businesses, and educational and cultural centers; and how the people who worked the fields and factories made use of and enjoyed their leisure time.