The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1870-12-31
OUR MANUFACTURING WEALTH.
Rock Island the Lowell Of the West
A complete list of our leading Manufacturer.
tho Capital investsd-Annual Sales
Number hands employed and
Salaries paid.
"A MAGNIFICENT SHOWING FOR 1870"

By the time this paper reaches the pub
lie the sun will have set for the last time for
the good and prosperous year of 1870; and,
it will not be out of place for us ell to take
strides we have made, during the yearjS'''
passed, as city, on the road to ws'sn anu
prosperity, and toward becomirs tue great
Lowell of the West Tb-fetrosPect'on is
both pleasant and proa-aoie. Favored oy
nature-loca,ed 8. the junction OF the two
great hiphw.-s of the nations traffic, one the
work of ,lsure and the other the product of
m.-s brain and perseverance,; the
ene furnishing the creative power and both
coming to our very doors to take
and distribute our products to all parts of
the world--with untold wealth of fuel beneath
rich and productive soil-with a healthful
and invigorating climate, and with thinking,
enterprising business community, it is no
wonder that we fnd our review pleasant. 1t
has been the work of weeks to collect,
classify and reduce to the smallest possible
space all the facts In regard TO our leading
manufactures, that an approximate idea OF
the extent and importance of our manufsc-
turing wealth m ght be conveyed in one is
sue of the ARGUS ito whom it may concern
be they capitalists Geeking favorable in
vestment of their money, the business man
looking for thriving business locations, or
the man of means wanting home where he
can educate his family surrounded by all the
advantages of schools, churches and re-
fined and educated society.
We think the following will accomplish
the purpose, and we hereby tender our
thanks to the many firms who have answer
ed our questions, with that true courtesy
that chsracterizes the educated business man.
This is showing that every citizen OF
Rock Island may be proud of as the result of
their enterprise and the many natural ad-
vantsges this section possesses over any
other point in the west. Probably the most
important feature-the one that has done
more towards building up this section, by
attracting hither the attention of capital,
and By calling to the Island the magnificent
government improvements, thereby giving
to the location national Importance, is the
water power of the Mississippi and Rock
rivers, which in extent, ease of development
and availability for all kinds of manufactur-
ing is unsurpassed in the known world.
Rock River is one continued series of fine
water privileges from Lake Horizon to its
mouth the river being fed by streams that
never fail, and traversing region of eoun-
try Astounding in lakes and living springs
and il also flows through a. comparatively
level section, draining larger area Of
country than any river in the United States of
equal length. All Of which renders it par
ticularly valuable as q water power. At this
point it is developed by the "Rock River
Navigation and Water Power Compsn who
have already several large manufacturing
establishments in operation, as will be seen
below. although this company was only
chartered in 1867, while several others are
in contemplation, the Mozart Watch Fscto
ry and Rolling Mills, and Paper Mills being
among those already secured.
More important is the Moline Water
the United States Government. 1t was
chartered in 1865 to company consisting
of Charles Atkinson, John Deere, s. ".
Wheelock c. 81. Deere, j. IL. Gould. D. C.
ID
who owned in addition $50 acres of land
adjoining. In 1867 this company decided
all right in the water power to the United
States, on condition that the government
develop the water power to its fullest extent
and give them one, fourth of the power de-
veloped and the privilege of renting SO
much Of the remaining three fourths as the
government does not use for its own works
of man ufacturing. The government com
menced the works of i'm Improvement which are
not vet completed, and which are too extern
sive to be properly described in this article.
Sufficient is it to say that when completed
it will be the largest and most reliable water
power in the world, capable Of turning all
the wheels required in the great National
Works low IN process of construction on
the Island, together with the hundreds of
large manufacturing establishments that
will eventually line the banks of the river,
some of which are already in operation, as
will be seen by the following short account
of the leading firms, commencing frs. with
the
PLOW WORKS.
DEERE & Co.'S plow and cultvator works
established as early as 1917, consist of one
three story, one two story and seven one story
buildings, covering an extent of territory
amply sufficient for their immense business.