Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-04-23
new PLOW PLANT
IS SOON To RISE
Mayor Signs Street Vacation
Ordinance and Company
Begins Planning.
BIDS WITHIN 60 DAYS
Massive Concrete and Steel Structure
to Be Erected on Enlarged Site
in West Part of City.

Mayor G. w. McCaskrin last evening
attached his official signature to the
street vacation ordinance of the Rock
Island Pillow company.
On learning of the action of the
mayor, the officers of the pillow COM
pany today Immediately took up the
plans and details preliminary TO the
construction of the proposed enlarged
modern plant on it's site in the west
end of the city, involving an outlay
in buildings alone of approximately
one million dollars, and insuring the
doubling OF the manufacturing capa-
city, with an attendant increase of
working force to / 500 men. The
present force is 700.
To Invite Bids in July.
we hope TO have the preliminarles
far enough advanced to invite bids
from building contractors by July L.
j. F. Lardner, general manager of the
Rock Island Pillow company, stated to-
day. The entire site, embracing the
vacated streets, with the exception of
the east half of the block between
Sixth and Seventh streets, will be oc-
cupied by the shops and warehouses
east block of our ground will be re-
served for further expansion of our
plant, which will come with the cen
tering here of factories manufacturing
kindred lines. Just what these will
be and where the factories will come
from it is too early to discuss at this
time. You can simply say that the
Rock Island PIow company is going
ahead with all possible haste in carry
ing forward its development plans"
OF Concrete and Steel.
The new factory building, to be To-
Gated just west of the present office
building and south of Second avenue,
will be a concrete and steel structure,
270 feet long and 22O feet wide. It
will have a high basement, and be
three stories high. In this building
will be concentrated the manufacture
ing departments now scattered
through the old plant on the north
side of Second avenue.
Across what has been Second ave
nue. will be built bridges and trolley
runways into the old building. which
will be converted into a warehouse. |
The plan is to later construct a seven /
story warehouse west of the present /
old factory. and remove a part of the |
old building.
West of the proposed new factory |
and in the next block it is planned to |
construct another three-story building (
of concrete and steel, to be devoted .
to the tempering and casting depart !
ments This building is to be $50 feet |
long and ~ feet wide
Forge Shop Monster.
The building to occupy the most |
ground will be the new forge shop. !
This will be located on the same /
block with the tempering and casting /
building. 1t will be 800 feet long and .
$50 feet wide. 1t will be but a single
story high.
On this same block, probably on the
north side, a big steel storage build
ing about 1O5 feet wide and 280 feet
long will be built.
North of Second avenue are to be
other new buildings. The plans call
for the building of additions to the
present foundry, to double the capa-
city of this department.
One of Largest in world.
There is occasion for general rejoic
ing in the city over the fact that the
signing of the vacation ordinance in
sures to Rock Island the permanent
home of one of its oldest and today
its greatest industrial institution. The
Rock Island Pillow company, as is pref
ty we'll known, is controlled and