Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-07-21
MOLLNE'S GROWTH is
SHOWN BY OLD MAP

Citizens of Moline today who are
inclined to think of the city as hav-
! ing always been what it now is-a
manufacturing metropolis whose pro-
ducts are known throughout the en-
tire civilized world-shOuId be inter
ested in an 1857 city map and an 1850
city directory, which are now in the
office of Colonel Hjalmar kOhler
The map is known to be the oldest
one of Moline in existence, while the
directory, which lists 1863 men, wom-
en- and children is one Of the oldest.
Both are the property of Gus Johnson,
1862 Fourth avenue, who has been a
resident of Moline for Al years and
who secured them from a friend who
lived here for years before he came.
Moline in 1857 was a city extending
eight block back from the river and
running nearly eleven blocks east
and west. The map, now yellow with
age but still well preserved, also
shows the portion of the upper end
of government island, which was
then laid out in lots, and across the
river, the old Gilbert town, now
known as Bettendorf. The chart is
a larger one than those made today
and covers the greater portion of the
Pictures on the edges, however, give
one a true insight into what the vii
lage of Moline really was in the days
preceding the civil war. These are
around the whole border and include
all the edifices and manufacturing
concerns of which the town then
boosted.
The John Deere plow shop was d
two-stOry frame building on the bank
of the river, as was the old mill of
d. B. Sears. The J. NJ Gould home on
the corner of Fifth avenue and
Seventeenth street. is the most promi-
, nent of the buildings now standing.
The home of James Chapman, MOline's
pioneer banker. and the two story
store building where the brokerage
business was carried on, is also shown,
as is the Darling and Edwards Car
riage factory.
Even in he days of is embryic
state, Moline gave attention to the
education of its children. The old
school house, located a the corner
of Eighth avenue and seventeenth
street, did not differ greatly from the
presen Central grammar building
now sanding there, except in size.
The building which was burned in
1872 was two stories high and ap-
peal ~ DC me must SUBS dIIidI
structure shown on the map. Other
places which will be remembered by
older residents of the city are the
residences OF A. B. Williams and of
Cyrus Pitts, the latter where the
Moline city hospital is now situated
the Gilbert and Pitts store and the
Dimock and Gould concern.
The 1856 city directory is about
equally in size TO the average large
pamphlet or report Among the
1868 names are many easily recog-
nized as those of parents and grand
parents OF present residents of the
city The directory was issued in
July of 1855 after a complete census
had been taken.
Both directory and map will be
kept in the KOhler Office for some
time and any interested persons may
take advantage of the opportunity to
view the interesting relics of the
days of the citys infancy.
Mr.. Johnson, the owner. has kept
a collection of all newspa per clip
pings and articles which tell of the
bigger movements in the city's pro-
gress. He was very interested in
the accounts of the history of Moline
by William Jackson, recently pub
llshed in the Dispatch. He also has
a special edition of a newspaper which
was published the morning after the
assassination of President Lincoln,
which he prizes very highly.