Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-01-01
ALL RECORDS FOR
BUILDING BROKEN
Conservative Estimate Of Amount
Spent In Improvements in East
Moline Placed at S1,s00.OOO.

East Moline has seen the most pros
porous year i'll its history in the II
months just closed. but the prospects /
for 1918 are that the new year will ,
exceed even the 1917 record and that |
East Moline is entering upon a new |
epoch in its history is the opinion of
those well informed Industrial de- !
velopment in 1917 broke most of the |
past records, but the city made vast /
strides in many other ways, and sew
eral movements took form which make
East Moline a better to place to live
and better place for commercial en-
terprise.
Very conservative estimates place
the amount involved in permanent i'm
provements in the city at more than
$1,S00,000.
Among the industrial improvements
the new ordnance factory of the Root
a. NanDervoort plant stands out as
the biggest development of the year.
The company was awarded big con-
tracts by the United States govern
ment. and to turn out the guns, gun
mounts and shells necessitated i'm
pOrtant extensions in the plant. The
ordnance company and the ordnance
shop were the result. The building is
more than 700 feet long, and it is one
Of the most complete plants in this
community. 1t will run at capacity
output till Dec. 81 to complete con-
tracts now awarded There have also
been extensions to the foundry and
nth artr ot1fs nf hp e.
shops. There were additions and i'm
provements in several of the other
industrial plants in East Moline, in
Guiding the Union Malleable and the
Harvester factories.
In the general building line East.
Moline went ahead at rapid strides
Several hundred new residences have
5isen in the last year, most of them
constructed by syndicates operating
through the East Moline Land COM
pany. The Deere interests provided
scores Of new houses to accommodate
the employees of that corporation. and
other syndicates built several blocks
OF houses. One syndicate provided
rooming house operated under the Y.
M. c. A. and furnishing accommoda-
is putting up SO residences in the west
end of the city, involving expenditure
Of more than 100000
Housing remains, however, the big
gest problem of East Moline If there
were 400 new houses ready today they
could be filled within the week, &C
cording to man who is informed on
conditions. East Moline, says George
w. Ross, head of the East Moline Land
company and president of the Manu-
facturers' State bank, could have &c.
600 more population at once If it could
provide housing for that number of
people. Hundreds of houses built in
the last year have helped greatly, but
they do not more than begin to fill the
present need.
One OF the big enterprises in East
Moline IN the last year was the project
for Y. NJ G.. A. for East Moline and
Silvis. Nearly $4,000 was pledged for
the association building, and the struc-
ture is now nearing completion. 1t is
at Ninth street and Eighteenth ave-
nue.. It will be completed early in the
new year. Another Y NJ. C. A. enter
prise was the erection or building
TO serve as association headquarters
and community house for the colored
people Of the city This building is to
be utilized as a colored school, COM
munity center for activities of the col
ored people. and colored Y NJ. c. A.
The association has named B. G. Smith
as resident manager and association
secretary for the colored association.
Another important item is the new
Baptist church. which is being erected
on site adjoining that of the new
Y. NJ. &. A. This building will be ready
for occupancy early in the year. Greek
residents of East Moline have also
made provisions for the erection Of a
beautiful new church on Thirteenth
street. but this building is not yet I'M
der construction.
Several magnificent new residences
have been erected during the year
one OF the most costly and beautiful
being that of DR. l.. ID. Barding, at the
head of Seventh street.
Municipal Improvements in the city
have hardly kept pace with the gen
eral development of the city. The only
important improvement of the yeal
was that on Third street, where paw.
Ing. Waterman and sewer extension!
were installed. The paving involved
an expense of s16,417. and the sewer
and Waterman extensions $4,000
Thirteenth street was graded and roll
ed, and considerable other grading
work was done. but there was NJ
other paving improvement
II was the ambition of the city ad
ministration to get the comprehensiv,
storm drain system under way thi.
year, but that hope was blasted be
cause Of opposition within the coun
Gil. The project has been under con
sideration for several years, but Il in
wolves so large an amount. estimated
vt s250.0G0, that II Is difficult TO brint
II to conclusion. DR. G. F. Johnson
mayor, hopes. however, to get actor
eariyfn the coming year.
WHAT REALLY C0JNTS.