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...