Rock Island
a city in Rock Island co., Ill.; on the Mississippi river, and on the Burlington Route, the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul, Chicago, Burlington and Quincy, the Davenport, Rock Island and Northwestern, the Rock Island Southern, and the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific railroads; 80 miles N. W. of Peoria. Here the Mississippi is spanned by a railroad bridge which cost $1,300,000.
The city derives its name from a beautiful island in the river, which belongs to the United States, and is used by the Federal government for a great central arsenal, a large armory and foundry. A dam across the river furnishes abundant water power. Before and during the Black Hawk War there were block-house forts on this island, and during the Civil War the prison here was the place of detention of many Confederate prisoners.
The city contains waterworks, street railroad and electric light plants, Augustana College and Theological Seminary (Luth.), National and State banks, and daily and weekly newspapers. It has lumber mills, foundries, machine shops, manufactories of farming implements, soap, glass, stoves, etc. Pop. (1910) 24,335; (1920) 35,177.