CITIES, AMERICAN. (ROCKFORD, ROCK ISLAND.) 



143 



onveying the gas from wells 46 miles away, 

 ^here are 9 public-school buildings in the city, 

 nd Earl ham College, the largest Friends' col- 

 ege in the West, is here. A new State insane 

 ospital has been completed on the western bor- 

 er of the city, and a new court house, to cost 

 275,000, is process of erection. Liberally main- 

 ained within the city are 2 orphans' homes, a 

 ity hospital, a home for friendless women, and 

 ther benevolent institutions. There are 21 

 hurches, and 4 daily and 6 weekly newspapers. 

 ?here are 2 public parks, one of them of 160 

 cres. There are 37 miles of improved roadway, 

 nd 70 miles of brick and stone sidewalks. A 

 ublic library, now containing 17,000 volumes, is 

 laintained in part by private endowment and in 

 art by a public tax. The population in 1870 

 ras 9,445 ; in 1880 it was 12,743 ; in 1890 it was 

 6,849. 



Rockford, a city and the county seat of Win- 

 ebago County. 111., on Rock river, which di- 

 ides it in two equal parts. The river here has a 

 fcrong current and is spanned by three highway 

 iridges (two of iron) and three railroad bridges. 

 i\)ur railroads carry on the traffic .of the city, 

 iz., the Chicago and Northwestern, Chicago, 

 lihvaukee and St. Paul, Burlington and Quin- 

 iy, and Illinois Central. The population of the 

 ity in 1890 was 23,507. Since the census was 

 iken several districts have been added to the 

 ,ity, which increase the population by over 3,000. 

 |iii electric street railway more than 10 miles 

 |>ng connects the different parts of the city. 

 k.n abundant supply of pure water is drawn 

 rom 5 artesian wells through about 40 miles 

 f water mains. Rockford post-office ranks 

 iiird in the State, and has a free delivery serv- 

 ,;e. The city has 14 large school buildings, a 

 .iccessful business college, and a female semi- 

 jary, founded in 1849, which has an attendance 

 f about 200. A city hospital association, in- 

 orporated in 1883, is in successful operation. A 

 !ne Young Men's Christian Association building 

 ras erected in 1889. The city has a free public 

 jbrary and reading-room, containing 14,000 

 olumes. Eight weekly and 4 daily newspa- 

 ers are published, and there are 8 banks. The 

 lain business streets are paved with cedar 

 locks, and a thorough system of sewerage is 

 Sirried out. There are 28 churches. The man- 

 facturing interests include 9 agricultural irn- 

 lement works, 1 cotton mill, 11 foundries, 15 

 irniture factories, 2 glove and mitten factories, 

 j watch factory, a watch-case factory, large sil- 

 pr-plate works, 3 pump factories, 2 paper mills, 

 Ulleable iron works, a cutlery factory, 2 flour- 

 lig mills, 3 sash and blind factories, a tannery, 

 bit works, 3 plow works, 1 factory for the 

 Manufacture of steam-heating apparatus, 3 boot 

 |id shoe factories, a boot factory, a tack factory, 

 jwoolen mill, an artificial stone factory, foot-pow- 

 machinery works, 3 hosiery mills/2 spinning 

 ills, a paper-box and bag factory, oatmeal mills, 

 mill-gearing and boiler works, 2 screen facto- 

 es, 3 churn factories, 3 soap factories, 2 farm- 

 agon factories, 2 overall factories, 3 carriage 

 bctories, 3 clothing factories, V burial-case fae- 

 ry, and a factory for the manufacture of electric 

 paratus, a wire-goods factory, and a stove 

 undry. Rockford was settled 'in 1836, and in- 

 brporatod as a city in 1852. 



Rock Island, a city and the county seat of 

 Rock Island County, ill., on Mississippi river, at 

 the foot of the upper rapids, opposite Daven- 

 port, Iowa, 3 miles above the mouth of Rock 

 river, and 160 miles west by south of Chicago. 

 The population in 1850 was 1,711; in 1860 it 

 was 5,130 ; in 1870 it was 7,890 : in 1880 it was 

 11,659; in 1890 it was 13,471. The bold bluffs 

 on the Illinois side of the Missisippi here recede 

 about a mile, leaving a gently rising plain, on 

 which thje city is built. In beauty of scenery 

 healthfulness of location and climate, Rock Isl- 

 and stands foremost among Illinois towns. ' It is 

 opposite the west end of Rock Island, from 

 which it derives its name. This island, the 

 property of the United States, is 3 miles long, 

 and covers 960 acres. It is well timbered and 

 has graded avenues and handsome drives. It 

 was the site of Fort Armstrong during the 

 Black Hawk War, and of a prison for Confeder- 

 ate captives during the civil war. Here is the- 

 central United States arsenal and armory. The 

 design embraces ten immense stone workshops, 

 with a storehouse in the rear of each, besides 

 officers' quarters, magazines, offices, etc. Most 

 of the workshops are completed. The rapids at 

 the head of the island afford excellent water- 

 power. The main channel of the river is on the 

 north side of the island. The stone dam con- 

 structed by the United States Government across 

 the southern channel was washed away in the 

 spring of 1888, but appropriations for rebuilding 

 it have been 'made, and it will soon be com- 

 pleted again. At the lower end of the island 

 a railroad and highway bridge, built by the 

 Government, connects the island with the cities 

 of Rock Island and Davenport. Another bridge 

 across the southern channel connects the upper 

 end of the island with Moline. Rock Island is 

 one of the headquarters of the Chicago, Rock 

 Island and Pacific Railroad, and the western 

 terminus of the Rock Island and Peoria Rail- 

 road. Here are also depots of the Chicago, Mil- 

 waukee and St. Paul and the Chicago, Burling- 

 ton, and Quincy Railroads. Five lines of street 

 railway are in" operation. The city is lighted 

 with electricity, and is supplied with water by 

 works on the Holly plan, built in 1871 and re- 

 built in 1881. A 24-inch inlet pipe, 2,200 feet in 

 length, takes the water from the channel of the 

 Mississippi and conveys it to a settling basin, 

 from which it is pumped by 2 Holly pumps hav- 

 ing a capacity of 3,000,000" gallons a day. There 

 are 17 miles'of water mains in the city. Rock 

 Island has 25 important manufactories, besides 

 several smaller ones, giving employment to 2,500 

 persons. The saw and planing mills of Rock 

 Island are among the largest in the lumbering 

 region of the Northwest. The other manufact- 

 ures include glass, stoves, soap, crackers, books, 

 buggies, carriages, wagons, and agricultural im- 

 plements. There are 4 banking houses in the 

 city ; 2 daily, 1 semi- weekly, a/id 5 weekly news- 

 papers are published. The city has a free pub- 

 lic library containing 10,500 volumes. There 

 are 8 large school-houses, in which 45 regular 

 teachers are employed. A new high-school 

 building has been completed at a cost of $28,- 

 000. Rock Island is the educational center of 

 the Swedish Augustana Synod of the Evangeli- 

 cal Lutheran Church, its oldest institution, the 



