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 pi