Untitled Document

THE CHICAGO, BUBLINGTON & QUINCY RAILROAD

In I860 the Sterling branch of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad was built from Sterling to Rock Island, but it was organized and chartered in 1854 by its officials, the greater number of whom resided at Sterling,Ill . In 1857, the company procured a gift of some twenty acres of swamp land from the county, but aside from that received little assistance. Had it not been for the panic of 1857, the road would have been completed much sooner than it was, but in that disastrous year many plans were upset and among them that for connecting Sterling and Rock Island. Following soon upon this panic was the Civil war, but after matters had regained their normal state, the promoters of this project exerted themselves to rouse pub lic interest once more, and in 1869 the branch was completed, being then known as the Rock- ford, Rock Island & St Louis Railroad.

In 1876 a reorganization was effected, the caption being changed to the St Louis, Rock Island & Chicago Railroad, which company was incorporated April 21, 1876. Soon thereafter it was leased by the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, and not long afterward it became a part of this system. The stations along it in Rock Island county are: Rock Island, Moline, East Moline, Barstow, Osborn and Joslin.

The first station of this road at Rock Island was located at First avenue and Sixteenth street and was used until the completion of the present brick one, February 14, 1901, at Twentieth street and Second avenue, opposite Spencer Square. This accommodates both the passenger and freight business. H. W. Crawford, who has been here over twelve years, is division freight agent with headquarters at Rock Island, while F. R. Riddell has been in charge of the local passenger business for the past nine years. The first station at Moline of this road was a frame structure which stood at the corner of Sixteenth street and Fourth avenue, and was used until completion of the present handsome pressed brick passenger station on Fourth avenue, between Nineteenth and Twentieth streets, which was first occupied December 28, 1911. It was erected at a cost of $66,000, including the price of the ground site. The local agent at Moline since March l0, 1887, has been H. S. Fristoe

Portrait and Biographical Album of Rock Island

Submitted by the Webmaster

Illinois Ancestors

022307