Descriptions of places that no longer exist.
In 1835, the Illinois state legislature bought 62 acres to create a seat of government for Rock Island County. The area, located between 10th and 17th Streets in modern-day Rock Island, was platted into 20 blocks and named after Colonel Benjamin Stephenson in honor of his service in the Black Hawk War. An effort to name
Farnhamsburg was among the first settlements along the Illinois bank of the Mississippi River. Named after Russell Farnham, George Davenport's partner in the fur trading business, the village was founded in 1831, centered around 30th Street and 4th Avenue in modern-day Rock Island. Farnhamsburg became the county seat after winning a contested election with Hampton (read more about it
Henry McNeal, courtesy of Rock Island County Historical Society In 1839, Henry McNeal, one of the first settlers of Hampton (Illinois), moved to a spot further southwest along the Mississippi and began farming. McNeal, along with Alonzo Nourse and Alfred Sanders, platted the village of Watertown in the 1850s and began an advertising campaign to attract industry and residents. Watertown had
A small section of what is now Bettendorf was once known as Lillienthal, after the family that ran a tavern and dance hall. One noted resident of Lillienthal was Oscar Kobs, who served as town crier during the Civil War, calling residents to meetings on the town commons. Lillienthal was absorbed into the town of Gilbert
Elias Gilbert arrived from the East Coast in 1850 and built a house and barn, planted corn, and tried to grow tobacco. In 1858 he used his authority as county surveyor to platt 29 lots for the town of Gilbert that included the area formerly known as Lillienthal. The former town's boundaries are now part of Bettendorf
In 1868, Samuel Heagy and Albert Stoddard formed the Hampton Coal Mining Company and began pulling coal from the bluffs around Hampton (Illinois). The coal, soft in texture, was deposited in discontinuous pockets, making it time-consuming and expensive to mine. The influx of miners led to the founding of the the village of Happy Hollow around 1870. It was