City of Rock Island The county of Rock Island began on July 10, 1835 when early settlers purchased 61.95 acres from the government to establish a permanent seat of justice. A town was platted between 10th and 17th Streets and one third of the lots were offered for sale. (Today it's part of the Old Chicago addition.) This town was originally called "Davenport" after George Davenport who ran a contract commissary store for the military and a trading post for furs with the Indians from his home at Fort Armstrong (now Arsenal Island). One lawmaker, Col. James M. Stroude, objected to the name "Davenport" and the name was changed to Stephenson, in honor of Benjamin Stephenson, an early pioneer. Two years after Stephenson was platted, a "paper city" called Rock Island City was laid out. This city which existed only on paper, was 608 acres of land located north and east of the Rock and Mississippi Rivers from approximately 24th Street to 31st Avenue. This was the area previously inhabited by Blackhawk's people, known as Saukenuk, home of the Sauk and Mesquakie Indians.  As settlers began to move into the area they speculated on how the area would grow. They bought and sold land to local residents and friends back east. Daniel Webster was one speculator who hoped to turn a profit by purchasing sections of Rock Island City. Levi Turner, a New York lawyer, fascilitated many of these sales. Many people thought the area would be populated from people from the east rather than the south, making land on either side of the Rock River, the perfect location for a city. The plan to develop the Rock River area was fascilitated by the Illinois legislature which had embarked on an ambitious plan to improve the state's transportation by building canals. The canal near VanDruff's Island would bypass the lower Rock River Rapids enabling steamboats to navigate the Rock. In 1839 the state declared bankruptcy and the canal improvement plan was dropped with only 1/4 mile completed. Many investors lost a lot of money. In 1841, Dr. Silas Reed objected to the name "Stephenson," and persuaded lawmakers to rename Stephenson "Rock Island" and include Farnhamsburg and three other additions. This new city did not include the area that had been called Rock Island City.                                              See areas of Rock Island below:             HISTORY Rock Island Township CHURCHES   Old Chicago Parkview Keystone   FAMILIES     Broadway  Longview  Carriage Place   The First Library in Illinois     Watch Hill Augustana College   SCHOOLS             South Rock Island Township        Searstown                   Rock Island City        Deed-Slingers                 ©2006, Genealogy Trails