Quad Cities

This article is about the four counties known collectively as the "Quad Cities". For other uses, see Quad Cities (disambiguation).
Quad Cities
Quad Cities
Map of Quad Cities
Coordinates: 41°31′00″N 90°32′00″W / 41.516666666667°N 90.533333333333°W / 41.516666666667; -90.533333333333
Country United States
State(s)
Largest city Davenport, Iowa
Other cities
Area
  Total 170 sq mi (400 km2)
Highest elevation 850 ft (259 m)
Lowest elevation 590 ft (180 m)
Population
  Total 383,681
  Rank 136th in the U.S.
  Density 1,600/sq mi (618/km2)

The Quad Cities[1][2][3] is a region of four counties in northwest Illinois and Southeastern Iowa.[4] The urban core consists of four principal cities: Davenport and Bettendorf in Iowa, and Rock Island and Moline in Illinois. These cities are the center of the Quad Cities Metropolitan Area, which as of 2013 had a population estimate of 383,781 and a CSA (Combined Statistical Area) population of 474,937, making it the 90th largest CSA in the nation.[5][6][7]

History

Early history

Before European settlers came to inhabit the Quad Cities, the confluence of rivers had attracted many varying cultures of indigenous peoples, who used the waterways and riverbanks for their settlements for thousands of years. At the time of European encounter, it was a home and principal trading place of the Sauk and Fox tribes of Native Americans. Saukenuk was the principal village of the Sauk tribe and birthplace of its 19th-century war chief, Black Hawk. In 1832, Sauk chief Keokuk and General Winfield Scott signed a treaty in Davenport after the US defeated the Sauk and their allies in the Black Hawk War. The treaty resulted in the Native Americans ceding six million acres (24,000 km²) of land to the United States in exchange for a much smaller reservation elsewhere. Black Hawk State Historic Site in Rock Island preserves part of historic Saukenuk and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The history of urban settlements in the Quad-Cities was stimulated by riverboat traffic. For 14 miles (21 km) between LeClaire, Iowa, and Rock Island, the Mississippi River flowed across a series of finger-like rock projections protruding from either bank. These rapids were difficult for steamboats to traverse. As demand for river-based transportation increased along the upper Mississippi, the navigability of the river throughout the "Rock Island Rapids" became a greater concern. Over time, a minor industry grew up in the area to meet the steamboats' needs. Boat crews needed rest areas to stop before encountering the rapids, places to hire expert pilots such as Phillip Suiter, who was the first licensed pilot on the upper Mississippi River, to guide the boat through the rocky waters, or, when the water was low, places where goods could be removed and transported by wagon on land past the rapids.[8] Today, the rocks are submerged six feet underwater by a lake formed by two locks and dams.

As the Industrial Revolution developed in the United States, many enterprising industrialists looked to the Mississippi River as a promising source of water power. The combination of energy and easy access to river transportation attracted entrepreneurs and industrialists to the Quad Cities for development. In 1848, John Deere moved his plough business to Moline. His business was incorporated as Deere & Company in 1868. Deere & Company is the largest employer today in the Quad Cities.

The first railroad bridge built across the Mississippi River connected Davenport and Rock Island in 1856. It was built by the Rock Island Railroad Company, and replaced the slow seasonal ferry service and winter ice bridges as the primary modes of transportation across the river. Steamboaters saw the nationwide railroads as a threat to their business. On May 6, 1856, just weeks after completion of the bridge, an angry steamboater crashed the Effie Afton into it. John Hurd, the owner of the Effie Afton, filed a lawsuit against the Rock Island Railroad Company. The Rock Island Railroad Company selected Abraham Lincoln as their trial lawyer and won after he took the case to the US Supreme Court. Phillip Suiter was one of his expert witnesses. It was a pivotal trial in Lincoln's career.

Evolution of an identity

After the civil war, the region began to gain a common identity. The river towns that were thoughtfully planned and competently led flourished, while other settlements, usually get-rich-quick schemes for speculators, failed to pan out. By World War I, the towns of Davenport, Rock Island, and Moline had begun to style themselves as the "Tri-Cities", a cluster of three more-or-less equally sized river communities growing around the small bend of the Mississippi River where it flows west. But with the growth of Rock Island County, during the 1930s the term "Quad Cities" came into vogue, as East Moline was given "equal status". Despite the fact that the region had earned the name "Quad Cities", the National Basketball Association had a franchise in Moline, Illinois, from 1946 to 1951 called the "Tri-Cities Blackhawks". Then, with the opening of an Alcoa plant East of Davenport in 1948, the town of Bettendorf underwent so much growth that many people in the community discussed the adoption of the name "Quint Cities",[9] and indeed, eventually Bettendorf passed East Moline in size. But by this time, the name "Quad Cities" had become known well beyond the area, and "Quint Cities" never caught on, despite the efforts of WOC-TV (as KWQC-TV was then called) and others.

1980s–current

Beginning in the late 1970s, economic conditions caused major industrial restructuring, which disrupted the basis of the region's economy. The major companies, agricultural manufacturers, ceased or scaled back operations in the Quad Cities. Factories which closed included International Harvester in Rock Island and Case IH in Bettendorf. Moline-based John Deere cut its labor headcount by one half. Later in the 1980s, Caterpillar Inc. closed its factories at Mount Joy and Bettendorf.

Since the 1990s, the Quad Cities governments, businesses, non-profits and residents have worked hard to redevelop the region. They have achieved national attention for their accomplishments.

Examples of revitalization and rebirth:

Geography

The Quad Cities are located at the confluence of the Rock and Mississippi rivers, approximately 140 miles (230 km) west of Chicago, and form the largest metropolitan area along the Mississippi River between Minneapolis–Saint Paul and the St. Louis metropolitan area. Interstate 80 crosses the Mississippi River here. The Quad Cities area is distinctive because the Mississippi River flows from east to west as it passes through the heart of the area; the Iowa cities of Davenport and Bettendorf are located due north of Rock Island and Moline, respectively.

The Quad Cities area is one where the telephone companies cooperate with regional phone calls. Iowa and Illinois have different area codes (563 and 309 respectively), yet most calls originating and terminating within the core urban area are placed without long-distance charges by dialing just a 7-digit number. This helps the bi-state area promote itself as a single community, "joined by a river."

The Quad Cities Metropolitan Area consists of three counties: Scott County in Iowa, and Rock Island County and Henry County in Illinois. The Quad City metro population is 272,000.[15] The Quad Cities Metropolitan Area is also considered part of the Great Lakes Megalopolis.[16][17]

Landmarks

Downtown Rock Island, Illinois

Noteworthy companies

The new Kone Building in Downtown Moline, Illinois.

Top employers

According to Quad Cities website,[23] the top employers in the Quad Cities area are:

Rank Employer # of employees
1 Rock Island Arsenal 8,500
2 Deere & Company 7,300
3 Genesis Health System 4,900
4 Hy-Vee 4,100
5 HNI Corporation/The Hon Company/Allsteel 3,200
6 Trinity Regional Health System 2,900
7 Tyson Fresh Meats 2,400
8 Alcoa 2,250
9 Kraft Foods/Oscar Mayer 1,500
10 XPAC 1,195

Notable people

Alphabetical by first name

Colleges and universities

Culture

Since 1916, the region has supported the Quad City Symphony Orchestra, which presents a year-round schedule of concerts at the Adler Theatre in Davenport and Centennial Hall in Rock Island. The Handel Oratorio Society, dating to 1880, is the second-oldest organization of its kind in the nation and presents annual performances of "Messiah" along with another major work for choir and orchestra. The Augustana Choir, founded at Rock Island's Augustana College in 1934, is one of the nation's leading collegiate choruses. Major outdoor summer music festivals include the Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Jazz Festival, Mississippi Valley Blues Festival, and River Roots Live.

The Quad-Cities' three traditional community theaters – Playcrafters Barn Theatre (founded in 1920, comedies and dramas)[24] and Quad City Music Guild (1948, musicals) in Moline, and Genesius guild (1957, outdoor Shakespeare and Greek comedies and tragedies) in Rock Island – were joined in 1976 by Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse, a professional dinner theater in downtown Rock Island's historic Fort Theatre. Ballet is performed at Ballet Quad Cities. The River Music Experience provides quality music programming, education, and outreach to all cities.ComedySportz provides improv comedy. Bluebox Limited is a Bettendorf-based film production company, and many outside productions companies have filmed movies in the Quad Cities in recent years. Historic buildings and sites listed on state and the National Register of Historic Places interpret the history of people's settlement and lives in the area.

Bill McAlister recorded a song titled "Quad City Queen" and included it on his "Illinois Opry" album. The song references the TPC gold course in Silvis, and the arsenal gate.

Media

The Quad Cities is the 151st largest radio market in the United States.[25] It is ranked 97th by Nielsen Media Research for the 2008–09 television season with 309,600 television households.[26]

The area is served by over 13 commercial radio stations, 8 non-commercial radio stations, 3 low power FM radio stations, 8 TV stations and 3 daily newspapers.

In 2012, the Mississippi Valley Fair that is held in Davenport served as the film location for Rodney Atkins' music video "Just Wanna Rock N' Roll."

Also in 2012, the PBS Frontline documentary Poor Kids was filmed in and around the Quad Cities showing poverty from a child's perspective.

Transportation

The current I-74 Bridge, connecting Bettendorf, Iowa, and Moline, Illinois, is located near the geographic center of the Quad Cities.

Four interstate highways serve the Quad Cities: Interstate 80, Interstate 280, Interstate 74 serve both states while Interstate 88 serves just Illinois. United States highways include U.S. Route 6 and U.S. Route 67 which run through both Iowa and Illinois, while U.S. Route 61 serves just Iowa and U.S. Route 150 serves just Illinois.

The future I-74 Bridge will span 4 lanes in each direction; construction is set to begin in 2018.

A total of five bridges accessible by automobiles connect Iowa with Illinois in the Quad Cities across the Mississippi River. The Fred Schwengel Memorial Bridge carries Interstate 80 and connects Le Claire, Iowa, with Rapids City, Illinois. Continuing downstream, the I-74 Bridge connects Bettendorf, Iowa, with Moline, Illinois, and is the busiest bridge with an average of 70,400 cars a day.[27] The Government Bridge connects Downtown Davenport with the Rock Island Arsenal. Three bridges connect Davenport with Rock Island, Illinois; The Rock Island Centennial Bridge, The Crescent Rail Bridge, and the furthest downstream bridge, the Sergeant John F. Baker, Jr. Bridge which carries I-280.

Several state highways also serve the area. Iowa Highway 22 is on Davenport's southwest side and runs west through the county, while Iowa Highway 130 runs along Northwest Boulevard on Davenport's north edge. Illinois Route 5 (John Deere Road) runs from Rock Island east till it runs into Interstate 88. Illinois Route 92 runs along the Mississippi River, while Illinois Route 84 runs along the east side of Rock Island County. Illinois Route 192 connects Highway 92 with Illinois Route 94 near Taylor Ridge. The Chicago – Kansas City Expressway also serves the area along Interstates 74, 80, and 88.

There are three transit operators in the Quad Cities with limited interconnection between them. Rock Island County Metropolitan Mass Transit District (Quad Cities MetroLINK) serves the Illinois cities of Rock Island, Moline, East Moline, Milan, Silvis, Carbon Cliff, Hampton and Colona. It has 12 routes and a fleet of about 52 buses. It operates a river craft during summer months. In Iowa, Davenport Citibus has 13 fixed routes and operates 20 buses, six days a week and Bettendorf Transit operates five routes, Monday–Saturday, and has eight buses.

Amtrak currently does not serve the Quad Cities. The closest station is about 50 miles (80 km) away in Galesburg, Illinois. In 2008, the two current United States Senators from Iowa, Tom Harkin and Chuck Grassley, Illinois Senator Dick Durbin, and former Senator Barack Obama sent a letter to Amtrak asking them to begin plans to bring rail service to the Quad Cities.[28] In October 2010, a $230 million federal fund was announced that will bring Amtrak service to the Quad Cities, with a new line running from Moline to Chicago. They hope to have the line completed in 2015, and offer two round trips daily to Chicago.[29] In December 2011, the federal government awarded $177 million in funding for the Amtrak connection. It will establish passenger rail for the first time since the 1970s.

The Quad Cities are served by the Quad City International Airport, Illinois' third-busiest airport, located in Moline. The airport is marketed as a regional alternative to the larger airports in Chicago, nearly 200 miles (320 km) away. The smaller Davenport Municipal Airport is the home of the Quad City Air Show.

Sports teams

From 1907 to 1926, Rock Island was home to the NFL's Rock Island Independents. The franchise was a charter member on the National Football League (NFL) in 1920. The first NFL Game ever was played by the Islanders at Douglas Park in September, 1920. Football legend Jim Thorpe was a member of the team in 1924.

The Tri-Cities Blackhawks, named in honor of the Sauk war chief Black Hawk, was the next top-level professional sports franchise. The club played in the National Basketball League (NBL) from 1946 until its merger in 1949 with the Basketball Association of America to become the National Basketball Association (NBA). Hall of famer Red Auerbach coached the Blackhawks during their first NBA season.

After the 1950–51 basketball season, the team moved to Milwaukee, where they were named the Hawks. After a second move to St. Louis, the team is now the Atlanta Hawks.

Professional basketball returned to the Quad Cities during the 1980s and 1990s with the Quad City Thunder of the Continental Basketball Association. The CBA served as the NBA's premiere developmental league and produced many highly regarded NBA stars. From 1987 through the 1992–93 season, the Thunder played at Wharton Field House in Moline. Starting with the 1993–94 season, the team played at The MARK of the Quad Cities (now the iWireless Center.) After the CBA folded in 2001, the Thunder franchise ceased operations permanently.

The Quad Cities has hosted minor league baseball teams since the Davenport Brown Stockings first played in 1878. The Rock Island Islanders and Moline Plowboys each fielded teams for many seasons. The Islanders began play in 1901and played primarily at Douglas Park. The Plowboys were founded in 1914. Their home was Browning Field.

The Davenport franchise has been a mem ber of the Midwest League since 1960. They have played at Modern Woodman Park since 1931. Today, the Quad Cities River Bandits are a Class A affiliate of the Houston Astros in an Award winning ballpark.

Sports

Club League Venue Established Championships
Quad Cities River Bandits MWL, Baseball Modern Woodmen Park 1901 10
Quad City Mallards ECHL, Ice hockey iWireless Center 2009 2
Quad Cities Riverhawks PBL, Basketball Wharton Field House 2006 0
Quad City Wolfpack MFA, Football Ericson Field 2013 1
Quad City Raiders MSFL, Football Ericson Field 2011 0

See also

See also

Notes

  1. Official precipitation records for the Quad Cities kept at the Weather Bureau Office (WBO) in Davenport, Iowa from July 1871 to December 1931, alternating between Quad City Int'l (KMLI) and the Davenport WBO from January 1932 to 17 February 1937, and remaining at KMLI since 18 February 1937. Temperature, snowfall, and snow depth records date to 1 January 1874, 1 August 1882, and 1 January 1901, respectively. For more information, see Threadex

References

  1. "Welcome to the Quad Cities". City Guide Post Inc. Retrieved February 2, 2008.
  2. "Community Visitor Information". Illinois Quad Cites Chamber of Commerce. Archived from the original on December 14, 2007. Retrieved February 2, 2008.
  3. Johnson, Dirk (October 20, 1987). "East Moline Journal; Friday Night High, in the Bleachers". The New York Times. Retrieved February 2, 2008.
  4. "Why Quad Cities". Retrieved February 3, 2016.
  5. List of Combined Statistical Areas
  6. "Annual Estimates of the Population of Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas: April 1, 2010 to July 1," (CSV). 2011 Population Estimates. United States Census Bureau, Population Division. June 2012. Retrieved 2012-08-01.
  7. "Annual Estimates of the Population of Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2011" (CSV). 2012 Population Estimates. United States Census Bureau, Population Division. April 2012. Retrieved 2013-03-16.
  8. Frederick Anderson, ed. Joined by a River: The Quad Cities, Lee Enterprises, Inc., 1982, p. 16.
  9. "About". Retrieved February 3, 2016.
  10. Cox, Jeff. "CNN; Where homes are affordable". Retrieved September 24, 2008.
  11. "The Best Places for Business and Careers - 2015". Forbes.
  12. "5 Markets Beating the Housing Bust". Yahoo Finance. February 23, 2012. Retrieved February 3, 2016.
  13. Doug Schorpp. "Study: Q-C makes strides in high-tech jobs". The Quad-City Times. Retrieved February 3, 2016.
  14. "Modern Woodmen Park voted Best Minor League Ballpark – MiLB.com Clubs". MiLB.com. Retrieved February 3, 2016.
  15. "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. 2010. Retrieved May 26, 2011. Note: Quad City population is equivalent to adding up the populations of Scott County, Iowa and Rock Island, and Henry Counties in Illinois.
  16. America 2050: Megaregions: Great Lakes. Regional Plan Association.
  17. Regional Plan Association (2008). America 2050: An Infrastructure Vision for 21st Century America. New York: Regional Plan Association.
  18. "NowData - NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 2012-02-22.
  19. "Station Name: IL MOLINE QUAD CITY INTL AP". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 2014-04-05.
  20. "WMO Climate Normals for MOLINE/QUAD CITY, IL 1961–1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 2014-03-10.
  21. Alma Gaul. "TV show to feature RI auction business". The Quad-City Times. Retrieved February 3, 2016.
  22. City of East Moline Archived March 13, 2010, at the Wayback Machine.
  23. "Largest Employers | Top Employers | QC First". Quadcitiesfirst.com. Retrieved 2016-02-03.
  24. Virgo Multimedia (1960-10-05). "Playcrafters Barn Theatre – Community theater for the Quad-Cities". Playcrafters.com. Retrieved 2016-02-03.
  25. "Market Survey Schedule & Population Rankings" (PDF). Arbitron. September 12, 2011. Retrieved September 12, 2011.
  26. Nielsen Media Research. "Nielsen Local Television Market Universe Estimates". Retrieved 2009-01-17.
  27. "Bridges: Iowa, Illinois order safety inspections". Quad City Times. Retrieved 2007-12-19.
  28. Coulter, Melissa (2008-06-06). "Ready to trade wheels for rails". Quad-City Times. Retrieved 2008-09-29.
  29. Tibbetts, Ed (2010-10-25). "Quad-City rail project to get $230 million". Quad City Times. Retrieved 2010-10-29.
  30. "ABOUT – Quad City Raiders". Qcraiders.com. Retrieved 2016-02-03.
  31. "wolfpack2". wolfpack2. Retrieved February 3, 2016.
  32. "Wolfpack defeat Raiders in Q-C semipro football showdown". Qctimes.com. 2014-06-14. Retrieved 2016-02-03.
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Coordinates: 41°31′N 90°32′W / 41.517°N 90.533°W / 41.517; -90.533

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