finding moline's founders - river drive adventure

Explore Moline, Illinois' earliest history, starting in the city’s original commercial district on Third Avenue (now River Drive) and learn why the heart of the downtown commercial district moved to Fifth Avenue in the early 1900’s.  Along the way you will experience the history of the city’s oldest commercial buildings and learn about their connection to Moline’s founders including John Deere, Porter Skinner, and others. Also access additional historical information - historic street views, photos of bygone buildings, and more.

This eAtlas Adventure is developed and presented by the Moline Centre Program, Kirk Marske, and Renew Moline with assistance from the eAtlas team. Sources include the City of Moline’s Historic Tour created by Todd Green (City of Moline), Curt Roseman, Barbara Sandberg, Richard Sandberg, Terri Smith, and Anamaria Vera.  Additional sources include the Rock Island Historical Society, Moline Dispatch archives, and the Library of Congress.

This eAtlas Adventure is free for a limited time, but if you would like to make a donation to the Moline Centre Program at the end of the tour, choose the option to leave a tip in the amount you would like to donate.  All donations support Moline Centre programming.

In the founding years of Moline, Third Avenue served as the city’s main commercial corridor.  Now called River Drive, Third Avenue merged a strong manufacturing industry with a vibrant commercial corridor, hospitable accommodations, and residential  housing.  Over the years, the industrial landscape changed and most commercial enterprises moved to Fifth Avenue, but revitalization efforts have preserved historic Third Avenue buildings while also offering new structures and attractions.

Today, Skinner Block still stands as the heart of Moline’s original commercial district, named for Porter Skinner, one of Moline’s earliest founders and entrepreneurs.  In 1856, Mr. Skinner moved to Moline and formed a partnership with J.S. Keator to manufacture sashes and doors.  In 1889, Mr. Skinner bought a commercial building at 1520 Third Avenue, on the northeast side of this courtyard - where the fenced patio is today - with plans to tear down the building and the one east of it. But, he was not tearing them down to make this courtyard - new structures were built on the site, including the building on the northeast side of the courtyard (adjacent to the fenced area).

Historians believe the 1880’s era buildings where you stand now were likely demolished in the 1950's to make way for a new building.  In the 1960's and 70's, the building was a showroom for Bill Tuman Motorcycles and later served as the warehouse for A.L.L. Equipment until 1989. Since this building did not fit with the other 1880's buildings on the block, a decision was made to remove it in the 1990's. Eventually the empty lot was transformed into the courtyard you see today, located between the Historic Block buildings to the west and the Skinner Block buildings to the east.

Stand in the center of the courtyard and click "GUESS" to advance to STOP 2.

Skinner Block Courtyard

This three-story commercial office building designed by Mertin Cady was built in 1901 and originally was noted for its Queen Anne style of architecture.  It had two ornate cantilevered bays on the building’s two east corners along with a three-window bay which projected from the of the middle of the second floor.  There was also a raised parapet above the building’s title ANNEX.  The closing of 16th Street and the building of the Arsenal viaduct in 1982 altered the building's prominent eastern exposure.   The two cantilevered bays and the window bay were removed, allowing this historic building to remain with the Arsenal viaduct passing very close to it.  See historic photo.

Over the years, the building has served as office and commercial retail space with a long list of tenants.  The Annex Building has served doctors, lawyers, real estate agents, insurance companies, and in the 1930’s, the House of Paradisier - manufacturer of perfumes and seller of beauty shop supplies.

Deere & Company Advertising and Art Department occupied the building in the 1950’s along with Beling Engineering who had their offices here until they moved into the vacant Moline High School. Moline Consumers came in 1959 and became the owner and sole occupant in 1971 until they sold the building to Renew Moline in 1992.  The Annex is currently home to Bad Boyz Pizza and Rebellion Brew Haus.

Move near the main entrance to Bad Boyz Pizza and click "MARK AS READ" to move to STOP 3.

Skinner Block Annex

This small, two-story brick building was erected circa 1918 as a warehouse for the House of Paradisier - manufacturer of perfumes and seller of beauty shop supplies.  Occupancy varied in the building over the years, but in the 1990’s it was renovated as an art gallery and became Dead Poet’s Espresso. Ltd., in 2002.

Stop in to see the interior - Dead Poet's Espresso is open Monday-Saturday 7am to 4pm.

Move towards the front entrance to Dead Poet's and click on "MARK AS READ" to advance to STOP 4.

Paridisier Warehouse

The City of Mills mural provides a view of Moline’s waterfront as it would have looked in the early 1850’s. Moline’s early industry was driven by waterpower derived from the 600-foot brush and stone dam that was constructed by pioneers David Sears, Spencer White, and John Spencer.  Historians say that waterpower made Moline, and D.B. Sears was the father of that waterpower with his dam. The mural was painted by artist William Gustafson in 2009.

The two prominent figures in the mural are John Deere (left) and his partner John Gould looking over a map showing the location of area mills. Deere moved his plow business from Grand Detour, Illinois, to Moline in 1848 and constructed a three-story factory on the banks of Sylvan Slough.  On the right is the Sears flouring mill, which was the largest mill on the Mississippi when built in 1846. Other local mills took power from the dam, sawing lumber, milling corn, and carding wool. Some were located on today’s Arsenal Island while others lined the banks of the Mississippi River.

Take a selfie pretending to inspect the map alongside Deere and Gould to advance to STOP 5!

City of Mills Mural

The Daily Dispatch Building was built in 1896, nearly twenty years after the first issue of the Moline Daily Evening Dispatch was published in July 1878.  The early company had financial problems and was rescued by Charles Deere, son of John Deere, who bought it out and later sold it to McGlynn and Groom who continued its publication. Over the years business ownership changed with the current owner being Lee Enterprises. The Dispatch has reported the history of Moline’s progress from its early pioneer days as the “City of Mills” through its growth, becoming a thriving industrial manufacturing city.

The Daily Dispatch Building is considered to be Italianate in style with its tall narrow windows with segmental arches separated by a central keystone. The building’s cornice is quite ornate with alternating brackets and dentils all made of molded tin and painted in historic colors.  The Dispatch remained in this location until 1922 when it moved to 1720 5th Avenue. 

The building underwent extensive renovation in 1993 as part of the overall revitalization of the Historic Block, a collection of commercial structures built in the late 1800’s, and is currently home to Storm Recovery.

Stand near the steps to Storm Recovery and click "MARK AS READ" to advance to STOP 6.


Daily Dispatch Building

Built in 1873, the brick three-story Model Printers building is notable for its numerous tall, narrow windows topped with contrasting arched window hoods, its intricate brick work, and its deep ornate cornice at the roof line. The building housed the city’s first public library which was located on the second floor and opened with 4,000 volumes. The city’s post office was located on its main floor and shared the building with the library for a number of years. Incoming Belgian immigrants welcomed news printed here by the Gazette Van Moline during the first half of the twentieth century.

Model Printers became a tenant in 1913 and purchased the building in 1959 for their building operations through 2019, when the business closed and the building was sold.  Currently vacant, the owner has not announced his plans for the building.

Model Printers Building

The row of historic buildings located east of 15th Street on River Drive down to the Skinner Block Courtyard was built between 1876 and 1885 in the Italianate style popular to that era. The corner building with its large quoins and arched window hoods originally had a third floor, but it was removed following a fire in the 1960’s.

In the early 1990s, with the building of the arena nearby, this entire block was considered for demolition to make way for an event parking lot. With help from the National Trust, preservationists saw these buildings as support for events at the civic center and lobbied the City Council to retain the block and work towards restoration of its buildings.

Photos show the buildings were in need of major renovation, but their potential was seen and the City Council voted to retain the historic block. Restoration on three of the buildings owned by the Trimble family included the opening of interior walls between the buildings for their WaterMark Corners.  Today, the building is home to Renew Moline and an accounting firm on the upper level.

At the eastern end of the block, the fourth building had layers of paint removed from its facade, brick tuck pointing, and major interior renovation all done by owner Bob Grunewald.  This renovation resulted in a popular restaurant, River House Bar & Grill, with a historic brick interior and outside dining in the adjoining Skinner Block Courtyard. Stop in to see the interior of River House Bar & Grill during business hours!

Find the red wooden door on River Drive and click "GUESS" to advance to STOP 8.

Historic Block

As the ad says, Moline Plow Company was "the biggest plow, planter, and cultivator factory in the world" and its facilities had a dominant presence on the Moline riverfront.

This brick four story post and beam constructed building was built in 1900 as a warehouse for Moline Plow Company. It later became a part of Moline Consumers Sand and Gravel Company which vacated the building in the 1980’s leaving the windows boarded up which helped to keep this sizeable building from deteriorating.

Mike Whalen purchased the building in 1997 with plans to convert it into headquarters for his growing Heart of America Restaurants and Inns Corporation. Extensive work was done to the exterior of the building including installation of green framed replacement windows with decorative green awnings at the street level. All the interior first-growth yellow pine support beams were cleaned and left exposed. A central open stairway leading from the third to fourth floor was cut into the floor plan creating an attractive atrium. Beams that were removed during this renovation were cut and polished and made into stair treads. Paint was removed from all the brick walls returning them to their natural tan color.

As shown in these photos, the Arsenal viaduct was positioned north  of the building, with the on-ramp and off-ramp at 15th Street on the west end of the building.  In 2000, the viaduct was sold to the City of Moline and relocated to its current position east of the building.  This created a new access point to the building's parking lot and the river front.

Simply Amish Interiors is located at the west end of the building and offers a wide variety of solid heirloom quality furniture handcrafted in America's heartland.  Stop in to see the restored ground floor interior during business hours - Monday-Friday 10am-5pm and Saturday 10am-4pm.

Stand near Simply Amish Interiors' entrance on River Drive and click "MARK AS READ" to advance to STOP 9.

Moline Plow Company

The Skinner Block consists of two separate buildings with the Italianate segment on the corner constructed in 1884 (east end) and the adjoining Sullivanesque building built in 1889 (west end). The architect was Merton Cady, son-in-law of John Deere. The building is notable for its ornate detailing on the roof line cornice, its arched window hoods, its recessed arched second floor central bay, and its two Roman centurions set atop pillars at the street entrance alcove.

The building served numerous businesses over the years, but by 1990 it was found to have serious code violations and the City Council approved an order for its demolition. Preservationists saw the Skinner Block as important for its early contribution to Moline history and also its architectural significance. They hired a structural engineer and gathered information that stated the building was structurally sound but needed a new roof and interior modifications. They lobbied the City Council and successfully reversed their order for demolition, allowing businessman Bob Grunewald to purchase the building for restoration with the assistance of grant funding.

This preservation success story was the beginning of Moline’s efforts to revitalize other nearby buildings, many dating back to Moline’s late 19th century commercial district. In 2015 owner Chris Townsend converted the Skinner Block Buildings’ upper floors into upscale apartments, giving added life to this 130 plus year old structure as the Skinner Block Lofts.

Find the Roman centurion atop the pillar of the street entrance alcove and take a selfie with it to advance to STOP 10.

Skinner Block

Here are historic views of Third Avenue looking west and looking east.  Stand under the Arsenal viaduct and hold up your phone to compare these early 1920's views with today's views!

Then, click on "MARK AS READ" to advance to STOP 11.

Historic Third Avenue Views

By the late 1800's, Moline had become a thriving manufacturing city recognized as the farm implement center of the world.  Seeing the need for an upscale hotel to house its many visitors, a consortium of local manufacturers chose architect H.W. Whitsitt to design a four-story hotel, which the group initially operated. Built in the 1880s, it was originally called the Sommers Hotel but later became the Keator House.  At the turn of the century, it was re-named the Manufacturers Hotel.

It was the largest and fanciest hotel in town until the 1920s when many of the major downtown commercial businesses had moved across the railroad tracks to Fifth Avenue. The final blow came when the new, much more modern LeClaire Hotel opened in 1922 on 19th Street and Fifth Avenue.  Among the Manufacturers Hotel tenants that moved to Fifth Avenue was Sohrbeck Pharmacy, who moved to 1601 5th Avenue in 1912.

The Manufacturers Hotel was vacant in the mid-1930's when it was demolished to make way for new development which never took place, and it remains a parking lot today.

Stand near the pedestrian cross walk and click on "MARK AS READ" to advance to STOP 12.

Manufacturers Hotel

In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s people looking for entertainment were flocking to see the Vaudeville acts at the various theatres located in Moline’s downtown district. The Barrymore Theatre opened in 1910 and was a location that sported a balcony and a fairly large stage. With the advent of moving pictures many of these theatres closed and the buildings were converted for new businesses. Smith Filter Company was a long-time tenant of the Barrymore Theatre building until it was demolished in 1994. 

The River Station Building is now situated where the Barrymore Theatre once stood.  River Station serves several tenants including Goebel Family Dentistry, The Moline Regional Community Foundation, Pub 1848, and the Visit Quad Cities Destination Center.  The Bass Street Landing Plaza is adjacent to River Station and serves as a venue for a popular summer concert series, community events, and private engagements.

Click on "MARK AS READ" to advance to STOP 13.

Barrymore Theatre

Designed by local architect H.W. Whitsitt, Deere & Company built the prairie style Caxton Block in 1908 and leased the building to Desaulniers & Company printers. The business initially printed catalogs for various local manufacturers, and for years printed Deere & Company’s publication, The Furrow. Final products would be packaged and delivered directly to the post office which was located just a block away until 1934.

After Desaulniers & Company closed in 1995, the building sat empty and deteriorating for several years and was a candidate for demolition. Kaizen Company of America purchased the building in 2000 and renovated it to include a 45-foot-high glass atrium that brings natural light into the center of the structure.

The Caxton Block Building is currently owned by Bethany for Children and Families, and tenants include Hutchison Engineering and Heartland Hospice.

Stand under the original stone Caxton Block sign at the River Drive entrance and click "GUESS" to advance to STOP 14.

Caxton Block Building

The Deere Block was built in the 1880's on the corner of 17th Street and Third Avenue (now River Drive) by John Deere.  It was an exceptionally ornate three-story office and commercial building with an open-air balcony on the second floor facing west.  One of its early tenants was C.I. Josephson Jewelers, until 1895 when it moved to Fifth Avenue near 15th Street.

Unfortunately, the building burned to the ground in 1960 leaving an open space that today serves as a parking lot and future development site.

Stand near the corner of 17th Street and River Drive and click "MARK AS READ" to advance to STOP 15.

Deere Block  

Charles Deere built this upscale three-story, five-unit Italianate row house in the mid-1870's with brother-in-law Merton Cady as architect. The initial name for the complex was Deere Row and renters were said to be company executives. With numerous owners it came close to demolition on three occasions: in 1943, the 1970's, and 2008.  Fortunately, it was saved each time and continues to offer a great housing option in downtown Moline as Washington Square Apartments.

To help revitalize the building in 2008, the city purchased it and used grant funding to bring it back to productive use once again through a two million dollar renovation.  For its efforts, the city was recognized with a prestigious state preservation award.

Find the Washington Square plaque and enter the year it was established!

Deere Row

Congratulations - you have made it to the final stop of this eAtlas Adventure!  Remember, this eAtlas Adventure is free for a limited time, but if you would like to make a donation to the Moline Centre Program, choose the option to leave a tip in the amount you would like to donate after this stop.  All donations support Moline Centre programming.

Located on the former site of the home of industrialist John Deere, this Beaux-Arts style Post Office building was built in 1910 at a cost of $157,000. 

The early home of industrialist John Deere was demolished in 1908 to make way for the city’s new Post Office building.  Deere and his wife lived at this location for many years, as he wanted to be near his factories. By the 1870’s, over 50 trains a day passed just a block behind his house. Deciding it was time to move away from the noise and dust, he built his majestic new home just a few blocks from his son Charles on the bluffs at 12th Street and 11th Avenue in Moline.

This post office served the public until 1935 when postal services moved to a new building at 17th Street and 6th Avenue.  In the ensuing years, the building saw a mix of owners and uses including serving as an Armory for the Illinois National Guard during the1940's. Montgomery Elevator Co. purchased it in 1987 for office use, and the company did extensive restoration that included replacement of the copper roof and power washing of the exterior limestone façade.

Interior restoration included seeking out antique shops in search of brass postal boxes, stamp windows, grills, and counters and reinstating them into the original vaulted ceiling lobby. All the faux painting in the lobby was redone and the marble and terrazzo floor was repaired, polished, and sealed. The art mural that hangs on the east wall of the lobby was commissioned by Montgomery in 1990 and done by local artist John Bloom.

In June, 2025, Streamline Architects announced it has purchased the building for its headquarters.

Take a selfie with the brass eagle over the front door to complete this stop and adventure!  And, look for the Fifth Adventure on the eAtlas app, too - its starting point is only 2 blocks away.

Historic Post Office

Finding Moline's Founders - River Drive Adventure

Explore la historia más temprana de Moline, Illinois, comenzando por el distrito comercial original de la ciudad en la Tercera Avenida (ahora River Drive) y descubra por qué el corazón del distrito comercial del centro se trasladó a la Quinta Avenida a principios del siglo XX. A lo largo del recorrido, descubrirá la historia de los edificios comerciales más antiguos de la ciudad y su conexión con los fundadores de Moline, como John Deere, Porter Skinner y otros. También accederá a información histórica adicional: vistas históricas de calles, fotos de edificios antiguos y más.

Esta Aventura eAtlas es desarrollada y presentada por el Programa del Centro Moline, Kirk Marske y Renew Moline, con la colaboración del equipo de eAtlas. Las fuentes incluyen el Recorrido Histórico de la Ciudad de Moline, creado por Todd Green (Ciudad de Moline), Curt Roseman, Barbara Sandberg, Richard Sandberg, Terri Smith y Anamaria Vera. Otras fuentes incluyen la Sociedad Histórica de Rock Island, los archivos de Moline Dispatch y la Biblioteca del Congreso.

Esta Aventura eAtlas es gratuita por tiempo limitado, pero si desea hacer una donación al Programa del Centro Moline al final del recorrido, elija la opción de dejar una propina por la cantidad que desee donar. Todas las donaciones apoyan la programación del Centro Moline.

Encuentre a los fundadores de Moline y más

En busca de los fundadores de Moline: Aventura en River Drive

finding moline's founders - 5th avenue tour

Continue exploring Moline’s earliest history and see how the downtown commercial district moved to 5th Avenue in the early 1900’s.  Along the way you will experience the history of the city’s historic commercial buildings and learn about their connection to Moline’s founders including Charles Deere, John Gould, D.C. Dimock, and others. Participants may also access additional historical information - historic street views, photos of bygone buildings, and more.

This eAtlas Adventure is developed and presented by the Moline Centre Program, Kirk Marske, and Renew Moline with assistance from the eAtlas team. Sources include the City of Moline’s Historic Tour created by Todd Green (City of Moline), Curt Roseman, Barbara Sandberg, Richard Sandberg, Terri Smith, and Anamaria Vera.  Additional sources include the Rock Island Historical Society, Moline Dispatch archives, and the Library of Congress.

This eAtlas Adventure is free for a limited time, but if you would like to make a donation to the Moline Centre Program at the end of the tour, choose the option to leave a tip in the amount you would like to donate.  All donations support Moline Centre programming.


Built in 1922, the LeClaire Hotel was named after Antoine LeClaire, a French settler who deeded a large landholding for what became part of the original plat of Moline.  When the LeClaire Hotel opened in December 1922, it was billed as “Moline’s Million Dollar Hotel” and “the largest and finest hotel in the Tri-Cities.”   As a luxury hotel, its rooms hosted celebrities and presidents including John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan.  It was conveniently located next to the new Rock Island Lines railroad depot, which was demolished in 1972.

The fifteen-story structure has a three-part vertical design with Prairie School influences. Originally the hotel had 218 hotel guest rooms and 70 three-room efficiency apartments, all with bath and shower. Three elevators, with speeds of 500 feet per minute, and mail shoots on each floor served the guests and residents. Among the amenities in the building were a ten-chair barber shop, a twelve-table billiard room, an eight-lane bowling alley, a roof garden, five retail shops, and one complete Russian Bath! 

The adjacent LeClaire Theatre experienced a sadder fate. The seven-story facility, opened in the spring of 1923, had a seating capacity of 1800 and contained a $22,000 Hope-Jones-Wurlitzer pipe organ. At first vaudeville acts visited the LeClaire, but quickly movies took over. In June 1948, it screened the world premiere of the movie "Mickey" as part of Moline’s centennial celebration. The LeClaire Theatre closed in 1952 but reopened as the New Illini in late 1953. The Illini lasted until 1973 when the building was demolished to make way for a parking lot.

In 1993, after sitting vacant for 10 years, the hotel was purchased by The Alexander Corp. of Madison Wisconsin. It underwent a 10-million-dollar extensive restoration, converting it into 110 rental apartments. The LeClaire Hotel was designated as a Moline Historic Landmark in 1993 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Stand near the doorway on the east side of the building (on 19th Street) and click "MARK AS READ" to advance to STOP 2.

LeClaire Hotel

This structure was built in 1928 for the Tri-City Yellow Cab Company. Lundahl Motors (1954-1993) and A-1 Marking Products were also served by this building.

The Atlas Collective Brews & Books opened in January 2024, to offer the community a "third space", with coffee, new and used books, and special events.  Stop in to see the interior during Atlas Collective's business hours - 7am-5pm Tuesday through Friday, 9am-5pm on Saturdays, and noon-4pm on Sundays.

Stand on the sidewalk under the Atlas Collective sign and take a selfie pretending to read a book or hail a Tri-City Yellow Cab.

Tri City Yellow Cab Company

Built in 1905 this corner building is notable for its three second-story copper clad bays, its diamond pattern brick work and additional patterned brick above the dropped cornice. The building originally housed Knox & Son Funeral Home which continued at this location until 1924 with apartments on the second floor.

The Knox’s then purchased the former Barber home, located at 21st Street and 6th Avenue and the business was joined by the Trimble Family renaming it Knox-Trimble Funeral Home. Mr. E. B. Knox served as a Moline City Alderman and as City Mayor from 1883 to 1885. For many years Mr. Knox was the only undertaker in Moline, and his records remain one of the best sources of information on the death of early pioneers. Occupants of the building have included Schneiders Drug, The Manhattan Café, The Mandarin Restaurant, Szechuan Chinese Restaurant and Sports Cards & Memorabilia. 

What two words are written in neon in the front window?  Enter your answer below.

Knox Building

Once located at this open lot, the Paradise Theatre opened in 1929 with theater seating for 720 guests.  Located between the Illini Theatre to the west and the LeClaire Theatre to the east, the Paradise Theatre was the smallest of the three theatres on Fifth Avenue.

Last known as the Cine Paradise, it closed in the fall of 1981 and demolished in 1983.  The City currently owns this open, grassy lot for future development as a public space.

Stand on the sidewalk next to the lot and click on "MARK AS READ" to advance to STOP 5.

Paradise Theatre

This simple one story commercial building was built in 1925 and opened as Service Motor Sales and continued until 1934 when it became Bellson’s Music Company. The shop sold musical instruments, sheet music and records and gave music lessons.

Locals remember it best for the family’s son Louie Bellson who practiced his drums here for countless hours perfecting his skills which in 1941 at the age of 17 won him first place at the coveted National Gene Krupa drumming competition. This was the beginning of his climb from home-town boy to a world-renowned drummer, bandleader and composer performing with all the top musicians and big bands of the era.

He was featured in several movies and played numerous times at the White House and on the Johnny Carson late show. He and his talented wife vocalist Pearl Bailey often performed together always to appreciative crowds.

Louie was known for his humility and grace and a person who always loved to return to Moline and jam with his former high school musicians.

Quad City friends and musicians held a Louis Bellson Fest in his honor in 1995 where he wowed the local crowds with his drumming skills sitting in with the Manny Lopez Big Band. He died at age 84 in 2009.

All Louie Bellson photos courtesy of Josh Duffee, via the City of Moline.

Stand near the main entrance to Shades of Color Beauty Supply and click "MARK AS READ" to advance to STOP 6.

Bellson Music Store

Records indicate the First Congregational Church occupied the site of the Penney’s building from the 1870’s until it was demolished in the 1920’s.   The church's most famous member was John Deere, and it was the site of his funeral in 1886.  This former tree lined residential neighborhood with its churches and elegant homes found itself in the midst of the growing commercial district and one by one the properties were purchased for new development.

The first commercial building built on this site remained until 1955 when J. C. Penney demolished it and built a new modern department store having outgrown their old store on 15th Street. Penney’s remained at this location until 1979 when they moved to SouthPark Mall.  Pace Development Company occupied the space for several years followed by Moline Consumers/Riverstone that had their company headquarters there until 2019. 

Bush Construction is the current building owner, and development plans for it are currently pending.

Stand near the main street-level entrance on 5th Avenue and click on "MARK AS READ" to advance to STOP 7.

JC Penney Building

(During construction, the map pin for Trust and Savings Bank is placed at The Planning Center, 1615 5th Avenue)

Circa 1920, the residence at 1611 Fifth Avenue was razed to make way for the Fifth Avenue Trust and Savings Bank. The bank continued operations at this location for about 20 years.

In 1941, the building underwent extensive interior and exterior renovation preparing it for use as the Illini Theater. The exterior façade above the theater marquee took on the look of the Art Deco style of architecture with an offset window wall constructed of multiple dark gray squares framed by cream colored brick.

The theater opened to great fanfare offering first-run movies to Moline’s theater-going public. The Illini closed in the early 1950’s and reopened at the former LeClaire Theater as the New Illini but that only last until 1957.

 New owners, Bond Walgreen Drug Store undertook major interior renovation and redesigned this building for their business which would continue until the 1980’s. In 2016 the building was vacant and in need of major renovation. Owner Chris Schram approached the city’s Façade Committee for assistance with improving the street level façade, and the refurbished look complemented the building’s unique upper level Art Deco style.

The building is now owned by Ballet Quad Cities and is under renovation for its administrative offices and the Ballet Quad Cities School of Dance.

During construction, stand on the sidewalk in front of The Planning Center (1615 5th Avenue) and click "MARK AS READ" to advance to STOP 8.  Note: If the sidewalk is closed, please use the crosswalk at 17th street to cross 5th Avenue to safely advance to the next stop.

Trust and Savings Bank

The Sohrbeck Building was built in 1912. The three-story Italian Renaissance style building was designed by H. W. Whitsitt. It is notable for its large corner brackets and narrow decorative frieze that surrounds the building just below the stone cornice.

Before this building was built, the Sohrbeck brothers, George and Henry, operated a drug store on 3rd Avenue (now River Drive) for a number of years. Like many others they decided to move their business across the railroad tracks and did so in 1913. In the process, however, they separated the company. George established a drug store with a soda fountain on 15th St south of 5th Ave.

Henry, who preferred a drug store without a soda fountain, built this building for his business. The 1912 photograph shows his building under construction adjacent to the Majestic Theatre. The 1940s photographs show other businesses that occupied the building at that time. Henry Sohrbeck’s drug store stayed in business at this location until 1981.

Today, the interior of the drug store represents an excellent example of adaptive reuse. Julie’s Artistic Rose, a flower shop, has retained many of the original drug store features, including a “SOHRBECKS” sign spelled out in a series of stained-glass windows.

Facade improvements were made to the building in 2023, and renovations to the 2nd and 3rd floors were completed in 2024, adding six apartment units on the upper floors.

Stand under the sign on the building's SW corner and click "GUESS" to advance to STOP 9.

Sohrbeck Building

Originally built for the Majestic Theatre, the building at 422 16th Street became Roderick Cafe in February of 1914.  Later that year, Charles Middlesteadt gave up his management of the Dutch Room in the Manufacturers Hotel to take ownership of Roderick Cafe.  In 1915, ownership changed again when the retiring Middlesteadt sold it to Frank Voorhees, also a former employee of the hotel.  Voorhees owned the cafe until 1919 when he too retired and moved to Minnesota.  In 1920, Charley Lehman took ownership of the cafe and re-named it Lehman's Cafeteria and it remained in operation until 1925.  The building would later become home to Illinois Optical for more nearly 60 years (1940-1999).

Now in its 30th year (in 2025), Rouse Consulting Group is the current owner of the building.  In 2022, Rouse Consulting endeavored to partner with the City of Moline and the Moline Main Street Commission to create retro versions of the Roderick Cafe logo and a Wrigley Gum ad that remained as faint ghost signs on the north side of their building.  Completed in 2023, the retro murals serve as a vibrant, revitalized tribute to the building's early history in downtown Moline.

The adjacent building once served as a dry cleaning business but it's now  part of the Rouse Consulting complex.  Buildings at the north end of the block were demolished decades ago and provide parking spaces today.

Thank you to Rouse Consulting for contributing photos to this eAtlas stop. 

To see the murals, walk north on 16th Street towards the light pole near 4th Avenue and look to the 2nd floor of the Rouse Consulting Building.  Return to the Rouse Consulting entrance and click "MARK AS READ" to advance to STOP 10.

Roderick Cafe

The buildings on the north side of the 1500 block of Fifth Avenue were built in the 1920’s, adding commercial businesses such as Woolworth's, Kresge dime store, Malcolm’s Jewelers, and the New York Store to the growing new business district. The area thrived until the construction of South Park Mall in 1979 took a number of the major retailers away from the downtown.

The area went into a decline and city officials decided a new office complex might help to revitalize the district. The older historic block was demolished in 1989, and the new Heritage Office complex was built in 1991.

Find the 1515 on the side of the fountain and click "GUESS" to advance to STOP 11.

New York Store and more

Built in 1912, this corner six-story steel frame structure is faced with brick giving the impression of massive columns which are interspaced with decorative medallions. Old photos show ornate stone arched windows at street level but these were removed in a later remodeling. The upper floors serve as office space for a variety of tenants. 

The bank's history dates back to 1857 when it was Moline’s first bank founded by Judge John Gould and his partner, D.C. Dimock and located in the city’s early business district along Third Avenue, today's River Drive. Awarded a charter in 1863, John Deere was elected as the first president of the bank which was the beginning of a long association between the bank, the Deere family, and the Deere organization that would continue into the 1980’s. 

In 1960, demolition of several buildings along 15th Street allowed for the construction of an addition for departmental expansion and drive-up teller islands were installed along 6th Avenue.

Stand near an Old National Bank logo on the corner of the building and click "MARK AS READ" to advance to STOP 12.

Peoples Savings Bank and Trust Company

In 1881, Carl G. Josephson, a Swedish immigrant, opened his first jewelry store in the Deere Block on 17th Street and Main, (todays River Drive). Carl's son Clifford Ivar (C.I.) Josephson took over the business in 1891 and moved it to Fifth Avenue in 1912.   To draw attention to his new location, C.I. Josephson purchased a Seth Thomas two-dial eighteen foot tall post clock which he erected on the sidewalk outside his shop.

In 1984, the downtown jewelry store closed and the business - and its historic clock - moved to a new location across from Moline's SouthPark Mall.

After the business owner retired in 2002, local preservationist Barbara Sandberg sought support to acquire the clock and move it back to its Fifth Avenue location.  Owner William Nusser, Jr. offered to donate the clock to the city and donations were offered from First Midwest Bank (now Old National Bank) to cover clock restoration and re-location costs.

Originally the eight day post clock was hand wound but with store employees no longer available, an electric winding mechanism was installed.  Twice a year, a City of Moline employee adjusts the clock for Daylight Savings Time.

The clock is listed as a Moline Historic Landmark and included in downtown Moline's Historic District.

Take a selfie with the clock to show what time you visited this  eAtlas Adventure stop!

C.I. Josephson Jewelers Clock

The partnership of C.I. Josephson, Edwin Coryn, and Dr. J.W. Seids hired local architect Olaf Z. Cervin to design this five-story Chicago School style building, considered to be the city’s first modern fireproof commercial building.

To fully appreciate buildings of this period you need to view the whole façade looking up to the roof line where on the Reliance building you see a deep cornice embellished with large decorative brackets and also the ornate detailing on the metal frieze. The façade is accented with decorative stone and brick work and numerous groupings of windows.

Lundt & Company Dry goods opened its business in the lower floors, followed by Block & Kuhl, and then by Carson Pirie Scott and Company in the mid-1960's. Offices have occupied the upper floors with a variety of tenants.

The hallways and staircases are lined with marble and brass fixtures and railings. The building underwent a transformation in 2010 by new owners Paul and Perry Stewart and it now serves as the University Club providing banquet space on the first and second floor. The former Josephson Jewelers segment (1514 5th Avenue) is now set up as a restaurant space - it was most recently Cafe Fresh, and something new is coming soon!

Stand on the sidewalk at The University Club sign located above the street-level windows and click "MARK AS READ" to advance to STOP 14.

Reliance Building

In the 1880’s most women were destined to become homemakers and very few ventured into business. An exception was local artist Mattie Poole who opened her first Art Store on 6th Avenue and 15th Street. Her classes in china painting were very popular and by 1910 she was hiring assistants to help her teach her classes and to paint china to be sold. Her growing business had reached the point where it needed more room. 

In 1911, with proceeds earned from her shop, she built a unique brick three-story building at 1526 5th Avenue situated between two much larger buildings, the Reliance Block to the west and the Leedy Block to the east--all being built during the downtown building boom of 1912.

Her building featured two cantilevered double bays on the second and third floor which accommodated storage and living space for her and her husband Staley Poole. She continued her art business at this location up to the 1940’s. 

Today, signed pieces of Mrs. Poole’s china are highly valued and much sought after occasionally being found in local antique shops.

Take a selfie pretending to sip from one of Mrs. Poole's hand-painted China teacups!

Poole Building

Built in 1912, the brick three-story Leedy Building was designed by local architect Hammond W. Whitsitt in the new Arts and Crafts style of architecture. It was built for the Moline Commercial Club, a men’s organization founded in 1895 by Charles Deere, son of John Deere, and a forerunner of today’s Chamber of Commerce. Members originally met in private homes prior to construction of the Leedy building. The interior follows the craftsmen architecture with a huge oak fireplace located on the second floor where Mission Oak rocking chairs were pulled up for warmth when businessmen came to exchange news of the day. The third floor, or ballroom, has oak floors, seven foot windows and a musician’s balcony supported by ornate buttresses bearing the original Moline Club logo. Fannie May Candies was a long time tenant of the corner street level shop.

The building served as the YWCA from 1927 to 1978 and its cafeteria was a popular spot to eat. Through the 1980’s it saw a variety of tenants but its once grand rooms had deteriorated and ornate woodwork was covered with numerous coats of paint.

The Leedy Building is under new ownership and renovations required after a 2019 fire are now complete, so the Moline Club is available once again for event rentals and street-level retail and restaurant space is available for lease.

Stand under the stone Leedy Building sign on the building's 5th Avenue facade and click "MARK AS READ" to advance to STOP 16.

Leedy Building

In the 1920s the Fifth Avenue commercial district was expanding eastward. As part of this expansion, in 1928, Sears moved from its previous location on 15th Street to this new building. The two-part building’s light- colored brick façade has Art Deco elements, common at the time. The interior featured sales on the first and second floors as well as in the basement.

When Sears ceased operations in this location, and built a new facility at 41st Street and 23rd Avenue in 1963, it was the first major retailer to move out of downtown Moline. Over the following two decades, most others would follow, particularly with the opening of South Park Mall in 1974. Following the departure of Sears, Barnett’s Fireplaces occupied the building until 2015.

Heart of America purchased the building in 2016 along with the neighboring Fifth Avenue Building. Restoration included major repairs to the exterior brick facade, rebuilding the historic clerestory windows located above the showcase windows, replacing the foundation for the window kick plate followed by installation of new energy efficient showcase windows. The interior work included the opening of two skylights and the refinishing of the original woodwork and wood floors.

Stand near the doors to the Sears and Roebuck Store and click "MARK AS READ" to advance to STOP 17.

Sears and Roebuck Store

As Moline continued to grow, more businesses chose to locate on Fifth Avenue necessitating the removal of numerous prestigious homes of the city’s early founders.

The Twenty-five room mansion of Judge J. M. Gould was demolished in 1930 to make way for the new $500,000 Fifth Avenue Building. Gould played a prominent role in the founding of Deere & Company.

Newer homes were being built on top of the city's rolling bluffs, some with magnificent views of the Mississippi Valley. In 1930, a group of local businessmen formed the Fifth Avenue Realty Building Corporation with the intent of building a sizable office building on the corner of 17th Street and 5th Avenue. Members shared in the advance of funds to assure the erection of this building would take place. 

Work began on the eight-story brick, stone and steel structure in October of 1931. The Depression caught the project in the midst of completion, but work was pushed along providing many men with jobs who might otherwise have been unemployed. The syndicate was determined not to interfere with the architect, William H Schulzke's plans for their modern Art Deco style building.

The building is “L” shaped, which is noticeable only when viewed from the rear thereby providing exterior light for all the offices. The brick façade has raised vertical columns which are capped at the roof line with geometric motifs embellished with decorative period colors.

The lobby is notable for its Art Deco details and original suspended light fixtures and a side entrance has an embossed decorative motif over the entrance. The Fifth Avenue Block is an outstanding example of the Art Deco style of architecture.

The building was purchased by Heart of America Group in 2017 with plans to convert it into the Axis, a four-star boutique hotel featuring 104 rooms and 15 suites. Years of delayed maintenance required extensive exterior and interior work to bring the building back to its original glory. The main floor hotel lobby includes a restaurant and two reception halls. 

Stand at the main 5th Avenue entrance to the Axis Hotel and click "MARK AS READ" to advance to STOP 18.

Fifth Avenue Building

By 1900 the increase in railroad traffic made gaining access to Moline’s Public library located at 15th Street and 3rd Avenue A, in what today is the Model Printers building, both challenging and dangerous.  A committee was formed and a search for a new location began. Hearing of the interest by Andrew Carnegie in assisting with the building of new libraries, a letter was drafted requesting a donation of funds. A reply was received along with a donation of $40,000, provided it be designated a free public library.

The building, opened in 1904, is Neo Classical in style with its exterior full-height entry porch crowned with a front-gabled roof and supported by four massive ionic columns. This impressive entry leads into a large open staircase that serves the building’s three floors.

It was designed by F. Borgolte and cost $65,000 to construct. The windows on the third floor are arched with stone hoods in contrast to the first-floor rectangular windows with stone sills. The interior is graced with five fireplaces and a main floor book stack area that has a balcony with marble floors. 

After having served its citizens for over 100 years, the city chose to close the Carnegie Library in 2008.  In November, 2023, after 15 years of vacancy, the library building became home to The Sound Conservatory at Carnegie, offering music lessons, events, and a music instrument and equipment store.

Find the Moline Historic Landmark plaque near the main entrance and click "GUESS" to advance to STOP 19.

Carnegie Library

In 1922, the Moline Dispatch moved from 310 15th Street to this location at 1720 5th Avenue, and it served as the publication's operations center until 2017.  The building was purchased by a local businessman in 2020 for $75,000 and plans for the building are still in the development phase.

The Dispatch building once occupied the entire length of the block to 17th Street, but in 2022, the easternmost portion of the building was razed.  The razed portion of the building was built in 1971 after the YMCA building was demolished and the floor of the Y's pool remained under the Dispatch addition.  The facility served as a warehouse for storing and stuffing newspaper inserts and housed a sizeable printing press.  

The gravel lot you see today will serve as a paved parking lot for future residential housing in the remaining portion of the building.

Stand near the entrance to the Moline Dispatch Publishing Company and click "MARK AS READ" to advance to STOP 20.

Moline Dispatch Building

Congratulations - you have made it to the final stop of this eAtlas Adventure!  Remember, this eAtlas Adventure is free for a limited time, but if you would like to make a donation to the Moline Centre Program, choose the option to leave a tip in the amount you would like to donate after this stop.  All donations support Moline Centre programming.

Now, back to STOP 20...The Moline Young Men’s Christian Association, organized in 1885, occupied several downtown locations until the early twentieth century. Then in 1910 the organization raised $145,000 in a building campaign, the largest fund raising campaign in Moline up to that time. With the money they built this new facility on the corner of Fifth Avenue and 18th Street. 

It was the YMCA home until 1971 when the Moline and East Moline YMCAs merged and moved to a new facility on 53rd Street in Moline. Subsequently the Moline Dispatch Publishing Company razed the YMCA building and expanded its faculties into the vacated space on the east end of the block.  Development of the Dispatch Building in 2025 will convert the gravel lot into a paved parking lot for residents of the Dispatch Lofts.

Take a selfie spelling out one (or more) of the letters in YMCA with your body, a selfie "flexing your muscles", or a photo of your Fitbit showing your steps for the day.

YMCA (demolished)

Finding Moline's Founders - 5th Avenue Tour

Continúe explorando la historia de Moline y vea cómo el distrito comercial del centro se trasladó a la Quinta Avenida a principios del siglo XX. A lo largo del recorrido, descubrirá la historia de los edificios comerciales históricos de la ciudad y aprenderá sobre su conexión con los fundadores de Moline, como Charles Deere, John Gould, D.C. Dimock y otros. Los participantes también podrán acceder a información histórica adicional: vistas de calles históricas, fotos de edificios antiguos y más.

Esta Aventura eAtlas es desarrollada y presentada por el Programa del Centro Moline, Kirk Marske y Renew Moline, con la colaboración del equipo de eAtlas. Las fuentes incluyen el Recorrido Histórico de la Ciudad de Moline, creado por Todd Green (Ciudad de Moline), Curt Roseman, Barbara Sandberg, Richard Sandberg, Terri Smith y Anamaria Vera. Otras fuentes incluyen la Sociedad Histórica de Rock Island, los archivos de Moline Dispatch y la Biblioteca del Congreso.

Esta Aventura eAtlas es gratuita por tiempo limitado, pero si desea hacer una donación al Programa del Centro Moline al final del recorrido, elija la opción de dejar una propina por la cantidad que desee donar. Todas las donaciones apoyan la programación del Centro Moline.

Renew Moline-Moline Centre Program

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