Rock Island Arsenal: Origin

The Rock Island Arsenal has long been a seat of the locale known as the Quad Cities Area.  Those few acres of land, nestled in the topographical ribbon that is the Mississippi River, bear the origin of the area's settlement and are literally at the center of the community to this day.  However there were more than a few players vying for the vast tracts of land that surrounded this geographical speck.  The first of course were the Native Americans.

The Sauk (also Sac) and Meskwaki (also "Fox") tribes were prevalent in the area, and a large Sauk village was located just five miles downstream of the island, right where the Rock River finally spills into the Mississippi.  Sauk leader Black Hawk fondly recounts the island as a summer hotspot for both tribes.

"It was our garden, like the white people have near their big villages, which supplied us with strawberries, blackberries, gooseberries, plums, apples, and nuts of different kinds.  Being situated at the foot of the rapids, its waters supplied us with the finest fish.  In my early life I spent many happy days on this island.  A good spirit had charge of it, which lived in a cave in the rocks immediately under the place where the fort now stands.  This guardian spirit has often been seen by our people.  It was white, with large wings like a swan's, but ten times larger."

"Sauk & Meskwaki Indians" by Karl Bodmer

History on the Mississippi

Unfortunately, the land would soon be viewed as important by many different nationalities and for numerous reasons.  The first mentions of the island predate the American Revolution and describe a "big island" at the bend of the Mississippi past the "upper rapids."  This was found in documents from French and French-Canadian traders, who were the first in the area seeking to earn their riches trading furs and seeking the easiest route with which to do so.  Also called "voyageurs," they would travel in "North Canoes" that measured up to 20 feet in length and could carry upwards of a ton of cargo in addition to the eight men required to propel and steer such a vessel.

By 1763, France had been pushed out of the region thanks to the French & Indian War, one of many early conflicts in American history that remains covered in a thick layer of dust.  Those results brought in a new trading partner, the British, though some French remained behind and continued to make their living with the victors.  The local tribes didn't seem to care so long as the trading remained good and their European partners kept providing them with the customary gifts that often accompanied trades to grease the wheels of good relations.  As the name of the previous conflict suggests, Native Americans took sides in more than a few conflicts between European nations.

"Voyageur canoe" by Frances Anne Hopkins -  Licensed under Public Domain

By 1783 the American Revolution was over and the Treaty of Paris had been signed, ceding massive areas of land from the British to the newly founded United States of America.  Known as the Northwest Territory, it included the states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, and parts of Minnesota. Much like the defeated French in the previous decade the British couldn't quite give up their profitable trade with the Native Americans.  In fact, they outright refused.  From Canada they continued business on a much larger scale than the vanquished French, all the while undermining their American competition.  As if that weren't enough, they also began to provide arms and ammunition to local tribes who began to organize in order to halt the steady Westward flow of white settlers.  Battles took place, as they would countless times in the century to follow, but it mattered little.  There was no stopping Manifest Destiny.  Even if the Native Americans tried to settle peacefully with the government, a treaty would be drawn up to establish lines that ultimately involved Native Americans sacrificing some of their homeland.  It would last until settlers pushed past those boundaries, a new treaty would be drawn up, and the leapfrogging boundaries would continue to push the Native Americans out of any land they ever knew as home.

Boiling Point

In 1800, Spain quietly "gave" back to France 828,000 square miles of land with more than a little coersion applied by Napoleon Bonaparte, who had visions of extending his empire to the new continent.  President Thomas Jefferson, alarmed at the prospect, began to acquire as much land as possible to help thwart the efforts of the "Little Corporal."  To hedge those efforts he even began secret negotiations with France to purchase the land recently ceded to them by Spain.  Treaty after treaty was being signed with various tribes of Native Americans and each one added to the mass of the rapidly growing nation.  Napoleon, in an effort to raise some much needed finance, eventually sold the desired land to Jefferson in 1803 in the famous "Louisiana Purchase."  The lone holdouts in this string of successes were the Sauk and Fox tribes.  Not only were they not interested in selling their land, they wouldn't even attend meetings with the whites.  Jefferson viewed their land as essential since it included the Mississippi River from Prairie du Chien, WI all the way down to St. Louis.  Something had to give.

The Louisiana Purchase ensured that the "Mighty Mississip" was no longer the westernmost border of the United States; now it was an important artery of transportation for trade and travelers alike.  Americans officially owned the land as of March 10, 1804 and that created some tricky political situations for the Native Americans.  In September of that year, things got even trickier when Sauk hunters killed three white men who had settled illegally on tribal land.  It was the worst possible action for the two tribes.  The deaths panicked the whites, who were now demanding protection from the government, and also struck the fear of retaliation into their own people, who were forced to abandon their southern-most villages and move north of the Des Moines River.

William H. Harrison by Remington Peale

Earlier that year, President Thomas Jefferson had charged Indiana Governor (and future 9th U.S. President) William Henry Harrison with acquiring as much land as possible.  Harrison was infamously well-suited to his task using almost any means necessary to procure new territory: liquor, threats, bribery, and broken promises were his tools of the trade.  The killing of white settlers by the Sauk put the tribe exactly where he wanted them.  It forced them to the bargaining table and put him in a position of strength.  Before he could act on his new bargaining chip, two Sauk village chiefs came to St. Louis to publicly condemn the killings.  They didn't want a few bad apples to spoil the relations of the many.  It isn't mentioned if the Americans accepted the apology, but their demands to present the murderers certainly are.  Shortly after returning to their villages with the demands of the Americans, Harrison sent falsely urgent messages to each tribe stating that if they didn't bring the murderers to St. Louis, he feared retaliation against the tribes.  He then traveled to St. Louis to meet with many other tribes, bestowing them gifts.  As if that weren't Machiavellian enough, he then lavished the rival tribe of the Osage with an even more impressive selection of gifts plus offers of friendship and protection.  In just under a fortnight, five leaders (minor chiefs) of the tribes, four Sauk and one Fox, brought one of the killers to St. Louis along with compensation for the victims' families, a common practice known as "covering the dead."  Pay the families of the dead, and if the payment is accepted, no revenge could be sought.  They were also there to make friends with the Americans and to arrange an alliance that might help protect them from the Osage.

Treaty of 1804: The Devious Deal

Harrison quickly reverted to his tried and true tactics.  He got the tribal delegates drunk, asked for land, and made promises of friendship and protection by the Americans as well as sweeping these unpleasant murders under the rug.  The shifty governor knew that the men present had no authority to make such an agreement.  A process was in place for such arrangements that involved much formality, in addition to feedback and participation from the tribes.  This was the equivalent of a back-alley fleecing.  When it was all said and done the Treaty of 1804 sold a massive plot of 52 million acres to the Americans, including both Sauk villages on the Rock River as well as the island known by then as Rock Island.  For this, the Native Americans would receive $2,234.50 in goods, annual payments of $1,000 in goods, an American to teach them how to farm, and the release of the prisoner brought to St. Louis.  If that doesn't sound like enough of a swindle on a massive scale, Harrison had only just begun.

Map of the territory acquired from the Sauk and Fox in the Treaty of 1804
 as prepared by Ernest Royce. In Wisconsin, the acquisition stopped
 at the Wisconsin River. Map by Karen Everingham.

The minor chiefs who had made the agreement were not unfamiliar with alcohol.  They had been trading with Europeans for over a century, after all.  However, it was a European custom to provide gifts during a trade to keep relations smooth.  Knowing this, the delegates may have thought the alcohol a gift from their "American father."  They must have been sorely surprised when the $2,234 they were to receive as payment for their lands was instead given to a well-to-do French trader as payment for expenses incurred.  The Frenchman, Pierre Chouteau, also served as witness to the signed treaty.  In a final insult, the freed Sauk prisoner was shot down while running from his captors.  Despite being skilled and friendly negotiators with the Europeans, the two tribes were double-crossed in every way imaginable by Harrison.  It was the beginning of some very bad blood and sowed the seeds for what would become the Black Hawk War.

Rise of Rock Island

Zebulon Pike

The Treaty of 1804 brought the fabulously named Lieutenant Zebulon Pike (after whom Pike's Peak is named) to Rock Island in 1805.  His expedition was charged with, among other things, gathering information about the river and to seek the best possible strategic locations for forts to help tame the newly acquired territory.  By 1809, Congress has passed legislation to set aside Rock Island as one of the sites for a federal military installation.  Needless to say that Pike's presence was not welcome on the "big island," as he called it, nor was that of any white man.  The Sauk and Fox had warred with many other tribes to establish their lands.  They were tremendous warriors and while they didn't engage in guerrilla warfare or raids against the whites, it wouldn't take long for them to find their opportunity for vengeance.

The War of 1812

Without going too much into the War of 1812 and what it meant for America, the Sauk and Fox saw it as an opportunity to fight against the Americans.  Allegedly, in an attempt to honor the scandalous Treaty of 1804, the Sauk warrior Black Hawk offered the tribe's allegiance at Fort Madison, but was refused.  This, combined with the Americans refusal to offer them credit, a privilege commonly offered by Europeans, made the Sauk more than receptive when the British came to trade.  Credit was extremely important to the Native Americans in order to purchase vital winter supplies.  For their kindness, the British sent a secret message to Black Hawk urging him to gather a war party and meet the British in Green Bay.  Throughout the War of 1812 the two were allies who supported one another while the Sauk and Fox also harassed targets of opportunity.  The Sauk and Fox, led by Black Hawk, enjoyed victories at islands both south (Credit Island) and north (Campbells Island) of Rock Island.  Even after the war, loyalty to Britain among their allied Native American tribes remained high.

An editorial cartoon encouraging Americans to fight

The recent absence of the defeated British and their forts, plus the continuing hostilities with Native Americans gave the Americans great incentive to locate forts at strategic points.  In 1816, 11 years after Pike had set foot there, Fort Armstrong was established on Rock Island.  It provided an important checkpoint in the Mississippi River, and was able to keep the military close to the problematic Sauk and Fox tribes, who were still angry at the Treaty of 1804 and its consequences.  It was the first permanent settlement in the area and because of the safety it provided, also allowed a hub of commerce and economy to gain a foothold.  The surnames of those earliest businessmen still dot the map today as local towns such as Davenport and LeClaire.  The fort also sent a signal to the French, English, & Canadians to remind them that this was now American soil, no matter how recently it became so.

Fort Armstrong

This model of Fort Armstrong is currently on display at the local Putnam Museum.

The fort was situated at the west tip of Rock Island giving it a superior ability to monitor each channel of the Mississippi River that swept around it.  Fort Armstrong, being on the very edge of the island, only required that the 8th U.S. Infantry build two walls to cordon off the area, which were partly formed by the forts barracks, blockhouses, and storehouses.  The 30-foot natural limestone bluffs that were the western bank of the island were considered an adequate deterrent to anyone wishing to assault the fort from that direction.

This map of the fort is in the same display as the above model at the Putnam Museum and lists out the different buildings.

The fort's construction, save for the limestone cliff, was fairly standard construction for the time.  The blockhouses used interlocking square timbers peppered with a more than adequate number of embrasures so that muskets could be fired by inhabitants and attackers outside the buildings.  The second stories of the blockhouses were also constructed at a diagonal to the first story to eliminate "blind spots" in the fields of fire of the occupants.  This is very similar to Spanish forts or castles which often used angled bastions to allow their cannons interlocking fields of fire.  It turns out that comparisons of Fort Armstrong to castles is not completely unfounded, as is relayed in a 1932 article from The Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society that quotes one of Illinois Governor Thomas Ford describing the fort as such,

"Rock Island, was then in a complete state of nature, a romantic wilderness.  Fort Armstrong was built upon a rocky cliff on the lower point of an island, near the center of the river... (a traveler) on the voyage upstream after several days solitary progress through a wilderness country...came suddenly in sight of the whitewashed walls and towers of the fort, perched upon a rock , surrounded by the grandeur and beauty of nature, which at a distance gave it the appearance of one of those enchanted castles... so well described in the Arabian Nights Entertainments!"

1819 map of Rock Island.  Note the cleared area for the fort on the Western tip.

Illustration from "History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century"

Black Hawk would write about the construction of the fort decades later in his memoirs

"When we arrived we found that the troops had come to build a fort on Rock Island. This, in our opinion, was a contradiction to what we had done– 'to prepare for war in time of peace.' We did not object, however, to their building their fort on the island, but were very sorry."

Site of Ft. Armstrong Today

Today, the area is set aside as a park of sorts before one crosses the Government Bridge (a.k.a. Arsenal bridge), which connects the island, known today as Arsenal Island, to Davenport, IA and Rock Island, IL.

At the north end of the park, back to the Government Bridge, looking south toward Illinois.

                                                                                                                                                                                             

Cannons rest pointed at the Mississippi adjacent to a replica blockhouse constructed in 1916 to commemorate Fort

Armstrong's centennial anniversary.

Shown here are many of the embrasures and the interlocking corners.

Here are the two cannons that protect the fort today.

Photo of the Westmost cannon (left in above photo) and taken with lower f-stop to
clarify the text on the muzzle which reads, "No. 189  REVERE COPPER 1218 lbs" and "T.J.R. 1863"

Photo of the Eastmost cannon and taken with lower f-stop to 
clarify the text on the muzzle which reads, "No. 324 H.N.H & Co 1239 lbs" and "T.J.R.  1864"
H.N.H. & Co. stands for manufacturer Henry N. Hooper of Boston, MA.

The blockhouse overlooking the Mississippi with the Centennial Bridge in the background.

Also located in this tiny historical plot is a fenced off area containing the graves of two surgeons who
were very important to the people living  in the area at that time.  Each grave is marked with a large boulder.

As the title states, this was the earliest infancy of the Rock Island Arsenal, and also of the entire surrounding Quad Cities area.  Fort Armstrong served an important role in the Black Hawk War and eventually the treaty that ended that conflict was signed there.  It would last a scant 20 years before being abandoned in 1836 - it was no longer needed as an outpost on the edge of the untamed countryside.  It would serve other purposes in later years, but it had already laid the groundwork for a government military installation and as the hub of a thriving community.  Not bad for an area barely larger than a football field. The coming decades would see the little island rise in importance as the location of the first railroad bridge to cross the Mississippi and as a military production facility for the largest conflicts the nation has ever seen.

-Written by Joel R. Kolander



SOURCES:

Eaton, George. Images of America: Rock Island Arsenal. Charleston: Arcadia, 2014. Print.

Slattery, Thomas J. An Illustrated History of the Rock Island Arsenal and Arsenal Island. Vol. I. Rock Island, IL: Historical Office, U.S. Army Armament, Munitions and Chemical Command, 1988. Print.

http://www.blackhawkpark.org/History/Treaty_1804.html

Arsenal of Innovation - Part II

Our previous article on the Rock Island Arsenal covered a portion of the goods produced by the industrious island.  I began writing it as a small summary piece, but it quickly blossomed as the full scope of the arsenal's production came to light.  What I started became the first installment and only covered up through the 19th century.  Thankfully, there's still a lot of fun stuff to cover as we look at the goods produced in the 20th century and beyond.

Documented Historic Brigadier General Issued Rock Island Arsenal M15 General Officer's Pistol with Paperwork, Display Case, General Officer's Belt, Holsters and Spare Magazine,
SOLD: $9,200

We ended the first article in 1885 when the arsenal had started up their jewelry department.  This turns out to be a remarkably appropriate place to break as it nearly marks the end of tenure for Lieutenant Colonel Daniel W. Flagler on the island.  To briefly recap, General Rodman, the "Father of the Arsenal," had planned the arsenal and begun to shape it when he passed away, in part to his long hours and tremendous work ethic, and the job passed to Flagler,  who completed Rodman's vision admirably.  Flagler's term ended on April of 1886 and the remarkable building and expansion that had taken place at the arsenal slowed to all but a halt with a few notable exceptions: a new concrete dam was built in 1896 and the conversion from Teledynamic power to hydroelectricity began in 1899.

With production for the Spanish-American War going full speed at that time, it's a wonder that the conversion was made at all, and it might not have been for several more years had the existing power house with its wooden frame not caught fire.  Knowing that teledynamic power had its limitations and "bugs" (jammed cables, broken cables, slacken cables, etc), the Army made the easy choice to move forward with the new power source.

Fine Pre-World War I U.S. Rock Island Arsenal Model 1903 Bolt Action Rifle with Sling
SOLD: $3,162

1898 - 1903, Spanish-American War Production

Humor me with a brief timeline.

March 9, 1898: Urgent telegram sent to Rock Island Arsenal from Chief of Ordnance that read, "work (should) be pushed (at RIA) on all existing orders as rapidly as possible, and extra shifts of workmen (should) be employed." 

March 26, 1898: RIA receives orders to produce 25,000 complete infantry kits.  Within a fort night, the commander at the arsenal was sent a message to, "press work on all field gun and siege gun carriages as rapidly as possible, employing extra shifts of men as far as economical."

April 21, 1898:  Rock Island Arsenal is ordered to increase infantry kits to 75,000 and begin manufacture of 10,000 units of horse equipment.

April 25, 1898:  U.S. declares war on Spain, but makes it retroactive to April 22.

You can imagine the rapid growth required to meet such a gargantuan increase in demand.  Departments began working day and night, new orders were coming in almost weekly, and eventually much work was contracted out to private companies.  Infantry kits, horse kits, carriages, and more were all produced at the Rock Island Arsenal.  Even as early as July of that year, there were 46 private contractors completing orders for RIA and 131 more producing the material needed to complete the orders such as cotton webbing, duck material, tin plate, brass wire and brass sheet, rope, leather, steel, iron, wood, and canvas.  Originally having only around 500 employees of men and boys, many of whom were temporary, employment boomed on the island and by its peak in August, RIA employed 2,900 and was turning out 6,000 infantry kits, completed 7,000 bayonet scabbards, and repaired 600 rifles per day.  One line from "An Illustrated History of the Rock Island Arsenal and Arsenal Island, Part II," (which this article depends on heavily for its thorough research) says it best, "The RIA literally equipped the American soldiers who fought in the Spanish-American War."

Perhaps even more impressive is the Arsenal had not even come close to tapping its potential.  Of the ten stone shops constructed on the island, only one and a half housed machines for manufacture.  It wouldn't be until the Great War that the full power of the Rock Island Arsenal would be unleashed.

Utensils and meat can produced by RIA.

From 1902 to 1910, RIA was the sole manufacturer of the Army's utensils.
Shown bottom right are a set of M1910 utensils

This canteen resembles the Sovereign's Orb of the United Kingdom.

1899, Small Arms Production

Rock Island Arsenal had been refurbishing arms for the U.S. Army since 1865, mostly Springfield Trapdoor rifles.  

Springfield Model 1862 rifled musket

Springfield Model 1873 Trapdoor Carbine

However, the superior performance of the island during the emergency production increase of the Spanish-American War earned it a new mission: build a new rifle to replace the outdated Krag-Jørgensen.  Due to the Army's delays in the testing and selection process, that mission would wait until December of 1904 when the arsenal would finally begin producing the Springfield M1903 bolt action rifle.  However, production of the classic bolt-action on the island would be ceased in 1913 due to government budget cuts.  When the need for these rifles rose again in 1917, the arsenal no longer had the necessary number of skilled workers required who still remembered how to make the rifle, so manufacture of the M1906 took priority at RIA while the M1903 was largely contracted out to private makers.

They even chose to display a rare M1903 with a rod bayonet

1903 - Present, Artillery and Carriages

As mentioned earlier, the Spanish-American War pushed RIA head first into mobile field artillery.  They were producing field carriages, limbers, caissons, battery wagons, and, carriages for siege guns.  Basically, if a large piece of firepower needed to be moved, RIA likely had a hand in its transportation.  Even after the Spanish-American War ended, the arsenal couldn't take a break.  Changing technologies, mainly from horse drawn to self-propelled vehicles, meant that new carriage designs were needed, and now that the war had shown the arsenal the kind of demand that could quickly arise, efforts were also taken to upgrade machinery and enhance automation.

Rock Island Arsenal Field Piece Manufacture, public domain.  Available from the United States Library of Congress

As mentioned in the first RIA article, carriages have always been a big deal for the arsenal and remain so to this day.  While none of the actual carriages or artillery pieces were on display at the Putnam, they did have many models showcasing the island's many products, which will be shown later in this article.

One of the more impressive things ever produced at the arsenal is the Mark VIII Tank.  Even after the November 11 Armistice, RIA received an order for 100 of the behemoths. Then the peak of technology, they could hold eight men and it only took the arsenal 286 days to complete once all the parts had been standardized properly.  The image below is the result of several photos of a single large panorama in the exhibit which reads, "Shipment of 34 Mark VIII Tanks from Rock Island Arsenal to Camp Meade, MD, May 21, 1920."

As time went on they would go on to produce any number of carriages and mobile artillery pieces, constantly evolving with the technology and the changing conflicts.  Here are some examples that were on display, though they are far from exhaustive on the topic.

M2 Tanks in production in Shop M, Building 220.  Note the tiny 37mm barrels.

The device shown in the photo above is reminiscent of the water rockets one would "launch" as a child, but this one enjoys a slightly larger effect.  What you see is the "Davy Crockett," the smallest nuclear weapons system ever built.  Devised prior to the peak of the Cold War this recoilless rifle was essentially a nuclear bazooka (or "ba-nuka" as I like to say) made to halt the Russians in the event they invaded West Germany.  Its M388 round held a W-54 warhead and was 11 inches in diameter, weighing 51 lbs; designed to be carried by a single soldier and roughly three times more powerful than the explosion of the Alfred P. Murrah Building in Oklahoma City.  Range was a scant 2 - 2.5 miles, so firing into the wind was inadvisable at best.  Anything within a quarter mile of the explosion would almost certainly die, but the radioactivity created would also stay any advancing troops giving the U.S. and NATO forces a chance to act.  Fired in several tests, the 2,100 produced were never used in combat before being stockpiled and eventually decommissioned in 1971.  Only the non-nuclear components were manufactured at the RIA.  This "mini-nuke" was definitely King of the Wild Frontier.

Besides manufacture, RIA also has performed a lot of research and development for the Army, coming up with many innovative ideas along the way.  This "Soft Recoil 105mm Howitzer" was designed for fighting in Vietnam where the marshy ground could cause problems for traditional Howitzer carriages.  Photo is dated "30 June 65" in the bottom right corner.

Looking like a very angry tank, this concept of a self-propelled howitzer shows yet another way that RIA has kept up with technology and the ever-changing demands of the Army.  Photo is dated "15 Mar 66."

These are actual models of proposed weapons that were paired with conceptual drawings as a very real part of the weapons development process.  They may look like toys now, but they were once part of some deadly serious business.

More models designed at the arsenal.

1905, Arsenal Museum is Formed

This fact wasn't so much mentioned in the exhibit, but when you're surrounded with items from the Rock Island Arsenal Military Museum, it seems silly not to list it.  Founded appropriately on the 4th of July that year, it is the Army's second oldest museum, younger only than the one found at West Point Academy.  Please read more about their origin and ever increasing role to preserve the arsenal's history at their webpage.  The small arms collection there is nationally renowned.

This portion of the RIA small arms collection was NOT on display at the Putnam

Photo Credit to http://baseballbyways.blogspot.com

1918 - Present, John Deere

John Deere, headquartered in neighboring Moline, IL, has always been a valued contributor to the U.S. armed forces.  In WWI, over 1,000 of their employees served, and in WWII they added to the production effort, making military tractors, transmissions for tanks, ammunition, airplane parts, engine components, and even mobile laundry units.  Today, their contribution lies mostly in producing M-Gators, versions of their popular 6-wheeled "Gator" ATVs that have been converted to carrying the wounded.  The one shown in the exhibit is the first production model ever assembled, and of course, it was done at the nearby Rock Island Arsenal.

Current Production

The caption provided at the museum reads, "Today's Arsenal is characterized by public/private partnerships.  The Mandus Group, one of these partners, manufactures the Hawkeye Weapon System, a modular lightweight howitzer that can be mounted on a variety of vehicles, even a pick-up truck."

Unfortunately, I don't know if that means the item was designed or actually fabricated at RIA or Mandus.

The arsenal also takes on many projects revolving around HMMWVs (Humvees).  On display was an armored door they currently manufacture next to a non-armored door.  Shutting and knocking on these doors makes it instantly clear which door one would rather have in combat.

They also work with the National Guard to produce Humvee Ambulances to maximize storage capacity, increase interior door size, and also improve lighting and ventilation.  Signs in the museum indicate that these "new ambulances are being built in the exact same shop that put out the familiar Jeep ambulances of 50 years ago."

In addition to ambulances, RIA is also producing other specialized modifications for Humvees.  Soldiers aren't the only ones who might need attention in the field.  If a hydraulic system suffers a malfunction in the field, the Hydraulic System Test and Repair Unit (HSTRU) is certain to come in handy.  It's another co-venture with MandusGroup, who is also responsible for the image below.

Much in the same way that RIA built its own forges and made giant leaps ahead in self-sufficiency during the 1800s, the Arsenal is again embracing that same spirit in 3D printing. They are currently partnering with the Quad City Manufacturing Laboratory (QCML) to access cutting edge technology in order to more sucecssfully complete their mission.  Innovation comes much more quickly when parts for prototypes or repairs can be quickly printed on site... in metal.  General Rodman would have given up Quarters One for such advances.

This cube is a "demonstration component for a nuclear reactor" and is made from stainless steel
for a project with Lockheed-Martin.

This impeller is printed from titanium alloy.

I wish I could say, "that covers it," but these two articles on the Rock Island Arsenal in no way begin to cover the goods that have been produced on its 946 acres.  You'll notice that the products from the Great War and World War II were all but omitted.  Those goods tend to be a bit more well-known to collectors due to the massive scope of those conflicts.  The exhibit at the Putnam Museum chose instead to focus on goods that would be decidedly less familiar to enthusiasts of military history and the arsenal.  Besides, it's really hard to fit an M2 tank on the second story of a museum.

Thanks to both the Putnam Museum and the Rock Island Arsenal Museum for collaborating to put together such an informative, in-depth, and educational exhibit on this local and national treasure. There is no doubt RIA will continue its relevance, contributions and innovation in the centuries to come.

"M2A2 Terra Star 105mm Auxiliary Propelled Howitzer front quarter" by Jon.jeckell - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

On display at the outdoor RIA artillery collection, this M2A2 Terra Star, is known
to be the only surviving prototype.

-Written by Joel Kolander

SOURCES:

Lepore, Herbery P., "Rock Island Arsenal: An Arsenal for Democracy, 50th Anniversary of WWII"  Historical Office,

Slattery, Thomas J., "An Illustrated History of the Rock Island Arsenal Island, Part Two" Historical Office, U.S. Army Armament, 1989

Wallace, Lisa, "An Illustrated History of the Rock Island Arsenal and Arsenal Island, Part Three" History Office, U.S. Army Sustainment Command

Display information at "An Arsenal of Innovation," Putnam Museum, Davenport, IA

Introduction to the Rock Island Arsenal

Rock Island, Illinois is an area with a fascinating history.  Its location on the banks of the mighty Mississippi River made it an early hub in the state, providing it with a lengthy and faceted history filled with Native Americans, riverboats, railroads, gangsters, military production, farm implement manufacture, and more.

The earliest history of Rock Island is centered around a geological feature known today as Arsenal Island.  Its role in forming the city is traceable back to 1809 and its history among the Native Americans extends even further.  As its name would imply, Arsenal Island is the location of the Rock Island Arsenal, a 946-acre campus with more history per square foot than most museums.  Its buildings have served many roles throughout the decades and their products are likely familiar to any collector of U.S. military arms.  To leave such a trove of local and military history left unexplored seems a grave disservice to a chunk of land that has done so much for the people of this community and nation.  That said, Rock Island Auction Company will be hosting a series of articles about the island, its buildings, its history, and its people.  It won't be easy.  An island with such a long history, often involving significant military actions of the 19th and 20th centuries, is going to have as much depth as it does breadth.  Many aspects of this parcel are well-known, but within its banks lies a wealth of historical stories, devices, and communications that shaped an area tens of thousands of people now call home.  Hopefully, some of this narrative will be new even for those intimately familiar with Arsenal Island.  However, today's article is more of a general introduction to the island and all it has to offer.  Feast your eyes on the following historical highlights from the largest government-owned weapons manufacturing arsenal in the western world.

Fort Armstrong

Ft. Armstrong located at the northwest corner of what was then called Rock Island, in order to control both paths
of the Mississippi that flowed around it.

The earliest of buildings on the island was built in the spring of 1816 to both impress the Native Americans as well as thwart potential British trade.  Located on the west-most corner of the island, Fort Armstrong was placed atop a sheet limestone drop-off of nearly 30 feet that was naturally shaped at a right angle.  No walls were needed on that side, but two perpendicular 20-foot walls were constructed on the east side of the fort to complete a square and enclose the fort.  Inside were barracks, blockhouses, and mounted six-pound cannons.  The fort was a bane for the nearly 40,000 Native Americans living in the surrounding area, marking one of many tensions that would eventually lead to the Blackhawk War.  Many famous American names serving in that war likely walked its grounds, such as Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, Zachary Taylor, Winfield Scott, and Joseph E. Johnston.

Quarters One

Photo from http://www.riamwr.com/community-recreation/historic-quarters-one/

Quarters One served for over 130 years as the home of the highest-ranking officer on the island.  Construction began under BG Thomas J. Rodman (for whom the primary road on the island is named) in 1870, not only for housing the most senior officer, but also as an important building for distinguished visitors, public business, and notable occasions.  The design, an Italian-style villa, was his own, though he would never live to see it completed.  On June 7, 1871 Rodman passed away and the first public event held in the house would be his funeral.  The home would provide temporary housing for soldiers transferred to the island and their families, leaving a lasting legacy. It would host 38 different senior officers before the Army decided in 2006 that Quarters One would no longer serve as family housing.  For decades it was the second-largest single-family residence owned by the government, ranking only behind the White House.

Rock Island Arsenal Museum

Photo taken from traveliowa.com

Usually what most firearms collectors want to see at the Arsenal is the museum.  The photos of their firearms exhibits are most impressive, and the small arms/ordnance collection in particular is both outstanding and nationally recognized.  This bastion of freedom was appropriately established on the Fourth of July, 1905, making it the second-oldest U.S. Army Museum, younger only than West Point's.  In addition to its renowned small arms collection, the museum also contains artifacts of the island's military production, its people, and the history of the island itself.  The museum has been closed only twice, during The Great War and WWII, to make room for additional production needs.  Some of its most notable artifacts are: M1903 serial number 1, M1 Garand serial number 2, and five weapons positively proven to have been used at the Battle of Little Bighorn.  The exterior exhibits are also not to be ignored, containing dozens of artillery pieces from the U.S. and abroad, such as a Nebelwerfer rocket launcher and a M65 Atomic Cannon.  Admission is free.

U.S. Harpers Ferry M1842.  Photo by Kevin E. Schmidt/QUAD-CITY TIMES

Military Cemeteries & Confederate Ties

There are actually two cemeteries located on Arsenal Island.  The larger of the two is the Rock Island National Cemetery, which currently houses over 37,000 interments in its 66 acres, including two Medal of Honor Recipients.  It was originally established in 1863 to bury Union soldiers, but is now the final resting place for soldiers of the Civil War, Mexican War, Indian Wars, Spanish-American War, the Great War, and World War II.

Throughout the Civil War, more than 12,000 Confederate prisoners would be interred at Rock Island Prison Camp, also located on the island.  Often referred to as the "Andersonville of the North," it saw nearly 2,000 Confederate soldiers die from disease, malnutrition, and exposure.  The three acre parcel that contains the Rock Island Confederate Cemetery is the only remaining feature of the camp.  There are 1,952 graves in total.

Production Facilities

Image from http://www.tacomlcmccommunityreport.com/

Obviously a very large part of Arsenal Island's history is its wartime production, a job it has performed since the 1880s.  Most collectors are familiar with their production of M1903 bolt action rifles and M1 Garand rifles, but the list of items that the island has produced is shockingly lengthy.  Everything from saddles, canteens, howitzers, holsters, rifles, artillery, artillery carriages, tool sets, recoil mechanisms, gun mounts, aircraft weapons, grenade launchers, barrels, tank parts, armor, and more.  Today, they perform a myriad of other manufacturing duties (foundry, castings, prototype creation and testing, machining, laser work, chemical analysis, calibration, Humvee armor, etc), as well as logistics for the Army, and support to the island's tenants and their 4,000 employees.  Hopefully, even this minuscule glimpse of what they do is a bit staggering.


These small paragraphs are only the beginning not only of each individual subject, but they also barely scratch the surface of the island itself.  Other historic points of interest are the original 19th century workshops, Colonel Davenport's House (for whom Davenport, IA is named), the site of the first bridge built across the Mississippi, the Clocktower, and the current functioning Government Bridge with its swing section built in 1896 (shown below).  We can't wait to share with you some of the rich history of Arsenal Island and the towns that grew up around it.  Even if you're not local to it, there are enough adventures, famous names from  history, battles, and firearms to keep you reading one story and looking forward to the next.

"Govt bridge anim2" by Kbh3rd - Own work using pd images from the Corps of Engineers' webcam[1]. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

-Written by Joel Kolander




SOURCES:

http://qctimes.com/news/local/the-day-the-confederate-prisoners-came-to-rock-island-arsenal/article_ee475900-9718-5b9b-9689-ba4de1c98023.html

http://arsenalhistoricalsociety.org/museum/museumhistory.html

http://www.arsenalhistoricalsociety.org/museum/

http://www.illinoiscivilwar.org/riarsenal.html

http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/national_cemeteries/Illinois/Rock_Island_Confederate_Cemetery.html