The History of Rock Island in Post Cards Postcards were originally printed in the Rock Island Argus and Moline Dispatch, 2001 and are reprinted with permission R.R. Cable House 918 Second Avenue He was the son of one wealthy man, Hiram C. Cable, and the nephew of another, Philander Cable, yet Ransom R. Cable started his working life as a railroad conductor on what would become the Rock Island and Peoria (RI&P) Railroad. Although the line went only as far as Coal Valley at the time, it was far enough - the iron in Ransom Cable's blood was already shaped like rails. As the railroad prospered hauling the coal from nearby mines, Ransom advanced in the company, soon becoming its general manager. When the mines were depleted, Ransom extended the railroad lines to Mercer County and a new coal town called, appropriately, Cable. He eventually purchased the RI&P. And he invested in the larger Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific (CRI&P) as well, ultimately becoming its president. Ransom's involvement extended to other railroads, as well, notably the Burlington, Cedar Rapids, and Northern and other smaller Iowa roads. Although his railroad interests required Ransom to travel throughout the country, he still called Rock Island his home. When he died at age 75 at his Chicago house during a trip there in 1909, his funeral was held from his Rock Island home. That wood frame home at 918 Second Avenue is pictured on today's postcard. It was built during the 1890s, perhaps replacing or greatly expanding an earlier home at the same location. Our view is from Second Avenue, looking slightly to the southeast. What appears to be a wide front porch on the right is actually a side entrance; the main entrance is from the smaller round porch near the center of the house. The Cable house is distinguished because of its sheer size. It was nearly double the volume of nearby homes - and they were not small. Its site was nearly one quarter of the block with frontage on two streets. After Ransom' s death, his second wife Jane moved to their Chicago home on North Sheridan Road. Their son Hiram S., who had lived next door at 914 Second Avenue, took over his father's house for a short time, then moved to a new Prairie style home he had built at 19th Avenue and 15th Street in 1912. By 1920, Ransom's house had been converted to Avalon Apartments, with 18 units - we said this was a big house! The apartment use continued until 1963, when 142 buildings, including this one, were razed for a new expressway and something called "urban renewal." A very few houses were saved during this demolition spree, Hiram's among them. It was moved to a steep lot at 28th Street and 8 1/2 Avenue where it can be seen today. Back to the Postcard Index Page Levi S. McCabe House 2920 Fifth Avenue When Levi S. McCabe died in 1915 at the age of 79, our entire city mourned the death of this tireless booster. McCabe's department store employees marched en masse from the store to Broadway Presbyterian Church for the services. All the other downtown stores closed in respect during the funeral. Mr. McCabe was born in New York state and came to this area in 1868. After teaching school for two years, he and his brother opened a drygoods business that eventually resulted in the McCabe name on one or more downtown stores until not too many years ago. But L. S. McCabe had many interests in addition to retailing. He owned farms in rural Iowa and Illinois where he raised cattle and pigs. He was a real estate developer and subdivider. He owned downtown's Colonial hotel on Third Avenue and 18th Street, now demolished. He was President of the Safety Deposit Company, owner of the Safety Building. He was involved in the Moline Central Street Railway, and later, the Tri City Railway. And -- the explanation for our postcard's caption -- he served a four-year term in the Illinois state senate starting in 1902. This, the residence of Senator L. S. McCabe, was located at 2920 Fifth Avenue. The McCabe family purchased the home from the estate of Mrs. Telitha Munro, the widow of John Munro, in the early 1900s. John Munro, who listed his occupation simply as "blacksmith," had hired local architect George Stauduhar to design the house. The plans, which are in the University of Illinois Archives, are dated 1896. Preservationists trying to determine the original interior appearance of a home would have been delighted to own the Munro-McCabe house: Samples of the original wallpaper were included with the architect's archived records. Fifth Avenue, formerly called Moline Avenue, was an important residential area at the turn of the century and earlier. Many of our city's finest mansions were located here between 24th and 30th Streets. The McCabe home, which faced north, was approached by a curving brick driveway which extended under the porte cochere and probably on to the carriage house visible in the background. This house, which is a delicious feast for the eyes, was an advanced design in 1896. It combines elements of the older Queen Anne style with newly popular Classical Revival details. The round tower with its witch's cap roof and curved-to-fit window glass, the multiple bay windows, and the cross-gabled hip roof are all Queen Anne features. Notice how Stauduhar's design for the second story window on the far left looks very much like the window he designed for the Kelly House at 1703 20th Street, with a circular window embracing a rectilinear one. Classical Revival elements are seen in the Palladian-inspired attic window - three windows with an arch above the center one -as well as the simple round porch columns, second story balconies, and the triangular pediment above the main entrance. Although our postcard makes the dark red house appear to be brick; fire insurance maps and a closer inspection of the postcard confirm that it is indeed frame clapboard construction. The roof appears to be slate, uncommon in Rock Island. The cupolaed carriage house seems nearly as large as the main house. It would easily have accommodated horses and carriages on the ground floor and hired household staff on the second. Mrs. Marian McCabe and her daughters remained in the home for a time after her husband's death. After being vacant for a time, their home was purchased by Harry White in the 1930s. During the war years and thereafter, Mr. White and his wife rented furnished rooms. The character of Fifth Avenue began to change, too, with industrial use replacing some of the old homes. Then some of the adjacent homes were demolished to create parking lots. Finally, in the late 1950s, 2920 Fifth Avenue disappeared. Its large lot site is now part of the large parking lot for Mid American Energy across the street. And samples of deep red wallpaper are safely tucked in a trunk in an attic at the University of Illinois. Back to the Postcard Index Page Buford Home (Word of Life Christian Center) 1804 7th Avenue When wealthy Kentuckian Charles Buford brought his wife and 10 children to Rock Island in 1853, he didn't waste any time. By 1854, he had purchased 10 acres at $1000 an acre and designed and built this magnificent house at a cost reported to be $10,000. It was carefully sited to allow an unobstructed view all the way down 18th Street to the river. The present address is 1804 7th Avenue, but when it was built, the Buford family gave an address of the "head of 18th Street". The Bufords' ten acres extended behind them and to the west - the current 18th Street didn't exist there. Looking much like an antebellum plantation home, southern roots are early visible in this Greek Revival mansion with its massive brick columns. Prominent out of town visitors were usually invited to stay with the Bufords. Legend has it that a young Abraham Lincoln was one such visitor. Although not verified, it's hard to imagine that Mr. Lincoln would have turned down an invitation to such an impressive home. Charles Buford was an important man in Rock Island's history. There is a good account of him and other Buford relatives in The Town Crier (published by The Argus). Charles Buford started the Buford Plow Co., which ultimately, through sales and mergers, became the Case Farm Implement Co. Although Charles Buford died in 1866, his widow, Lucy, remained in the home until the mid 1890s, and then the family rented the home (Imagine the classified ad: "For Rent: Mansion, 18 rooms, 12 bedrooms") One of the renters was Levi McCabe, the founder of L. S. McCabe's department store. Buford heirs sold the house in 1906 to Elmore Hurst and his wife, the former Harriet Field. A native of Rock Island, Mr. Hurst was an attorney with Jackson, Hurst and Stafford and later became a judge. He was a leader in the Democratic Party and served several terms in the state legislature. Reportedly, he was asked to run for governor in 1908 and 1912. On both occasions he declined. It was generally conceded that Mr. Hurst could have won the 1912 election because he did not have the "factional opposition" that cost former Vice President Adlai E. Stevenson to lose by only 2000 votes. Mr. Hurst was also offered cabinet and ambassadorial positions after the election of 1912 under Woodrow Wilson's administration. Again, he refused, declining an opportunity for national fame. Obviously he was very well known and respected. His funeral, held in his home on August 23, 1915, was attended by dignitaries from throughout the state. After purchasing the house, the Hursts hired architect George Stauduhar to remodel it to the tune of $20,000 - this in the era when a fine large home could be built for under $5000. It's not known what the remodeling entailed - possibly such practical things as indoor plumbing, which were not standard in 1854. Mr. Stauduhar may also have added the Palladian style triple window as well as a semicircular porch on the west. The porch was later removed. Interior partitions at the second floor may also have been added at this time. The home was sold again in the late teens to Walter Rosenfield, who was the president of Rock Island Bridge and Iron Works and later became mayor of Rock Island. Walter had lived just across the street in the ornate red brick home that is now part of the Coventry Apartments - but that's another postcard! In 1928, Arthur Denger, a contractor and realtor, followed Mr. Rosenfield. He sold it in 1936 to the Tri City Jewish Center, who renovated and redecorated. Later, they added the large rear portion, but maintained the original home in pristine condition. Since 1982, it has been the home of the Word of Life Christian Center who continue the 150 year tradition of maintaining this historic house. This postcard was published by the Rock Island Post Card Company around 1908 and may have been custom-ordered by the Hurst family. The most unusual feature of the picture is the yellow color of the house. Does this mean its red brick was painted at the time? Probably not. Postcards of the era were based on black and white photos. Color had to be added for the lithographer. It's very common for such postcards to depict red brick buildings as yellow. Another example of this is the RI Lines depot, which was never painted. Then again, maybe yellow ink was cheaper than red! Back to the Postcard Index Page There's a wealth of local history in Augustana College Library's Special Collections. That's where we found this rare "real photo" postcard, dating from about 1910. It shows a double house, a side-by-side duplex, located at 1019-1021 21st Street in Rock Island. The double house style is surprisingly common in Rock Island, even though it can be rare in other communities. The Broadway Historic District alone has about thirty double homes and there may be as many as a hundred within the entire city. Most of our double houses were built between 1900 and 1910. This one, dating from around 1905, has had many residents over the years. The earliest was Modern Woodmen of America bookkeeper Millard T. Stevens and wife Louise. Architect Cyrus D. McLane and wife Blanche lived here a few years later. Another resident we noted was John B. Cox, an engineer for Velie motors. None of the occupants remained here very long, which may indicate that neither side of the house was regularly occupied by the owner. Our double houses share many similarities in style. Most have Colonial Revival style porches and a simple Queen Anne (sometimes called "Princess Anne") body. Among the Queen Anne elements are the massive yet complex rooflines, decorative shingles, bay windows, and stained, beveled or cut glass in its windows or doors. Many times the double house is perfectly symmetrical, both inside and out, but in a few cases one side may be more elaborate, either in size or interior finish. Presumably this side was the owner's residence. Frequently, too, we find that relatives shared these homes, usually siblings or parents. The floor plan commonly consists of a living room, parlor, dining room, kitchen and pantry downstairs, with three bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs. There is usually a large walk-in attic, divided right down the middle, as well. A few double houses have been converted to three- or four-plexes over the years. In such cases, renters on each side may share a common entryway. The kitchen pantries in these houses (and many other old homes as well), provided a convenient spot to convert to a first floor bathroom. Porches on the double houses vary a great deal in location, size, and structure. Some have separate porches arranged such that the adjacent porch can't even be seen; others have a larger shared porch. We like to think that these shared porches are an indication of relatives sharing the home, while private porches mean the house was built as rental property. As we said, there's a great deal of similarity among all of Rock Island's double houses. But the one on our postcard is unique - different enough that it's worth taking a closer look. The south side of the house - right hand on our photo - shows a tall gable in the attic, above bay windows on lower stories. However the north side of the house has a tower in place of the gable, with the angle of the bays going right up above the roofline and topped by a pointed octagonal roof, with fancy shingles underneath. The siding on our postcard house is unique as well. While at first glance, it looks like the ordinary narrow clapboard so popular early in the century, closer inspection reveals that each clapboard has a fancy "ogee" or s-shaped lower edge. The porch columns, too, are different from those on most double houses. They are very large and square, with fluting on all four sides. The house today looks very much like it did 90 years ago, except that the little "balcony" railing atop each porch roof has been removed. Although we don't know the identity of the gentleman and two children on the porch steps, we do know that the current owner, a descendant of the family who has owned the house since the early 1950s, has been restoring it, both inside and out, in recent years. He has removed newer hard shingle siding and is replacing damaged clapboards and trim. So take a second look at this double house, then see how many other double houses you can find in Rock Island. We'll wager you can't find two that are totally identical. If we are wrong, please let us know. Back to the Postcard Index Page The Guyer House Today's "real photo" postcard of the house at 728-21st Street is from the historical collection of the Rock Island Public library. It was mailed by Anna, who lived here, to Aledo friend Amelia Anderson, to show her the extensively remodeled house. In her note, postmarked 1911, Anna points out the windows of her bedroom and the kitchen, stating: "I am sending you a picture of the house since it was rebuilt You can see one window in my bedroom to the left--also some kitchen windows. It is taken (from a) SE view. Hope you are well. I am, with love, your friend, Anna." We can discover the extent of the remodeling because we have a photo of the original house, built in 1873. It shows a six room clapboard (wood) sided structure in the "front-gabled" Italianate style. This relatively rare variation of the style - although frequently seen in Rock Island - is recognized by peaked gables facing the front and sides of a rectangular house. It had ornate wooden hoods --like tiny awnings -- above tall narrow windows, carved gingerbread decoration on the gables and porches, and decorative wood brackets under the eaves. During the Tudor remodeling, the chimneys were rebuilt and a noteworthy lightening rod with a white ceramic knob was removed from the peak of the front gable. Even the fence was changed, although the photo of the original house did show a fence enclosing the large lot. Were it not for the placement of the windows and porches, today's Tudor style house would not be recognizable as the original Italianate home. The first owners of the house were William and Charlotte Dart. Other members of the prominent Dart family owned at least three estate-type homes in this area during the mid to late 19th Century. The family was a local leader in the wholesale grocery business known as Henry Dart's Sons operating in downtown Rock Island. William Dart had this house built in 1873 with a loan for $3,000. The lot, at the corner of Adams and Guyer Streets in John W. Spencer's Third Addition to the city, cost $992 in 1865. Before 1876, when Rock Island adopted a street numbering system, 8th Avenue was called Guyer Street. In 1895 the house was purchased for $6,500 by Edward Holmes Guyer. Edward (Eddie, as he was known as a youth) was one of two children of Samuel and Annette Holmes Guyer (for whom Guyer Street was named). He had spent his childhood in the family home nearby on the northwest corner of 19th Street and 8th Avenue. After their parents' death, Edward Guyer's sister continued to live in the old homestead for many years. That house, a hipped roof Italianate, is standing today. It is built of brick rather than the wood of our postcard house. Edward married Constance Kimball and had a son and daughter who all lived at 728-21st Street. Mr. Guyer's life as a practicing attorney began in 1879, following in his father's footsteps, and he continued to practice law until his death. But his real interests lay elsewhere - in land development. He was involved in the development of fourteen different additions in the cities of Rock Island, Moline and East Moline. One of his Rock Island additions was the Keystone Addition. In a flyer handed out to potential buyers for a new building addition in East Moline, Mr. Guyer was described thusly: "This is the man, of great renown, Who's busy building "Focus Town". A mighty city builder he, Alert to opportunity, His handiwork is plainly seen. From Milan clear to East Moline, His pathway marked with building lots, Parks, avenues and garden spots. And many a place owes its position To his method of practical addition". He may have been a poet, and he certainly was not modest about his accomplishments! The extensive -- $6000 -- rebuilding of this house in 1910 to enlarge and convert it into a "modern" Tudor style home must have been quite a challenge, even for E. H. Guyer. The remodeled appearance is true to Tudor architectural details, with the design being achieved by use of a stucco finish over the original wood siding. Smooth cement trim gives the house the look usually provided by wooden timbers. It's interesting that the Guyers did not replace the original Italianate double front doors with etched and frosted glass windows, which are now hidden behind the Tudor style eight-light divided glass doors. The addition mentioned in the 1911 postcard message included a large formal dining room, butler's pantry, kitchen, second stairway and bedroom upstairs, all of which make up the back third of the rebuilt house. At the time of Mr. Guyer's death in 1938 at the age of 84, an editorial in the Argus proclaimed, "E.H. Guyer was prominent in commercial, industrial, banking and legal affairs in Rock Island for more than a half a century." His funeral was held here at his home. Soon after, the home was sold to the Robert Reagan family. Mr. and Mrs. Reagan lived here until their deaths in 1978 and 1983. During those later years, the upper portion of the house was divided into apartments and changes were made to the exterior porches and grounds. Yet the Tudor style appearance remained, although the wood fence with concrete corner posts shown on the postcard no longer surrounds the house. A long carriage house with doors on both the alley and avenue sides was removed during the Reagans' years as well. So who was Anna, the occupant of that "new" back bedroom? Not the Guyers' daughter as we'd originally assumed - her name was Alice. Anna may have been a live-in servant, not uncommon for the times. But the more appealing possibility is that she was a literate, upward-striving country girl with a dream of higher education. In that era, young girls whose families lived in rural areas would help carry out household duties for city families in exchange for room and board so they could attend high school. In the Guyer' s case, Rock Island High School was only a very convenient distance block from their home. Despite modest changes over the past 90 years, the house today is readily identifiable as the same one on our postcard. And we can think of our unknown Anna when we look at the upstairs bedroom window on the far left. Back to the Postcard Index Page