Washington in Washington County, Iowa — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

Rock Island Lines

Seventieth Anniversary

— 1852-1922 —

Rock Island Lines Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, June 26, 2021

1. Rock Island Lines Marker

Inscription. October Tenth
The memorial tree planted nearby
is dedicated
by the Rock Island in affectionate memory
of
Robert Shields
who by his industry courage and loyalty
through every vicissitude signally
aided in the development of the
Chicago Rock Island & Pacific Railway
into a great transportation system
devoted to the public service

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Railroads & Streetcars. A significant historical date for this entry is October 10, 1852.

Location. 41° 17.89′ N, 91° 40.941′ W. Marker is in Washington, Iowa, in Washington County. Marker is at the intersection of East Washington Street (State Highway 92) and South 9th Avenue, on the left when traveling west on East Washington Street. The marker is located beside the walkway at the northwest corner of the Conger House Museum grounds. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 903 East Washington Street, Washington IA 52353, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 10 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Jonathan Clark Conger House (a few steps from this marker); Blair House (approx. 0.4 miles away); Veterans Memorial (approx. 0.4 miles away); Civil War Veterans Memorial (approx. half a mile away); Bicentennial

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(approx. half a mile away); This Log Cabin Erected by Alexander Young (approx. one mile away); First Settler's Home in Washington County (approx. 9½ miles away); Beginning of National Republican Party (approx. 9½ miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Washington.

Also see . . . Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad (Wikipedia). Excerpt:

Its predecessor, the Rock Island and La Salle Railroad Company, was incorporated in Illinois on February 27, 1847, and an amended charter was approved on February 7, 1851, as the Chicago and Rock Island Railroad. Construction began in Chicago on October 1, 1851, and the first train was operated on October 10, 1852, between Chicago and Joliet. Construction continued on through La Salle, and Rock Island was reached on February 22, 1854, becoming the first railroad to connect Chicago with the Mississippi River. The railroad expanded through construction and acquisitions in the following decades. The Rock Island stretched across Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Texas. It was
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, June 26, 2021

2. Rock Island Lines Marker
Looking southeast from South 9th Avenue. The Conger House Museum is in the background.
also known as the Rock Island Line, or, in its final years, The Rock. The song "Rock Island Line," a spiritual from the late 1920s first recorded in 1934, was inspired by the railway.

(Submitted on December 31, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Credits. This page was last revised on December 31, 2023. It was originally submitted on December 31, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 56 times since then and 40 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on December 31, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.