Take a Winter Walk Through History at Rock Island Public Library
(Rock Island, IL) Come January, it's easy for cabin fever to set in. Fortunately, the Rock Island Library will present several free programs designed to beat the winter blahs by offering a walk through local history.
All of the following programs are free and open to the public. They will be presented in the second-floor Community Room of the Rock Island Main Library, 401 19th Street.
Good Old Days at Black Hawk Park, 6:30pm, Thurs, Jan. 16. Bob Motz gives an illustrated talk about the amusement park that once stood on the Black Hawk State Park site. His talk includes tales of the Figure Eight Roller Coaster and the Shoot the Chutes ride that ended in the Rock River, and illustrations of the lodges that stood on the site before the land became a State Park in 1927.
Broadway - It`s a Hit! Tales of the Genesis and Development of the Broadway Historic District. 6:30pm, Tues., Jan. 28. Barb Braun, of the Broadway Historic District, and Diane Oestreich, of the Rock Island Preservation Society, discuss the Broadway District of Rock Island and how it became a national historic district.
Intimate Life of Abraham Lincoln, 2:00pm, Wed., Feb. 12. On a day set in November 1862, Abraham Lincoln reflects on his relationships with three men, both his past and his present time. Presenter Michael Thomas Masters will read from Yours Forever, lead a question and answer session, and screen a documentary documentary screening on Lincoln.
A Leap of Faith: History of the Black Church, 6:30pm, Thurs., Feb. 13. Rev. Dwight Ford, director of the Martin Luther King, Jr Community Center, presents on a discussion for Black History Month on the moral and ethical agency of the Black Church in history.
River of Logs: 19th Century Logging, 6:30pm, Thurs., Feb. 20. In an illustrated talk based on her chapter in the 2004 Grand Excursions on the Upper Mississippi, Gayle Rein describes logging in Wisconsin and Minnesota and the rafting of logs down the Mississippi River to lumber companies in the Quad Cities area. She includes many photos and stories from the early logging camps and rafting.
Historic Bridges, 6:30pm, Tues, Feb. 25. Illustrated presentation by Professor Curt Roseman on the major bridges on the Mississippi and Rock Rivers in the Quad Cities. Collectively, the bridges represent a great variety of styles and histories. Included are truss, arch, and suspension bridges. Serveral QC bridges are historically significant, including one span that was built in 1868 and the first railroad bridge to span the Mississippi. His talk includes stories of how and why these bridges were originally conceived and built.
For more events at Rock Island Public Libraries, visit the library website at www.rockislandlibrary.org, follow the library on Facebook or Twitter, or call 309-732-7323.
Founded in 1872, the Rock Island Public Library serves the area through three locations, which include the Main, 30/31 and Southwest Branches, community outreach efforts, and online opportunities that provide resources to enhance personal achievement and stimulate the imagination.
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