Rock Island Arsenal

From 1816-1862, the site was known as Fort Armstrong. Before that, successive cultures of Native Americans had occupied it for thousands of years because of its strategic position along the Mississippi River. The United States took control of the island in 1804 through the Harrison Peace Treaty with the Chief of the Fox and Sac Tribes. From 1804 to 1812, the US Army did not occupy the island. It was the scene of a small conflict at the outbreak of the War of 1812 with Great Britain. Following that war, in 1814, it was the site of a U.S. Army expedition from St Louis to use the island as a guard post to control traffic on the Mississippi and maintain watch over the local Native Americans. A total of 41 Confederate prisoners successfully escaped during the prison's operation, and many more would try but fail. They were deterred by the power of the Mississippi River. A total of 1,964 Confederate prisoners and 125 Union guards are buried in the adjacent military cemetery. The Union guard burials included 49 African-American members of the 108th Colored Infantry, who had served as guards. Most of the men died from disease, since sanitation was primitive, as in all army encampments. In addition, they were exposed to high heat and humidity during the summers and freezing temperatures during winters. In 1864, deadly smallpox epidemics rapidly spread through the prison. The prison camp operated from December 1863 until July 1865, when the last prisoners were freed. After the war, the prison facility was completely destroyed. During its two years in operation, the prison camp housed a total of more than 12,400 Confederates. Other historical sites in the area include the Confederate Cemetery, the Rock Island National Cemetery, 19th-century stone workshops, officers' quarters along the river, Col. Davenport's House, and the site of the first railroad bridge built across the Mississippi. Following the war, the federal government retained ownership of Arsenal Island. It developed the property for use as an arsenal and ordnance manufacturing center, which led to the island being renamed. == Women's history ==

During the First World War, demand for war materials drastically increased; this increased the demand for skilled labor, but many men were drafted for the war. Women were hired to fill job vacancies at the arsenal. This is often referred to as the "women draft", as they had to backfill the men leaving to fight in order to keep satisfying the war demands from factory production. Rock Island Arsenal increased from having 175 female employees in 1914 to 300 in 1917, a dramatic change before women’s suffrage was approved. Women were absolutely critical to the success of the US buildup in World War I, and played an integral role in production at Rock Island Arsenal. == Early historical timeline ==

• 1809: Declared a federal military reservation by an Act of Congress • 1816: Fort Armstrong built on the island • 1818: George Davenport, U.S. Army sutler established trading post • 1832: Served as U.S. Army HQ for Blackhawk War • 1833: George Davenport mansion built • 1836: Abandoned, but remained ordnance depot • 1845: George Davenport killed by Banditti of the Prairie • 1856: First railroad built across the Mississippi River • 1862: Rock Island Arsenal (the name we know it to be today) established by an Act of Congress • 1862: First Commanding Officer of Rock Island Major Charles P. Kingsbury • 1863-1865: Rock Island Prison Barracks built to house Confederate soldiers • 1865: Second Commanding Officer of Rock Island Arsenal, Brevet Brigadier General Thomas J. Rodman, also known as the Father of Rock Island Arsenal for his contributions • 1867: Clock Tower Building erected; it survives and is used as the offices of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers • 1871: First military quarters built on Rock Island, an Italianate-style villa known as Quarters One. At 20,000 square feet, it is one of the largest government single-family residences in the United States • 1872: First Government bridge built across the Mississippi River; replaced the railroad bridge destroyed by a steamboat ==Rock Island Arsenal Museum==

The Rock Island Arsenal Museum was established on July 4, 1905. It is the second-oldest US Army Museum in the US after the West Point Museum. The museum has been closed twice, during World War I and World War II, to provide more space for manufacturing facilities. Exhibits interpret the history of Rock Island Arsenal, the Union prison camp during the American Civil War, and the site's role as a military industrial facility. The museum contains the second-largest collection of small arms weapons in the U.S. Army, and an outdoor vehicle display. ==Education==

The census-designated place is physically divided between two school districts: Rock Island–Milan School District 41 to the west and Moline-Coal Valley School District 40 to the east. The garrison provides a school bus service to the Moline district; the local school districts do not have school bus service. , the majority of military families live in housing in the wider area, as the Military One Source stated "Government housing is limited." ==See also==