South Moline Township, Illinois
Was organized as a town March 14, 1879. It comprises all the territory originally in Moline Township, lying south and east of the corporate limits of the City of Moline. The history of the township, with the exception of its extreme eastern portion is so strongly interwoven with Moline, it is hard to draw a historical line. Among its earliest settlers were David Sears, Charles Atkinson, Joseph Danforth, Joel Wells and Huntington Wells.
Village Of Silvis
November 14, 1906, thirty-six petitioners representing over 300 resident population, petitioned the county court of Rock Island County, Illinois, for the organization of the Village of Silvis. An election was ordered to be held December 1, 1906, for or against village organization. The corporate limits of said village to be as described in petition, about two square miles. Result of election was seventy-nine votes for organization, and six votes against. An election for six trustees was held January .12, 1907. R. Walsh, J. W. Pike, James Shannon, Wm’. Emmert, F. J. Ball and Herbert Love being elected. The general railroad shops of the C., R. I. & P. R. R. are located here employing from 1,500 to 2,000 men.
Village Of East Moline
On the 22d day of November, 1902, forty-two legal voters of the district petitioned the county court for the organization under the general law, of a village to be named the Village of East Moline. The 20th day of December was appointed as an election day to vote for or against village organization; election to be held at John Deere school building. The result of said election was forty-seven votes for organization and seven votes against. December 23, 1902, the votes were canvassed by the judge of the county court and two justices of the peace, and announced and adjudged for village organization. January 17, 1903, Andrew L. Mills, Thomas J. Gorman, Albert E. Bergholtz, Frank E. Palmer, August G. Schipper and James B. Hock were elected trustees. This is a rapidly growing village, and famous for its number of manufactories. At present the village is unable to accommodate the hundreds of working men who are employed there and at Silvis, a few miles above, and where the Rock Island shops are located. The employees of the gigantic shops are compelled to live in Rock Island, Moline and Davenport, for the most part owing to the fact that not a sufficient number of houses have been erected for their occupancy. East Moline was incorporated as a village December 23, 1902. It is situated in South Moline Township, seven miles east of Rock Island, and four miles east of Moline. The Rock Island System, the C., M. & St. P., the D., R. I. & N. W. Railroads and the Mississippi Valley Traction Company electric line enter the village. This village offers unprecedented opportunities for investment and factory locations. The population is now about 600. It has telegraph, express and telephone facilities. The village of East Moline was incorporated as a city in January, 1907.
Coaltown
What was considered old Coaltown was more of a locality than a village, embracing a territory contingent to numerous coal mines in the southeast portion of the present township of Hampton and a small part of South Moline Township, and a very active locality it was in the early days. At one point where Samuel Bowles, who came to this county in 1835, discovered the first coal bed in this vicinity, and at one time built a church there. The vicinity was called Bowlesburg; another vicinity Tinkerville. The Silvis mines are still running, and a branch of the D., R. I. & N. W. Railway run there.
Source: Historic Rock Island County, pub. Kramer & Company, Rock Island, Illinois, 1908