Day in history for March 21, 2001

1876 -- 125 years ago

Lewis Wilson was elected president of the Rock Island County Farmers Cooperative Association. Other officers named were Charles E. Kyte and A.C. Stevens.

1901 -- 100 years ago

Captain Walter Blair was preparing to begin the season's business on the river.

1926 -- 75 years ago

Melville H. Hodge of Evanston, Ill., was named superintendent of the Rock Island playground and recreation commission. He succeeds Joseph Beal, who resigned.

1951 -- 50 years ago

Designation of Rock Island as a defense housing area will be asked by the Rock Island Chamber of Commerce. It was pointed out that with Rock Island Arsenal and local private plants needing additional help, the housing situation most likely will become considerably tighter, unless there is a spurt in residential construction. Federal officials are reportedly studying plans that would grant private builders constructing defense housing projects priorities to get scarce items.

1976 -- 25 years ago

Three young Davenport men took an unexpected chilling swim in the choppy water of the Mississippi. Randy Goodson, 19; Robert Griffing, 18, and Charles Richardson, 18, were treated at St. Luke's Hospital after what police described as a ``short swim in a long river.'' The three apparently fell into the river as their 14-foot runabout capsized. They were spotted waving a white T-shirt on a small island near the intersection of South Concord St. and Utah Ave.

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