Day in history for April 20, 2001

1876 -- 125 years ago

A portion of Bengston's block was flooded with water the night of the fire at Babcock's Foundry.

1901 -- 100 years ago

Word was received from Washington, D.C., to the effect that President McKinley would spend an hour-and-a-half in Rock Island on June 11.

1926 -- 75 years ago

George Huber, Rock Island, was installed as dictator of Rock Island Lodge No. 190, Loyal Order of Moose.

1951 -- 50 years ago

Payday for Moline city employees, an event as happy for them as it is for other wage earners, was doubly so today. Those on monthly wages found their salaries increased by $18.75, minus, of course, the extra income tax deduction, and hourly employees had an increase of 18 cents an hour. The increase was made possible by the general fund tax increase voted March 20 by Moline citizens.

1976 -- 25 years ago

``We're having far too many fires over there,'' Rock Island Fire Chief Glen Ayers said as his men continued probing the latest of a series of mysterious blazes at Augustana College. The latest fire, in the dining room of Andreen Hall, did an estimated $27,000 damage. Ayers said the department does not believe the Andreen Hall fire was ``the result of natural causes or a mechanical failure.'' Over the past several weeks, a half dozen or more fires, most of them minor, have been discovered on the Augustana campus.

Back: Available days in April 2001