Day in history for February 28, 2002

1852 -- 150 years ago

H.A. Porter was elected alderman of the first ward in Rock Island at a special election to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of E.A. Harkins.

1877 -- 125 years ago

Billy Wilson enlarged his cigar store in Rock Island and announced he will add tables and newspapers and make it pleasant to call for seat and cigar mid the jovial throng.

1902 -- 100 years ago

Five members in a single family living on 21st Street, Rock Island, are very ill of smallpox.

1927 -- 75 years ago

Basketball scores: Moline High, 27, Rock Island, 15; Augustana, 27, Monmouth, 23.

1952 -- 50 years ago

``I can remember when Silvis was nothing but watermelon country,'' says Morton Pennell, former police chief and organizer of the fire department. Pennell, now 74, already had reached manhood when Silvis became an incorporated reality in 1907. Considered by many to be Silvis' elder statesman, Mr. Pennell is a walking chamber of commerce for the railroad town.

1977 -- 25 years ago

A Moline youth has won a $50 savings bond in a contest to design rubberband-powered vehicles as part of National Engineers Week. Mark Hathaway, 14, was among several area youths who competed in the contest to design and build the vehicles, sponsored by the Quad-Cities Engineering Council. Mr. Hathaway built a vehicle out of two pizza pie tins, connecting them with a rubberband and a weight, that traveled some 66 meters.

Back: Available days in February 2002