Day in history for July 8, 2003

1853 -- 150 years ago

Three deck hands were killed when the chimney blew down on the steamer Michigan between Rock Island and Muscatine during the high windstorm yesterday.

1878 -- 125 years ago

Another gang of boys has been arrested, this time for throwing stones at members of the Athletic Boat Club as they launched their boats from the boathouse. The leader of the boys was tried and sent to jail for 20 days.

1903 -- 100 years ago

Orders have arrived for the manufacture of the new Springfield rifle at Rock Island Arsenal. Plans call for the production of 125 rifles a day.

1928 -- 75 years ago

Ben T. Reidy and R.A. Jacobson were chosen to represent Rock Island at a hearing on location of a barge terminal in the Quad-Cities.

1953 -- 50 years ago

Wells School District No. 46 was annexed to East Moline District No. 37 by the Rock Island County Board of School Trustees. The action, which increases the territory of the East Moline district by about a third, was taken after a public hearing in the county courtroom. No objectors to the annexation appeared at the session.

1978 -- 25 years ago

Construction of Moline's 5th Avenue redevelopment project began today with predictions it would mark the beginning of a downtown renaissance. Lucille Beling, wife of the late Earl Beling, signaled the start of construction by cracking a champagne bottle against a backhoe at the intersection of 5th Avenue and 16th Street.

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