Day in history for March 23, 2004

1854 -- 150 years ago

The city of Rock Island has ordered a ferry boat, the City of Ione, which will be ready in four weeks, to compete with the privately owned ferry here. The Ione can carry eight to ten teams and wagons each trip for the immigrants passing into Iowa.

1879 -- 125 years ago

John Warren and Thomas Saulpaugh had splendid luck duck hunting and remembered The Argus editor with some fowls for his table.

1904 -- 100 years ago

Capt. Walter A. Blair has returned from the Kentucky River, where he bought the steamer Megiddo. A sect known as Brethren in Christ has owned the boat and lived on it.

1929 -- 75 years ago

Members of Rock Island Naval Reserves have gone to Quincy for patrol work in the Mississippi River flood areas.

1954 -- 50 years ago

James Eugene Gipson, 18-year-old Seaton farm youth, was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter and was sentenced to one to seven years in prison. The jury's verdict found Gipson guilty of manslaughter and not murder in the knife slaying of George Marich, 26, an Aledo High School coach, last Dec. 8.

1979 -- 25 years ago

A Rock Island Arsenal federal employee is helping five local governments solve city problems by using modern technology. Ron Russell, Orion, has been ''loaned'' through the federal government's Intergovernmental Personnel Act to the Community Technology Initiatives Program for one year.

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