Day in history for May 4, 2004

1854 -- 150 years ago

The Davenport Gazette says the editor of The Argus has been put in charge of the island ''under the farcical idea of protecting the old logs that remain of the venerable Fort Armstrong.'' Not so, the government keeps us there to protect the island from trespassers. Otherwise, the swarm of ''landless men'' would soon destroy the island's beautiful forest.

1879 -- 125 years ago

A bill has passed the Illinois legislature authorizing cities and villages to require two days of road labor each year from individuals.

1904 -- 100 years ago

Seven million feet of lumber went up in smoke in the yards of Dimock, Gould And Co., Moline, causing a loss of $175,000. Insufficiency of the water supply was the cause of the magnitude of the blaze.

1929 -- 75 years ago

Dr. Carl Bechmann, retired Rock Island physician, was killed when hit by a street car in Los Angeles.

1954 -- 50 years ago

A powerful explosion this morning at the rear of Sones Transfer And Storage Co., 1723 3rd Ave., Moline, wrecked the loading dock, blew off a double door and shattered almost 150 window panes in the trucking firm's building and the surrounding neighborhood.

1979 -- 25 years ago

Moline city officials have nearly a $1 million debt to pay, and they haven't quite figured out the best way to pay it off. The debt is for property acquired to build downtown parking lots along 4th and 6th Avenues.

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