A Self-Guided Tour of Rock Island Arsenal

Installation Tour

The history of the Rock Island Arsenal spans over 200 years.  From the time of the rapids first being surveyed by Europeans, to the establishment of a U.S. Army fort, to the powerhouse arsenal it is today, Rock Island Arsenal has withstood the test of time.

This self-guided tour is designed to accompany you through these last two centuries of leaps and bounds.  Learn the history of the Sauk (Sac) and Meskwaki (Fox) Native Americans, the conditions of a prison camp during the Civil War, and the industrial marvel that makes the Rock Island Arsenal one of the nation's greatest national treasures.  Visitors are welcome and encouraged to tour this great American treasure.

From our family here at Rock Island Arsenal to yours — we welcome you.

Important Reminders

1. The U.S. Army does not endorse nor recommend any third party applications for the purpose of this tour and is not responsible for any license that the user may enter with the developer upon the agreement to install.
2. Please remember that Rock Island Arsenal is an active military installation. Note that some points on this tour can only be viewed from the outside and some can no longer be seen. Other points have regular business hours. Be security aware and do not wander into restricted areas or locations that are off limits.
3. Remember to obey traffic laws and obey posted signage.
4. Use of a mobile device while you are driving is strictly prohibited.
5. For your own safety, and the safety of the artifacts, please do not climb on any macro artifacts that are shown on this tour.
6. Pictures are allowed north of Rodman Ave.

To get started on the tour, click one of the tour or interest points on the left or in the menu above (depending on your device).  The number corresponds to the point of interest on your tour sheet.

If you do not have a copy of this self-guided tour, you can do so by clicking below.

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The first bridge that connected Moline, Illinois, to Rock Island (now Arsenal Island) was constructed by David B. Sears. Sears had constructed a small mill dam across the southern channel of the Mississippi River. A second damn completed the route from the Illinois mainland to the island. Because of the flat surface of both dams, wagons were able to traverse over the tops. This point in the navigation of the river allowed ferries to move wagons from Illinois to Iowa across the river by way of a steamboat landing on Benham's Island.

When Sears sold the property back to the federal government, the dams and the mills were destroyed, along with the steamboat landing. As a result, a stone bridge was constructed that connected Moline with Arsenal Island. The last-known map that included the crossing from Moline to Benham's Island was dated 1867. By 1870, the plans for a power dam downstream of the Sears Dam were presented to the War Department.

The railroad crossing at the downstream end of the island from the city of Rock Island to Davenport had already been opened, and a subsequent bridge with a built-in wagon crossing was already being planned. This bridge would be completed in the mid-1870s. The old Moline Bridge would go through several revisions before construction of the span that is used today.

In 1855, David Sears purchased title to Benham's Island, situated near the upper or eastern portion of the larger island of Rock Island (now Arsenal Island). Earlier, in 1846, he had built a stone wall dam which connected Benham's Island with Rock Island. The dam provided water power to his flour mill and several other neighboring businesses on the main island. A road built between the two dams formed part of a wagon route stretching from Moline to the steamboat landing at Benham's Island. From here, wagons were ferried across the river to Iowa.

The Sears' mill and dams built at Rock Island attracted other businesses. The water power brought commerce to the island. In 1847, Sears persuaded John Deere and his partners, Robert N. Tate and John Gould, to settle in Moline along the shore of Sylvan Slough.

Despite their holding of property, Sears and other citizens did not hold legal authority to the land on Rock Island. Because of this, they maintained communication with federal officials in an effort to obtain legal titles to the properties. George Davenport and David Sears were the only two citizens who were able to do so. When Sears sold the property on Rock Island back to the federal government, it was at a cost of $145,175 due to improvements on the property. His original purchase price was somewhere around $44.50.

The Rock Island National Cemetery is one of 130 national cemeteries operated by the Veterans Administration throughout the United States. Established in 1863 as the post cemetery, it is among the 20 oldest national cemeteries. It is also among the 30 largest national cemeteries in terms of number of burials, with almost 30,000 interments.

Rock Island National Cemetery was established in 1863 when an area was set aside to bury Union soldiers who died while serving as guards at the Confederate prisoner of war camp then operated at Rock Island Arsenal.

In 1868, the inspector of national cemeteries reported that the Rock Island cemetery contained 136 remains, including seven unknowns and six women and children. He described it as rectangle of 216 feet by 96 feet, enclosed with a "paling fence."

At the time, the arsenal's commanding officer, Brigadier General Thomas Rodman, indicated that the location of the burial area would ultimately conflict with his plans for extending arsenal buildings. He recommended the remains of individuals currently interred at Rock Island be moved to the upper end of the island; the inspector of national cemeteries further suggested that Civil War casualties interred in Oakdale Cemetery in Davenport, Iowa, be removed to the new site. Subsequent property transfers from the Rock Island Arsenal reservation brought the national cemetery to its present 66.8 acres, 53.3 which are developed.

Today, Rock Island National Cemetery is the final resting place of soldiers who served in the Civil War, as well as the Mexican War, Indian Wars, Spanish-American War, World Wars I and II, Korean War, Operation Desert Storm and the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Obituary

General Thomas J. Rodman died 7 June 1871 at 1:30 AM. He was buried on Rock Island Arsenal on 9 June 1871. He was born in Salem, Indiana, on [31 July 1816]. While stationed at Allegheny Arsenal, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he married Miss Martha Black, daughter of Reverend Black of the Episcopalian Church of Pittsburgh. They had two daughters and [five] sons. General Rodman took sick on 15 December 1870, and was attended by Doctor Gregg.

History

Referred to as the "Father of the Rock Island Arsenal," Brevet Brigadier General Thomas J. Rodman, was transferred to Rock Island from Watertown Arsenal, Massachusetts, in July 1865. Rodman had a distinctive vision for the newly founded arsenal, one that emphasized Rock Island as a grand national arsenal that would exceed the distinction of all others.

Rodman's vision called for the construction of ten stone shops at the center of the island, constructed entirely of Joliet limestone. The shops on the north would be the island's armory row, while the shops on the south would be the arsenal row. Rodman, a stickler for aesthetics, also insisted on the construction of his officer's quarters in the same Joliet limestone.

Rodman would not live long enough to see the completion of the arsenal. He died in his quarters on June 7, 1871. His funeral was held in Quarters One, where members of the community poured in to pay their respects. Accounts state that over 100 wagons full of citizens flocked to the arsenal.

Rodman is credited not only for his planning of the Rock Island Arsenal, but for the development of the Rodman Gun. The Rodman Gun would be used in coastal defenses around the United States for many years during his life and following his death.

Rodman is buried at Rock Island National Cemetery. His grave is flanked by three Rodman Guns.

Rock Island Arsenal was at the forefront of the history of tanks in the U.S. Army. That history began in 1919, when RIA was tasked with the assembly of 100 Mark VIII Liberty tanks. The American version of these tanks was only assembled at Rock Island Arsenal, and only three tanks remain today, two of which were produced at the arsenal.

Rock Island Arsenal would be tasked again and again in subsequent decades to assist with assembly and manufacture of tanks and tank parts. This included almost 300 T1E4 light tanks during the interwar years and the early World War II-era M2A1 medium tank. The arsenal also aided in the overhaul, assembly, and production of M3 Lee tanks and the overhaul of the M4A3 Sherman tank.

With an abundance of work being conducted on tracked vehicles such as combat cars, trucks, and tanks, RIA allocated locations on the island to test these vehicles. The initial location for testing was at the Kingsbury hard lot, located on the southwest side of the island. From the interwar years through the Korean War, this lot was used to test the integrity of tracks fitted onto these vehicles.

Since the lot was not dedicated explicitly to the testing of heavy vehicles, a separate test track was established during World War II. The track was used periodically through about 2010. Today, the test track remains in viable condition and is still sometimes used.

The Confederate Cemetery is all that remains from the Rock Island Prison Barracks, which was one of 21 prison camps operated by the Union Army during the Civil War. Almost 2,000 prisoners died at the camp. Each gravestone in the Confederate Cemetery identifies the individual soldier and his company and unit. The Veteran Administration maintains the cemetery today.

The Confederate Cemetery covers a rectangular, three-acre parcel of land, bound by Rodman Avenue and a post-and-chain fence to the north, Confederate Avenue to the south, and heavy tree cover to the east and west. A paved walkway extends from Rodman Avenue to the edge of the burial sites, passing a six-foot tall obelisk that the Daughters of the Confederacy dedicated in 2003 to the Confederate veterans who died at Rock Island. At the south end of the grounds, opposite the monument, is the cemetery's flagpole. Four Confederate cannons sit near the entrance, two each on either side of the monument.

The burial area is roughly square and consists of 20 rows of graves running north and south. Although the spacing of each row is identical, the beginning and end of the rows are irregular. In 1908, the Commission for Marking the Graves of Confederate Dead began a program to place distinctive pointed-top marble headstones, inscribed with the name and regimental affiliation of each soldier, on the graves. The graves were previously marked with wooden markers and a few private headstones.

Between 1863 and 1865, the federal government established a second cemetery of a little more than two acres for the burial of Confederate prisoners of war. More than 1,950 soldiers died at the Confederate prison on Rock Island Arsenal, founded there in 1863.

From 1863 to 1865, Rock Island Arsenal was home to one of many Civil War prison camps. As with other camps in the North, the camp at Rock Island was plagued with disease and illness that took the lives of both prisoners and guards. Most of the dead were afflicted with smallpox or dysentery. Confederate prisoners were buried in the old Confederate cemetery that has since been moved. Union guards were buried separately from the Confederate dead at the old guard cemetery near the arsenal's old housing area.

When the arsenal was in its development phase, it was decided that the location of both cemeteries conflicted with the location of future construction. Brigadier General Thomas Rodman, commander of RIA, opted to move the cemeteries to the upper end of the island to their present day location. The Confederate Cemetery included the dead from the original cemetery. The new National Cemetery included dead from the old guard cemetery, as well as dead from the original post cemetery situated near Fort Armstrong.

The older post cemetery was dated to 1836, and was situated near the crossroads of Fort Armstrong Avenue and Beck Road outside the present Rock Island Gate.

In addition to remains from the old guard and post cemeteries, soldiers who had served during the Civil War and had been buried in other local cemeteries were moved to the National Cemetery on Rock Island Arsenal.

No markers remain today of either the old post cemetery, or the original guard cemetery.

The ten stone shops were constructed from 1867 to 1893 as part of General Thomas J. Rodman's plan for a national arsenal. The five buildings on the south side were designated as "Arsenal Row" and were used for manufacture and overhaul of personal equipment for troops. The buildings on the north side were designated "Armory Row" and were used for the manufacture and overhaul of small arms.

Rock Island Arsenal was founded on July 11, 1862, when Congress passed an act establishing three new arsenals. The first building erected was Storehouse A, now known as the Clock Tower Building and home to the Rock Island District of the U.S. Corps of Engineers. Rodman envisioned a grand national arsenal for the nation centered around ten stone shops which still stand today.

The five shops to the north were designated as Armory Row, while the five to the south were designated as Arsenal Row. A fire station and barracks flanked the shops to the west. The forge was middle building to the north, and the foundry was the middle building to the south. All of the building were constructed using Joliet limestone.

The first conflict that RIA produced for was the Spanish-American War, when the arsenal manufactured a number of carriages, saddles, and personal equipment for soldiers. During World War I, the arsenal was responsible for producing and retrofitting M1903 Springfield rifles, canteens, carriages, and other equipment. The main production item that immediately followed the war was the Mark VIII Tank, the first American-made tank. RIA produced all 100 American built Mark VIII tanks in just over one year.

Rock Island Arsenal has been active during every U.S. conflict since its birth, and has continually expanded into its current-day operations. From 1862 through today, the Arsenal and its workforce have upheld the creed "Forging the Strength of a Nation."

During the Civil War, Rock Island Arsenal became the site of one of the largest military prisons in the North, since policy dictated that prisoners be removed as far as possible from the scenes of hostility. This policy was ideal for the arsenal, because it was owned by the government, it was hardly used, and it was secure. Construction of the prison camp began in July of 1863, and the first prisoners were received that December.

During the Civil War, the Union operated 21 prison camps, including one on Rock Island Arsenal. The camp was situated in an area on RIA that now includes half of "Officer's Row" residences, and the golf course west of East Avenue and east of Gillespie Avenue.

The barracks at the camp were 22 x 100 feet in size, arranged in six rows, housing approximately 120 prisoners each. The total capacity for the camp was around 10,000. A total of 12,215 prisoners called the camp their temporary home between December 1863 and June 1865. Of those prisoners, nearly 2,000 died at the camp. Most of the fatalities were due to dysentery and smallpox. Immediately after the first prisoners arrived at Rock Island, a brutal cold snap reportedly led to temperatures dipping down to --30 below zero, which resulted in some prisoners dying of exposure.

After the end of the war, prisoners were released from Rock Island at the gates of the installation. The remaining barracks were turned over to the War Department and Rock Island Arsenal, and were later demolished. Few remains of deceased prisoners were returned to the South, as few were requested or had the means to be returned. Most of those who died in captivity were buried at the Confederate Cemetery on the arsenal.

All that remains of the prison camp today is a stone monument located on the riverfront that sits on the far northeast corner of where the camp used to be located.

"On behalf of the officers, men and civilian workers, I accept this sundial for the U.S. Army Weapons Command. As a symbol of time, the stuff that life is made of, this sundial will be a constant reminder that given the time, the many wonderful people of the U.S. Army Weapons Command and its Rock Island Arsenal will solve today's and tomorrow's problems while providing rich contributions to the life of the community."

Major General Henry Rasmussen

Commanding General, U.S Army Weapons Command

September 28, 1970

Sundial

In 1877, Frankfort Arsenal, Pennsylvania, gave this sundial as a gift to Rock Island Arsenal. Today, the sundial remains in the same site it was originally placed, and is one of the few meso-sized artifacts still in its original location. The surface of the sundial was repaired in 1969, and it was rededicated in September 1970.

Flagler's Battery

Named after Lieutenant Colonel Daniel W. Flagler, commander of Rock Island Arsenal, Flagler's battery was constructed around the same time the sundial was installed. It is believed that it was built as a salute battery instead of as an actual defense. By the time of its construction, the battery would have been obsolete for use as an island defensive method. The close proximity to Quarters One and the surrounding grounds only adds weight to this theory, as it would have been in a prime location for ceremonies or events. The battery consisted of two 30-pound Parrott rifled cannons.

The battery was decorated with stacks of cannonballs similar to what is seen elsewhere on the island. It is unknown when the battery was removed, but it is estimated that it may have been sometime in the 1920s or 1930s, around the time that the tea house at Quarters One was destroyed.

The Rock Island Arsenal Golf Club was founded in 1897 by Captain (later Colonel) Stanhope Blunt, who then served as arsenal commander. The current clubhouse was built in 1906 after the original was destroyed by fire. The golf course was granted its license by Secretary of War William Howard Taft in 1905. Today, it is operated by RIA's Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) Division.

Established on July 24, 1897, the Rock Island Arsenal Golf Club was one of the first in the region. Members had been using small facilities as a locker room before fire destroyed the original building in 1905. The current clubhouse was built in 1906 at a cost of approximately $17,000.

The Rock Island Argus described the new clubhouse as fine as any in Chicago, short of the main dining area. Not to be outdone, the Grand Ballroom was added to the clubhouse in 1920.

Since their establishment in 1897, the clubhouse and golf course have hosted many tournaments and championships.

Through 2009, the RIA Golf Club was managed and maintained by Federal Sports Management, under a lease with the Department of the Army. This meant that the course and the club was privatized for arsenal employees and club members only. However, in 2010, the golf course was turned over to the U.S. Army's Department of Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR). Upon the transition to MWR, the course was then opened to the public.  It remained open until 2019, when it was permanently closed.  The golf course today is in the process of remediation with the driving range open.

The since-removed artificial lake on Arsenal Island was originally located just south of the Confederate Prison Camp. The drainage basin emptied out just south of where the RIA Golf Clubhouse is today. The lake was fed by a reservoir system located just north of Building 64. The present-day 18th hole of the Rock Island Arsenal Golf Course intersects a portion of the headwaters, and a portion of the driving range runs along the north edge of where the main body of water was located.

The original plan for the Rock Island Arsenal consisted of the ten stone shops at the center of the island, with adjacent supporting buildings. The commandant's quarters, along with other officer's quarters, were situated on the north shore of the island overlooking the Mississippi River. The fire and police station, barracks, headquarters, and other ancillary buildings were situated to the west of the main manufacturing complex.

As a means to create a natural divide between the manufacturing center and the officers, living space, a lake was dredged out in the prairie between the two areas. This lake spanned from approximately the half point of where the stone shops were constructed to just west of West Avenue where it drained. A bridge on West Avenue allowed traffic to pass over the drainage area towards the commandant's quarters.

A second bridge was built near the head of the lake for officers to use to avoid the inconvenience of walking around the lake on West or East Avenues. The bridge was just over 120 feet long and was built with stone. Lion's heads flanked the ends of the bridge, owing to the name of "Lions Head Bridge." The bridge completely collapsed sometime in 2015 and has since been condemned.

The lake bed is now the site of the first and last holes for the Rock Island Arsenal Golf Course, and the driving range.

"Rock Island Arsenal was literally transformed by construction projects undertaken immediately prior to, during, and just following the period in which this country was involved in the World War. One familiar with these premises before that conflict would scarcely recognize them after the work was completed. All construction was done under high pressure, but most of it was of a permanent character and detracts nothing from the impression of durability, as well as of architectural beauty and utility which the institution always has given the visitor." - War's Greatest Workshop, 1922.

During World War I, Rock Island Arsenal was responsible for production of a wide assortment of war materiel. This included gun and ammunition carriages, recoil mechanisms, harnesses, rifles, personal effects (such as haversacks, canteens, and silverware), and much more. When the war ended, there was a need to store surplus materiel and materiel returning from Europe. The Arsenal's vast construction program was expanded to include the space needed for storage.

Available storage space increased from 545,000 square feet in 1917, to more than 12 million cubed feet by the time the war ended. This did not include the government's recent acquisition of the Savanna Proving Grounds north of the arsenal. The Savanna Proving Ground and Army Depot added 13,000 acres of outdoor storage space. The purpose for the Savanna site was to increase available storage to the main installation at Rock Island. In addition, gun and artillery testing took place at this facility.

At Rock Island Arsenal, the increase in storage space came in the form of over 70 new buildings; the largest was "Storehouse W1."

Today, Storehouse W1 is designated as Building 350, and houses the U.S. Army Joint Munitions Command (JMC). Most of the storage buildings at the south side of the island have been destroyed. Meanwhile, the buildings on the north side now house many Army offices, including Morale, Wellness, and Recreation (MWR), the Commissary, and the Post Exchange.

The Davenport House was the first permanent residence of Colonel George Davenport, a trader with Native Americans and supplier to the U.S. Army. Davenport earned the honorary rank of colonel while serving as the volunteer quartermaster at Fort Armstrong. The city of Davenport, Iowa, was named in his honor.

The original Davenport House was completed between 1833 and 1834 in the federal style. It is the westernmost house to use this style of architecture.

George Davenport remained on Rock Island after the closure of Fort Armstrong in 1836. For several years, he continued the upkeep and oversight of the now-abandoned fort and Army depot.

On July 4, 1845, Davenport's family left him at home to attend a parade in a neighboring community. Davenport was feeling ill. Under the assumption that the house was empty, bandits broke into his house in search of large sums of money. Finding Davenport in the house, the bandits beat and assaulted him in an attempt to uncover where the rumored wealth was located. Upon realizing this information was incorrect, the bandits fled the scene and left Davenport for dead. Davenport lived long enough to identify the bandits. The remains of John Long, one of the bandits, were not laid to rest until the 1970s.

The family abandoned the house in 1857, and it was rented by the U.S. Army during the Civil War as a residence for the commandant of the prison camp. In 1867, the Davenport family sold the house and property to the U.S. government. It then fell into a state of disrepair.

It was not until 1907 that the main structure was saved and restored by George Davenport's grandchildren. Repairs and restoration projects have continued ever since. Today, the house is maintained by the Colonel Davenport Historical Foundation and is open for tours.

The Clock Tower Building was the first permanent structure built on Rock Island Arsenal. Construction began in 1864 and ended in 1867. The building was used as a storehouse for the arsenal. It gets its name from the large clock that is on top of a tower standing 117 feet from the ground. Each clock face is 12 feet in diameter. It is the only clock of its type still running with its original parts. Since 1934, it has been the home of the Rock Island District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

On July 11, 1862, Congress established three new arsenals. One was to be at Columbus, Ohio; another in Indianapolis, Indiana; and another on federally owned land on an island in the middle of the Mississippi River. Storehouse A, known today as the Clock Tower Building, was the first building of the newly founded arsenal.

The building was constructed under the supervision of Major Charles Kingsbury, RIA's first commanding officer. He was given instructions on how the building was to be constructed, and information on the contracts associated with the building. The building material used was LeClaire limestone quarried from the nearby community.

Construction on Storehouse A began on April 12, 1864, when the cornerstone was cemented into place. Within the cornerstone was a time capsule; however, a search conducted in 1966 was unable to locate this cornerstone. The building plan included a 97-foot tall tower that housed a hoist serving three floors within the building.

The building was completed in 1867 under General Thomas J. Rodman. The tower was completed at a height of 117 feet, instead of the specified 97 feet, and housed a clock with four 12-foot faces. The clock works that were installed in 1868 remain in place and are still functioning today.

In 1934, the first Corps of Engineers offices were moved into the Clock Tower Building, with additional offices and property transferred in 1941. Today the building is entirely occupied by the Corps of Engineers.

Overlooking Locks and Dam 15, the Mississippi Visitor Center is operated by the Rock Island District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The center's lookout provides an excellent vantage point to observe and learn about the function of the lock and dam system on the Upper Mississippi, the operation of the Government Bridge, and the importance of barge traffic on the river.

The Mississippi River Visitor Center is located on Rock Island Arsenal at Locks and Dam 15, overlooking the Upper Mississippi River. Since the early 1800s, the Corps of Engineers has been instrumental in making the river navigable for both commercial and recreational vessels. From January to March each year, visitors come to see the many bald eagles that flock to the dams on the Mississippi during the winter months to feed. In early spring, the river opens to commercial navigation. From April through mid-December, visitors come to watch boats pass through the locks.

The visitor center welcomes over 30,000 people annually and is handicapped- accessible. In addition to providing lock and dam tours, rangers also offer a wide range of programs to the local community.

From the indoor observation area or outside observation deck, you can watch pilots skillfully maneuver tons of cargo through the lock. At the visitor center, you can get to know the Upper Mississippi during our short movie, or look at our aquarium and interactive displays. Park rangers are available to answer questions and show you around.

Locks and Dam 15 was the first project completed on the Upper Mississippi River as part of an overall project to create a nine-foot navigation channel. It was built to control water levels through the Rock Island Rapids from Rock Island, Illinois, to LeClaire, Iowa, and provide consistent river depths. This was considered one of the most dangerous areas on the river. Part of the rocky material creating the rapids was removed from the river and the dam submerged the rest. This improved navigation on the river. The lock began operation in August 1933.

In the heart of the Quad Cities, Locks and Dam 15 is 483 miles above the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. The complex stretches across the Mississippi River at one of its narrowest points at the foot of the Rock Island Rapids, extending from the northwest tip of Arsenal Island on the Illinois side to a small area of flat-bottom land on the Iowa side. A roadway and railroad bridge, joining Davenport and Rock Island, spans the site.

The complex was the first completed in the 9-Foot Channel Project and served as a prototype for the whole system. Dam 15 is unusual as it is the only one on the river made entirely of roller gates. It was constructed at the narrowest part of the channel and is subject to ice and debris jams. It is built at a 16-1/2 degree angle to gain additional dam area for maintaining the navigation channel; it employs roller gates that are non-submersible, of differing sizes, and of non-standard length; it is not at a right angle to the river; it includes no earthen embankment dike section; it incorporates a power plant that generates electricity to operate its gates and valves; and it uses an open-truss service bridge with a bulkhead-lifting crane on its lower chord. The complex is also unusual because the intermediate locks' wall encases a bridge swing span.

The contractor for the lock construction was favored with low river stages, a mild winter in 1931-1932, and satisfactory labor conditions. The average number of employees during construction was 221.

The lock and dam elements of the complex were completed at a cost of $7.48 million.

In April 1941, eight months before the attack on Pearl Harbor, construction began at Rock Island Arsenal on what would become the world's largest ordnance storehouse, Building 299. The building enclosed 18 acres under one roof, with space enough for 17 football fields inside. It was equipped with rail tracks and could load and unload a complete train at its interior docks. Building 299 was built to accommodate the business generated by America's new role as an "Arsenal of Democracy" for those nations under attack by the Axis Powers.

As American production continued to escalate in the years leading up to the nation's entry into World War II, Rock Island Arsenal saw a steady increase in depot activities. By 1940, it was deemed that the interior storage available in Storehouse W1 (now Building 350) was inadequate. While RIA had possession of Savanna Proving Grounds in Savanna, Illinois, the storage available there was outdoors, and the nature of war materiel being produced required onsite indoor storage space.

It was therefore deemed necessary to construct a larger space for storage and loading. In 1941, construction began on Building 299 with the intention of providing space to store war materiel and load that materiel onto freight trains. The covered space allowed better productivity, faster loading, and increased security. Building 299 was served by two railways.

After the war ended, Rock Island Arsenal once again became a central storage point for overflow parts, equipment, machinery, and weapons. Both the satellite site at Savanna and the storage space on Rock Island were used for this purpose. Building 299 served as the main indoor storage facility for many items that were returning from Europe, and run-over machinery that was used for production at the Arsenal itself.

Today, Building 299 functions in much of the same way as it did following World War II: As a storage facility. The space is complemented by a large outdoor storage space to the east.

"Much additional shop room was needed, and, all told, the additions to the plant amounted to more than one and one-half millions of feet of floor space, costing more than seven millions of dollars. Chief among the new structures built for manufacturing uses were the artillery vehicle plant and the artillery ammunition assembling plant. The latter is 360x400 feet, in three sections, one three stories, one two, and the other one story in height. There were, during the period of hostilities 167,195 155 mm howitzer shells loaded, without adapters and boosters." - War's Greatest Workshop, 1922.

Building 250, originally known as Shop L, was constructed in 1917 to fulfill the role of an ammunition plant. Workers here mixed and filled 155mm cartridges, which were then sent on to be assembled with fuses in another building to the south. The completed ammunition was stored in warehouses south of the present-day Beck Drive and east of Building 299. The warehouses were served by rails, where trains would load up with cargo and transport war material off of the island.

World War I served as the only time when ammunition was manufactured and assembled at Rock Island Arsenal. Building 250 and its adjacent contemporary buildings were the only locations where ammunition production was carried out.

World War I also served as the first time in the arsenal's history that it employed women to conduct work that was not secretarial. Female employees were tasked with mixing TNT into 155mm cartridges ahead of the fuse setting process. Handling the mixture was extremely dangerous, and the building was designed to withstand explosions from shells. Three explosions were known to have occurred during World War I, but no deaths were reported due to the nature of the building. The large quantity of windows allowed explosions to blow out of the building rather than to stay confined, allowing for a better chance of survival of materiel and personnel within the building.

Over 160,000 155mm shells were manufactured, mixed, and set at Rock Island Arsenal in 1918. In later years, it was decided to keep ammunition separate from materiel to reduce potential loss.

Since 1879, Rock Island Arsenal has used the power of the Mississippi River to provide manual and electric power to the buildings located on the island. The first power system was telodynamic, which used four water turbines and a system of cables, belts, and pulleys. In 1899, a fire destroyed the powerhouse and the decision was made to replace the telodynamic system with a hydroelectric system. Situated across the back channel of the Mississippi River on the south shore of the island, the hydroelectric plant has been in continuous operation since 1901 and generates 20 percent of the island's power.

The history of water power on Rock Island Arsenal is a long one, but the most noticeable trace of it is seen at the hydroelectric dam and power plant located on the backwaters of the Mississippi River and Sylvan Slough. The original design used turbines, cables, belts, and pulleys within a system that delivered power to the ten stone shops located at the center of the manufacturing complex until 1899. This system of transmitting power through belts, cables, and pulleys was called the telodynamic system.

The turbines in the dam would feed into a system in the power plant. Wheels within the plant would spin, feeding a series of cables through the wheels. The cables traveled from the plant to the back of each stone shop, where they were then attached to belts that fed into each individual shop. The belts were then attached inside the shop to power individual pieces of machinery. The only remaining piece of the telodynamic system that can be seen today is the piece at the back of the stone shops where the cables would feed into the buildings.

This system was used until the power plant was destroyed by fire in 1899. The arsenal then switched to a total hydroelectric power supply, using the Mississippi River has a source.

Each time improvements were made to the capacity of the power dam, legal battles followed with private interests in the city of Moline. Power generated from the hydroelectric dam has been shared with the city of Moline since it was first constructed in 1872.

A wing dam works by constricting the flow of the river, especially in low water, forcing the available water into one narrow channel. This increases the current and volume of water and helps to scour the bottom. In the words of river pilots, wing dams "stop the leaks." The wing dam off Rock Island Arsenal was part of the river navigation improvement efforts during the early stages of the channel improvement. This was during the efforts to ensure a 4 1/2 foot channel was present for the entire length of the river.

The wing dam located at Rock Island Arsenal is a key river feature that spans greatly upstream in the Mississippi River and ends near the foot of Campbell's Island. The original piece of the wing dam was constructed by David B. Sears during the time that his mill was functioning on the island.

The need for such a dam was established in 1841 when a board selected by the Secretary of War examined the state of the rapids at Rock Island:

"It has already been observed that the entire head and fall at the island, or the aggregate descent from the surface water of the dam to the low-water surface at the foot of the rapids, is seven feet, nearly. To this fall it is proposed to add the descent from the head of Campbell's Island to the head of Rock Island (Arsenal), which is six and a half feet more; making the aggregate fall, from the head of Campbell's Island to the foot of Rock Island, thirteen and a half feet.

The method of uniting these two falls, and bringing them into conjoint operation on Rock Island, consists in the erection of a river-wall or dam, extending upward from the head of Rock Island, parallel, or nearly so, to the Illinois shore, till it reaches the foot of Campbell's Island -- the distance between the two islands, and consequently the extent of the wall, being three miles and three-quarters."

The resulting dam would be situated nearly 2 feet above low water levels. This improved navigation on the river near the rapids allowed riverboat traffic to continue unimpeded through the area. This was further enhanced when the river was dredged.

Today, the above-water view of the wing dam can be seen from the original site of Benham's Island to just north of Interstate 74 on the Illinois side of the river. The dam there sits just beneath the water level and can be noticed at the surface about half-way to Campbell's Island, approximately near where the Celebration Belle docks in Illinois. A few artificial rock points exist between this location and Campbell's Island, which are the only remaining surface features of the dam beyond this point.

Prior to the establishment of a permanent U.S. Military presence, the island known as Rock Island (modern Arsenal Island) had been the site of a retreat for local Sauk and Meskwaki natives.  Situated downriver from Rock Island was the village of Saukenuk (meaning: “village of the Sauk”), with another Meskwaki (sometimes referred to as “Fox”) village on the adjacent Iowa side.  The Sauk were an Algonquin tribe that had been dislocated from their original territory with a history of movement over the duration of over 100 years prior.

The Island of Rock Island offered many amenities that local tribes flourished from.  First, it provided ample wild berries for harvesting and was rich in vegetation.  Second, it had ample game for hunting.  Lastly, it had substantial number of trees for use in woodwork.

Beneath the island were caverns that were believed to be the home of a “Great Spirit” that took the form of a large white swan.  These caverns were not deep but ran approximately at the location of the railroad abutment and the main supporting wall for the modern Locks and Dam 15.  Rock Island itself jutted upwards of 10 feet from the riverbed, giving it a towering and imposing appearance on the Mississippi River.

The Island of Rock Island was first described by Marquette, and subsequently by Zebulon Pike.  By 1833, most of the local tribes were relocated much farther west, with U.S. military presence being established on the island by 1816.

The “Gathering Point” is a community art project by artist Kunhild Blacklock and architect Ed Angerer.  It is a culmination of natural and native history, interoperating them through artistic form.

The art installation was completed in July of 1999 and provides a vantage point over the wetland pocket that exists at the western tip of Arsenal Island.  Situated next to Fort Armstrong, it represents the 200 years prior to the 200 years of military legacy at Rock Island.  During the winter, many bald eagles can be seen from this point resting in trees that surround the wetland pocket between the Mississippi’s north and south arms.  This makes the Gathering Point a great location to bird and nature watch while also appreciating the natural history of the region.

Fort Armstrong was built in 1816 and was one of a system of forts on the Mississippi River. Fort Armstrong's role was fulfilled after it served as the military headquarters during the Black Hawk War. It was abandoned in 1836, but remained an ordnance depot until 1845. In 1916, a replica of one of the blockhouses from Fort Armstrong was erected where the fort once stood.

Construction of Fort Armstrong began in May 1816. The fort was named after John Armstrong, the Secretary of War under President James Monroe. The land that Fort Armstrong occupied was previously a resort for Sauk and Meskwaki tribes. The tribe's capital of Saukenuk was located about five miles south of Rock Island (now Arsenal Island).

The location of Fort Armstrong, on the western tip of Arsenal Island, was selected based on recommendations and surveys by Zebulon Pike and Robert E. Lee. The Rock Island Rapids provided a natural navigational pause, which allowed the fort's location as well as points north to be more easily defended. The vast number of resources available on Rock Island and the surrounding area also provided a rich location on which to build. With the Rock River situated further south, Fort Armstrong's location was such that it allowed the American forces to dominate the Mississippi River.

The primary function of Fort Armstrong was to provide security to American soldiers, settlers and commerce traversing the Mississippi River. However, relationships with the Sauk and Meskwaki tribes deteriorated. In 1832, Black Hawk, war leader of the Sauk tribe, crossed the Mississippi River to reoccupy Saukenuk. The Americans took this as a hostile action, triggering the Black Hawk War.

With the resolution of the Black Hawk War, Fort Armstrong was no longer needed, and so was abandoned. The ruins were used by squatters, until a fire destroyed what remained of the fort in 1854. The replica blockhouse was constructed in 1916 in celebration of Fort Armstrong's centennial.