Mill Town

By 1838 the first water-powered mill on the Mississippi was in operation here, and the original 1843 plat of Moline was rooted in this waterfront area. Appropriately, the name “Moline” probably came from the French word for “mill town.” As the town grew during the 19th century, additional mills and numerous factories located here, including a gaggle of farm implement plants. At the end of the century, Moline was known as the “Lowell of the West,” and later became “The Plow City” and the “Farm Implement Capital of the World.” The original downtown commercial area also developed here, sharing space with factories along 3rd Avenue (called Main Street before 1883, now called River Drive). Today, this area is the focal point of a river-oriented urban redevelopment.

Return to the Map.
Return to the Tour of Historic Moline