Orientation
From the Channel Cat Landing in downtown Moline, you have arrived at John Deere Commons. Years ago, this area was home to the first John Deere factory in the Quad Cities. When John Deere chose Moline, he was looking for waterpower, an abundant fuel supply, and shipping options. He found those resources and more. Moline was also a major entry point to the western frontier. Over the years, Deere’s operations would expand to encompass much of downtown Moline, housing various storage and manufacturing facilities.
Today, this site has been converted into an entertainment and transportation hub for Moline, including an arena just to your west, the restaurant and hotel in front of you, and MetroLINK’s Centre Station across River Drive, as well as plenty of shops and restaurants within walking distance
One block south of this area on 15th Street, you’ll find the John Deere Pavilion which offers the chance to experience some of the biggest John Deere agriculture, forestry and construction equipment, state-of-the-art simulators, educational films and more, all centered around John Deere’s farming and manufacturing
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Find out more about the history of John Deere by clicking any of the subjects below.
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Thank You!
Compiling this information could not be done without the help of Neil Dahlstrom, John Deere Archives, and Moline Public Library, as well as the help of many other local non-profits in this area who work diligently to keep our history alive. Organizations, like The Moline Public Library rely on donations to maintain and grow their services to the community. Please follow this link to see all that the Moline Public Library offers our area and please consider making a donation to the Friends of the Moline Public Library Foundation to help them in their ongoing efforts.
Sources
- The John Deere Story: A Biography of Plowmakers John and Charles Deere by Neil and Jeremy Dahlstrom
- John Deere’s Company by Wayne G. Broehl
- John Deere Housing for Recruits, clipping from John Deere Tradition Magazine, date not identified
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