Stone Shop Construction on RIA, undated. Courtesy of RIA Museum.
Shortly after the Civil War, (Brevet) Brigadier General Thomas J. Rodman was assigned as the commander of Arsenal Island. Because the Arsenal at Harpers Ferry was destroyed during the Civil War, there was an increased need for manufacturing and a location to house this capacity closer to the frontier at a transportation hub. The Rock Island Arsenal fit the bill.
Building RIA Under Construction. Undated. Courtesy of RIA Museum.
General Rodman transformed the Island by leading the largest American Public Works project of the 19th century. This effort featured the construction of a small city with around 10 main shop buildings. This building project would take place more in the center of the Island and begin with the Clocktower building. The last of these buildings was completed in 1893. The shops were constructed of massive Limestone blocks and remain in use today.
Another major construction project includes the bridge to Davenport (the current government bridge is an 1896 construction replacing the one from 1872) and the dams which were built to provide power to the manufacturers. During peacetime, the Island actually had excess manufacturing capacity and most of the planned storehouses were not built.
Bay of cannonballs on Rock Island Arsenal. Courtesy of RIA Museum.
The former prison was torn down. The grounds where it stood became a Golf Course starting in 1897, just the second Golf Course in Illinois. This course was closed in 2018 with the hope of a new private tenant to care for this part of the Arsenal Island soon.
Rearview of the south row of shops, November 20, 1914. Courtesy of RIA Museum.
1903 production. Courtesy of RIA Museum.