Quad Cities - Where it Began

By Kathy Barnett Managing Editor Where It All Began In The Quad Cities

owhat does sliced bread, Whitey’s hard

Sdip ice cream, Boetje’s mustard, Dairy Queen soft serve, the John Deere farm plow, a saddle/harness/leather maker’s bench. and Buffalo Bill all have in common? They were all born in the Quad Cities. Made up of Davenport, Moline, Rock Island, and Bettendorf, two cities are located near the Mississippi River in Iowa and the other two across the river in Illinois.

On a recent hosted media visit, I had the pleasure of learning so much about this delightful area and I can definately predict I will be returning for more fun. An added bonus was Moline celebrating its 150 sesquicentennial anniversary of incorporation. Since its founding, many famous people have been connected to Moline. There was so much to see and do. Here are only a few of the places we visited, the products we learned about and the people we met.

John Deere

John Deere developed the first successful self-scouring steel plow. The plows being used by pioneer farmers of the day were cast iron, cumbersome and ineffective for cutting and turning the prairie soil. Made in 1837, he used an old sawmill blade for the plow’s cutting part and shaped by bending it over a log. By 1846, Deere was selling up to 1000 a year. The business was first incorporated as Deere & Company in 1868 in Moline, IL and has remained the national headquarters of John Deere tractors ever since.

During the Moline 150th anniversary festival, Mischa A. Hooker, shown above right in front of the combine, graciously portrayed the character of John Deere for the first time. He is a continuing lecturer of Classics at Augustana College in Rock Island. The John Deere Pavilion exhibits various eras of equipment and offers free admission. https:// www.deere.com/en/connect-with-john-deere/visitjohn-deere/pavil-ion/

Sliced Bread

Even though my home state of Missouri claims Chillicothe to be the home of sliced bread, I learned the actual machine was made here. The commercial bread-slicing machine was designed and manufactured in 1928 by Otto Frederick Rohwedder (18801960). Chillicothe was the first location to “sell” sliced bread upon using the machine. It was also used to slice loaves of fresh bakery bread at Korn’s Bakery, in Rohwedder’s home town of Davenport, Iowa, beginning in late 1928.

Tack Bench

S.Patrick Allie, director of the Rock Island Arsenal Museum

The Rock Island Arsenal is a major Army installation that is the home to more than 80 tenant organizations that provide critical products and services to all of our Armed Services. It employs more than 6,000 military, civilian and contractor personnel. The tack bench, sometimes called a stitch pony. is one of those items made here. This is what a saddle maker would use to hold the leather as he worked on it. A very primitive item, it was used in the 1800s.

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Whitey’s Ice Cream

Chester “Whitey” Lindgren established Whitey’s Ice Cream in 1933 in Moline, who received his nickname due to his white-blonde hair. An early-on hire of a 15year- old Bob Tunberg turned into close friendship. Bob and his wife, Norma, wound up purchasing the company in 1953. Their two sons grew up learning the business and are now co-owners. It was not a multiple locations establishment until the late 1970s and has grown to eight store locations in the Quad Cities. They are known for creating the first chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream.

Through the years, various unique flavors have been added including Cameo (right) where all proceeds go to Veterans.

In 1969, they experimented with plain shakes and were the first to ad candy or cookies into the mix. They started with the Butterfinger candy bar. In 1970, the company invented the malt machine that is still used nationwide today.

Boetje’s Mustard

Founded in 1889 by German immigrant Fred Boetje, , this stone ground and wood aged sauce was made from an Old World recipe. Mr. Boetje found American food to be a bit “bland.” He even called it “puny” and proceeded to spice it up with his homemade mustard. He then took a ladle and went door to door to fill customer’s jars for a nickel each. It is still the same recipe today.

The Kropp family purchased the business in 1983 and have run it since. Will is the current owner with his son, Harrison, serving as production manager. They showed us around and allowed us to taste the three most popular flavors. I liked the original.

Others liked the honey mustard.

Now the mustard is available in over 27 states and locally is in many Quad Cities stores and restaurants. Winning awards since 2008, Boetje’s “Dutch”

Stone Ground Mustard emerged as the Grand Champion at the 2016 Worldwide

Mustard competition, the first time a whole grain mustard has earned this title.

Above is Production manager, Harrison Kropp, showing how the jars are filled with mustard from the hopper. At the left, Will Harrison shows a collection of original glass containers. Will is the current president of Boetje’s mustard.

Dairy Queen

In 1938, near Moline, Illinois, J.F. McCullough and his son, Alex, developed the delicious dairy product millions have come to know as Dairy Queen soft serve. The McCulloughs’ innovation was the beginning of today’s system of more than 5,700 Dairy Queen and Dairy Queen/Brazier stores. The inventors of Dairy Queen’s soft-serve ice cream recipe, had been selling ice cream since they opened their store in Davenport, Iowa, in 1927.

Buffalo Bill Museum

Famous for his Wild West Shows, William Frederick Cody was born in 1846 in Le Claire, Iowa. He was only 11 when he started working and became a rider for the Pony Express at the tender age of 15. He served the Union, then later served as a civillian scout for the Army. Buffalo Bill’s legend began to spread when he was only 23. As he began performing in shows that displayed cowboy themes, fame grew. He founded his own Buffalo Bill’s Wil West in 1883. The museum in LeClaire tells his story.

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Corn Maze Celebrates 60 Years of James Bond

SPRING GROVE — It’s all about 007 and the many faces of Bond, James Bond, at the Richardson Adventure Farm’s “World’s Largest” corn maze this year. Saturday, Sept. 10, maze fans can trek through portraits of the five biggest stars to portray the iconic spy going all the way back to 1962’s “Dr. No.” Depicted are Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig. A casino, a bikini-clad Bond babe and an Aston Martin complete the theme.

“We’re celebrating 60 years of James Bond movies,” said George Richardson, who operates the farm along with his wife, Wendy, his brother, Robert, Robert’s wife, Carol, George’s son, Ryan, and Ryan’s wife, Kristen. “It sounded fun,” he said. “They are action-packed, entertaining films, and, unless you’re a rare George Lazenby fan, we’ve got your favorite Bond covered.”

This year’s maze features 10.3 miles of trails across 28 acres. But with numerous points of entry and exit, the journey through the corn can be as brief or as lengthy as desired.

“Even though it is the ‘world’s largest, most intricate’ maze, those entering can choose a 10-minute, left-turns-only trail or do the whole thing in about an hour and a half,” Wendy Richardson said. “We provide maps with checkpoints. There are also three raised bridges connecting the four segments. There are no dead-ends. You can’t get lost.”

Along with its world-renowned maze, the Richardson Adventure Farm features a 50-foot observation tower, train rides, a carousel, picnic areas, wagon rides, a zip line, 150- and 100-foot slides, Zorbing, a petting zoo, pumpkin patch, goat feeding area, pedal kart tracks, live music on weekends, a kiddie play area, jumping pillows, pig races, air cannons, a paintball shooting gallery, indoor restrooms, a spacious, well-stocked gift shop and wine tasting bar — the list goes on!

Robert Richardson said fall color enthusiasts will delight in an added feature to this year’s regular adventure farm offerings — 13 acres of sunflowers also await. Touring the sunflower fields is included in the price of admission. Cut flowers will be available for purchase at $1 a stem for single flowers or $4 for multi-branched flowers.

Also new this year will be a craft beer tent featuring at least three local brew varieties. Food trucks also will be on-site. And the farm’s piping hot doughnuts, fresh out of the fryer, are not to be missed.

Ryan Richardson said fall fun on the farm is the perfect family getaway. “We really do have something for everyone,” he said. “We love seeing the smiles on kids’ faces as they take it all in.”

Located at 909 English Prairie Road, Spring Grove, the farm will be open Thursdays through Sundays Sept. 10-Oct. 30. Cost to enter is $18 for those ages 13 and up, $16 for those ages 3 through 12, and free for those 2 and younger. Weekend pricing increases in October to $18 for ages 3 through 12 and $24 for 13 and up. Group discounts are available, as well as campfire and picnic site rentals. Visit richardsonfarm.com for details.

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Salt Creek Valley Cemetaries Offer Historic Information

Monroe Lake will dive into the history of several local cemeteries during two open houses. The events are part of Salt Creek Valley History Week, a celebration of the Salt Creek Valley’s past that runs Sept. 10 to 16.

The first open house on Sept. 10 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. will share information on three small cemeteries that are located south of Monroe Lake in Hoosier National Forest and named after the Hays family. The open house will be at the Paynetown Activity Center, 4850 S. State Road 446 in Bloomington.

If you have photos, documents, stories, or other records pertaining to people buried in one of the Hays cemeteries, Monroe Lake naturalist Jill Vance encourages you to bring them to contribute to the park’s history. Vance will be able to digitally scan items during the open house, so you can keep your original records.

On Sept. 11 from 10 to 11:30 a.m., Monroe Lake will host a second open house, “Before the Water Rose”, at the Allens Creek Cemetery at 7650 E. Allens Creek Road in Bloomington.

When Monroe Lake was constructed, seven cemeteries were relocated to create the Allens Creek Cemetery. Attendees can walk through the cemetery sections with Vance to learn about where these cemeteries were originally located, how they were moved, and hear stories about some of the people buried there.

Susan Snider Salmon, a trained headstone restorer, will demonstrate the proper technique for safely cleaning historic grave markers. Attendees can also talk with Kel McBride, a cemetery coordinator with the Monroe County History Center, who will share the best techniques for photographing gravestone details.

For further information on these open houses, as well as a list of other programs scheduled during Salt Creek Valley History Week, see bit.ly/SCVhistoryweek2022.

Both open houses are free to attend; however, an entrance fee of $7 per vehicle with Indiana license plate and $9 per vehicle with out-of-state plate applies for Paynetown SRA.

Questions should be directed to the Paynetown Activity Center at 812-837-9967.

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Things to Do:

See Unique Colts - Music Exhibit

INDIANAPOLIS — Jim Irsay, owner & CEO of the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts, will exhibit items from The Jim Irsay Collection – his renowned assemblage of historic and iconic artifacts from rock music, American history and pop culture – in Indianapolis for a one-of-a-kind event leading into the 2022 NFL season. For the first time, the exhibit will include unique, historic Colts artifacts and memorabilia – including game-worn uniforms and equipment, autographed items and more – from Indianapolis and Baltimore.

The evening also will feature a concert by The Jim Irsay Band, a band “which has never existed and will never exist again.” Led by Irsay on vocals, the band includes Mike Wanchic on guitar (John Mellencamp), Mike Mills on bass (founding member of R.E.M), Tom Bukovac on guitar (has played on over 700 albums with major artists), Kenny Wayne Shepherd on guitar (fivetime GRAMMY® nominated), Kenny Aronoff on drums (Sir Paul McCartney, Mellencamp, The Rolling Stones, Sting, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson) and Michael Ramos on keyboards (Mellencamp, Los Lonely Boys, Patti Griffin, Paul Simon).

The band will be joined by special guest Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Ann Wilson of Heart on vocals.

This is a free event and open to the public, but tickets are required. To register to attend, visit Eventbrite to reserve a ticket. Capacity is limited and tickets will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. “I began this collection to preserve, protect and share historic artifacts with others in hopes of telling stories of our shared past and culture and inspiring people to dream big and strive for great things in life,” Irsay said. “I am only a steward of this collection, so it’s my job to share it with as many people as I can. That’s why we’re especially excited to share this special evening with our friends, fans and neighbors right here in Indianapolis.” When: Friday, Sept. 9 from 7-10 PM Where: Lucas Oil Stadium, 500 S. Capitol Ave.

The Jim Irsay Collection is highlighted by instruments and items owned and used by the greatest artists in music history, including Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Prince, James Brown, Eric Clapton, Sir Elton John, Johnny Cash, Jerry Garcia, Les Paul, David Gilmour, Jim Morrison, Pete Townshend, Jimi Hendrix, Janis

See Unique Colts - Music Exhibit

Joplin, Kurt Cobain, John Coltrane, The Edge and other icons, as well as signed photos, handwritten lyrics, and other historic music memorabilia. In 2022, Guitar Magazine specifically highlighted his collection of guitars as “The Greatest Guitars on Earth.”

Outside of music, the collection includes such historic items as: • An 1823 William J. Stone printing of the Declaration of Independence, one of the first exact “facsimiles” of the final signed document; • Renowned American author Jack Kerouac’s original 119-foot On the Road scroll; • The original manuscript for Alcoholics Anonymous’ Big Book, the organization’s founding document; • The original 1777 Continental Congress proclamation designating Thanksgiving as a national holiday; • Handwritten documents and artifacts from women’s suffrage pioneer Susan B. Anthony; • A Jackie Robinson game-used bat from 1953 (the founding year of the Colts); • Muhammad Ali’s 1965 first walkout robe that bore his new name, and his boxing shoes from the 1975 “Thrilla’ in Manilla” vs. Joe Frazier; • Artifacts and signed documents from numerous U.S. Presidents, including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy and others.

Items have been displayed at the U.S.’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met), The Lincoln Memorial, the world-famous Beverly Hills Hotel, and the Indiana State Museum; as well as at The Centre Pompidou (Paris), the British Library (London), Auditorium Parco della Musica (Rome) and other locations around the world. For photos of the collection (photos courtesy of the Indianapolis Colts), visit here. For video overviews of the collection and events, visit here. For general info, visit jimirsaycollection.com.

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