The City of Rock Island is often overlooked these days. Here are
some interesting historical facts:
1887 James Keane, the areas first permanent settler to the Rock
Island area, arrived with a crew of men. He planned to build a home
and improve the land that he had acquired through the homestead,
pre-emption, and desert acts. Four years later, the Great Northern
Railroad made its first survey of the area and began construction
toward the valley from the east. One half mile upriver from the
well-known Rock Island Rapids, Mr. Keane platted a townsite that he
hoped would become a grand railroad town. He named it Hammond.
Great Northern, however, changed its plans, and the townsite of
Hammond faded away.
1888 Capt. W. P. Gray was the first to navigate a steamboat past
Rock Island Rapids in the Columbia River.
1893 Construction of first steel railroad bridge across Columbia
River, just north of here, was finished.
1930 Rock Island was officially incorporated as a Washington
State town, with a population of 421 residents.
1932 Construction of Rock Island Dam, about 3 miles south of
here, was completed.
During World War II, the silicon smelter across the highway was
built and operated for nearly 50 years. It shut down for good in
1999.
NOTE: To avoid being watched by muggles at the truck
stop, I hid the cache on the highway side of the tree. Use the tree
as your cover.