“The Belgian Connection: Belgium's Influence Abroad & in the Quad Cities" at the German-American Heritage Center -- November 23
Sunday, November 23, 2 p.m.
German American Heritage Center, 712 West Second Street, Davenport IA
In the latest program in the German American Heritage Center's popular "Kaffee und Kuchen" series, Honorary Consul Patrick Van Nevel will be discussing Belgium's role in the founding and expansion of the European Union, as well as Belgian immigration to the Quad Cities from 1850 to 1920, in The Belgian Connection: Belgium's Influence Abroad & in the Quad Cities, presented at the Davenport venue on November 23.
In author Kristine Smets' “The Belgians in Moline, Illinois: An Overview" as published in The Belgian American (available at TheBelgianAmerican,com), we learn: "The agricultural implement industry accounted for much of the Quad-Cities’ industrial growth in the beginning of the twentieth century, with John Deere and Company its leading manufacturer. In 1892 Deere already employed 1,000 workers. In 1910 the company was reorganized and expanded, bringing the total number of Deere plants in the Tri-Cities to six. Other implement manufacturing companies in the area were the Rock Island Plow Company and the Moline Plow Company, both of which also experienced growth in the pre-World War I era. The second greatest industry of the Moline area was the manufacturing of ordnance equipment at the National Arsenal which had been established by Congress in 1862. During World War I production at the Arsenal increased and the number of employees reached a peak of more than 13,000 in 1918. Parallel with the growth of the agricultural and ordnance equipment industries a variety of other industries developed shortly after 1900, for example the construction of automobiles, railroad equipment, and washing machines. Other industries were two large wood-working factories and a flour and grist-mill company.
"In conjunction with its industrial development the population in the entire metropolitan area of the three cities expanded from 2,550 in 1848 to 18,425 in 1860, 44,000 in 1885, and 136,395 in 1920. At the fringe new towns developed, such as Bettendorf in Iowa, and East Moline and Silvis in Illinois.
"The first Belgians arrived in Moline during the 1840s and 1850s. They originated from various towns in the provinces of East and West Flanders, such as Lotenhulle, Beernem, Aalter, St. Laureins, St. Niklaas, and Lembeke. After the Civil War broke out they were joined by several Belgian families who had originally settled around St. Louis, Missouri, or in Wisconsin. More families arrived from the old country during the 1870s and 1880s. The early Belgian immigration consisted mostly of families, and a high number of them were farmers. Several stayed in Moline and vicinity and worked in the sawmills, but many moved to Rock Island County or nearby Henry County to farm.
"According to the United States Census of 1890, the combined Rock Island and Henry counties in Illinois had a Belgian-born population of 788. During the decade of the 1890s their numbers more than doubled, with most of the increase in Rock Island County, indicating that most Belgians were now settling in the urban area of Moline and Rock Island, and fewer were moving to the more rural Henry County. This trend continued during the next two decades. During the first two decades of the twentieth century the Belgian-born population in Rock Island and Henry Counties grew to 5,184 in 1920."
The Belgian Connection: Belgium's Influence Abroad & in the Quad Cities will be presented at Davenport's German American Heritage Center on November 23, with refreshments for this “Kaffee und Kuchen” event served at 1:30 p.m. and Patrick Van Nevelr's program beginning at 2 p.m. Participation is free for Heritage Center members and $8 for non-members, and more information is available by calling (563)322-8844 and visiting GAHC.org.
