News coverage of the weeklong gathering of the 24th annual Farmers National
Congress began on Saturday, October 6, 1906, when the Argus reported that
downtown Rock Island was taking on a festival appearance in anticipation of
thousands of visitors. The story was accompanied by a plea for citizens to
make spare bedrooms available to Congress attendees, as the number expected
greatly exceeded the available hotel accommodations.
Mayor McKaskrin observed that it was a great honor for Rock Island to be
selected as the site of the Farmers Congress. Governors of Illinois and
Iowa and former governors of Minnesota and, surprisingly, even Alaska
planned to attend. Details of the Congress were covered in the newspaper on
a daily basis during the ensuing week. Although high winds delayed many
travelers, over a thousand had arrived by Monday, when the Congress
officially opened.
On Monday morning, Congress attendees paraded down 2nd Avenue from the
Harper House Hotel at 19th Street (now demolished), to the Illinois Theatre
at 16th Street (now Hyman's Furniture Store) where opening ceremonies were
held. The parade's route took them through a downtown festive with harvest
finery. Unfortunately, many of the decorations were bedraggled because of
the high winds. It was later reported that a $5.00 prize was awarded to
1629 2nd Avenue for creating the best storefront decorations.
Today's postcard gives a hint of those downtown decorations in its depiction
of Market Square during the Congress. Market Square was the triangle
between 16th and 17th Streets at 2nd to 3rd Avenue. Although it was a
public space, Market Square was not a park, but was a working marketplace -
a real farmers' market.
The view here is looking south from 2nd Avenue and shows the building in
Market Square decked out in a manner reminiscent of a miniature South Dakota
Corn Palace. We can see ears and shocks of corn, sheaves of wheat, and
pumpkins, all artfully arranged to welcome the farmers and their wives to
Rock Island and the Congress. Notice the old hand plow hung in the gable.
Temporary archways extended from the structure and were crowned with what
appears to be growing corn.
Although the specifics of the Market Square decorations were not mentioned
in the extensive Argus coverage of the Congress, this Real Photo card as
well as a color lithograph version of it are the only known postcards from
the Congress.
When they arrived at the Illinois Theater, visitors saw the stage decorated
as a barnyard, complete with real horses, chickens, and corn shocks (perhaps
so the farmers wouldn't be homesick on their visit to our city). Illinois
Governor Deneen made a welcoming address that celebrated prairie lands
opened to cultivation in recent years thanks to drainage ditches and tiling.
Congress goers later adjourned to the Rock Island skating rink at 16th
Street and 5th Avenue (no longer standing) which served as a convention hall
for the week and featured both a "Carnival" and Manufacturers' Exhibits.
Local attendance at convention sessions was encouraged. Each Rock Island
grade school was assigned one day of the Congress, and the school with the
best attendance on its assigned day was promised a "handsome bust" as a
reward. Students would presumably encourage their parents and friends to
attend on "their" day. However, it was not reported which school won the
bust (or whom the bust represented.)
Other activities offered to attendees included tours of local factories,
boat rides on the Mississippi, and free trolley tours around Rock Island,
Moline and Davenport. But it wasn't all play time. The Farmers Congress
was serious business.
Farmers discussed techniques to improve production and political strategies
that would help them get the best prices for their products. They also
recommended that domestic science (later called home economics) should be
taught at all schools. Each day, the Argus reported on the many events and
presentations, and listed the attendees from throughout Illinois and
elsewhere.
By the time the convention closed on October 13, the wind torn decorations
were ready to come down. But Rock Islanders were happy with the attention
our city had received, and satisfied that we had been wonderful hosts to the
nation's farmers.
Market Square continued in use until the mid 20th Century when there was no
further need for a farmers' market. The site was then used for auto parking
until the open space was finally eliminated to enable the construction of
the hotel that still occupies the site.
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