We did make 2 stops however, the first at the Rock Island Arsenal Museum and also the Mississippi River visitors center. We did have a minor problem finding the open gate. The first we went by was closed for the weekend so we went to the other end of the island. We stopped to ask for directions to the other entrance.
Our first stop was at the Rock Island Arsenal Museum. Rock Island Arsenal is the only active foundry and produces artillery, weapons and has approximately 6000 civilians that work there.
Gattling Gun Serial # 107
Officers pistols through the years.
Gold plated M-60 Machine Gun presented to the Commanding General by Saco-Lowell Shops in Saco Maine at the end of filling the contract for over 5800 machine guns
Rifles of all sorts over the years and wars.
1862, 24 pounder Field Howitzer. All metal parts of this Howitzer are original.
The 2nd stop was the Mississippi River visitors center. The Locks and Dam #15 still operate 24 hours a day to service traffic on the upper Mississippi. There was a barge about 2 miles down river but waiting another 1 1/2 hours for it to get into the locks wasn't in the plans.
The Island has 2 national cemeteries...the first, and largest is the National cemetery which has soldiers serving in wars from the Civil War to the Persian Gulf and Iraq wars. The 2nd cemetery was instituted for Confederate prisoners of war. The present national cemetery consists of 31 acres.
The temperature never got above 57 today. We finally are under the 700 foot elevation but still have a few mountains to hop over before we get back home.
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