We’ve been thrilled to read all of the raving reviews piling up in the Blogosphere about Loose Canyons so far, but our favorite comment so far at Radical Turf HQ actually has nothing to do with the record. Over at the blog Cream Team, blogger ‘V’ in Chicago wrote:hailing from a mysterious city in Illinois called Rock Island , which I'd never even heard of (and thought was a joke until I googled it), Konrad's roots are as unique as his sound...
Ha! Yes, that’s right Rock Island is indeed a real city. It may not be as cool as it sounds, but we assure you that it really does exist. Here are some fun facts about our fine metropolis:
- The Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad was founded here in 1851 and was known as the Rock Island Line. The railroad was liquidated in bankruptcy in 1980.
- Rock Island is also home to the Rock Island Arsenal on Arsenal Island. It is an active factory producing ordnance and weapons components for the U.S. Army. The Arsenal provides 6,000 civilian jobs for the local area.
- The worst prison camp during the Civil War in terms of percentages of death was at Rock Island
- The inspiration for the character John Rooney in the well known Road to Perdition novels and movie came from a true Rock Island gangster, John P. Looney.
- The computer was invented in a downtown Rock Island bar*
