John Deere and his descendants left more to the world than the first successful steel plow and the John Deere Co. Sitting atop the hills overlooking Moline, Illinois, and the Mississippi River are two historic homes built by Charles Deere, John Deere’s son. The Deere-Wiman House and the Butterworth Center are within a block of each other in a wooded, residential neighborhood.
The gardens at both houses are well-landscaped and have some unusual plants amidst the more common varieties. Both families enjoyed the flowers and trees not commonly found in the Midwest. On the grounds you will find a tricolor beech, cucumber magnolia and a bald cypress.
On Sunday, June 28, 2009, the Deere homes’ gardens are in bloom and everyone is invited to see them in their glory. From 12 noon to 5 p.m., visitors can enjoy the splendor of Butterworth Center’s impressive gardens while participating in several exciting activities including visiting with living history volunteers, old-fashioned music, games of the 1800s, jugglers, antique auto show located at the Deere-Wiman House, refreshments, free guided trolley tours through Overlook historic neighborhood, and festivities on the Butterworth Center and Deere-Wiman House lawn.
Tours of the homes are available and children can make crafts at WQPT’s children’s tent. Food vendors will be selling grilled pork chop and chicken sandwiches, smoothies, ice cream, beverages, and more. Nearby, the Rock Island County Historical Society is open from 1-4 p.m. There, visitors can learn more about the area’s rich history.
Butterworth Center and Deere-Wiman House are located at 1105 Eighth St.and 817 11th Ave., respectively. Admission is free to Blossoms at Butterworth, although donations are welcome. For more information, please contact the Deere-Wiman and Butterworth homes at 309-765-7971 or visit their website.
For more information on the Quad Cities, call the Quad Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau at 800-747-7800 or visit their website.
The Quad Cities is located on the Mississippi River and is made up of the riverfront cities of Davenport and Bettendorf in Iowa, and Moline/East Moline and Rock Island in Illinois. The area is easily accessible via I-80, I-74, I-88 and several major state highways. The area is just a 2-½ hour drive from Chicago, Illinois, and Des Moines, Iowa.
