Frank Ege of the Moline 150 Historical Subcommittee says Sears actually considered Milan first.
"When he got there, people were trying to get him to stay there, but said there were too many taverns and hardly any churches. So he moved on along into Moline."
Sears moved along and found an undeveloped area by the river with great building materials, like limestone, and plenty of lumber. And he built dams and mills to produce wool, lumber, and flour.
Ege says Sears was known as a generous man and also one who would buy up land to get rid of people he considered undesirable types. He also helped convince John Deere to move to Moline to make plows.
Diann Moore, the President of the Moline Preservation Society says, the name Moline became less recognizable than that of 'Johnny Deere.'
"Many people when they came on the train- the conductor would say, 'Moline.' and no one would move, and then he'd say 'Johnny Deere' and they'd all get up and get off at the station, because they knew that this is where they needed to come for work."
Moline Sesquicentennial begins today with a Mayoral Luncheon and this week will include historic tours, a music arts festival, and fireworks. A full schedule of events is available on the city's website.