Roald Tweet
Writer and Narrator of 'Rock Island Lines'Beginning 1995, historian and folklorist Dr. Roald Tweet spun his stories of the Mississippi Valley to a devoted audience on WVIK. Dr. Tweet published three books as well as numerous literary articles and recorded segments of "Rock Island Lines." His inspiration was that "kidney-shaped limestone island plunked down in the middle of the Mississippi River," a logical site for a storyteller like Dr. Tweet.
It was from Rock Island’s rich heritage that Dr. Tweet spun his histories, biographies and "stretchers." Among his favorite topics were railroads and riverboats, which he combined on a CD in celebration of the Grand Excursion in 2004. "Rock Island Lines with Roald Tweet" received awards from the Illinois Historical Society as well as the Towner Award from the Illinois Humanities Council.
Dr. Tweet was professor emeritus, retired from the Augustana College English department, where he was professor and Conrad Bergendoff Chair in the Humanities. A writer and radio personality, Dr. Tweet was also an accomplished woodcarver and whittler.
Dr. Tweet left us in November of 2020, but his legacy lives on. You can hear many of his Rock Island Lines in podcast form here and also in a forthcoming book from WVIK and East Hall Press.
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CommunityThis is Roald Tweet on Rock Island.It was Wednesday, January 18th, 1921. Late afternoon. Although she was only one of six usherettes at the opening night…
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CommunityThis is Roald Tweet on Rock Island.The crowds of Rock Islanders and invited guests who filled every one of the 1,800 seats on opening night at the Fort…
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CommunityThis is Roald Tweet on Rock Island.Perhaps those Rock Island politicians who have trouble getting out the vote these days could learn something from the…
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CommunityThis is Roald Tweet on Rock Island.Rock Island must have congratulated itself in March of 1901 when it sold out every single seat and all eight boxes for…
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CommunityThis is Roald Tweet on Rock Island.I have some good news and some bad news for Rock Islanders. The bad news is that Don Wooten turns 70 today, with all…
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CommunityThis is Roald Tweet on Rock Island.This coming Sunday, May 19th, at approximately four in the afternoon, Augustana College will confer upon Don Wooten an…
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CommunityThis is Roald Tweet on Rock Island.The fastest way to get a friendly argument going in the Quad Cities is to introduce the phrase "joined by a river."…
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CommunityThis is Roald Tweet on Rock Island.Now and then I make a mistake. Here's one example.About 20 years ago, I wrote a short piece about the small river town…
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CommunityThis is Roald Tweet on Rock Island.The Moline Community Foundation was established in November of 1953, with $53,000 in seed money from the Moline Chamber…
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CommunityThis is Roald Tweet on Rock Island.I wonder what John Deere would think if he could return to Moline for just a day and visit the site of the original…