6.5% of those age 65 or over. History The City of Silvis (initially named Pleasant Valley) was incorporated in 1906. The city took its name from Richard Shippen Silvis, one of the original settlers whose family operated the Silvis Mining Company. Some older sources give the alternate spelling of "Sylvis" although this spelling is not regularly used today. Rock Island Line Silvis Workshops In 1902, the Rock Island Line decided to build its largest railroad locomotive repair workshop in Silvis, on a 900-acre site between the railroad's main line and the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad’s Rock Island branch. Construction began on May 1, 1903; the facilities eventually included a general stores department, repair shop, 45-stall roundhouse, and two large freight yards east and west. The need for cheap labor brought about a number of immigrants from Mexico, who either worked in the stores, the workshops or as part of the track laboring team. The railway developed housing to house all of its workers and families, which it rented to the workers at favorable rates which were possible under an agreement with the town that meant the occupants paid no property taxes. The Mexican section became known as La Yadra, which had its own Mexican-run general stores, and had a Mexican-themed band. When the band waned, the railway donated boxcars that had once housed its instruments were refurbished to create the Lady of Guadalupe church, dedicated on Easter Sunday in 1927. In 1929 the no property tax agreement came to an end, and the city authorities evicted the railway workers, many of whom moved their houses to the area that became second, third and fourth streets. After The Rock was liquidated in 1980, the locomotive workshops, yard & facilities were used for storage of locomotives & railcars that would soon be sold off to other railroads. The facility would later be sold to National Railway Equipment, the workshops remained a maintenance and refurbishment hub for the wider North American railroad industry. NRE sold the facility to Railroading Heritage of Midwest America in late 2021, who have plans to refurbish the facility to maintain steam, heritage diesel and associated rolling stock, and develop a museum on the site. Golf course The city is home to TPC Deere Run, a public golf course designed by former PGA Tour professional D.A. Weibring along the area's famous Rock River. Golf Digest once ranked it