Walt Buland 

Walter Daniel Buland (Big Boy)
Position: G/T
Height: 6' 1'' Weight: 213
Born: 2/7/1892, MN, USA
High School: Minneapolis South H.S.

College: none

RII: 1919, 1920, 1921, 1924

Quoting Fellow Buland: “I’m going out every afternoon this week to kick and throw the ball around and to get some of that stay-there wind. We came down here to play football for Rock Island and it is our business to see that we get in condition to give the fans the very best that is in us”.

Walt Buland - Born in 1892 in Minneapolis Minnesota. In 1907 at age 15 he joined the Minneapolis Marines and starred as a tackle for 10 years. He then played with the Independents for several seasons after joining the team with Rube Ursella, Fred Chicken and many other of the famous Mineapolis Marines.

Upon hearing of his death former Independents Manager/Owner Walter Flanigan had this to say, "Walt was one of the finest fellows I ever met. He had the reputation throughout the National Professional grid league for opening big holes in the enemy's defense so that Fred Chicken, Rube Ursella and "Pudge" Wyman, could carry Rock Island colors to Victory."Walt also was named to several of the leagues all star teams and was considered a pillar of strength on the Independents line.

Walt was a WWI Veteran and a member of the Rock Island Aerie No. 956 Eagles. June 5th 1932 he marries Julia Byrd in Detroit Michigan.

During WWI he was part of the Thirty-Third Division as member of the machine-gun squadron. He saw action in seven major engagements.

In his later years Walt operated a cafe in Rock Island..

Historical Information... Louis Schrage had this to say....

The Spencer Theater was on 2nd Avenue between 19th and 20th streets in downtown Rock Island -- across from Spencer Square. Spencer Square was a beautiful, full-block park -- trees, flowers and benches. There was a gazebo in the center of the square. The Spencer Theater was a small, second-run movie house. It ran double features, and admission was about 25 cents. The Spencer was never air-conditioned. It was in its hey-day in the 1930s and 1940s. There's now a parking lot on the theater site

Special Thanks to Bill McElwain of the Quad-Cities Online 9/3/2002