William Pell, Jr. settled here in 1832 and founded Pell's Landing. In 1874, Pell's Landing was incorporated as Rose Clare, and in 1932 it became the City of Rosiclare. Long an important river town, Rosiclare was transformed by the discovery of fluorite and other minerals in the area and by the arrival of the railroads. On July 15, 1919, the Golconda Northern Railway began serving Rosiclare, linking inland Illinois communities with the Ohio River and making the town an important transportation hub where trains brought people and supplies and carried ore and other local commodities to distant markets. Through cycles of boom and bust, Rosiclare remained a vital community, and because of the mines it became the first town in Hardin County to get electricity. It grew into a bustling regional hub with grocery stores, car dealerships, movie theaters, clothing stores, a jewelry store, barbershops, cafes, a sandwich shop, a lumberyard, a library, schools, a YMCA and bowling alley, a baseball field, a wood skating rink, and many other businesses. In 1916, Main Street and the riverbank were the scene of what the Chicago Daily News called the state's bloodiest gun battle, when striking miners confronted Kentuckians who had crossed the river to work in the mines. Hardin County General Hospital was established to serve mining communities and continued to provide care, jobs, and economic support. Founded as a river town, Rosiclare has always been shaped by the river's powerful and constant presence, for both good and bad. In the first half of the 20th century, Rosiclare's population increased 750 percent, reflecting the boom in the fluorite industry.