Rock Island Cast Iron began in November of 2020. It was borne of the frustration of using rough pans, and the belief that I could smooth a pan and sell for a lot less than the high-end brands or vintage pieces.

It turns out there were a lot of people out there wishing they had a great cast iron skillet! I sold on Etsy and this website, and tried to run social media accounts. I also answered lots of questions from curious internet users. The business was a success, and I sold a few thousand smooth-ground pans.

During 2024, though, I felt called to enter upon an entirely new career, and that meant giving up Rock Island. It took about eighteen months to make this new direction a reality, and in June of 2025, Rock Island officially closed.

Rock Island is the name of the railroad line that used to run between Colorado Springs and Chicago, via Rock Island, IL. Most of it is completely gone now. Several portions have been converted to a multi-use trail, part of which stands a half mile from our house.