Moline, the second largest town in Elk county, is located 9 miles south of Howard, the county seat, on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe R. R. and in Wild Cat township. It has 2 banks, a weekly newspaper (the Gazette), good churches and schools, telegraph and express offices, and an international money order postoffice with three rural routes. It is an enterprising little city, with all modern improvements, and is heated and lighted with natural gas. Several flowing gas wells are found in the vicinity. The population according to the census report of 1910 was 808.

Moline was laid out in 1879, the survey being made by Maj. J. H. Chapman for the Moline Town company. The first building erected was a general store, opened by M. Carter and S. B. Hemmenway. A number of the buildings were brought from the town of Boston, located on the line between Chautauqua and Elk counties, as was also the postoffice. The first journalistic attempt was the publication of the Elk County Signal in 1881 by W. C. Parker and I. N. Boicourt.