The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1853-11-10
Davenport.

from 'he lineage Press Of yesterday v.
Clip the following letter in relation !. e
place from its editor then sojourning ha a''
Davenport imprcsses stranger
bly, Al least such is my experience. ' a,n,
find that as my stay is protraeted flo L i.u !
" OF rs location grows steadily unon au'
while an intercourse with it, ci,izens nv: nv
me high opinion Of their character &C. e' :
telllSenee, enterprise, and courtesy 10 ~.
tors The bulls approach nearer I'm ~"
on the west bank than on the on,a es.s
shore, 50 that a large par, of the t trus'tc
built upon their slopes, and many ofthe H.. 10
est eminenees are crowned with h,,a'asA'
residences. Business, OF course il coa tsu's
TO the plain below, and is pradually ev. "''eu
ing It's area in line parallel with the riye,
-Four iae,l'ties OF drainage, no place thu,
have ever seen eNcels it Indeed, the HAND
Of nature has accomplished tina, work e.
most of the city. The original town i M
on plain which gradually slopes awav
i from the river to the foot OF the bluffs al
j the grading OF the streets il al that i reoni
/ site to secure perfect drainage in this aeo
i ton. As the city extends westward dow
/ the river, the plain approaches nearer low.
| ell, and here more labor will be necessar, Z
construct the requisite drains. But his oan
be done easily and at comparatively small
! cost.
The city of Davenport vas originally l,a
out in 1886, by ANTOINE LIZ CLAIRE, E.o
and the first sale D. lots took place the sann
year. As an illustration Of the manner in
i which fortunes are sometimes made ana Ia,
u "reminiscences Of those days will prove in.
terestng. After purchase, BY treaty with
the Sac and Fox Indians, of the lands in
this part Of Iowa, and before they had been
brought into market for entry, Dr. Spencer
now Of Rock Island, and a Mr.. McIond
then in the employ Of Mr.. lie Claire each
laid claim to the quarter section upon
which the original town OF Davenport now
stands. To prevent the unpleasant and
sometimes tragieal results growing out 0,
difficulties originating in conflicting claims
upon the frontier, the parties submitted the
case to arbitration. After hearing tertimo.
ny, il was decided that the contestants should
each sell out to third party, and as NJ. lie
Claire was the moneyed man Of that reror.
in those DAYS, he was selected to be the
purchaser, and he paid Messrs. Spencer
aud McLoud SIS each for their claims, to
tn air entire satisfaction, presume At the
first sale Of lots in 1886 very fair prices were
paid-huher than could be obtained d little
later when the monetary reyuision had pros.
trafed almost every interest OF the country
Yesterday, III company with Col Nix. oil
Dubuque, ANA :. X. MutAR. Esl., editor
OF the Democrats BqaTrr, made an exeur.
Sion 10 the country back Of this city. We
rode some ten or fifteen miles over the high
rolling prairlrs, and can scarcely trust ny.
splt to speak ol the extreme beauty and fer
tilty ii the region we trayef>cd. Every
foot of ground we passed over or sa~ is sus-
cepublc q profitable culture. Farms are
bsine rapidly opened, and young orchards
! ARE beginning to demonstrate the adaptation
, Of both soil and climate t. fruit-growng
Our road lay close hg the route OF the Ms
sjsppi and Missouri railroad, and wc found
a large amount OF grading had been done
and some txD ur three hundred hands en-.
! gagged upon the work This road, as the cor.
tuGation OF the Chicago snd Rock Islam
, road. is one in which our citizens are great
~ Interested !, II opening ZIP country O
unsurpassed natura! resources 10 the trad
! of our city OF the yalu" and extent Of il
commerce, after il shall have been subJectet
/ 10 cultivation, win not hazard an estimate
t lest those who have not seen the country
/ nigh, suspect me ~ design ut o%er-statin.
the Importance Of the road u Chicago, am
/ Of the profitable character OF the enterprise
as al investment for capital. Bnt | weak
g., that every citizen whp il skeptlcu in relation
to the matter, could enJoy the SANE upper
: tunity for thorough conviction which IA4Yt
had for the past day or two.
I This letter Is more discursive than ha
: designed making il; but am 70 comfortable
, housed and cared for by thc grntlnmla!
) and accommodating hosts, Mcssrs, LoWB'
+ a. BROTHER, Of the t. Claire House that
: shall be in no hurry To depart, and wi
therefore have further opportunities o
speaking more fully and 10 the point touch
ing this city, the country about il, and tha
: diversified interests which cluster here
2 Tbs must do for the present.