Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1859-02-23

IT.. exnediliou l.ft on the morning ot til"
/ Lird with a stiff breeze att, under fnll aail
ND the RAPIDS. notifying the inhabitants ot
coming events, that thej glorious fonrh
would he celebrated in due fern at Daven-
mort and that on their return, free passage
woniJ he giyeu TO all who desired TO partIc
| ipate.
The voyager. having proceeded az far up
| the stream as was thought advlsable,-
comm enced at late hour, their return,
picking 10 their passengers at the various
! uoin,s and floating down with the current,
! they arrived at late hour Of the night.
! II na,t.reJ not which side Of the river
recruits were taken from, they all made
GOOD yoters in case their services should be
| nee led Daring the absence OF this eXpe
! dition. the committee OF arrangements had
not been idle They had located the scene
of operations upon beautiful platua Of
/ groun1 where row is the corner OF Front
and Ripley streets, that being contiguous to
the only hotel and grocery in the town.
The bower was erected the tables set and
the more cumbrous dishes for the occasion
had been placed upon it. For fear OF any
accident, or surprise by enemies, tguard
was set over the table for the night.
| The Rockingham boys, am ready to ad-
init, at that day were very mischievous
set of boys but none were 80 lost to sense
| Of patriotism and honor, as to have enter
tanned for moment any design upon the
liberties Of free people or their table
But the Davenporters were afraid OF them.
About midnight, while the guard were
keeping a much stricter watch over the bar
OF the hotel than was paid by them over
the table, the alarm was given that the
Rockinghamers were upon them. The
click OF a pistol was heard, but the we'll
known voice of Capt. Edridge, who was
marching up his recruits. set all things
right, and the Fourth was celebrated in due
form.
This was the first celebration ever held
in this city Of any kind Col. T. G. Eads
being President; Jonathan w. Parker ora
tor, and Wheeler Hedges, Marshal of the
day.
Rockingham has ever suffered from the
ISLANDERS heaped upon her, from her location
and settlement.
She was once the pride and glory of ''old
Scott" the great shipping port OF Rock Is
land but nothing could save her from the
sneers of her enemies. 1t was of no avail,
that the celebrated steamer Gipsey' once
made her outfit at this point, for voyge to
the head waters of Rock River. All these
things could never save her, and in the cant
language Of the age, "she went under, car
rying with her the hopes and fears of dis
appointed ambition.
The wolfhunt, was another source Of
amusement. to the early settlers
In February, 1898, grand hunt came off
1:,,.I Ill ,vto
companies, our President commanding one.
and Mr.. Patton, the other.
They were to hunt for q dinner, and the
party having the least number of wolf tails
at the close of the hunt, was to pay the
bills
The day arrived and with it came hound
and huntsman, mounted for the chase. The
day was fine, and prancing steeds and howl
welkn ring The prairies were swept, one
horse killed and others lamed.
When the parties returned. Capt. lie
Caira's company had captured three tails.
while Capt Patton's company had failed to
per- which not being sufficient, his party
was compelled to pay for tae dinner.
Capt. Benz. W. Clark, native of Nir-
SiHlh was Hioptpty tilt hiSe Sctoioi VI NSc'e
county, as "A prominent resident He was
Captain of company of mounted Voiun-
teer Rangers in the Black Hawk war, under
Gen Dodge lie made the first claim
and settled, where Buffalo now stands, in
1888. II was at this point on the Misss-
sppi that the first public ferry was es'ab-
lished, the first cabin built the first ground
ever broken in Scott county, and the first
,r,,luoa ra;saJ NiS uaaroSt r.iub.,rs nm
on the Iowa side, (then called the 81 Black
PurchaseO was at Dubuque and Burling-
ton The first store Of goods in the county
was opened at Buffalo, by Mr.. Lynde of
Rock Island The first orchard planted.
the first coal discovered and dug was at
this place. 10y Capt Clark, in 1884
He also built the first saw mill in the
county, near the mouth of Duck Creek, the
same year. The next one was built by
Davis and Haskell, in 1885. on Crow Creek,
Just above where the road now crosses that
stream to LeClaire. The next mill built,
was Stephen Henlys saw mill, at the mouth
of Crow Creek.
The next was at Rockingham, in 1887, by
Col }. H. Sullivan, the first steam mill built
in the County ofScot'.
The first log cabin upon the present site
of the city of LeClaire, was built in 1884. by
George W. Harlan. Esq. In 1885, MIR. Har
Ian sold out his claim to EleazOr Park
hurst, Esq, of the State Of New York, who
extended his claim some two miles along the
Mississippi river. At this time. the country
along the head of the rapids was covered
with large and beautiful timber. The claim
of Mr.. Parkhurst was located above the
reserve" of Mr.. LeClaire, granted him by
the Sac and Fox Indians. He was the fret
to open farm in that part of the country.
In the fall of 1896, Col. I. c. Eads, who had
been selling goods at Dubuque that summer,
purchased part of the "clairs" of Mr. Park
hurst, and they jointly laid out a town
which was to be called "Parkhurst," to per
petuate the name of one of the proprietors;
but it was soon changed by vote OF the
citizens to Berlin; and few years after
wards to that of LeClaire. Many Of our most
prominent pioneers still live in and around
this beautiful and thriving city. The first
frame dwelling house built, in what is now
q portion of LeClaire, was erected in 1887
by our fellow citizen Col. Eads 1t was one
of the wonders Of that age, being 30 by 40
feet on the ground, and two stories high.
Mr.. Nathaniel Squires of our city was the
builder, and it yet stands, worthy monu-
ment to the genius, enterprise and ambition
Of those early pioneers. ~
The Fourth Of July, 1888, was duly cele-
brated in this place. Eleazor Parkhurst,
President; Alex w. McGregor, orator. and
Col. I. C. Eads, marshal Of the day, closing
with grand ball in the evening. with some
$50 guests. many Of whom were from this
city. To the more aged Pioneers of our As
sociation, would say a word.
To you, who have borne the heat and
burden of the day, who have beheld with
wonder and admiration the rapid growth of
our county and cities. their magic change
from barbarism to civilization, from the yell
Of the savage to the sweet pealing notes Of
The organ. and from the lodge of the Indian
to the beautiful mansion in which We this
dsy celebrate. To you, my Pilgrim fathers
and mothers, do our thoughts turn. as we