The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1867-12-30
CARBON CLIFF.

wesley Bis.nt and David Jameson were
probably the first settlers at Carbon Cliff, or
its immediate vicinity. They opened farms
near the site of the village sometime in the
year 1885. The exact year of the discovery
Of the coal fields there can scarcely be as
certained, as the indications were so num-
erous 1t is we'll known however, that these
were the first fields examined anywhere in
this section, and were the first opened. In
the year ls49, company was formed il
Galena, then the most important poi'' on
the upper Mississippi, for the p.fpose Oh
opening and working a coal oank at the
Cliff In this scheme ssveral enterprising |
capitalists were interested, but as immediate |
success was not stained, the property was
mortraged to continue operations, to Robert |
Burton, srso resident of Galena. Com
plete failure ensuing, Burton was obliged
to take possession of the property to secure
the money he had loaned. He accordingly
removed to the seat of operations, but never
ventured to work his mine on any very ex-
tensive scale. In fact up to 1854, he mere
ly employed two miners, and was content to
supply the teams sent out from the neighbor-
ing towns.
In the year 1854, Mr. wm S. Thomas,
previously an attache of the New York press,
visited this section in the interest of Lowrey
Il Co., New York firm engaged in mining
brokerage. Being something of scientific
and mechanical turn of mind, and possessed
of good faculties of observation, united to
fund of general and practical information,
Mr.. Thomas was very much impressed with
the advantages to be reaped from, develop
ment of the Carbon Cliff coal deposits, aua
determined to remain here. He accordingly
wrote to the firm with which he was connect
ed, and after duly setting forth affairs as he
found them, made certain proposals which
resulted in the formation of the firm of Low
rey, Thomas l. Co. In July of the same
year, he leased Burtons property, and pur-
chased seven or eight hundred acres of bluff
and bottom lands adjoining. On January
lst 1855, he took possession, and in June
following, opened the first coal yard in Rock
Island. 1t may be interesting to our readers
to know that many business men, of sound
judgement in other respects, very much
doubted the expediency of his proceedings, |
arguing that the demand for coal would |
amount to very little, for many years that |
this would be mainly supplied by the miners
who resided in the vicinity of the coal depos- |
its, and that any attempt to operate ON an
extended scale muss nocrssarlly terminate IN |
financial loss. A glance at the growing |
cities of Davenport, Rock Island, and Mo- |
line, and the rapid settlement of the country |
behind them, confirmed his calculations, |
however, and encouraged him to persevere. |
On the completion of the railroad bridge |
over the Mississippi, he sent the first car
load of coal to Davenport, that ever crossed |
that structure. He also opened yard at |
that city. At that time he gave employ |
ment to about forty workmen. In 1859, |
Lowery, Thomas & Co. opened stock of
goods in building erected for the purpose, |
and also erected depot building. 1t is |
needless for us to trace the progress of the |
settlement of the farming lands in the vicin- |
ity. In 1860, the firm started the Argillo
Pottery Works, the clay found there proving |
to be of a very valuable quality. Two years
afterwards the firm was dissolved, Mr.. |
Thomas taking the Pottery, and Lowrey & |
Co., the coal mines. At this time the old |
coal bank is owned by Corwith Co., of
Galena. In the immediate vicinity the Su-
gar Tree Point Bank is operated by Mr. |
McCamy. The Bluff Bank is owned by a |
company in Davenport, which has just put |
up twenty horse power engine, a shaft hf |
ty feet deep having been previously sunk, |
striking four foot vein of An excellent quail. |
isy of coal. The three banks give employ
ment to about seventy-hve men.
At the present time, the sArgillo Works
comprise one of the most valuable manufac
tories in the county. From an article in the |
ARGUS, published at the time of the com
mencement of the enterprise, we make
brief extract, showing the first improve
ments
"The factory is fine building, so by Is |
feet, and three stories high. The kiln house, |
containing two large kins-the biscuit and |
glazing kilns, is 40 by 20 feet. The ship !
house, for preparing the clay, is 35 by 20 |
feet. The engine house is so by 20 feet
The cost of erecting these buildings and |
preparing for the manufacture of pottery, is
ten thousand dollars, and with their present |
facilities they can turn out annually seventy
thousand dollars worth OF ware Forty per |
sons are row employed in this branch of
business"
The engine and much of the machinery
was turned out by Thompson's Vulcan
Foundry, of Rock Island. After carrying
on business for two years, as we have stated,
Mr.. Thomas purchased the pottery works.
Two years Afterwards he sold a half interest |
to A. L. Wait, having mad& many valuable
improvements in the interim. In the spring
of 1866, for the purpose of enlisting more
capital and expanding the business, com.
pany was was formed, of which ]. Chamber
lin, of Rock Island, is president ; A. L.
Wait, secretary, and Mr.. Thomas, general
Superintendent. Instead of employing forty
men, seventy-fve are now required, and one
hundred and fifty thousand dollars worth of
ware can be turned out per year, as easily
as seventy thousand formerly was. The
material used is principally obtained from
land owned by the company, consisting of
aG,var two hundred acres containing CLAW