The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1867-12-19
ANDALUsiA.

.ud.l,s;a. twelve miles below Rock |
Island. on the Mississippi River, has peen
attracting much attention on account oil tine
rapid development which has characterized
IL during the year about to terminate. Ine
amount of building done, the grain handed
there. the new business enterprises set on
foot, the influx of mechanics and men OF
respectable capital, and the fine country
trade rendered tributary to that point, are IN |
the highest degree encouraging. a'T
The first settler was Mr.. Samael Kenwor- J
thy, still residing there. On the 4th ofJs-5'
1912, his cabin was built, aud a 1oc fo"s"s
INDUCED in, thoroughly chs-a'ce'erizzeetd5 oy |
that friendly. feeling for vsaieh those olden
DAYS were distinguished. His neighbors
from Edgington, ond the country adjacent, !
gathered in fsil force for the occasion, which |
was enlivoned by grand barbecue and
celebration, in which Messrs A. Dun
lap and n. Eberhart oficiated. Al few log
cabins were scattered along the river bank
even then, but were tenantless, having been
constructed by detachment ofsoldiers from
Ft. Armstrong, year or two previously.
The bottom lands were richly covered with
blue grass, growing rank and luxurisntly,
while the bluffs in the rear. now becoming
bare, were heavily covered with timber and
underbrush. sThe.islands lying in front were
more thickly timbered than at present, and,
altogether, the locality more nearly resem-
bled the wild retreat of some lonely hunter,
than the future site of fourishing town.
AT that time it was known as Clark's Ferry,
having been named in honor of Capt Ben
jamin Clark who laid off the town ia 1888
the most respected citizens of Buffalo,on the
Iowa side. During Mr.. Kenworthy's first
years residence there, great many of Black
Hawks people crossed the river at that point
to settle in the wildernesses of Iowa.
In the spring of ls43, Mr.. Jonathan
Buffum settled near the present town and
opened farm, where he remained until his
death, which occurred four years after4 AT
his demise, he left family of ten children |;
of his sons John, Seth, Milton, and Joseph,
and his daughters, Mrs Thompson and Mrs.
Wells, are now living at Andalusia. In the
winter of 1843, N. B. Buford of Rock Island,
purchased a warehouse. which had been built
mile and half below, and moved it up to
the town on the ace. This novel mode of
transportation was suggested BY the extreme
inclemency of that winter, thereby rendered
famous in western annals, and by the couse-
quent strength of the ice - -'h0 river. on
the following year Mr.. Buford furnished
capital for the opening of a store, leaving
the management of the business in the. hands
of clerk. He also opened cooper shop,
giving employment to few hands, nd short
ly afterwards erected residence, which, for
the time and place, was considered very
fine one 1t might be well to mention that
the portly City Marshal of Rock Island,
aided in the construction of this latter
building. In the cooper shop, Mr.. J. Blau-
chard had charge of affairs. The first black
smith shops were opened in 1916, by Joseph
Rand and David Henry. Capt j. w. Ball
ard opened a wagon shop the same year
and earned onSa good business thereafter
The Captain served with honor at the head
of a company in the 65th Ills. He is now
doing good business, with his excellent par
taer, Mr.. Ross.
In the spring of 1876, Mr. Samuel Kenwor-
thy build warehouse of quite an extensive
size for the requirements of that period. In
1857 he also commenced building a grist
mill xphf h. III
year, and furnished a market for much OF
the grain raised on the interior lands. In
1864 he added to it full set of saw machin
cry, and sold it, the same year to Isaac
s. Burton. f. H. Bowman & Sons now
running it. 1t has capacity, at present fol
manufacturing one hundred barrels of f1oul
per twentyfour hours. 1t is sixty by one
hundred feet size, equipped with fifty hors'
power engine, and can cut about quartz
of q million feet of lumber per month, givin,
employment to twenty men while running a
full capacity. in 1860, Ballard & Hazlit
put up a warehouse and storehouse, an
opened stock of goods. In the same veal
Thompson & Ramsberg now Smith {
Thompson) opened lumber yard. In lsG
Buffum Bros also commenced the same bu.
mess. In 1861, F. A. Cobb & +. L. ID
Camp built a warehouse.
Until 1865, the town had advanced b,
slowly, rs will be inferred from the notes W
have given. This was from a cause owe
which the settlers had no caatrol. Appreci.
ting the advantages which Andalusia DOS
sesses, Amos Wright & Co., a New Yor
firm, purchased the greater portioIi&of tn
present site of the town many yeaifs age
and absolutely refused to sell at any pc
the intentionzbeing to make an extensi
speculation. The members ofsinrfirm hs
ing died, in 1865 the heirs were constrain
to dispose of this property, which they did
s. NJ. Boney Il Co. Since that time, pre-
ress has been the watch word, and the mt
essential improvements have been made
In the spring of, 1916 N. B. Buford pr
chased a tract of land now embraced in wi
is known as the Sulphur Spring Far
which he fenced and improved, and in Is!
disposed of it to Mr.. r. Wells now one ofo
Board of Supervisors. In company with \
Kenworthy, we visited the place, and we
very Hospitality received by Mr.. Wells. T
Sulphur Springs are fourth number. Thr