The Rock Island daily Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1872-1873, 1872-12-06
A REMrKIscENcE OF EARLY DAYS.
An rn,sr..tinr Letter from 1870 TO 1890


An Interesting Letter from 1870 70 1880.
Calling at Bailey Davenport's last eve
ming. for cur weekly game of chess with
him, before leaving, Mrs Lewis showed us
her scrap book containing many interesting
"reminiscences Of early days in Rock Island,
among which is curious communication
to the Rock Island Banner, newspaper
started here by Henry McGrew in
1889. This was the FIRST newspaper ever
published here The communication was
written by Professor jerks, of Boston,
Mass, who was then here on visit to
some friends in this town-then called
Stephenson. Prof jerks was delighted
with the scenery and prospective import
ance Of this locality, as commercial, man
ufacturing and literary centre, and his
communication was merely prediction Of
what Rock Island would ultimately be. In
order to better understand il, it is proper
to say that there was not then brick
dwelling here there were no bridges even
across Rock river, and no means Of cross
ing any Of the rivers except by skiffs or
Eat boats no mails, except = horseback
mail from Dixon b. Monmouth BY way Of
Stephenson; no churches only one small
school house and in this religious services
were sometimes held on Sundays /;
the only houses in Moline,
then, were three log cabins; not house Of
any sort in Milan and none on Nandrufs
Island, except Mr.. Vandruffs log hut
aud the little settlement here numbered
only about 600 people The River
Grove alluded TO was grove of crab ap-
pie trees reaching along the bank Of the
Mississippi from Mr.. Negus old house 10
where the water works buildings now
stand.
With this explanation, we call attention
TO the letter written and published in 1910,
and predicting what would be the state Of
things here in 1860. Not all of it has
proved true but it is interesting TO see
that, even - years ago, stranger haC
many correct ideas Of the glorious future
Of this charming locality Prof jerks
is still living, and is said TO be still engaged
in his favorte pursuit of teaching in some
eastern college. Should he ever visit this
locality he will be pleased to see the
changes which have taken place in his land
Of Hesperia,' and that there is good rea-
son % believe that his prophecy may yet
be nearly # not wholly realized
The following is his communication as il
appeared in the Rock Island Banner in
Is4O:
For the Rock Island Banner
Mr. MCGREw, SIR Passing along the
tow path of futurity, the other day |
stumbled on the following curious
LETTER FROM 1860 to $40.
HEsPERrA, May /, 1860
DEAR On lS40--I arrived at thi,
place, Hesperia formerly called Stephen.
som last evening by the ''Far-east anC
Far-west railroad, from Bangor, Maine
Hesperia. Tor Stephenson now contains
according 10 this year $ census, 20 32l in.
habitants II is the commercial, manu-
featuring, and literary centre of the north
west being on the great routes from eas
70 west, and ON the grand Mississippi
thOroughfare from north 10 south. A
daily mail leaves for the towns up anC
down the river; another goes in the direc
ton OF Peoria, another towards Monmouth
nc, still another towards Dixon. Be
sides these, the great eastern and western
railroad mail goes out daily 10 Peru, anC
Iowa City, the pleasant marble built CAPT
tai Of the hOurishing young State of Iowa
Since ls40, when this place containe,
about 600 or 700 people, the few hollow
then back of the town have been filed vi
and the city has extended all over the leve
and beautiful plain, where the Sacs an,
Foxes whilOme lived, hated and loved, u
the 1Ourishing manufacturing village form
erly called Rock Island City, now incorpor
ated as the 10th ward of the city of Hes
peria, A light and graceful bridge her
crosses Rock river, (of whose ArcadiaI
beauty we hear 50 much, connecting Hes
peria with the south and south east
causeway connected with the Militar
Road, and the great "Far-east and Fan
west Railroad, and the Rock Island Waite
Power Companys works, crosses Roc
Island, and from this Island a beautiful
chain suspension bridge, accommodated t
private and railroad travel, connects ROcl
Island with Iowa You will recollect tina
WntU YOU WtTt HtTts my uttT lOfU
some 20 years ago, our good Uncle Samue
decided IN build magazine and deposit o
arms on this Island which he has reserved
10 his own use. These hay been erected
and it has since been found expedient b
connect with it a foundry and all the ap
purtuenances Of an Arsenal, 80 that consid
cradle business is done on the Island.
But this delightful Island has becom,
the seat of the MUSES., the irradiating focu
Of science, arts and learning. Here is
university, slowly and therefore surel,
reared, consisting Of school Of science
with professor each Of agriculture, o
education, and of mechanics with manu-
tacturesl. k.eh department has its cabine
Of models, drawings and specimens &c
A school of rights OF law, and one q
health or medicine, are connected
also one of languages The cabine
Of botany; minerology, zoology an
atonly, &c, &c. are truly ricl
md splendid, and attract visitors, durinj
I've summer months, from all parts Of tn
l mon. The libraries in the four depart
mtuts contain little less than $4,000 vol
umcs. Each of the buildings is a mode
Of architecture in its kind the medca
school OF Oriental, the law of the Grecian
the school OF sciences of the Egyptian, AM
that Of languages of the Gothic architec
ture. The whole establishment goes b.
the classic and euphonous name of Hes
periOn.
As 10 common education, the city ha
four upper schools, two for boys and tw,
for girls six middle schools, three 20
each sex, and twenty lower schools, beside
several lyceums, well sustained ON tn
principle Of each individual communication
in his own way, knowledge of the art
trade, OF occupation he knows most about
None are ridiculed, for all are modest
The twenty churches are filed with wol
shippers Of all denominations, at peac
with each other, and only emulous to in
prove humanity and advance its happiness
The churches are plain, but elegant an