The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-02-07

in peace, and in time built his house,
but did not live there, Except as 'baching
it." Hislhouse, however, was the first farm
house built in the county and territory, and
remained on the spot until it burned down,
but few years since. So while he was
actually the first ''squatter" in Scott
county he was not the first settler--his
home being, for the most part, oyer on the
Island. He didn't rank himself as a
settler on this side till he got married--in
1889.
By the Gen. Scott treaty, Mrs. Anton,
LIE Claire was awarded 100 acre tract
on condition that her husband should
build house and home right where Gen.
Scott had pitched his tent. This was
Chief Keokuk' whim He was gallant
as we'll as a brave" aud knew when and
where to do the proper thing. The tract
comprised the land now lying between
| Harrison street and Bridge avenue, and
from the river back north to within a few
rods of Locust street. 1t was princely
gift-so it proved, and On it during the
summer of 1888 he put up log shanty.
| BY the terms of the Gen. Scott treaty, the
lands bought of the Indians were to re-
main in their possession until June 1st
1888, and as Mr. LeClaire was a sworn
officer of the treaty he could not consist
emily violate its stringent stipulations even
had he wished to. Young Davenport was
| a pet of the Misunderstanding been brought
up among their children, and they let him
do pretty much as he pleased. So he
held his claim up the river undisturbed,
while several others who attempted to
make claims were roughly driven away.
Mr.. LeCiaire built only rough log
affair at the start, and after it had been
rolled together. put it in charge of
Frenchman in his employ, named Savoy,
until he should get it ready to live in. He
had comfortable quarters on the Island,
and wisely concluded to stay in them till
the next spring In May or June, 1884,
having got the house chinked, doored,
fioored and Widowed, he brought out his
batteaux and moved his household plum
der over to the new home in Morgan vii
lage," as the place was then called, and
set up housekeeping. He lived there un-
til the railroad came along in 1854 and
drove him to higher ground 1t was a
happy home, no doubt, and many a scene
of merriment and sociability, or, anon, of
imposing religious ceremony, was witnessed
at the spacious residence of Antoine LIE
Claire.
At the time of the Scott treaty there
lived man of family down at Andalusia,
some dozen miles below what is now Rock
island. lie had been captain of a com pany
OF mounted rangers IN the Black Hawk war
OF the year betore-a resolute soul, who
didn't care a copper for Indians anyhow
His name was Captain Clark, now Of Baff
alo. He didn't wait for June LIST, 1888,
but when the spring OF that year came.
went over to where Buffalo now is, went
over in his own ferry that he had estab-
lshed there, stirred up some soil and put
IN crop Of corn, pumpkins and potatoes,
and during the latter part of the summer
erected his log cabin there and made it
ready for winter, and in November or De-
cember tour friend the living captain don t
remember which, moved over his family,
and from that day forth, and fully six
months IN advance of any other family, be-
came permanent and prominent fixture
of Scott county. He it was who raised the
first crop, became the first actual settler,
planted the first orchard, mined the first
coal, opened the first hotel, built the first
mill, and manufactured the first lumber.
in Scott county. Moreover, his second
born( p was a boy, and probably the first
one born in the state certainly the first
in the county-ot white folks, the date 0!
his birth being April y, 1884. The pres
ent Capt Clark lives on the same site
owns the same land that his father pre-
empted and commenced living upon il
1888. Capt 3. w, Clark died in 1899
while yet it remained in the doubt wheth
er Buffalo, Rockingham, Davenport, OIL
the quarter section" at the mouth o.
Duck Greek would become the county
shire, and anon the metropolitan city Q
the state.