Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-04-21

1
lion, bailey Ddpeapor. horrib lie little
school was presided over by one of the
most talented men of his day. He was
none other than Prof. Stubbs. a graduate
of West Point, aud afterward professor
of mathematics in the same institution,
and later in life he was assistant post
| master general of the United States,
| After coming west to teach school on the
sparscly settled frontier, he became res
cluse was afterward known as the "ller-
init of Iowa, and finally died in cave in
East Davenport.
But to return to the subject of our
sketch. In 1887. Mr.. Davenport was
sent by his father to the St. Louis
| university, and afterward to private
schools in the town of Davenport, so
that by the time he attained his majority
he was quite thorough in education for
that day. He devoted his early life to
work on his fathers farm on the island,
and study. During the Black Hawk war,
a sergeant of the United States army of
the name of Hastings inspired hun to be-
come horse trader, and like his primi'
tive Horticultural effort, it appears to
have met his fancy and fastened itself
upon him; for during all the after years
of his life he has been identified with farm
ing. gardening and horse dealing, In a his
father decided him fifty nine quarter sec
tons of land in Adams, Hancock, Nc
ties, and from that date his prominence
as real estate dealer dates. He disposed
of those lands for whatever he could get
for them, and afterward he became the
agent for his father, who owned large
tracts of land in Illinois, Iowa, and Mis-.
souri,. One of his chief duties was the
settlement of taxes, and in paying the
taxes of Hancock county, he found two
quarters assessed as improved land, and
upon inquiry found that they had been
forced in by the prophet Joe Smith, for
called on the prophet for an explanation,
but was informed by that worthy THAT |
the Lord had commanded him in a revel |
alton to build temple at that point and
to occupy and possess the lands round
about" Mr.. Davenport knowing of no
remedy in the place at that time for re-
gaining possession of the territory and
the prophet being a dangerous man, the
Danites having q peculiar way of quietN
ing titles by quieting the claimant, Mr..
Davenport determined not to disturb the
intruder. This was only one of MIR.
remarkable experiences in
the early days of settlement by the whites
In 1912 he was in the
prophets city and was given pretty
close call for his life. The circumstances
are these: One old man Redden and his
sors occupied the stone building at the
boat landing. Upon inquiring for cou-
pie of friends who had accompanied him,
be was informed that they were in the
boat house. The shades of night were
falling, and upon entering the door of the
structure mentioned, the door was in
SANITY closed behind Mr.. Davenport and
he heard the grating of heavy bolts. The
situation flashed upon the suddenly i'm
prisoned man in an instant and he made
4 bound for the rear door. Tiger like
rom the corner in which they had been
the assassins sprang to inter- s
,ept him. He saw the CLEAN of their
iaggers and felt them clutch for him, but t
IS fortune would have it, the rear door c
vas ajar, and springing through it he ran I
cross the porch, leaPed to the ground s
md sped away for liberty After the de-
,arture of the Mormons, it was estimated
hat fully 1870 men had been murdered in
he old stone boat house. Three years
alter old Redden and his. sons were tried
nd found guilty as accessories to the
act in the murder of Col. Geo. Daven>
ort on the island.
Mr.. Davenport's only brother, George r
t., was the first white settler in what is 4
ow the state of Iowa, and upon his
lain Mr.. Baily Davenport held the pillow
ept. II, 1882, to open the first furrow
yer turned to the sun in that vast agri-
ultural empire. Mr.. Davenport Inher- b
ed a great number of acres of land from L
is father and afterwards purchased from r
ne estate many more. until his posses
ions now amount to 1890 acres in and
bout Rock Island. His fine residence $
II Seventh avenue stands upon a 500 a
ere tract part of that decided to him II
v his father. His possessions include ?
ONE of the most desirable property in
be city, and last summer he opened up
new avenue and erected a cluster of O
ouses in the south part of town, thus @
IMPLYING long felt demand for houses e
f that class, and he is selling most # t
hem on easy terms to the occupants. s
Mr.. Davenport farms about loo acres i
nnually, beside grazing hundreds of cat @
lie and breeding many fine horses. In b
s5s he was one of the organizers of the il
ierchants' State bank of Davenport. and
fterward merged into the Davenport
IationaI bank. in which be is
till q large stakeholder. At the \
rganization of the Peoples National a