Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-12-31
IN THE REMOTE PAST
Brief illusions to the Salient Fea-
lures of Rock Islands
Early History.
FAREHAMBURG AND STEPHENSON
People and Events Worthy of a
Backward Glance at This
Particular Time.

One hundred years ago there was
no white man living within SO miles
of the site of the present city of Rock
| Island.
The territory now comprising the
county of Rock Island then presented
an appearance so entirely different
from what it does now as to defy the
marshv and the hills and prairies lay
open, save for few scattering large
trees. There was little underbrush or
small tim Der, annual prairie fires
started by Indians in the luxuriant
''blue joint" grass keeping young
trees and shrubs killed except in shell
tered places. This was the favorite
home of the Sacs and Foxes who were
comparatively peaceable indians and
| versed in the ruder arts of agriculture.
The site of the city of Rock Island
was, in all probability, first seen by
white men over 200 years ago. in the
year 1913, when Marquette and Joliet
descended the Mississippi from the
mouth of the Wisconsin to the mouth
of the Arkansas river. For the next
hundred years or more, this section
was visited only occasionally by white
men who came as missionaries, ex-
plorers, or fur traders.
CHANGING Back a Century.
One hundred years ago the ground
upon which Rock island now stands
was part of the limitless domain of
the Indians. The west bank of the
Mississippi was under Spanish con-
troll as far south as the French pos
sessions which in 1903 were included
in the Louisiana purchase. In 1904
Spain relinquished the territory of
which Iowa forms a part, to the
United States. and in the same year
the land comprising the western parr
of the state of Illinois and the south
western part of Wisconsin was bought
from the Sacs and Foxes for the sum
of 81, 234.50, with an annuity of
$1,000. Thus Rock Islands site be-
came part of the territory of the
United States.
This immediate vicinity is next
brought to notice as the scene of ac-
tive operations in the war of 1912. In
1914 Lieut.. Campbell, with a force of
men, came up the river against the
British and Indians. They were
taken at a disadvantage and a por-
tion of the party massacred at what
is now called Campbeil's island, near
Watertown. Again in the same year,
Maj Zachary Taylor brought a Sec
ono force up from St. Louis. But the
British and the Indians had cannon
which he did not, and they plante
them where the city of Rock Island |
now stands, driving him back down |
the river with the loss of several men
So the war ended with Rock Island in |
the hands of the British
In 1916 Col. William Lawrence built |
Fort Armstrong on the western point
of Rock Island, and it has ever since |
remained under government control. |
With the troops came Col. George |
Davenport. who with Russell Farm
ham, IN 1926, built the first house on
the present site of the city. 1t was
situated where the c., r l & p
yards now are located. This was the
of Farnhamsburg, where
he first form of local government
was erected.
Men of Later Renown Came Here.
Rock Island was the base of opera
ions in the Black Hawk war of 1881
md '32. Here, as soldiers, came
Abraham Lincoln, Zachary Taylor
Ind Jefferson Davis. Here, also. Just
IS the war ended, came G rem. Winfield
Scott, who formed a treaty with the
of the tribes About this
ime cholera was raging among the
200 troops quartered ON the island
The land upon which the greater
part of the city is now situated was
Uttered in 1929 by Col Davenport and
Russell Farm ham. The paper town" I
allied Rock Island City was soon after
ward laid out. in which is now South
Rock Island. Daniel Webster is said
o have had a large interest in this
which he sold to Caleb Cushing for {
10000. The town of Stephenson :
ying west OF Seventeenth street and &
orth of Seventh avenue. was laid '
ut, and in 1885 it became the county {
eat. In 1871 Stephenson and Farm {
amsburg were united and ,incorpor- 6
ted by special act of the legislature
nd the name changed to Rock Is
and.
The First PostonIce.
The first postoffice here was estab-
shed at Fort Armstrong in 1925.
hen there was no other nearer than
larkesville, Mo. The first hotel was !,
established by Jonah II. Case in 1888
he fret school house was built in
$50. The first newspaper was issued
/ 1889 by one Henry C. McGrew and a
as called The Rock Island Banner
nd Stephenson Gazette" 1t was
,llowed in 1910 by the Upper Mis- {
" The paper that afterward
ecame The ARGUS was founded in d
S5t. Il
The first sheriff of the county was n
enjamin f. Pike. and he collected L
ie rirst county taxes in 1854. The
,tal amount was $53.724.
1t is not generally known that dur
~ the SOS SLAYER existed here u