Rock Island Argus., 1901-01-03
MYSTERIOUS CAVE AT
ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL.


Rock Island, Jan. g. : Editor ARGUS.
Fort Armstrong was constructed in
1916. Your readers are all familiar with
the story of Black Hawk. about the
large. beautiful white bird that made
its home in the cave at the rocky point
of the island aud how the noise made
in erecting the fort so frightened the
bird that it took it's flight to the far
west.
In the early SOS the report got out
that the government intended to
abandon the island as military post
and that it would be subject to en-
try. There was no doubt some
foundation for the rumor. Quite a
nun ber of people from Rock Island
md Moline went on the island and
put up small shanties and staked off
their claims, as squatters.
jefferson Davis was at this time
secretary of war under the admins
rration of James X. Polk. MIR Davis,
who was familiar with this point and
surroundings. having been stationed
here under Gen. Zachary Taylor (and
afterwards it was said he ran away
with and married his daughter),
promptly issued an order for the
,quatters to leave the island. By
prompt action in this matter he saved
FOR the nations future use this beau
Jiful island as an arsenal.
Mr.. Davis was stationed at Fort
Crawford, in Wisconsin, for a while.
When l came to Galena in 1888, l
met a nun ber of persons who knew
Lieut.. Davis. They spoke highly of
nim as an agreeable, accomplished
gentleman.
ID. b Sears obtained permission of
the government to construct a dam
connecting the small island at the
asst end of the arsenal island, and
also to put up grist mill and oper-
ate the same. rhe dam connecting
the two islands was made wide enoug
for a roadway. The north side of the
little island was used as a steam boat
landing for Moline. Mr. Sears put up
substantial building aud operated it
many years. This building is still
standings landmark of olden times.
70 ID. B. Sears belongs the credit of
great manufacturing center. He con-
structed the first dan between Mo
ne and the island. giving Moline a
g ,od water power He put up grist
mill on the Moline siOe. Some two or
three manufacturing concerns put up
mills on the island side.
After the close of the civil war the
government wanted the entire island
for arsenal use and other purposes
Commissioners were appointed to
assess the claims of D. 3 Sears and
the heirs of Col Davenport on the
west end of the island d. 4 Sears
was awarded SIP 600, rhe Daven-
port heirs received, think. 1925 600
d. B Sears with this money pur-
chased ground near the Milan bridge
aud put up a substantial stone struc-
ture for a grist mill. He also put u p
IS me two or three grist mills in Iowa,
where he found good water power,
taking an interest in each one.
Along in the 70's, soon after Gen
Rodman commenced locating the
massive work shops and laying out
the beautiful shady drives all over the
island, went over looking around
l found workmen hauling up white
looking rock, looking like chalk, from
an excavation some three feet in
diameter 1t was under the founda-
ton of the location of the second
building. They had gone down some
20 feet before making a solid founda
ton. The opening was filled wito
concrete.
Some 20 years ago young man
named Rosington Ga son of an old
time settler of Rock Island, Tom Ros-
ington, a jolly, genial Irishman)
while here, wrote a graphic account
of his exploration of the Black Hawk
cave, tn. home of the white bird, the
guardian spirit of our Indians. Ii
was published in THE ARGUS. This
cave extended many thousand feet
unc er the island, with side caves with
d zens of ancient gods and goddesses.
The account was so realistic that
many at first thought it true.
If such a cave now exists l would
suggest that the deep excavation
under building No. may have been
the outlet of this wonderful cave,
with the exception that the cave is
i'm a Z mary, but the deep hole is real.
g w "CNAsrER