Rock Island Argus., 1902-04-26
hannel for many centuries.
First Impressions OF White Man.

First Impressions OF White Man.
At the time when the eve of white
man first viewed Rock Island county
some time in the latter part of the
seventeenth century. its hills were
treeless except in sheltered portions
where the annual prairie fires were
turned aside in their course. and long
grass of kind almost unknown now.
everywhere abounded. Not ill the
settling of the country had pro-
gressed so that prairie fires were no
longer common did the present
growth of timber that fringeS ihe
bluffs spring up and blue grass come
To stay.
The first human inhabitants nf
which we have any definite know
ledge that dweIt in this county were
the Sacs and Fox Indians. Accord
ing 10 their tribal traditions the.y
had been here less than u century
when our pioneer forefatherS came
20 make their homes among them.
Adventures who were in th. upper
Mississippi valley $50 years ago tell
Uf finding near the mouth nf T"ck
river Indians i'm an advanced state Of
bark and cultivated the coil which
Welded them maize and certain root
crops. Settlers who came 30 years
latter found the tribe badly shattered
rs the result of wars which had been
famed by the contest america waged
with the mother country in lSI2-ISlj.
The territory of which Rock Island
county forms n part including the
northern portion of Illinois, and the
greater part of Wisconsin. 10000. 900
acres in all. was brought nominally
under American control by purchase,
a bargain being closed AT ST. Louis
between William Henry Harrison and
the chiefs of the SacS and Foxes i'm
1901. the Indians agreeing To surrend-
er the tTact for the munificent sum
of S2.234 The year following the
first American flag planted ON the soil
of this county was set up at the
mouth of Rock river by Lieut.. Pike.
The Indians soon regretted their bar
gain and when the war of 1872 broke
out they united with the British, who
held the Great Lakes and posts on
the upper Mississippi. In 1914 Lieut..
Campbell advancing up the river with
three boats and 66 men to attack a
British outpost above. was taken at
disadvantage by a large party of
Indians and many of his men were
slain at what is now known as Camp
bells island opposite the present VIII
Iage of Watertown. \ second eX-
pedition sent up late the same sum-
mer under command of Maj. Zachary
TaylSr was repuIsed with loss by the
British and Indians just below the
western limits of Rock Island. the
victors using with good effect num-
ber of cannon captured in a previous
engagement. Thus the war ended
with Rock Island county belonging
TO the United States by right of pur-
chase but actually IN the possession
of the English.
Earliest Settlers.
The first white men To take up their
abode in this vicinity were the sol
diers under command of Col. William
Lawrence. who built old Fort Arm
strong at the west end of Rock Is
land in 1916. With this party was
Col. George Davenport. who, after
many adventures i'm other parts of
the world. was destined to become the
very point of the wedge of civilization
which opened this county To settle
ment. Ii was not till 10 years later,
or in 1926. that the first house was
erected ON the main shore. II was
put up by Col. Davenport and Russell
Farnham and was afterwar6l> known
in the legal records as the ''house of
John BarrelI." This building was of
logs and was located about where
the Cable residence on Fifth avenue
now stands.
During the next five years the set
tIement of the county went on at n
comparatively rapid rate. so that
when the Black Hawk war broke out