Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-10-29
RECOLLECTIONS OF PIONEER
Incidents Been the Re-
markable O A c..

| "hSh IL was pT3pOSeu anu PUNISH
ed that the city of Davenport should
subscribe $4,000 to the NJ. & NJ. rail
road, large majority of the citizens
cried, mo! never;" but when L pro-
posed. and it was published that \. c.
Fulton would take the $4,000 if the
shops, depot ana offices were located
east of the then city, then the major
! ity changed their minds and voted
the $75, 900.
At that period no Cable had APP
peared, nor was one expected to APP
pear. and move the shops and offices
to the state of Illinois. to the great
injury of the line, and cause me to
create the Davenport d st. Paul and
the d.. |. q ID. railroads with an op-
position river bridge.
The charter of this railroad-the
NJ 4 M.-was recorded in Scott coun-
| ty on Jan. /. 1888. to exist for 50
years. with a capital of $6.0O0,000.
Its principal place of business shall
be at Davenport, in the state of Iowa.
For this purpose | worked long and
hard. but during late years its Ish-
maelitSh directory has violated its
charter and all solemn pledges and
will end within two years. The Fifth
street buildings and elevated road
will die young.
On Sept. l. 1853, !. as marshal of the
day. marched Il vast body of citizens
from Second and Main streets to Fifth
and Rock Island streets to lay the
first steam railroad tie ever laid in
Iowa. After prayer. at my request.
by Rev. \. Louderback. |, as marshal
of the day and chairman of the At
lantic d Pacific railroad. called on Il
half-breed Pottawattamie Indian. An
tome lie Claire. the white mans peer.
TO throw off his coat and lay the tie;
and he performed the task, amidst
waving flags and the shouts of thous-
ands, and /. as marshal and chair
man. pronounced the work Il portion
of the Atlantic IL Pacific railroad.
This was the most important rail
read tie ever laid in this union. Its
road opened up I,ansas and Nebraska
and a vast territory beyond them.
and placed the Atlantic and Pacific
oceans side by side. For report of
that important and eventful day, see
Davenport Democratic Banner and
Davenport Gazette of Sept. > and :,
1852.
Construction of the line followed.
and on July 10. 1855. at II IN. the
splendid and most powerful locomo-
tive of that day. manufactured at
Paterson. " j.. the Antoine lie Claire.
crossed the Mississippi river on board
of Il fiatboat and made Il landing at
the junction of Front and Fourth
1t ha
cheers of hundreds. to PASS to its iron
path at the freight depot grounds,
and was the first iron horse to wake |
the echoes of Iowa and cause the wild
deer and coyotes of the prairie to
gaze in wonder.
Then came to Rock Island the new
locomotive. John y. Dix. to he dis
mautled and passed over the Misss-
Sippi river ON the ice. thence up Main
street. on Feb. IS. 1856. to be placed
on its Fifth street track. and seven
new freight ears followed on its icy
trail. The John y. Dix was an ill
starred locomotive. 1t was constant |
ly i'm trouble. one of which was its
blowing up at Duck creek bridge and
killing Engineer Smith.
The road reached Iowa City Dec. 20. |
1853. a distance of 50 miles. and after
slow progress during - years after
the first tie was laid at Davenport the
construction engine entered the sub
urbs of the bin T city. The length of
the line * 314 miles.
This line of railroad and the Mis-
sissippi's first bridge and the island
arsenal owe their existence through
procuring this grant of land. that
was secured through long and hard
work with formidable opposition.
At that day. when democracy was
in the ascendency. ]. as an abolition
ist. was twice defeated by small
ma iority as candidate for the
house, but was elected to the state
senate and served during the sessions
of 1854. 1855 and the extra session of |