Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-01-24
ROCK ISLAND SINCE 1860.
Ex-Mayor IcConochIe RecItes Some Inter
esting History.

! Ex-Mayor William McConochie
spoke to the subject. Rock Island
Since 1850 I'm 1860 Rock Island
was n lively thriving western city
with a good country trade and large
river traffic. with Il population of
5,l3O people, two railroads, three
school houses and six churches. {"
said the speaker. Spencer square
was a frog pond and formed part
of the slough which extended from
the present viaduct To the abbatoir,
crossed here and there by country
roads entering the city. All bust
ness houses and q majority of the
residences were north of the slough.
In 1870 our population had increased
to 1880 with another railroad. The
government bridge to Davenport was
under construction and the great ma
tional arsenal had been established
on Rock Island and the work of con-
structing the extensive shops and
water power was Inder way In
1850 our population had increased To
II ga and in 1890 1869. an increase
of only about 1000 during that de
cade. the smallest i'm our history.
From 1890 to 1900 was about 6,OOO. Il
good healthy growth, giving a popu-
lation of approximately 10000.
I'm 1850 our venerable townsman
and associate who is absent this even
ing. Hon. Thomas J. Buford, was
closing his second term as the city's
chief eNecuti"". supported by n coun-
ell whose vt.y names have become
household words a.id some of their
voices have rung in the halls of con-
gress rejecting credit on the state
and the city. From the organiza
ton of the city i'm 1S4S there were
three wards till 1857. From then
till 1872 there were four. from 1872
to 1852 five and from that till the
present time there have been seven.
Calvin TruesdaIe's Election.
I'm the spring election of 1860 the
political pendulum swung the other
way and Calvin Truesdale was elect
ed mayor. This election brought
into the council some new men. one
of whom was destined to cut a wide
swath in city affairs TOR years follow
ing. That man was Bailey Davenport,
and he was the junior alderman froI1
the third ward, where he lived and
died. He was elected mayor in 1861
and for five consecutive terms fol-
lowing. besides two afterward. Of
all the 25 men who have from the
first to last occupied the executive
chair Bailey Davenport must always
rank first for various reasons.
First, he served longest; he was
the oldest settler, living here when
the Indians and the soldiers at Fort
Armstrong were the only other in
he was the wealthiest
man in the city in his day, his land
ed estate comprising more than half
of the area of the city; and last, he
was the largest and heaviest man
who ever sat in the mayors chair.
Present and Future Prospects.
w. c. Maueker's theme was Rock
Island. its Present and Future Pros
poets" In substance he said: The
city of Rock Island is one we may all
be proud of because we are the ones
who have had the largest share in
making it what il is. We have bent
our labors for it's advancement in
times past often when opposed vigor-
ously by the very persons for whose
welfare we were laboring. But the
city has throve and prospered. Let
us for moment compare the city we
have today with that which has been
pictured by the speakers who have
preceded me. In place of the things |
of which they have told you we have
paved streets, handsome buildings, n |
street car system, rail |
roads, connecting us with the outside |
world in all directions, modern
schools and churches and a paid fire |
which wants but a mod
ern alarm to rank with the very
best. No city has a more promising