Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-02-04

e hanging down his back which made
q vivid impression upon my youthfl
l. lmind. The first time saw him he wa
q lying back his hair floating in the W;
G tier. while he steered a canoe an Ii
a dian was padding.
J. The next. during 1895 or sc. wa
8 Col William Davenport. of the u.
army. stationed at Fort Armstrong. /
! command. This was the man 10
whom the city of Davenport was nan
led. he being the only Col. Davenport
Yet people seem to have gotten the i'm
preston that the trader. George. wa
la colonel. which he never was, and. a
I said. the city was named for Col
William Davenport.
Earlier still Tin the '30's). Marina
duke Davenport. the Indian agent. set
tiled on Rock Island in 1882. and after
wards on Credit island, and was tn.
father OF Capt. a. II. Davenport. Of l.,
Claire.
/ 1T was in September. 1915. that the
sth United States infantry. Col X. c
/ Nichols In command. was sent up the
| river to establish a fort on or near the
Island Of Rock island. But this is q
matter OF history before my time.
Life I'm -. - md ID
Life during 1927. 1923 and 1929 was
vexed by many obstacles. The first of
| these three years | spent in sight of
Davenport. with occasional trips across
the river. / remember well when there
was no white family on the Iowa side
The next year. 1928. trade opened with
the Indians across the river. buck
came over and wanted to sell a pony
My father went to the Iowa side. TAX
ing me with him. and bought the pony
DO you ask how the Indian deliver
ed the pony to the Illinois side? He
took rawhide lasso, tied il around the
pony's neck. and the Indian padded
across the river taking his time to do
so. and the pony swan where he could
not walk. The spot of starting was
about the foot of Brady street, landing
about where Eighteenth street is at
Rock Island.
In the year 1923 Hon. John w. Spen-
Ger, John Brasher and William Carr
came; and in the spring of 1929 Judge
Pense and family. Wallis Pense. Hen
~ Wells and family, all of whom were
fAohtChtu Ds tHc anu
Indian traders. They all left and set
tied on Henderson river, four miles
northeast of the Lower Yellow
Banks" now Oquawka, Henderson
county, Ill.
Later my fathers family came anu'
built hewn log house at the creek,
and at the west end of your town Can
dalusia), in the fall Of 1892 The logs
used now form the west half of Henry
Springmeier's residence, at Buffalo,
having been transported on the ice 1--WE
really had ice in those days. when the
old river was unspoiIed by the hands
Of mem.
Only House I'm Il Miles.
AT the time my father built, his was
the only house between that of Joshua
Vandruff. on Vandruff's island. at the
foot OF Black Hawk Tower, and Eras-
tus Dennison. at the Upper Yellow
Banks" now New Boston. distant about
30 TO IS miles from each other
The next house was built by Hack
ley Sans. at Sulphur Springs, i'm the
spring OF 1884. Next was that of John
Vanatta. during the fall Of 1894. and
bought by Jonathan Buff
FUN. and occupied by his family. Next
came the place. one-half mile east of
The same fall. 1884. Dunlap and
Dan and John Edgington came to the
country and stopped some time with
my father. who went with them overI
TO look at lands north Of where Edg-
ington now is. which they located. two
remaining on the ground. while John
Edgington went TO Quincy on the lit
tie steamer 'Adventurer.' to enter their |
lands Of the government
Later they all left for their home |
in Steubenville. Ohio. to return n the |
spring with their families. Ny faith
er sent by them for 500 apple trees.
In the spring Of 1885 they charter
ed boat on the Ohio river. bringing
with them the elder McNutt. and his |
son John. n carpenter. Moses Tittering-
ton as well as Charles and two other |
brothers. with their families. also
Charles and Harry Eberhart with their /
families and Adolph Dunlap who was
a noted gunsmith- All of these proved
people. not a black sheep |
among them.
a little later James Robinson came |
then Parmenters settled just west OF
him. and here I will close this line. OF
thought. to give you more OF the his
tory of what Is now Andalusia-
Asdaissta's BegiasinG.
My father. Capt B. W. Clark enter
ed. I think. 160 acres. part being the
present town. and placed IL under
fence and pbow. After looking the
ground all over he established CLARK |
ferry. which became the most noted
ferry above St Louis. nearly all of the
first settlers Of Scott. Muscatine. Cedar |
and Linn counties crossing into Black
Hawks purchase here
Among these. we will name Edwaril
Wright and family. whom we ferried
over in 1886 I helped to do SO my
self. Mr.. and Mrs Wright were the
grandparents OF our worthy friend.
md Supervising Secretary r E Reede