Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-02-04
CAPT. CLARKSPERSONAL RECOLLECTIONS or EARLY DAYS

ferry was below the mouth of Roci
river. thus saving crossing Rock rive
and sloughs to reach Black Hawk:
purchase.
Father could have Gained where
| Davenport now is. below what is nov
Harrison street, the lie Claire reserva
ton being above that. But why gt
there? Our country was more beauti
full. better timber with coal in sight in
many of the creeks.
We did our fencing with split rails
for many years. no pine lumber being
| run down the river until many year
later: no wire fencing. Thus our tim
, Der was in demand.
Might Have Been Capital.
Buffalo would have been the coun-
~ seat OF Scott county had il not been
for the trickery of the territorial legis-
lature. in subdividing Des Moines
county, throwing Buffalo only three
miles from the Muscatine county line.
Ny father after removing To Blaca
Hawks purchase in 1888. continued to
run the ferry and about 1886 sold tc
Col. Stevenson. w. S. Hamilton and
Mr.. Whiteside. of Galena, H., his en-
tire interest excepting the fraction ly
ing in front of your town. and two lots
lying where Frank Eby II think built
his store. across the street and east
of your city hall and the ferry fran
chise for $1,000 These men with
others bought y t of the interest of
Jonah Case and j. w. Spencer and
laid out the town of Stevenson. after
wards Rock Island. They also laid
out the town of Rockport, which run
east up to the Buffum creek, west
nearly one-half mile below the sulphur
springs. south over the hills at least
a mile from the river. They had ii
plated in a most gorgeous and attrac
tive manner. They took the map to-
Washington city where they sold many
thousands of dollars worth of town
lots to Daniel Webster. Henry Clark,
]. G. Calhoun, Gen. George w. Jones
and others. none of whom ever saw
tie lots Rockport died a natural
death and after an uninterrupted sleep
of many years, was sold for taxes. |
bought by Napoleon Bonapart Buford, |
laid out in town lots, and named An
dalusia. The younger people perhaps
do not know whom the above named |
gentleman is, but old settlers remem-
bor him as a citizen of Rock Island. |
"Col Stevenson. Messrs. Hamilton |
and Whiteside joined with George
and laid out a very large |
town site, where the town of Sears
aQY is and called it Rock Island City.
but this was neither a financial sue
cess nor a swindle for lack of pur
chasers of lots.
Gave Cemetery Site.
Before selling his land at Andalus-
a my father gave sufficient grouni
Tor the cemetery in which the first
burial was that of Giles Gabbert, son
If Daniel Gabbert, whom my father
had living there to run the ferry.
This by emitting many items,
brings us up to the days of Samuel
who came in 1S41, and a
little later DIR. Andrew Bowman and
many others. that can tell you much
,etter than | of more recent events.
Before closing / am asked to state
Is a peculiar feature that during a
ong life. | have lived in the Louis
ana purchase. state of Illinois. II can
lmost say territory since the state is
My four years older than myself.
rhe territory of Michigan, now state;
erritory OF Wisconsin. now state; ter
itory of Minnesota. now state; Black
Iawk's purchase. Iowa territory anG
tate OF Iowa. and only moved one
nile. And can add that | have a
riend whose oldest son was born in
Michigan territory. second in Wiscon-
on territory. third in Iowa territory.
ourth in state of Iowa. all being born
n the same log cabin. The name OF
nv friend was Timber" Woods. of
Iowa"