Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-07-30

and ten. claims to have first named
this city Rock Island, in connection
with the plating of the addition men
toned. He laid out the addition as
the Chicago, or lower. addition to
Stephenson, called Rock Island"
Though the oldest member of the
press club of Chicago. Mr.. Jones is
one of its most active and spirited
members. and his activity and DISPOSE
ton strongly belle his advanced age. He
thoroughly enjoyed his visit here and
speaks enthusiastically of the advance
ment already made in this locality, and
of the advancement sure to be made in
the future. This trip is one of the
most enjoyable l have taken with the
Chicago Press club" said Mr. Jones to
an Argus representative.
As 1t Was Then.
Asked about Rock Island as he knew
it just 20 years ago, he said: Rock
Island was then but an unpromising
village on the far western frontier
There was a small number of people
gathered here. a couple of taverns, in
Guiding the Rock Island house, of
which Mr.. Barrett. the first mayor this
city ever had, was the proprietor, stand
ing on the site of the present hostelry
of that name. There was a lively river
traffic, but that was some years before
any railroad extended this far west"
He spoke of the river traffic as bring
ing to his mind recollections of some
remarkable accommodations in the
way of meals on board the boats.
Grr hai
the cooks on those boats certainly pre-
pared some exceptionally good meals,
he said.
To illustrate his faith in this city, he
told of his property holdings here. 81 ac-
quired a block in the west end in the
then new addition" he said land l
have owned that piece of land ever
since" In 1886, when he began his
work of three years here, nearly all
Of the land in this county belonged to
he government. and much of it was
occupied still by the Indians with the
famous Black Hawk as their chieftain.
He remembers Black Hawk well, and
his interest in the Watch Tower from
the fact in those days it was still the
indian chiefs favorite look out
Before Fort Armstrong.
Speaking of Rock Island arsenal
and the government island, he told of
the consideration that place was at
that time receiving from the govern
ment authorities. There was no gar
rison at the island then, but the matter
of establishing a fort there was being
seriously contemplated, and it was but
a few years later that Fort Armstrong
was garrisoned. There was no Moline
1T that time, and Davenport was but
small village like Rock Island
Mr. Jones. as he talked, sat
n the Harper, looking att
Spencer square, and he took occa-
sion to comment on the beauty and at
Effectiveness of that spot in the center
of the city, THAT is surely a beauti.
full little park. but 1 remember it as a
dirty little frog pond he said That's
a great advertisement for city" he
added.
Mr.. Jones delights in telling a story
of the beginning of the work on the
Illinois canal at Bridgeport, July 4, 1886 |
The ceremonies of the day were some
what remarkable, and Chief Justice |
Smith, the orator of the occasion, was
almost mobbed because he prophesied1
that in 100 years Chicago would have
100000 population.
The venerable man was settler at |
Chicago before the village was organ
lied, when there was but a fort there |
He had seen almost incredible devel- !: