Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-02-04

/ TINS ana ADJOINING counties, having
built the old Leas mill that was stu
ated between Ninth and Tenth streets
on First avenue. It was then on the
river bank, the railroad grades and
fills having been put in since. He
built the Johnston mill at Milan and
other mills at Sears and Milan, the
Warner mill ON Eighteenth street and
, Fifth avenue in Rock Island, one at
Hampton, H., one at Pleasant Valley,
Iowa, which village was at that time
a rival to Davenport, and it is be-
lieved that he built the old mill the
remains of which were discovered last
summer while eXcavating for the new
water power dam across Rock river
at Sears.
/ Mr.. Starr also built the first bridges
across Rock river between Sears and
Milan, and they were built entirely of
hewn logs and plank that were sawed
! in a mill that he had just completed:
The timbers and planks for the bridges
were taken from the forests which
were then quite heavy in the vicinity.
He also helped build the first court
house in Rock Island.
Mr.. Starr was city, marshall, and
also coroner, at the time the murder
ers of Bailey Davenport were hanged
in Rock Island.
! Jacob Starr died in 1857, mourned
by the entire community, as man of
a kindly heart, honest, upright, good
Christian, and successful business
man. Grandma Starr was married
again to Nelson Sharp, in 1871. Mr.
Sharp died five years later.
Kept Her Faculties.
Grandma Sharp's mind eyesight and
hearing were nearly perfect to the
last, and it was intensely interesting to
hear her narrate stories of the work. tri-
ais and successes of the early settlers ::
how the rowing bands of Indians came
| into the houses at Stephenson and
took what they wanted, if the men
were not there to defend their prop
erty; also of the extreme and long
continued cold of the winters. the
heavy SHOWS, with the ice in the river
i'ui lNtt tHIShr WillCn
ice sorges in the spring, piling the ice
to a great height and diverting the
river from its channel until it swept
the lowland bare of timber for con.
siderable distance. She also told of
| the almost Arcadiau conditions that
existed when the women of the settle
ment used to so down to the river Oh
Mondays to do their family washing.
Grandma Sharp was a somewhat ia.
nous hunter and fisher, being an i'm
usually sure shot, and she sometimes
went with her husband and sons on
their hunting and fishing excursions
She was woman of unusual size and
strength. weighing over 200 pounds
She told stories of the hunters going
out with four horses and wagons and
bringing back huge loads of deer and
wild turkey, that were stacked up il
the warehouse that was never locked
so that any one who needed venisor
could help himself.
Grandma Sharp was out for a buggy
ride last September, at which time she
pointed out places where some early
settler lived. or where some events O
local interest TRANSFERRED: where steam
boats landed at places at consider
able distance from where the rive
now is; of places where ice gorge
were formed, or of the location o
some infant industry that is now for
gotten had existed, the facts and date
being as clear to her as recent events
are to the average person. She wa
the mother of eight children, four o
whom are now living, Caroline GRAY
| residing at 927 Second avenue; w. II
Starr, GIG First avenue; Mary Ora
| ham, 927 Second avenue, and McCo
| Starr, All Seventh avenue. There ar
| II grandchildren and five great-granG
children to mourn her death. To til
older settlers who were contemporar
l with her she was held in the highes
| respect and loving regard, and wa
4 grandma" to everybody who kne,
/ her.
n Mrs. Sarah AIbrecht.
i Mrs. Sarah Maria Albrecht wido,
A Ct the late joseph Albrecht. died 1
her hc:ne at Hampton yesterday afte
!! noon. She was born April s, 1885, :
II WhiteStone, r. l., her maiden name b.
4 ing Hall. At the age of 90 she wa
II married to Mr.. Albrecht and the coupl
II came west. The husband died Jal
II IL, 1904. Three sons, John A. A
II hIecht. a farmer living near Waite
u town: Rev. Samuel Albrecht, pastor ,
ii the Methodist Mt Vernon circuit
II this state, and Joseph Albrecht, j
II of Shelville, Cal, and daughter, Mi!
II Carrie at home, survive. Mrs. Albrecl
II was member of the Methodist churc
III at Hampton and the funeral will
III he'd from that place at II o'clock Sd
H urday morning, services being
II charge of Rev w. S. Read
iIi Funeral of Mrs. Rcpine.
HI The funeral of Mrs. Mary j. Repin