Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-03-19
ROCK ISLAND IN THE SOS AS RECALLED By


tention being paid to grade. No office
| of civil engineer having been created.
consequently at some places the walk
was high, at other places low, requir-
ing one to three steps to reach the
different levels Notwithstanding these
primitive conditions, we were whole
souled, happy and contented people.
Uncle Kept Main store.
While crossing from Illinois street to
Orleans street (Third avenue), let us
select Elk street as our crossing point,
and while doing so l would call your
attention to an old landmark, to-w1t,
an old brick store situated on the east
side of Elk street, next to it, south, an
old residence, both erected and occu-
pied Il guess before time) by my I'M
Gle, cLemuel Andrews. This store for
years was the principal one in the
! little burg In this connection, and by
reason that this same Lemuel And
rews was sheriff and executioner of
| the murderers of Colonel George L..
Davenport, l will call your attention to
the place of execution and the names
of those who were executed for this
terrible crime. The place was little
| south and west of the United Presby-
| terrain church, located on the north
| east corner of Orleans street and Deer
! street Fourteenth street,. The names
of the executed were John Long, Aaron
Long and Granville Young. Two 9TH
ers, Birch and Fox, escaped by flight,
and one other. Baxter, by reason of
turning states evidence, received a
penitentiary sentence. afterwards gain
ing liberty by pardon
/ might mention in this connection
that Frank Bonney was employed as
| a detective and proved a success in
the capture of the murderers. The
students of the high school of a few
years ago will remember the loss of
the school house by fire. A few nights
before the fire some persons hanged
skeleton to the Flagstaff of the school
house, which was consumed by the
fire. This skeleton was none other
than that of John Long, one of the ex-
ecuted. The skeleton was articulated
by the late Dr. Patrick Gregg, and
many a scare did the old doctor give
me when a boy with this same old
ghost May the good doctors ghost
receive better treatment, and of this
am sure, for none deserves a heaven
Iy rest if it be not DR.. p Gregg.
Site of NOodmen Offices.
Continuing east on Orleans street, we
come to the magnificent headquarters
of the Modern Woodmen of America.
situated upon the northwest corner of
the block, and upon which lot former
ly stood the residence of the late NJ.
B. Osborn, said residence being NOV
ed and is now located on the corner of
Eleventh avenue and Seventeenth
street At the rear of the Modern
Woodmen Office on Elk street stands at
present the old Jail wherein the Dav-
export murderers were confined, and
which has lately been purhased by the
Woodmen for building site. East of
the Woodmen office is Turner hall, the
frame part of which was formerly the
Episcopal church. Across the street
and on the corner of the alley stands
a three-story brick building which
years ago was built for educational
purposes, being called the Rock Island
seminary. this beicg the fourth school
the writer attended; and permit me to
say that it was an elegant institution.
The teachers in those days governed
by the rod. and | can truly say that it
was not the fault of the teachers if
scholar did not improve his opportuni
ties. Some of these same teachers in
after years became men of renown.
One, Mr.. Conner, was elected to con-
gress from the state of Iowa; another,
E. c. Smith, being the head of Harsha
academy at Dixon, H.
We will now come to the police sta
ton, and in doing so we will endeavor,
as in the past, to keep without its
doors. Situated upon this lot was the
residence of Rev. Avery Briggs, whose
sOn-in-law, Mr.. Denison, built the sem
mary alluded to above. This same
gentleman at one tine taught in the
seminary, as did also one of his daugh-
ters, Rhoda Briggs. Immediately south
on the same lot stood a one-story
frame, which was the third school
attended, my teacher being Martha
Bracket. Crossing the street east we
come to the Hause blacksmith shop.
This ground, at the time of which 1 am
writing, was occupied as a lumber
yard Upon the top of one of the
highest piles of lumber Ex-Governor
Samuel R. Van SAINT of Minnesota and
the writer had their last fist fight.
Talk about Jeffries! He is a back