Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-06-04

the other by water, represented oy
my father. These two representatives
of these streams met at about Illinois
City, and during the Christmas OF 1S45,
and resulted in a marriage. My father
was then united in marriage to Sarah
Marie Eby, who was next to the young
est of five daughters of Joseph Eby.
/ am not certain as to the date, but
so far as | am advised Samuel Ken
worthy commenced the erection of the
old Kenworthy homestead in the fall
of 1845 and in the early summer or
1916 moved with his wife into it; it
was not then completed and was not
finally finished until the early summer
of 1S47. In the summer of 1S47 he
journeyed to st. Louis to lay in stock
of me>>>handise, as he intended to keep
store here. He left mother and me
here, and while he was away there
came a cyclone that nearly demolished
the whole structure and so greatly
frightened my mother that she carried
the remembrance of it to her grave,
and there never was a black cloud in
the summer in the west that she did
not become nervous. The war with
Mexico having closed all looked for
ward to a period of prosperity and
pleasure, and father and mother had
just fairly got started in their new
home, when the discovery of gold in
California set this community, as it
did the entire west and east afire, and
many were the Argonauts of 40.
My father caught the fever, and he
had 1t bad; his desire grew as the
news of the wonders and richness of
the new Eldorado were proclaimed,
and it was with the greatest difficulty
that my mother succeeded in restrain
ing him from starting Immediately.
In the meantime my brother Jerome
and my sister Elizabeth had been
born, both of whom were removed by
death in the early spring of 1852.
Then, leaving mother and me to live
with my grandfather, he broke away
and started for California. He did not
go overland, as thousands attempted
to do, and comparatively few succeed
ed in doing, but went to New York
and thence by steamer to Panama, and
worked and walked across the 18TH
mus, and after waiting 60 days for a
steamer, steamed up the coast to the
Golden Gate. He stayed two years
there engaged in merchandising at
Sacramento and made considerable
money there, but the attractions in
Illinois compelled him to return. In
the fall of 1854 he returned and with
mother and me again removed into
the old homestead; he built a ware
inc Of he O1d nd
on the river bank and began buying
grain and shipping it to st. Louis.
Recalls Visit TO Village.
While father was absent in Califor-
mia l well remember, in company with
my mother, of visiting Andalusia, in
the fall of 1853 Although but years
of age l have a distinct remembrance
of the event and the appearance of
| the old house and its surroundings
The house fronted towards the north
the river, and there was a door in tho
center of the north front, which open
ed onto a porch that ran the whole
width of the house: the windows were
of glass and small panes about 6x6
inches; there was a well with a wind
lass, just east of the house and the
house set in a field, the east line of
which is the street Immediately east
of Magnolia street, and the west line
of this field was irregular and from
the northwest corner, which was al
the creek west of town, the line ran
southeasterly to point about 400 feet
west of the Frank Bonney house and
thence east to the corner south of the
Britton place, on the west side of the
road; thence north to Front street
Magnolia street was not then opened
and the only road to the river came
down by what was afterwards known
as the Hoath place; there was a road
or rather bride path that ran along
in front of the old house and contin-
ued west crossing the creek and north
of the Wells farm as now known on
the river bank on down the river.
called the river road, as distinguished
from the one on the south OF the Sui
phur Springs farm, called the bluff
road Aside from the old house, the
most conspicuous landmark that is
bright in my memory was an immense
shell-bark hickory tree that stood
about $50 feet due south of the old
house; it was a giant, and perhaps
100 or $50 years old then, and it's
broad, spreading and majestic branch
es loaded with nuts stood out as a
landmark; it stands out wildly in my
memory as 1 address you today, now
nearly 60 years ago; it could be seen
from any direction for miles around,
and stood there as a silent sentinel,
pointing to the old home-who that is
blessed with intelligence and memory
can forget it? Its base was literally
perforated with leaden balls where it
had been shot into.
Between this old hickory and the
house. and a little to the east, was an
impenetrable thicket of plums, crabs
and wild cherry trees literally covered
with wild grape vines, and this came
close down to the south side of the
house and was the home of the whip
poorwills; on the east of this was about
two acres of a field and garden which
extended north to the fence on Front