Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-08-24
Pioneers of the County Gather
at the Watch Tower 1T
Strong.
DR.. LYFoRD PRESIDENT
J. H. Ce,and of This City Is Reflect.
ed Secretary and Treasurer of
Association.

lister. Fully douol that mum Der at
| tended the picnic. The election of
officers for the ensuing year resulted
as follows:
President-Dr. William Lyford,
Port Byron.
Vice Observation-Disclosures Robin
! son, Andalusia; William Payne, Rock
Island; George McMurphy. Hills
/ dale; \. \. Stevens, Moline. and
George Richmond, South Rock Is
land.
Secretary and Treasurer. H.
Cleland.
The members of the executive COM
mittee are Phil Mitchell, Rock Island
Thomas Campbell, South Rock Is
! Kistler, Joslir, and Charles Dibbern,
Milan.
PRIZE is GIVEN.
To D. w. Johnson of Port Byron
was given the SO chair which was
the prize offered to the oldest set
tier in attendance. Mr.. Johnson was
born in Rock Island in November,
! 1888, and he has lived continuously
in the county the greater part of
the time since. His nearest compel
itor for honors was Mrs. E. Hoover,
| who came to the county Jan. 81,
1884
Phil Mitchell gave the address of
welcome. The chief address was by
J. B. Oakleaf of Moline.
DUTY TO THE FATHERS.
Mr.. Oakleaf said in part:
Every generation owes a duty to
the succeeding generation, in fact,
it is a legacy that each generation
must leave 70 the succeeding genera
ton, and that legacy should be
true record of what that generation
knew, had seen or witnessed, for the
/ best history is made up from the
"reminiscences of the people at the
time when the event occurred, and
the writing of that history should
not be left till the generation has
passed away. The most valuable
history is now hidden away in news
papers and magazines and if such
newspapers and magazines are pre-
served, the future historian can then
compile a creditabIe history of the
! time of which he is writing. | am
sorry that no one has written a true
history Of this county. If such his
tory had been written so years ago
much that is now lost would have
| been preserved to future generations
A very creditable history of the city
| Of Davenport was written in 1858,
and that history is priceless. Some
one in Davenport, or Scott county,
should continue it from that time to
/ the present.
Is SOON LOST
LAS ! stated, much interesting his
/ tory and details are hidden in the
( files of the newspapers, but the his
| tory that is being saved through our
local papers will soon be lost, for
| the reason that the paper that is now
being used is not permanent and il
will take but a comparatively few
years TO make the print illegible. A
law should be passed making it obli-
gatory upon the local press to print
on good seTyiceable paper that will
last throughout all time. two or
three copies of each edition and each
volume bound and flied at the court
house and that the expense of such
printing and binding should be
borne by the county Every genera
I
be preserved for there are many peo-
pie who can give valuable informa-
ton, but lacking terminal facilities
much valuable information is lost
MAKING 4 BEGINNING.
I'VE have a County Historical so
ciety, affiliated with the state his
toTical society, of which l have the
honor of being secretary, yet we are
not getting much material for future
use, but It is beginning and we
trust that the membership will in
crease so as to include some of the
leading citizens from each township
in the county.
We have an interesting county
and from an historical point of view
It is one of the greatest counties
in Illinois. We little realize its
beauty, its historical interest or its
setting. but strangers within out
gates will go away charmed with it's
beauty, its legends and history. We
know that the historian nearly a
hundred years ago wrote the truth |
when he stated. getting down a pair !
of compasses large enough to in /
cIude 3 > miles around the lower end |
of Rock Island and taking a sweep |
around II, you would have within |
the circle the handsomest and most |
delightful spot of the same size on |
the whole globe, so far as nature can |
produce anything called beautiful |
With such evidence nearly a century |
old, We should not fail TO perpetuate |
the history Of that beautiful spot 10 |
which the writer refers.
SLOW ~ SETTLING.
"On account Of being over on one
side of the state and not on the main !
line of travel from one point in the /
state 10 another. this county was a
little slow in settling, and II il had /
AOt been for Fort Armstrong. Black (
hawk and his band would have been |
spared the invasion Of the white man