HISTORY: Scott County, Iowa From the A.T. Andreas Illustrated Historical Atlas of the State of Iowa, 1875 ************************************************* Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ************************************************* SCOTT COUNTY. Scott County is situated in the river tier of counties, the fifth from the southern boundary of the state. It has a water front on the Mississippi of about thirty-five miles, that river forming the eastern and southern boundaries. The Wapsipinicon River, from a point about six miles from the northwest corner of the county, forms the boundary between Scott and Clinton Counties. The superficial area of Scott County is about 500 square miles, or to figure more exactly the fractional townships, according to the survey completed in 1837. It contains 280,516 acres. The surface of the county is chiefly rolling prairie, of an excellent quality of soil, but in places somewhat sandy. Along the Mississippi and Wapsipinicon there are some fine groves of timber, and also a few groves bordering on the smaller streams. The different kinds of oak, black walnut, and hickory are the principal varieties. The bottom lands along the streams are in some places quite extensive, and generally among the most productive in the county. On the Wapsipinicon and portions of the Mississippi they are subject to annual inundation, and afford excellent meadows and pasturage. The soil of the county is generally productive, yielding large returns to the agriculturist of the various grains, vegetables, and fruits common to this section of Iowa. TIMBER AND COAL. In a historical sketch of Scott County, published in 1863, we find the following; "Buffalo Township has more timber than any other in the county. There are thousands of acres covered with a growth that has arisen since the first settlement, that will cut from twenty to fifty cords of wood to the acre. It is estimated that there is five times as much timber in Buffalo Township as there was at the first settlement, in 1834—a fact showing how easily timber may be produced if cared for, and the annual fires kept out of the woodlands. "Coal was first discovered here in 1834, and as early as 1835 and 1836, was dug and sold to steamboats at the mouth of Bowling's Creek, which empties into the Mississippi between Buffalo and Rockingham. The first bank opened was about half a mile up this creek, and was worked to a considerable extent by Dr. A. C. Donaldson, who settled near its mouth in 1837. Some three miles higher up the creek, Benjamin Wright and Captain E. Murray, from Zanesville, Ohio, opened a bank in 1838, and furnished coal to Davenport and Rockingham for fifteen cents per bushel. From that day to this mines have been opened and worked in almost every part of the township, until at the present time (1863) more than twenty-five coal mines are open and ready for work." Such was the prospect for coal in Buffalo Township in 1863, and while considerable quantities have been mined, the amount for steady supply has not proved as great as was then anticipated. Good building stone is quarried in several parts of the county, especially at LeClaire, on the Mississippi River. HISTORICAL Scott County was organized by an Act of the Territorial Legislature of Wisconsin, which convened at Burlington in December, 1837. It was named in honor of General Winfield Scott, who in September, 1832, held an important treaty with the Indians upon its soil. By that treaty, the territory embraced in the county of Scott, together with all the country included in the Black Hawk purchase, was ceded to the United States, and opened for settlement on the 1st of June, 1833. The treaty was appointed to be held at Rock Island, but owing to the prevalence of Cholera among the soldiers at Fort Armstrong, it was deemed advisable to meet the representatives of the Sac and Fox Nation on the west side of the Mississippi. The treaty was accordingly held in Davenport, on the spot of ground now occupied by the depot of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad. First Claim—The first "claim" made within the limits of Scott County was by George L. Davenport, Esq., in Davenport Township immediately after the treaty of September, 1832. By the terms of this treaty, no white man had a legal right to settle on the territory ceded to the United States till the expiration of the Indian title, June 1, 1833. But Mr. Davenport was an exception, because he was a favorite among the Indians, having been adopted into the Fox tribe, and grown up from boyhood among them. Hence he was allowed to go upon the lands yet in possession of the Indians, while others who attempted to settle on them were driven off by the military, till the Indian title expired on the first of June, 1833. First Ferry. —Colonel Davenport appears to have made no actual settlement upon his claim, though he established a flat-boat ferry at this point as early as 1827, running between the island and the main shore, carrying pack- horses, cattle and goods for the Indian trade west of the Mississippi. He also, after steamboats began to run to this point, kept a wood-yard on the island, and brought wood from Maple Island and other places. First Actual Settlement. —The first actual settler on the soil of Scott County was Capt. Benjamin W. Clark, a native of Virginia. He had been captain of a company of mounted rangers under Gen. Dodge in the Black Hawk war, and had made a settlement on the Illinois side of the river, at Andalusia. In 1833 he moved across the Mississippi and began a settlement on the site of Buffalo, which in a few years became the most important and prosperous town on the river between Burlington and Dubuque. Here Captain Clark erected the first cabin, broke the first soil, and planted and raised the first crop in Scott County. While living in Andalusia he established a ferry across the river at this point, which was known as "Clark's Ferry, and was for many years the only place of crossing for immigrants in all this region of country. Captain Clark was a man of push and energy, and he set to work to build up a town at the western terminus of his ferry. In 1835 he brought lumber from Cincinnati, and erected a large frame hotel, which was considered a great enterprise for that day, the lumber costing him sixty dollars a thousand feet. In 1836 he bought the first saw mill in the county, at the mouth of Duck Creek. It was a small mill but for many years of great service to the early settlers. In 1836 Captain Clark laid out the Town of Buffalo, which was the first regularly laid out town in the county. Being the only avenue of immigration into this section of the Territory, which by this time had begun rapidly to set in, it grew to be a place of importance, and in a few years became one of the most flourishing villages on the Black Hawk Purchase. Captain Clark was a great benefactor to the early settlers in this part of the country, spending much time in assisting them to locate their claims. He died at Buffalo, October 25, 1839. Rival Towns. —Buffalo had a fair prospect of becoming the county seat; but by the rivalry of other towns, and the action of the Legislature in laying out the counties, her interests were sacrificed. Soon after a start had been made at Buffalo, Davenport and Rockingham were laid out; Antoine LeClaire established a ferry between Davenport and Rock Island, and travel was diverted to that point. This injured the prospects of Buffalo. But the crowning act of her rain was consumated by the town site speculators, who met in the Legislature at Burlington in 1837. To show how matters were there managed, we have only to explain the cause of the present shape of Scott and Muscatine counties, as they appear on their respective maps. It will be seen that Muscatine County has two townships in the northeast corner that properly belong to Scott, and that a jog is consequently made in the southwest corner of the latter county. This happened as follows; Dr. Reynolds, a member of the Legislature from Muscatine, had laid out a town which he named Geneva, some three or four miles above Bloomington, and on this all his efforts were centered as the future county seat. In order to secure his object, on the ground of the "central location" of his town, and thereby defeat Bloomington, Dr. Reynolds insisted on establishing the upper line of Muscatine County as far up the river as possible. At the same time the member from Rockingham and Davenport, Alexander McGregor, Esq., had a similar interest in regard to the lower line of Scott County, knowing that the farther it was carried up the river the more it would diminish the chances of Buffalo for becoming the county seat, and increase those of Rockingham and Davenport, on account of their more central position in the county. Accordingly these members "put their heads together" and carried their scheme through the Legislature. Thus Buffalo was sacrificed and gradually "died out" by being placed in the lower end of the county. Dr. Reynolds, however, failed to secure the county seat of Muscatine at Geneva, that honor being given by a vote of the people to Bloomington. Davenport and Rockingham combined to defeat Buffalo, and finally, after a long and spirited contest, Davenport carried off the prize. ROCKINGHAM. Settlement was began at Rockingham in the fall of 1835, by Colonel John Sullivan, of Zanesville, Ohio, James and Adrian H. Davenport, Henry W. Higgins and others, who purchased a claim that had previously been made upon the town site. Among the "many advantages" set forth for Rockingham, the most important was that it would "command the trade of Rock River" directly opposite, which at that time was supposed to be navigable. The town was laid out in the Spring of 1836, and strenuous efforts made to bring it into public notice. A fine lithographic map and picture of it, with its beautiful surrounding scenery was made and circulated in Eastern cities, and drew many emigrants who were "desirous of making homes in the West". During the dry season of the year it was a beautiful spot and had many attractions; but the annual inundation of the Mississippi filling a vast slough in the rear, left the embryo city literally on an Island, cut off from all access except by boats with the main land. Many of the settlers who came with high expectations were therefore disappointed when the freshet came down the Father of Waters in the Spring or after heavy Fall rains. In the Fall and Winter of 1836, Rockingham contained some thirteen houses and about one hundred inhabitants. Among the prominent citizens were Colonel John Sullivan, the first merchant in Rockingham, and Dr. F. S. Barrows, the first practicing physician located in Iowa between Burlington and Dubuque. In the summer of 1837 a steam saw and flouring mill was erected by Colonel Sullivan, the first of the kind built in Scott County. A Methodist Church was organized in 1836; in 1837 a small Presbyterian church was founded by Reverend Eunch Mead; the Episcopal Church was represented in an organization by Reverend Zachariah Goldsmith in 1840. All these congregations worshiped by turns in a small building erected by subscription, and which also served the purpose of a school house. A ferry was established across the river at the point in 1837; connecting with a state road up the south side of Rock River, which brought much travel on that route, and added considerably to the business of Rockingham. CREDIT ISLAND. This island, west of the main channel of the Mississippi, contains about four hundred acres, and belongs to Scott County. The early French traders had a trading post on it, where credit was first given to the Indians, hence its name "Credit Island." In March, 1834, Adrian H. Davenport made a claim on this island, shortly after, he and his father, Marmaduke Davenport, settled and made improvements upon it. In 1838, Adrian H. Davenport was appointed by Governor Lucas sheriff of Scott County, being the first to serve in that office under Iowa Territory. In 1850, he and his father moved to LeClaire, where the latter died in 1852. THE COUNTY SEAT CONTEST. The act of the Legislature establishing the boundaries of the county provided for holding an election for the county seat on the third Monday in February, 1838. The importance of this election, as deciding the destiny of the competing towns, for the honor and prestige of the seat of justice, was held to be of great moment, and preparations were accordingly made for a spirited contest. Rockingham and Davenport were the competing points. Three election precincts were established, viz.; Rockingham, at the Rockingham House; Davenport, at the Davenport Hotel; and LeClaire (then Parkhurst), at the house of E. Parkhurst. The election returns were to be made to Governor Dodge, of Wisconsin Territory. The day of election came, Davenport polled the majority of votes, and rejoiced over the results with bonfires and illuminations. It has been hinted that the election was not altogether fair; that while the people of Davenport were rejoicing over their great victory, Doctor E. S. Barrows, and others from Rockingham were on their way to Mineral Point to see Governor Dodge, with papers and documents to prove the frauds which had been perpetrated at Davenport. Something has been said of a "motley crowd of imported voters" from Illinois and from the Dubuque Mines. Be that as it may, the Legislature, which met at Burlington in June, appointed a new election to be held the following August, the returns of which were to be made by the clerk of the Board of County Commissioners to the sheriff of Dubuque County, who was authorized to count the votes in the presence of the comissioners of that county. This time Rockingham carried the day, although it is said, "a great mystery seemed to hang over the polls." When the ballot box was emptied of its contents, it showed "most astonishing results". The committee sent down from Davenport to watch the polls could never explain where all the votes came from. Corruption was charged, but the result was explained as being in strict conformity with the oath taken by the judges and clerks of election, which was that they should, "to the best of their ability, see that votes enough were polled to elect Rockingham the county seat." The votes, as required by law, were counted in the presence of the commissioners of Dubuque County, but the commissioners, by some mistake, failed to make an entry of it upon their records, and in a few weeks, by the process of "purging the polls," found a majority of two in favor of Davenport, which was accordingly declared to be the county seat. The Rockingham party brought an action against the commissioners by procuring a mandumus directing them to make the proper entry upon their records, and in the final hearing the court decided in favor of Rockingham. The Legislature, then in session at Burlington, passed an act for another election, and at this time there were other competitors for the county seat besides Davenport and Rockingham. Sloperville, then "the geographical center," and "Winfield" at the mouth of Duck Creek, entered the list, the former however, dropping out before the election, leaving Davenport, Rockingham and the "Duck Creek Cornfield", as it was called. Finally, on the eve of election, Rockingham withdrew, on condition that Davenport would build a courthouse and jail on a similar plan of those at Rock Island free of expense to the county, which Davenport giving bonds to do, was elected, and made the permanent seat of justice for Scott County. Thus terminated the most exciting question that had disturbed the community. It has been remarked by one of the old settlers who participated in the stirring events of those times, that "through this whole controversy, the utmost good feeling and gentlemanly conduct prevailed. No personal feuds grew out of it, and to this day it is often a source of much merriment among the old settlers, and is looked upon only as the freaks and follies of frontier life." A peace treaty was held at Rockingham Hotel in the Winter of 1840, in which all the prominent actors in the county seat controversy met as mutual friends, ratifying the "treaty," as it was called, by a grand ball, in which more than forty couples mingled in the dance. The citizens of Davenport have always cheerfully borne witness to the intelligence and the many friendly and social virtues for which the early settlers of Rockingham were noted. In 1845, the town began to decline; many of the inhabitants left and settled in other parts of the country, some of them became citizens of Davenport. James Davenport, one of the founders of Rockingham, removed in 1848, to Shullsburg, Wisconsin, where he became largely interested in lead mining. ORGANIZATION OF THE COUNTY. The act of the territorial legislature organizing the county, provided for an election of officers, to be held on the third Monday in February, 1848. At this election Benjamin F. Pike, Andrew W. Campbell and Alfred Carter, were elected County Commissioners. Major Frazer Wilson, received the appointment of Sheriff from the Territorial Governor of Wisconsin. On the 4th of July,1848, Iowa was separated by an act of Congress from the Territory of Wisconsin, and organized into a separate Territory. Governor Lucas made the following appointments for Scott County; Willard Barrows, Notary Public; Ebenezer Cook, Judge of Probate; Adrian H. Davenport, Sheriff; Isaac A. Hedges and John Porter, Justices of the Peace. D. C. Eldridge received the appointment of Postmaster. At the first election under the new territorial law, William W. Chapman was elected delegate to Congress, Jonathan W. Parker, member of the Council, and Laurel Summers, member of the House of Representatives. Clinton County was at that time attached to Scott for judicial purposes. The first term of the District Court met at Davenport in October, 1838. Hon. Thomas S. Wilson presiding. Little business was done at that term. Several attorneys were admitted to the bar. Surveys. —The surveys of the public lands in Iowa began in the Autumn of 1836. The Scott County survey was made by A. Bent & Son, from Michigan, United States Deputies from the Surveyor General's office at Cincinnati, and were completed in March, 1837. Growth and Progress. —From the first opening of the territory west of the Mississippi for settlement in the Summer of 1833, immigration began to set in; settlements were built up along the Mississippi and on Cedar River, and increased rapidly at Burlington, Dubuque, and in the vicinity of Davenport, Rockingham and Buffalo. Within the limits of Scott County a considerable population soon settled. From the Spring of 1840 the county was rapidly settled, and Davenport grew in population, so that in 1853 it numbered 3,000 inhabitants. The policy of the proprietors of the town was liberal in the encouragement of settlement and the erection of public buildings. The citizens took hold in earnest and subscribed large sums for the promotion of business enterprises. First Railroad. —The Mississippi & Missouri Railroad Company was organized in 1853, with a capital stock of $600,000, the corporation to continue fifty years from date. On the 1st of September the ceremonies of breaking ground took place. It was a day full of interest to the people of Davenport. The Rock Island and Pacific road was near completion, and the first locomotive was soon expected to stand upon the banks of the Mississippi River, sending its shrill whistle across the mighty stream as the precursor of its westward flight across the prairies of Iowa. The ceremony of breaking ground took place near the corner of Fifth and Rock Island Streets. As Mr. Le Claire, who had been selected to remove the first ground, came forward, pulling off his coat and taking the wheelbarrow and spade, he was greeted by a hearty round of applause. A great and important object had been accomplished for the city, the county and the state. At the vote taken to decide whether the county should take stock in the road 309 votes were cast, and out of these but two were against subscribing to the stock. The amounts taken were as follows; City of Davenport………………………………………………………….$ 75,000 County of Scott………………………………………………………………50,000 Individual subscriptions…………………………………………………….100,000 On the 22d of February, 1854, the long contemplated railroad from Chicago to Rock Island was completed, and by it the Atlantic and Mississippi were united. Bridge Across the Mississippi. —On the 17th of January, 1853, an act was passed by the General Assembly of the State of Illinois entitled, "An Act to incorporate a bridge company by the title therein named," of which Joseph E. Sheffield, Henry Farnham, J. A. Matteson and N. B. Judd were the sole incorporators. This company was incorporated for the purpose of constructing a railroad bridge across the Mississippi River, connecting the Chicago and Rock Island Railroad, at Rock Island, with the Mississippi & Missouri Railroad, at Davenport. The capital stock was $ 400,000, raised on 400 bonds, of $1,000 each, the payment of which was guaranteed by the Chicago & Rock Island Railroad Company and the Mississippi & Missouri Railroad Company. The work of location and construction commenced in the Spring of 1854, under Henry Farmham as Chief Engineer and John B. Jarvis as Consulting Engineer. B. B. Brayton, of Davenport, had charge of the work as Resident Engineer. By the Spring of 1856, the bridge was completed, and was regarded as a grand achievement of enterprise and a magnificent triumph of art. The bridge was 1,580 feet long and thirty feet high, across the Mississippi from the western side to the island, and 450 feet across the slough, from the Island to the Illinois shore. The entire cost of both structures and the railroad connecting them across the Island was about $400,000. "OLD SETTLERS." Our sketch of Scott County would be incomplete without some record of the early pioneers who endured the perils and hardships of frontier life in establishing civilization on our western borders. They were a hardy and enterprising race, and generally speaking, those of Scott County were as noble a class of men as can be found in any country. We have already spoken of Captain Benjamin W. Clark, the original founder of the Town of Buffalo. For many years he spent much of his time in assisting immigrants to make selection of lands, and probably no man who ever lived in Iowa did more to aid and encourage the early settlement of the county. James M. Bowling, from Virginia, settled in Buffalo Township in 1835. After commencing his farm he went to Virginia and was married, and returned in 1836. In 1837 he had the prospect of a fine crop, his corn in June being about six inches high, but several hundred Indians, living in the vicinity, wantonly set fire to the prairies surrounding his cornfields and burnt up his crop and his fences. These Indians were a constant annoyance while they remained in the neighborhood. Among the early settlers was Leroy Dodge, who immigrated to Iowa from the State of New York in 1836. He was for many years a pilot on the Mississippi, and then commanded a steamboat. He purchased four hundred acres along the river bluff above Buffalo and built him a cottage on the bank of the river. He turned his attention to farming, principally to stock-raising and introduced many fine specimens of improved stock. In 1852 he represented Scott County in the State Legislature, being an earnest democrat, and a lover of the cause of human rights. Among others who settled at an early day in this part of the county, were Joseph and Matthias Mounts, Elias Moore, Mr. Andrew W. Campbell. Mr. Campbell was one of the most enterprising of the pioneers. He operated a large farm on the river bottom, sold to Henry C. Morehead at an early day, and moved to Blue Grass Prairie, where he opened another large farm. He was one of the first County Commissioners, elected in 1838. He made several trips to California, and died in the Great Basin of the Rocky Mountains in 1851. The following old settlers lived in Rockingham prior to the Fall of 1836. Colonel John Sullivan, Adrian H. and James Davenport, Millington and Franklin Easly, Captain John Coleman and his brothers, William Lingo, John Willis, S. S. Brown, Henry C. Morehead, David Sullivan, Etheral and J. M. Camp, Willliam White, William Dutro, H. W. Higgins, Cornelius Harrold, Richard Harrison, Willard Barrows, James B. McCoy, and E. H. Shepherd. A large hotel erected by the proprietor in Rockingham in 1836, was kept by H. W. Higgins, and was one of the best public houses west of the Mississippi. John S. Sheller was a merchant in the place in 1837. Among those who made claims back from the river were David Sullivan and Rufus Ricker in 1835. Hon. James Grant opened a large farm upon the edge of the prairie at "Pickayune Grove" in 1838, enclosing 320 acres, much of which he put under cultivation. He introduced the first blooded stock into the county, if not into the state, the fruits of which may be seen in the herds of some of the farmers of to-day. Among those who settled on the bluffs, and the edge of the prairie were Lewis Ringlesby, Esq., E. W. H. Winfield, John Wilson, familiarly known as "Wildcat Wilson", from having often, as he said, "whipt his weight in wildcats," and John Friday, noted for having broken the first ground upon the bluffs. John W. Brown, William Vantuyl, and John Burnside were also settlers as early as 1836. The beginnings in agriculture in this section may be well illustrated by the fact that John Wilson, in the Fall of 1836, bought two bushels of seed wheat of John Dunn, who settled at Allen's Grove, which the latter had brought with him from Ohio. Mr. Winfield sowed the wheat that Fall and cut the crop the following year with a sickle. Of the early settlers in Davenport we shall speak more particularly under the head of that city; her LeClaire, Col. Davenport and his sons, Judge Mitchell, James McIntosh and his brothers, D. C. Eldridge, John Owens, Major Thomas Smith, Major William Gordon, Philip Hambaugh, Alexander W. McGregor, Levi S. Colton, Captain James May, and others—all men of talent, means and influence. Those of a little later date were Rodolphus Bennett, Frazier Wilson, Dr. A. C. Donaldson, John Forest, William Nichols, Capt. John Litch, Thomas Dillon, William H. Patton, Isaac Hodges, John Porter, Andrew Logan, and Ebenezer and William L. Cook. The Pioneer Settlers' Association of Scott County was organized in January, 1858. Its first "festival" was held at the Burtis House, on the 22d of February, and was decidedly the greatest occasion of the season. In December, 1857, a call had been made through the city papers for all the old settlers of Scott County who had become residents prior to December 31, 1840, to meet at Le Claire Hall on the 2d of January, 1858. In answer to this call about sixty were present. The meeting was called to order by D. C. Eldridge, Esq. Ebenezer Cook, Esq. was elected chairman, and John L. Offin secretary of the meeting. At this meeting an association was formed and Antoine Le Claire elected president. At a meeting on the 30th of January a constitution and by-laws were adopted. The constitution provides for an annual festival of the society, to be held on the 22d of February—Washington's birth day. AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. The first agricultural society ever formed in Scott County was in January, 1840. Alexander W. McGregor, Esq., was chosen President; G. C. R. Mitchell, Esq., Vice President; John Forest, Esq., Secretary, and Antoine Le Claire, Esq., Treasurer. At this early day but little interest was felt by the patrons of the society, and it was suffered to go down; little, if anything, being done for agriculture in the county till 1853. In August of that year, two prominent farmers, H. M. Thompson Esq., of Long Grove, and Eli S. Wing, Esq., called a meeting, and a new society was formed, H. M. Thompson being elected President James Thorington, Esq., Secretary, and John R. Jackson, Treasurer. The second year of this society (1854) the first fair was held in Davenport, having the same officers elected as in 1853. FAIR GROUND ASSOCIATION. In June, 1854, a company was organized called "The Fair Ground Association of Scott County, Iowa." This company purchased eight acres of land lying near Duck Creek, some two miles from the city, at a cost of $200 per acre, enclosed about four acres with a tight board fence seven feet high, and built sheds and work shops for the second annual exhibition, which took place on the 24th and 25th of September, 1855. This exhibition was creditable to the society and to Scott County, showing a marked increase of interest in agricultural pursuits in this section of Iowa. CITY OF DAVENPORT. DAVENPORT, the county seat, is situated on the right bank of the Mississippi, just below the upper rapids, and opposite Rock Island, Illinois. It is 200 miles by river above St. Louis, and 160 by railroad southwest from Chicago. NATURAL SURROUNDINGS. The natural surroundings of the city are such as to add beauty and variety. The land in the township of Davenport is somewhat broken, on account of the bluffs along the river. The width of these bluffs between the river and the prairie is in general from one to two miles, and were formerly covered with timber. At a point about three miles above the city the bluffs open out into a beautiful prairie called Pleasant Valley. Immediately back of the City of Davenport, the slope from the top of the bluffs to Duck Creek is one of uncommon beauty and richness, being a rolling prairie covered with gardens, orchards and field, in the highest state of cultivation. Duck Creek, rising in Blue Gross, about ten miles distant from the city, passes through the whole length of Davenport Township, and running east empties into the Mississippi about five miles above the city. Its course is up stream, parallel with the Mississippi for a considerable portion of its length, and only one or two miles back from the river. UNDERLYING FORMATION. The geological substratum on which the City of Davenport is located is a white or light gray limestone, characterized by its fossils as belonging to the Hamilton group of Devonian rocks. This limestone crops out along the river banks at the upper portion of the city. Near East Davenport it presents perpendicular cliffs, varying in height from fifteen to twenty-five feet above low water mark; thence occupying the bed of the Mississippi, it forms the lowest chain in the course of the Rock Island Rapids, reappearing in similar character on Rock Island proper and the corresponding left bank of the Mississippi. The shores of both banks of the river are here strewn with water-worn pebbles of this white limestone, variously mixed with smaller fragments of transported igneous rocks, including agates, cornelians and numerous forms of porphry. GENERAL FEATURES. Davenport occupies a beautiful site, being situated at the foot and along the slope and summit of a bluff, which rises gradually from the river, and is enclosed on the land side by an amphitheater of hills. With its imposing business houses, tall chimneys and busy thoroughfares, it presents the aspect of a prosperous commercial and manufacturing city. It is regularly laid out, with broad ornamented streets, and besides the county buildings and the city hall, contains many substantial and elegant edifices, among which is one of the finest opera houses in the West. The population of Davenport in 1840 was 600, in 1850, 1,848; in 1860, 11,267; in 1870, 20,038, of whom 8,301 were foreigners. The Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific and the Davenport & St. Paul Railroads pass through the city. The old bridge connecting Davenport with Rock Island has recently been replaced by one of wrought iron, resting on massive piers of stone, which, besides a rail track, has accommodations for carriages and pedestrians. It was built partly by the United States and partly by the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad Company, at a cost of $1,000,000. Davenport has all the improvements of a modern city—gaslight, water works, and several miles of street railway. She has immense water power, and is one of the largest grain depots of the Upper Mississippi. EARLY HISTORY. The claim on which Davenport now stands was made in the Summer of 1833, by R. H. Spencer and a man by the name of McCloud. A quarrel arose between these men respecting the claim, whereupon Antoine Le Claire purchased their interest for one hundred dollars. In the Fall of 1835, a movement was made to have a town laid out upon this claim, and with that end in view, Antoine LeClaire, Major Thomas Smith, Major William Gordon, Phillip Hambaugh, Alexander W. McGregor, Levi Colton, Captain James May and Colonel George Davenport, held a meeting at the house of the latter, on Rock Island, to consider the subject. The result arrived at was that a town should be started. In pursuance of this the company purchased of Mr. LeClaire all that portion of his claim west of Harrison Street, running along the bluff as far west as Warren Street, and thence south to the river, for two thousand dollars. The town was laid out in the Spring of 1836, and named after Colonel George Davenport, the survey being made by Major William Gordon. Besides the claim on which the original town plat was laid out, Mr. LeClaire owned an entire section (640 acres) a portion of which is included in the present city limits. This was LeClaire's Reserve," made to him by the Sac and Fox Indians, in the treaty of 1832. As Mr. LeClaire figures so prominently in all important matters connected with the early history of Davenport, it will be well to give here a brief sketch of his life. ANTOINE LECLAIRE. Antoine LeClaire was of French and Indian descent, his father being a Canadian Frenchman, and his mother the daughter of a Pottawatamie chief. As early as 1808 his father established a trading post on the present site of Milwaukee, and in 1809 was associated in the fur trade with John Kinsey, at Fort Dearborn, now Chicago. He was loyal to the American cause in the war of 1812, and was taken prisoner at Peoria, and imprisoned for a short time at Alton, Illinois. Antoine LeClaire was born at what is now St. Joseph, Michigan, then the Northwest Territory, December 15, 1797. In 1818 he first became interpreter to Captain George Davenport, at Fort Armstrong, Rock Island, but was subsequently sent on business connected with Indian affairs to Arkansas. In 1820 he married the grand-daughter of a Sac Chief—A-co-qua, the Kettle. In 1827 he was again stationed at Fort Armstrong as interpreter. He was a remarkable linguist, considering his early opportunities for study, speaking some dozen different Indian dialects, besides French and English. He officiated as interpreter in the following treaties; With the Osage and Kansas Indians, at St. Louis, in 1825; with the Chippewas, at Prairie du Chien, in 1825; with the Winnebagoes, at Prairie du Chien, in August, 1825; with the Sacs and Foxes, at Rock Island, in 1832; with the same at Washington, in 1836, and also in 1837, and with the same at Agency City, in 1842. The Pottawattamies, at the treaty of Prairie du Chien, presented him with a section of land in Illinois, on which the City of Moline is now situated. No man was so intimately associated with the founding and progress of the City of Davenport as Mr. LeClaire. In 1835 he sold the original plat to the proprietors, and from time to time made additions to the town, till he became one of the greatest proprietors in Iowa, perhaps the largest, considering that he owned also the site of LeClaire, which was laid out on the other section reserved to him in the treaty of 1832. In 1836, he built the hotel which bears his name, to which addition after addition has since been made, including the entire side of the block. To every branch of enterprise he extended aid, by assisting worthy and enterprising men, sometimes involving his own princely means to help others in their undertakings. To the churches he was liberal, giving grounds and means for the erection of three Catholic Churches. He built St. Margaret's wholly at his own expense, furnished it with an organ, and for some time supported the religious services with pecuniary aid. Mr. LeClaire first had a cottage on the ground, where the treaty of 1832 was held, but gave that up for the occupancy of the railroad, and built the LeClaire Mansion on the bluffs. He died September 25, 1861, and was buried at the Church of St. Margaret, where a costly monument has been erected to his memory. COLONEL GEORGE DAVENPORT. In this connection a brief notice is also necessary of Colonel George Davenport, as a part of the history of the city which bears his name. Colonel Davenport was a native of England, and removed to the United States in 1804. From 1805 to 1815 he was attached to the army. He was with General Wilkinson at the Sabine during the trouble with Aaron Burr, and in the war of 1812, in the defense of Fort Eric and at the battle of Lundy's Lane. He accompanied the first expedition (1805) which ascended the Mississippi to pacificate the hostile Indians, and assisted in founding Fort Armstrong on Rock Island. In 1818 he settled upon the island, where he resided till his death. He was a partner in the American Fur Company till its withdrawal from the Mississippi, after which, till he retired from business, he carried on the trade alone with the Indians. He was a man of excellent character, generous and whole-souled, and had an eventful experience in frontier life. On the 4th of July, 1845, he was murdered by desperadoes at his home on Rock Island. The tragic event threw the community into wild excitement, and spread fear and apprehension throughout the border settlements. For several weeks no trace could be found of the murderers. At length Edward Bonney, of Lee County, undertook to ferret out their place of concealment. Starting in August he proceeded to Nauvoo, where he first got trace of them by representing himself as one of the gang. On the 8th of September he arrested Fox at Centreville, Iowa, where he committed him to jail. On the 19th, he arrested Birch and John Long at Sandusky, Ohio and brought them to Rock Island. These men were all well known in the west as leaders of a band of desperadoes. Richard Baxter and Aaron Long, brother of John, were soon after arrested as accessories to the murder, at Galena, and Granville Young at Nauvoo. On the 6th of October, 1845, bills of indictment were found by the grand jury of Rock Island County against all of the parties except Fox, who had escaped from jail in Indiana on the 17th of September. On the 14th of October, the two Longs and Young were put upon trial, a change of venue being denied. They were found guilty and sentenced to be hung on the 29th. Birch turned state's evidence. Baxter was tried separately, and sentenced to be hung on the 18th of November, but on a writ of error granting a new trial, he was sentenced to the penitentiary for life. He died there in about two years. Birch took a change of venue to Knox County, and while awaiting trial broke jail and escaped. John Long confessed all upon the gallows, although he died without any signs of penitence or remorse. IMPROVEMENTS. The first improvements within the present city limits were made before the town was laid out, by Mr. LeClaire, on the grounds occupied by the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad depot, in the Spring of 1833. The first public house or tavern was built on the corner of Front and Ripley Streets, in 1836, by Messrs. LeClaire and Davenport, and opened by Edward Powers, from Rock Island. In 1837 it passed into the hands of John McGregor. John Litch, a sea captain, from Newburyport, New Hampshire, opened the first pioneer whisky shop in June, 1836, in a log shanty on Front Street, below where Burnell, Gillet & Co.'s mill was afterwards built. Captain Litch was one of the noted "characters" of pioneer times. Some of his peculiarities are thus described in an early history of Davenport; "He dealt in almost everything, from the fine fur of the beaver and the otter down to the wolf and the pole cat. In the provision line he kept everything that could be had, from port and flour down to pumpkins and turnips; but the great leading article was whisky. The captain, too, had such a nice, peculiar way of making "critter" palatable by various other ingredients that his "punches," "cobblers," and "juleps"—all made from whisky—were much sought after, and his store became the resort not only of those who wished to purchase the necessaries of life, but the professional man, the politician, the claim speculator, the old discharged soldier and the Indian; all met there upon a common level, and talked over all the matters of common interest under the balmy influence of the captain's good cheer." Captain Litch, however, was a man who occupied a number of important positions in the early time, and was not worse than many others who "took their glass" in those days when it was a common custom of the country. He died March 5, 1841. At the close of the year 1836, there were some six or seven houses in the town. In this year Mr. LeClaire was appointed postmaster, and while running his ferry across the Mississippi used to carry the mail in his pocket. His percentage due on the first quarter was seventy-five cents. In the Spring of 1837, Capt. John Wilson, from New Hampshire, purchased the ferry of Mr. LeClaire, and ran a flat-boat with oars till 1841, when it was supplied with a horse-boat till 1843, at which date Capt. Wilson put on a steam ferryboat. The "rights and privileges" of the ferry, conveyed to Capt. Wilson, embraced one mile up and down the river each way from the ferryhouse, which stood at the foot of Main Street, and all was purchased for the sum of $1,000. In the Spring of 1838 Antoine LeClaire laid out his first Addition to the Town of Davenport, on his reserve. It embraced two tiers of blocks forming Harrison and Brady Streets, and running back as far as Seventh Street. This gave the town a new impulse, for in this addition purchasers could obtain clear and immediate titles, and get their lots of Mr. LeClaire on time; whereas the land in the old town plat had not yet come into the market, and purchasers of lots could only obtain bonds for deeds. These lands were brought into market on the opening of the land office at Dubuque in May, 1840. INCORPORATION OF THE TOWN. In 1838 the legislature passed an act incorporating the town of Davenport. At the April election, Rodolphus Bennett was chosen mayor, and Frazer Wilson, recorder. Dr. A. C. Donaldson, D. C. Eldridge, John Forest, Thomas Dillon and Capt. John Litch were elected trustees. At a meeting of the board, or town council, which soon followed, James M. Bowling was appointed Treasurer, William Nichols, Street Commissioner, and William H. Patton, Marshal. By a vote of the members, the first corporation seal used by the council was an American twenty-five-cent piece. The first brick house was erected by D. C. Eldridge in the Summer of 1838. MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS. The first white male child born in Davenport was a son of Levi S. Colton in the Fall of 1836. He died at the Indian village on the Iowa River in August, 1840. The first white female child was a daughter of D. C. Eldridge, Esq., who is still living, or was but a short time ago. Alex. W. McGregor opened the first law office in 1836. The first sermon was preached by Rev. A. M. Gavit, a Methodist minister, in the house of D. C. Eldridge, on the corner of Front and Ripley Streets. The first marriage ceremony in town took place in the Spring of 1837, the parties being William B. Watts and a niece of Antoine LeClaire. The first death was that of Mrs. Tennyhill in 1836. She was buried on the brow of the bluff where the First Baptist Church now stands—a place which had been selected as the burial ground of the town. During that year there were seven deaths. Some were buried on Mr. Leclaire's private ground, on the corner of Sixth and LeClaire Streets, a spot now covered with improvements, the graves having been removed. The family residence of Willard Barrows, Esq., was built on the spot above referred to; and in the ground occupied by his garden was buried Dr. Emerson, the owner of the celebrated Dred Scott, who accompanied his master to this territory while he was in the army at Fort Armstrong. It was upon this ground that the suit was predicated for the freedom of Scott, the decision of which in the Supreme Court of the United States made Chief Justice Taney so odious throughout the North. A Fish Story. —Mr. Willard Barrows, in June, 1837, caught a species of pike called the muskelunge, in Sugar Creek, that empties into the Cedar River, that weighed 35-1/2 pounds, and measured 5-1/2 feet in length. The same summer Mr. E. W. H. Winfield caught a catfish in the Mississippi, at Rockingham, that weighed 170 pounds. Having hauled it in front of the hotel, it was soon surrounded by spectators. A little daughter of H. W. Higgins having caught site of the monster through the crowd, as it lay floundering on the ground, and not knowing what it was or the cause of the excitement, started off upon the run, exclaiming, "There now, if I don't go and tell my pa, they have killed our old sow." On the 8th of May, 1840, the first Territorial Whig Convention was held at Davenport. Delegates were present from all the settled counties in the territory, except Dubuque and Clayton. They met at the LeClaire house, formed a procession, and marched with a band of music, consisting of one bugle and a clarionet, to the Harrison log cabin, just then erected on the corner of Third and Main Streets. Several speeches were made, when Alfred Rich, Esq., received the nomination for delegate to Congress. The Democratic convention met at LeClaire on the 19th of June, and nominated A. C. Dodge, who was elected by a large majority. Business at the close of 1840 was increasing. There were eight mercantile establishments, four groceries, two hotels, a brewery nearly ready for operation, a large pork house, with cash and goods offered for pork. The population amounted to about six hundred. On the 21st of April, 1841, the mayor, recorder and trustees of Davenport passed an ordinance raising the license for retailing liquors from $25 to $100. J. W. Parker, Mayor. On the 17th of January, 1844, the first steam mill in Davenport was put in operation by A. C. Fulton. It had but five months and twenty-two days in building. It was four stories in height, with an engine room 27x50 feet, and was dedicated by a "grand opening" by Mr. Fulton. About three hundred citizens participated in the dinner, amidst general rejoicing over so fine an enterprise. In the Summer of 1851, about thirty citizens and many immigrants died of cholera. An express and telegraph offices were opened in the city in 1852. Among the men who did much for Davenport at an early time was J. N. D. Burrows, of the firm of Burrows & Prettyman, well known as merchants and manufacturers for more than twenty years. Mr. Burrows was a native of New York, spending his early life in Cincinnati, and moving thence to Iowa in 1837. He purchased and shipped the first bushel of wheat ever sent out of Scott County. In 1840, the copartnership commenced between him and R. M. Prettyman, Esq., who was a native of Maryland. In 1847, they commenced the manufacture of flour at Rockingham, and soon, for larger and better accommodations, removed to Davenport, purchasing the Fulton and Davenport Mills, which in 1854 they remodelled at a cost of $25,000. These were known as the Albion Mills. In 1855 they made 80,000 barrels of flour. The capacity of these mills was 500 barrels per day, and they once ran as high as 540 barrels. The largest business ever done by this firm was in 1855, when it amounted to over $700,000. In 1854 they packed 19,000 hogs. In his social relations Mr. Burrows stood high, and few among the early settlers did more towards building up the interests of Davenport. THE PRESS OF DAVENPORT. On the 7th of July, 1838, Andrew Logan, from Pennsylvania, arrived with a printing press, and on the 17th of September following issued the first number of the Davenport Sun. It's motto, "And man went forth to till the ground," was well adapted to the situation both in a literal and a figurative sense; for not only the ground for agriculture but also for newspaper enterprise remained to be tilled in Iowa. Here and there a few workers in both departments had gone forth, but the great field for such magnificent results as have since been attained was almost wholly unoccupied. Publishing papers in those days was an up-hill business, which only those who have had experience in it can appreciate. During the two first years, Mr. Logan had no assistants but his two little sons, the eldest only twelve years of age. At the time of the arrival of Mr. Logan, the county seat had not been located. The excitement upon the question was at its highest pitch. The editor was like the man who felt obliged to say, "Good Lord and good Devil, for he did not know into which hands he would finally fall," his paper being a candidate for whichever town should prove the successful competitor for the county seat. He, however, solved the problem by opening his columns to both sides, and letting representatives of the rival localities advocate their respective claims. In this way his paper fought a pretty strong battle both for Rockingham and Davenport, without incurring the ill-will of either place. On the side of Davenport the principal writer was John H. Thorrington, father of Honorable Thomas Thorrington; and on the side of Rockingham, Colonel John H. Sullivan. Some pretty spicy discussions were carried on in those days. The paper did good service in the interest of immigration and the building up of the county and state. It issued its last number on the 8th of October, 1841. Mr. Logan established himself upon a farm on the Iowa City road about six miles from Davenport. He was, in fact, the pioneer farmer of the prairies of this section, there being at the time of his settlement only one house between him and town. He sold his place some time in 1863 and moved to Marshall County. Davenport Gazette. —In August, 1841, was issued the first number of the Davenport Gazette, by Alfred Sanders, Esq. Mr. Sanders was from Cincinnati, where he had resided till twenty-one years of age, having been born in Ohio in 1819. He had visited the Upper Mississippi in 1840 in search of a place for a permanent settlement, and finally selected Davenport as his future home. None but those who have tried the experiment can realize the trials, hardships and discouragements incident to opening a printing establishment in a frontier town away from all resources both financial and mechanical, and at a time of general stringency and depression in money matters throughout the new settlements of the West. To enter upon such an enterprise at such a time, required not only energy, courage and perseverance, but a faith in the future of the place and territory, based on a far-reaching foresight of their coming greatness and prosperity. Mr. Sanders possessed these qualities in an eminent degree. He landed on the 11th of August, from one of the smallest river steamers, the water being so low on the rapids that the boat had to be shoved over with poles. The arrival had been announced, and soon the landing was thronged with a crowd of spectators, curious to see the new press and editor. There being no wharf and the water being low, a plank walk was laid to the boat, on which in attempting to carry the press it was precipitated into the Mississippi. It was, however, finally landed, none the worse for its "baptism" before entering upon its new work, and the first number of the Gazette was issued on the 26th of August, 1841. Up to the present day not a single number has been missed in its regular publication. For the first ten years it hardly paid expenses; every obstacle existed in the way of its success; facilities and a field for it had to be created, by a slow and laborious process of self-denial, energy, economy, and incessant effort; yet Mr. Sanders kept his paper alive, and constantly increased its weekly value to his readers. Few such instances of deep devotion to a worthy enterprise amidst such hardships and discouragements are found in the records of the West as that which characterized Mr. Sanders in his determination to found a standard newspaper in a new country such as Iowa was at that time. Nor should the man who did the printing, Mr. Levi Davis, be forgotten in this record of the early press. No man among the early settlers of Davenport, is deserving of more credit than he, for faithfulness, industry and sterling integrity. He was the partner of Mr. Sanders, not only pecuniarily, but in the care, responsibility and burdens which came upon the paper through many dark years of its existence. He made the paper a model of neatness in mechanical execution such as few files of Western papers produced under such disadvantages can show. As the country and town grew in population and business, the patronage of the Gazette, increased, so that in May, 1851, its proprietors felt justified in enlarging it to a seven-column paper. On the 3d of September, 1853, they issued a tri-weekly. On the 16th of October, 1854, it appeared as a daily, starting out under favorable auspices, and continuing to increase in circulation and influence, notwithstanding the financial depression of 1857. In 1855 the proprietors introduced the first steam-press ever put in operation in Iowa—a large-sized Taylor & Hoe press, and from that time forward the establishment has been a financial success such as few newspapers in the West have attained. The dates of enlargement of the Gazette are the following: Weekly— 1842, 1846,1855, 1865 and 1872; Daily—1856, 1861, 1865 and 1874. The changes in proprietorship have been as follows: Established by Alfred Sanders and Levi Davis in 1841. The latter retired in 1856, and was succeeded by A. H. Sanders, who retired in 1861. In 1862 the Gazette Company was formed, Edward Russell, editor; James K. McCosh, Levi Davis, Fred Koops and Edward Russell, partners. In 1863, J. H. White purchased the interest of J. K. McCosh, and became business manager till 1865, when he sold his interest to Edward Russelll, Levi Davis and F. Koops. In 1868, Mr. Koops died, and his interest was purchased by J. S. Conner, who became business manager till 1870, when J. H. White purchased his interest and assumed the management. In 1871, Edward Russell sold his interest to W.M. Potter. In 872, Levi Davis sold to H. C. Marsh. In 1873, J. H. White died, and in 1874 his interest was purchased by E. C. Chapin, the present business manager of the Gazette Company, of which C. H. Marsh is one of the proprietors, and Waldo M. Potter, editor. The Gazette is a leading paper and one of the most influential west of Chicago, and is published in a fine building owned by the company. The Davenport Democrat. —In 1844 a newspaper was started in Davenport called the Democrat Banner, by Alexander Montgomery, who sold to R. Smeathan. T. D. Eagal afterwards became editor and proprietor, and after passing through several hands, the paper was purchased in 1855 by Hildreth, Richardson & West. Mr. Hildreth died in 1857, and Richardson & West continued it under the name of the Iowa State Democrat. Afterwards the Daily News was purchased and combined with it and it was issued as the Daily Democrat and News. Not having the data, we are unable to follow the subsequent changes, but in the hands of the present proprietors, the Richardson Brothers, the Democrat has become " a power in the land," and source of profit to its editors and publishers, who are now reaping in an increasing ratio, the fruits of the editorial ability and shrewd business management which have placed their paper in the front rank of journals west of the Mississippi river. The Democrat Building is a fine establishment. The whole enterprise is an illustration of what may be accomplished by talent and energy, directed by sound financial ability and good financiering. Few papers have achieved a more decided and permanent success than the Davenport Democrat in the hand of its present proprietors. Der Democrat, German daily and weekly, Liberal in politics, published by Henry Lischer; J. P. Sibilt, editor. This prosperous and successful journal was established in 1851 by Theo. Guelick, and is among the oldest German papers in the state. Its daily issue is the only daily in the state printed in the German language. It became the property of its present publisher, Mr. H. Lischer, in 1856, who enlarged it in 1863. The weekly addition is said to have the largest circulation of any German newspaper published in Iowa, and its influence is second to none in shaping and moulding the thought and politics in the country. The Western Weekly, devoted to news, literature and temperance, is the organ of the Good Templars' organization of the state, and is a high-toned and ably-conducted paper. It is edited by Samuel Roberts, a polished, conscientious and able writer, and a gentleman who has a high ideal of journalism. Its mechanical execution is in the best style of the printer's art, while its contents are rich and varied, affording its numerous weekly readers a choice selection of literacy, miscellaneous and original matter the Weekly is published by the Western Weekly Publishing Company, and has a liberal and increasing patronage. The Democrat Times, published by the Eldridge Brothers, was started in 1874, as a gratituous advertising sheet, but has been converted into a regular newspaper, and is receiving an encouraging patronage. Its publishers deserve to prosper, for they are the right kind of newspaper men—enterprising, courteous and obliging, and have an eye to the general public welfare as well as to business. The Times is published by the Eldridge Brothers on Third Street, between Brady and Perry. PUBLIC SCHOOLS. Davenport has seven or eight public school houses, many of which are costly and commodious buildings, and all supplied with able and efficient teachers. The schools are under the management of a City Superintendent and a Board of Education, and are graded in primary, intermediate, grammar and high school departments. In no city west of the Mississippi, are the public schools in a better condition than in Davenport. Much pains have been taken to elect men to regulate the schools who are intelligent and of high moral character. Although there are many deservedly popular select schools, yet the interest in the common schools of the city has gradually increased in proportion to the efficiency of their management, and as experience demonstrates the advantages of a free school system, open to all classes, and in which the rich and the poor alike have the opportunities of an education. RELIGIOUS MOVEMENTS. Catholic. —The first church organization in Davenport was St. Anthony's Roman Catholic. As early as 1836 missionary priests from Dubuque preached occasionally in private houses. In the Spring of 1838, Reverend Samuel Muzzuchelli, an Italian by birth, visited Davenport and organized a church. During the Summer, Antoine LeClaire erected a small brick church edifice on Church Square, which was enlarged in 1853, and was for several years the largest public edifice in town. On the 22d of May, 1839, St. Anthony's Church was dedicated by Right Reverend Bishop Loras, of Dubuque, assisted by Reverend Samuel Muzzuchelli, and for many years it was under the pastorate of Reverend J. M. Pelamorgues. In 1855 a second Catholic Church was organized, for the Germans, by Reverend Michael Flammany. A stone church building was erected the same year on Mitchell's addition to Davenport, Mr. Mitchell donating the land. Reverend Mr. Baumgartner was appointed pastor, and remained in that office till 1848. St. Margaret's Church was erected by Mr. LeClaire, who also donated the ground for it, 1856. Reverend A. Trevis was the pastor for many years, and was assisted by Reverend H. Cosgrove. In 1858 the number of Catholics in Davenport amounted to 7,000. The Catholics organized a temperance society in 1841, which did much good, and had also an institute, which met once a week for lectures and discussions. These imparted a beneficial influence, the fruits of which are still ripening in the tone of society. Although the majority of the people of this communion were poor in the early days of Davenport, yet they had the prestige of numbers, of being the first in the field, and the powerful support of such liberal patrons as a Davenport, a LeClaire and a Mitchell. Presbyterian. —In 1838 the first Presbyterian Church was formed, consisting of ten members, and met in a small building above the alley on Ripley Street, between Front and Second. The building belongs to T. S. Hoge, and was subsequently burned down. In May, 1839, a more thorough organization was effected, at a meeting held in a little frame school house on the corner of Fourth and Harrison Streets. The pioneer clergymen who officiated on the occasion were, Reverend Ithamer Pillsbury, of Andover, Illinois; Reverend M. Hummer, of Rock Island; and Reverend Enoch Mead, of Rockingham. Among the incidents of this meeting, it is related that Reverend Mr. Pillsbury walked all the way from Andover to Davenport, twenty-six miles, and returned on foot; that when he came to Rock River slough it was overflowed for a space of some eighty rods, and was too deep to wade; and that he applied to Mr. George Moore, the nearest resident, though living two miles distant on the bluff, who kindly sent his son with a team to carry him across. This is but an instance among many of the hardships of pioneer ministers in the West. In 1842 J. M. D. Burrows and T. S. Hoge were ordained elders of the church. The first settled pastor was Reverend Samuel Cleland, in 1843. Their first house of worship was a small brick structure, on the site of the present church building. In the Fall of 1846 the Sunday School was first organized: C. C. Williams, Superintendent. The edifice erected in 1853 had the first steeple and bell in Davenport. Christian Church. —The first organization of this church was on July 25, 1839, at the house of D. C. Eldridge, Elder James Rumbold officiating. Seventeen persons united. After holding meetings some time in private houses, the congregation rented as their first stated place of worship Mr. Tapley's carpenter shop, on Second, between Main and Brady Streets, at four dollars per month. In 1844 a brick meeting house was erected on Brady Street, between Fourth and Fifth, costing $800. "Christian Chapel" was erected in 1855-56, at a cost of $8,500. In 1842 the church was incorporated, by act of the Legislature, under the name and style of "The Church of Christ, meeting in Davenport." In 1844, Doctor H. P. Gatchell was pastor; in 1848 Elder Charles Levan, succeeded by Elder James E. Gaston, who was followed by Elder Alexander Johnson. In 1854 Elder Jonas Hartzell became pastor, continuing till February 7, 1858, and was succeeded by Elder Eli Regal till October of that year. Elder Samuel Lowe followed in August, 1859; and in December, 1862, Elder A. Chatterton settled over the church. Congregational.—the first Congregational sermon in this vicinity was preached by Reverend Asa Turner, at the house of Levi Chamberlin, Esq., in Pleasant Valley, in the Summer of 1836. On the 30th of July, 1839, a small congregation was formed in Davenport, and met in a small building on Main Street, opposite the Catholic church. Their next place of meeting was the "Log Cabin" erected by the "Harrison Club" on Third Street; next, they met in a school room on the east side of Harrison Street. In 1844 part of their church building was erected and dedicated. Reverend Ephraim Adams was the first regular pastor, and continued ten years and six months in the pastorate, resigning in May, 1855. He began with twelve members. In 1862 the number had reached four hundred and twenty-three. The successor of Mr. Adams in 1855 was Reverend George F. Magoun. Episcopal. —The organization of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Iowa, was effected at Muscatine, in August, 1853. Reverend Henry W. Lee, D. D., was elected Bishop in June, 1854, and consecrated in Rochester, New York, in October following. The first regular service of the Episcopal Church in Davenport was held by Reverend C. H. Goldsmith, on the 14th of October, 1841. On the 4th of November a parish was regularly organized, under the name of "Trinity Church." Ira Cook, J. W. Parker, W. W. Dodge, Ebenezer Cook and H. S. Finley were elected Vestrymen. Their first church edifice was a small frame building, on Main, between Fourth and Fifth Streets, which was abandoned in 1853, and service held in a store room on the corner of Rock Island and Second Streets till August, 1854,when their church was completed and dedicated. St. Luke's Parish was organized on the 4th of April, 1856. In March, 1857, Reverend Horatio Powers became rector. On the 14th of March, 1858, the beautiful church edifice of this parish was dedicated. It is impossible in the brief space at our command to give more than a mere sketch of the beginnings of these important religious movements. Davenport is headquarters of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Iowa, having the Bishop's residence and cathedral, the latter a fine structure erected some ten years ago. Methodist Episcopal. —Reverend Mr. Gavitt, from Ohio, first sounded the gospel trumpet according to the Methodist faith in this vicinity in 1836, preaching the first sermon in the house of D. C. Eldridge. A class of five or six members was formed in 1839, at the house of Timothy Dillon, on Third Street, near Washington Square. Such was the beginning of a church which has since grown into great magnitude and influence. In 1853, the little brick church on Perry Street becoming too small, the new church on Brady Street was erected, and dedicated in July, 1854. In 1863 this church had a membership of about four hundred. Baptist. —We have not been able to obtain the history of the founding of the First Baptist Church of Davenport, but infer that it had an early existence, and attained a good degree of prosperity prior to 1851; for on the 6th of October of that year "sixteen members of the First Baptist Church of Davenport asked and received letters of dismission for the purpose of organizing another church." On the 7th of October the council met at the house of J. M. Witherwax, and proceeded to organize the "sixteen members" into a "Second Baptist Church of Davenport, Iowa." On the 13th of June, 1852, reverend E. M. Miles was called and settled, and the church steadily increased in numbers. In February, 1853, a movement was made toward building a house of worship, which was soon consummated in a stone edifice, forty-six by eighty-six feet, with basement and spire. The membership in 1862 was two hundred and eighty. Reverend Isaac Butterfield, pastor for five years, resigned his charge in 1863, leaving the church out of debt and prosperous. Evangelical Lutheran. —This church was established November 25, 1855. Reverend Jacob Steck was the first pastor. In 1856 a church building was erected and dedicated. Second Presbyterian, N.S.—This church, an off-shoot of the First Presbyterian, was founded on the 4th of May, 1857, with twenty-eight members. For some time they occupied Grigg's Hall; then Metropolitan Hall; and subsequently the house originally occupied by the First Baptist Church on Brady Street. Reverend D. T. Packard was their pastor, during whose ministry the church seemed to prosper; but from removals and financial embarrassments, it declined, and, we believe, was finally abandoned. Associate Reformed Presbyterian. —A church of this order was founded in 1856, and erected a house of worship on the southeast corner of Scott and Eleventh Streets on a lot donated by James McIntosh. The congregation, in 1857, numbered about sixty, and was under the pastoral charge of Reverend S. M. Hutchinson. Dutch Reformed Church. —In 1859 a church of this denomination was organized with eleven members. A neat church edifice, seating two hundred and fifty persons, was erected at a cost of $3,500, on the corner of Eleventh and Brady Streets, and dedicated on the 6th of September, 1860. At the same time Reverend C. G. VanDerveer was installed pastor. In 1863 the church numbered forty members, and the Sunday school ninety. Mr. VanDerveer was Chaplain of the Eighth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, which was captured at the battle of Pittsburg Landing, after which he resumed his charge at Davenport Unitarian. —In about the year 1870 a movement was made by the Western Secretary of the American Unitarian Association for the establishment of a Unitarian Society in Davenport. A society was organized, and since that time a church has been built and supplied with regular preaching. Reverend S. S. Hunting is the present pastor. ADDITIONS TO THE CITY. Antoine LeClaire laid out his first addition to the City of Davenport in the Spring of 1838. The dates of his second and third additions we have not been able to obtain. His fourth addition was made in May, 1850; his fifth, on the 22d of February, 1852; his sixth, in the Fall of 1853; and his seventh, on the 20th of June, 1854. Cook & Sargeant's addition was made in 1851.