|
The City of Davenport, Iowa
This beautiful city now
covers that "Section of land opposite Rock
Island" that was donated by treaty to
Antoine LeClair by the Sacs and Foxes, and
also three or four more sections. At that
time it was wholly uninhabited, the Foxes
having removed their village from that point
some three years before. As a town site it
was regarded by strangers and travelers on
steamboats as the most beautiful west of the
Mississippi between St. Louis and St. Paul,
and now, with its twenty-three thousand
inhabitants, elegant residences, magnificent
public buildings, fine churches,
schoolhouses, extensive manufactories, and
large business blocks, it Stands unrivalled
as a beautiful city. It has ten miles of
street railroads, affording easy access to
all parts of the city. It has two daily
papers, the "Gazette" and "Democrat",
(morning and evening) both ably conducted;
and also a German daily and two weeklies.
The river is spanned by an elegant bridge
that was built at the cost of nearly a
million dollars, which is used by the
various railroads from East to West, and has
a roadway for teams and pedestrians.
The City Of
Rock Island Is
located on the bank of the river in
Illinois, immediately opposite to Davenport,
and is a large and flourishing city, with a
population of about twelve thousand
inhabitants. It has fine public buildings,
elegant churches and residences, substantial
business blocks, extensive manufactories and
elegant water works. The city is lighted by
electric lights, from high towers, that cast
their refulgent rays over the entire city,
which makes it the finest lighted city in
the west. There are two daily papers,
(morning and evening) "The Union" and "The
Argus", both enjoying the privilege of Press
dispatches, and both issue weeklies. "The
Rock Islander" is also published weekly, and
all have the appearance of great prosperity.
The professions are represented by men of
fine ability, including some of wide
reputation. The banking business is done
principally by two National Banks, that have
a deservedly high reputation, and are doing
a large business. There are two first-class
hotels--the Harper House and Rock Island
House--and several of less pretentious. The
city has large coal fields, in close
proximity, with railroads running daily to
and from the banks, by which the three
cities are supplied.
The City Of
Moline
Is located two miles up the river from Rock
Island, but connected with it by street
railways. It has a population of over 8,000
inhabitants, and is extensively known from
its many manufacturing establishments, which
are supplied with water power from a dam
across the river from the Island.
The City Of
Keokuk, Iowa Is
located at the foot of the Lower Rapids, 139
miles from Rock Island, and bears the name
of the distinguished chief of the Sacs and
Foxes. At our first visit there, in 1832,
there was a long row of one-story buildings
fronting on the river, that were used by
Col. Farnham, agent of the American Fur
Company, as a store and warehouse--this
being the principal depot for trade with the
Sacs and Foxes, who were then the sole
proprietors of the country and its principal
inhabitants, with the exception of a few
individuals who had got permission to put up
shanties for occupation during the low-water
season, while they were engaged in lighting
steamers passing up and down the river, but
unable to cross the rapids while loaded.
At that day the old chief, Keokuk, boasted
of having the handsomest site for a big
village that could be found on the river,
and since that day it has grown to be a
large and elegant city, with wide streets,
fine public buildings, nice churches,
school-houses, elegant residences, extensive
business houses, wholesale and retail
stores, manufactories, and a flourishing
Medical University with elegant buildings,
which has been in successful operation for
more than twenty years. The United States
District Court for Southern Iowa is also
located here. The city is well provided with
good hotels. The Patterson House, an immense
building, five stories high, being chief,
which has always ranked as first-class-with
a number of hotels of smaller dimensions,
but well kept--affording ample accommodation
for the thousands of travelers that
frequently congregate at this place. The
various professions are represented by men
of fine ability--some of them of wide
reputation. They have two daily papers, "The
Gale City", and "The Constitution", which
are ably conducted.
A fine canal, running the entire length of
the Rapids, from Montrose to Keokuk, has
been built by the United States, through
which steamboats can now pass at any stage
of water--but designed more particularly for
low water--so that there is no longer any
detention to lighten steamboats over the
Rapids. The
City Of Muscatine,
Iowa Muscatine was
first settled as a wood yard by Col. John
Vanater, in July, 1834, and was laid out as
a town by him in 1836, and called
Bloomington. The county was organized in
1837, under the name of Muscatine, and
Bloomington made the county seat. The name
of the town was changed to correspond with
that of the county in 1851. Its population
at the last census was 8,294; present
population not less than 10,000. Besides
being the center of a large trade in
agricultural products, it is extensively
engaged in manufacturing lumber, sash, doors
and blinds, and possesses numerous large
manufactories, oat-meal mills, and the
finest marble works in the State. It is also
the centering point of a very large
wholesale and retail trade. It is situated
at the head of the rich Muscatine Island,
the garden spot of the Northwest, and is the
shipping point for millions of melons and
sweet potatoes annually.
Muscatine is a good town, with a good
business and good newspapers. The "Journal"
and "Tribune" are published daily,
semi-weekly and weekly. Hon. John Mahin has
been the editor of the "Journal" since 1852,
and there is no editor in the State whose
service dates further back than his. The books presented are for
their historical value only and are not the
opinions of the Webmasters of the site.
Autobiography of Black
Hawk or Ma-Ka-Tai-Me-She-Kia-Kiak,
Copyrighted By J. B. Patterson, 1882
Black Hawk Indian WarFree
Genealogy |
Indian
Genealogy |
Black Hawk Indian War
|
|
