History of Davenport and Scott County Iowa, Volume I, Part 66

Author: Downer, Harry E
Publication date: 1910
Publisher: Chicago : S. J. Clarke
Number of Pages: 1042

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Of the large subscriptions to the building fund Mr. Crossett's stands out pre- eminently-$50,000. J. E. Lindsay subscribed $10,000; Major E. B. Hayward, $2,500, and several subscriptions of $1,000 and less made up the grand total.

The new building which is on the corner of Harrison and Fourth streets, was started in 1908 and on the Ist of July of 1909, the dormitories were fur- nished and occupied. The building proper was completed on the 6th of Septem- ber following, and October 2Ist was formally dedicated, the principal address

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HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY

being delivered by Dr. E. B. Rogers, pastor of the First Baptist church of Cham- paign, Illinois. The program was an elaborate one and extended from Mon- day, October 18th, to Saturday, the 23d. The structure architecturally is mod- est, though very pleasing to the eye and is constructed of dark gray brick and stone trimmings, and cost, with the lot and furnishings $110,000. The base- ment is occupied by the junior department where they have their club rooms and so forth, and swimming pool, and the first floor, gives way to the main social parlors and gymnasium. The second and third floors are devoted to dormitories. There are now over 600 members and the association has a bright future before it. The officers are as follows : Board of directors, president, George S. Johnson ; vice president, A. G. Bush; recording secretary, J. E. Hardman; treasurer, George M. Bechtel; general secretary, C. B. Turner; assistant secretary, S. A. Randall; physical director, H. L. Reinhardt.

COMMERCIAL CLUB.

The Board of Trade was organized in 1867, with the object of collecting and recording statistical data relating to commerce and manufacturers to the end that Davenport might be benefited and to promote the commercial and manu- facturing interests of the city. The association continued as such for some time, when interest in it lapsed until in 1882 a reorganization was accomplished, but later abandoned the Board of Trade's features of buying and selling stocks and furnishing market reports, and in January, 1882, the Produce Exchange took its place. Finally this concern reached its end and the Davenport Business Men's Association was formed and did much good, while it lasted, to promote the welfare of the city until the early part of 1906, when steps were taken to or- ganize the Davenport Commercial Club. The committees selected to start the movement for the new organization were not long in reaching the conclusion that their efforts were to meet with success and with but little difficulty the money was raised for the magnificent seventy-five thousand dollar building which was soon thereafter built on the northwest corner of Main and Fourth streets. This building is a modern club house in all its appurtenances. The main floor has the parlors, secretary's office, reading room and director's room. The next floor is devoted to the cafe, and contiguous thereto are the dining room and kitchen. On the floor below the sidewalk those of the members so disposed can find a rathskeller and billiard and pool rooms. The club itself meets the needs of a city like Davenport, which is ever ambitious to grow and shine with its competing cities of the state, and the organization is accomplishing this in a way that calls for the commendation of every real friend of Davenport. Manufacturers and jobbers have been brought together, freight rates have come under the club's special attention, with gratifying results to the shipping and receiving merchant. In many things through its efforts the railroads have been induced to meet re- quests of the club on the part of citizens at least half way, to the end that Daven- port has become a convention city of no mean order, and in that one item the city is largely advertised and the hotels' and merchants' receipts largely increased.

The club has its committees on commerce, manufacturing, jobbing, trans- portation, finance and other business interests and their endeavor and determina-

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HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY

tion is to talk unremittingly of the advantages of Davenport as a manufacturing and business center and to do everything legitimately within their power to ad- vance the interests of the city.

The Commercial Club is incorporated with a paid up capital of $10,000.

THE OUTING CLUB.

It was in 1890 or 1891 that some indefinite plans Rev. A. M. Judy, pastor of the First Unitarian church, was making which looked to the establishing of a center for out-door recreation began to take more specific shape. He had long seen the need for some place where the young people of his congregation and their friends could gather for games and field sports. The members of the Unity Club agreed with him and promised to help him in a substantial way. Near Central park was found the ideal location, the residence and grounds formerly occupied by J. D. Brewster. The home would serve the modest requirements of the original plans for a club house. There were acres enough for tennis, ball and field sports. The plan widened as citizens outside Mr. Judy's congregation asked to be allowed to join. In June, 1891, the stock subscription lists were opened. In July the required 300 shares were placed. The property was pur- chased and the Outing Club took its place among the city's good features.

This was but the beginning. As the desires of the young people were mani- fested for additional facilities they were furnished. There were summer band concerts and dances ; a bowling alley and shooting gallery was installed and when the idea of a club house for larger social occasions appeared a sumptuous struc- ture arose with dining rooms, large enough to seat some hundreds of guests, smoking and billiard rooms, reading room, a splendid ball room which has a stage and scenery for private theatricals,-almost everything that anyone could con- sider worth while. All this the club house furnishes. In April, 1905, a disas- trous fire almost ruined the club house or Inn, as it is called. In July of the same year it was reopened, rebuilt and handsomer than ever. In August, 1907, the stockholders voted to sell the grounds to a holding company who has since paid all indebtedness, and furnish the property to the Club free of rental. The Inn has become a great feature in the social life of Davenport. Many people enter- tain there rather than at their own homes and the Inn is brightly lighted and filled with flowers and music many times during the social season. A great part of the social pleasure of the city has the Outing Club for its center.

DAVENPORT HOTEL.

The Davenport hotel was the first public caravansary to be erected in Daven- port. It was built in 1836 by Antoine LeClaire and Colonel George Davenport and was situated on the corner of Front and Ripley streets.

THE BURTIS HOUSE.

This famous hostelry was thrown open to the public in 1857 and the first banquet to be held in the house was the first given by the Scott County Old

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HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY

Settlers' association. The hotel was the rendezvous for everybody of impor- tance during war times, and many army officers made it their headquarters. The building was erected by Dr. Burtis at a cost of $75,000, and for many years he was the boniface of this widely known place of entertain- ment for the inner man and the traveler of fastidious tastes. When the Rock Island road changed its through line over the newly constructed bridge the Burtis was left in the switch yard and its usefulness as a hotel ended. It is now occupied by the Crescent Macaroni Company. A new Burtis hotel was built at Perry and Fourth streets, on the new line. Shortly after the name was changed to the Kimball in honor of Superintendent A. Kimball of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific.

THE KIMBALL.

This hotel was built in 1878 and was for its day all that could have been desired. But the demands of the traveling public and new methods and con- veniences coming into vogue made a change imperative, and in 1880 at least $80,000 was expended upon the interior of the building, making the hotel, as it was then considered, without a fault. But in 1908 the building was completely remodeled, at an expense of $150,000, and today it is par excellence in beauty and equipment and has few equals in this section of the country. The office on the ground floor is finished in marble, with large luxurious leathern chairs and settees, writing tables, and the whole lobby magnificently lighted by large plate- glass windows. The dining rooms and bedrooms are beautifully furnished and the corridors are marvels in spaciousness. The Dutch style of decoration ob- tains and the lobbies' ceilings are supported by massive pillars of Flemish oak.

LE CLAIRE HOUSE.

The next hotel of importance was the LeClaire House, built by Antoine LeClaire in the later '30s at a cost of thirty thousand dollars, and at the time it was the finest and most noted hostelry west of the Mississippi. It was located on the northeast corner of Main and Second streets and became a landmark for travelers, many of them of great distinction, and also was the social and political center for the city and surrounding country. The LeClaire was finally called the Newcomb House, and in 1895 W. C. Putnam secured control of the prop- erty and additions built thereto by LeClaire in the early '50s. Since then the buildings have been known as the North Putnam block. In the spring of 1910 that part of the block originally devoted to hotel purposes was torn down to give way to a modern eight-story business building, and at this writing is in course of construction by the Putnam estate. The manager of the estate intends eventually to extend the improvement so that the whole block will be uniform in design and architecture. This will be one of the greatest and most ambitious improvements in Davenport since its intense spirit of progressiveness began to show results in the many public and private structures which have been put up and which now can be seen on every side of the business section of the city.

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DAVENPORT HOTEL

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DAVENPORT HOTEL, LATER U. P. HOTEL Built in 1836. Now Razed

SCOTT HOUSE

NEW KIMBALL HOTEL

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HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY

THE NEW DAVENPORT.

The New Davenport opened for business in 1908, a short time before the New Kimball, and presented to the public one of the finest and costliest hotels in the Mississippi valley. It is located at the corner of Fourth and Main streets, is a fireproof structure and modern in every detail. There are 250 rooms, of which 150 are provided with baths, and each room has hot and cold running water, as has also the New Kimball.

Davenport is well supplied with good hotels, and the accommodations given by them make the city a most desirable place for conventions, of which there are many here gathered in the course of each succeeding year, especially in the summer. Of these mention may be made of the St. James; Kemper Hall, a select private hotel presided over for a number of years by Mrs. Louis LeClaire ; The Saratoga : The Arlington; The Palestine; The Windsor, and a number of others.

PUBLIC SCHOOL BUILDINGS.

High school, between Main and Harrison and Eleventh and Twelfth streets.

No.

I. Washington, Fulton and Mississippi avenues.

2. Adams, Seventh and Perry streets.

3. Jefferson, Sixth and Warren streets

4. Madison, Locust and Main streets

5. Monroe, 1607 West Third street.

6. Jackson, Union street, near Mitchell street.

7. Van Buren, Lincoln and Hancock avenues.

8. Harrison, Fourth and Ripley streets.

9. Tyler, 1921 Grand avenue.

10.

Polk, Eighth and Marquette streets.

II. Taylor, Fifteenth and Warren streets.

12. Fillmore, Fourth and Warren streets.

13. Pierce, Fulton avenue and Christie street.

14. Buchanan, Sixth and Oak streets.

15. Lincoln, Eighth and Rock Island streets.

16. Johnson, Locust and Howell streets.

PLACES OF AMUSEMENT.

Davenport has the reputation in the theatrical world of being a "good town" for the business and from that fact the best talent in the country makes dates for this place. The city has two modern opera houses, the Burtis and the Grand, and then there also is the Princess, which now is devoted to performances by a stock company, at popular prices. There are two vaudeville places, the Ameri- can and the Family theatre, which entertain large audiences daily and nightly, at a small price, and since the advent of the "moving pictures" Davenport has been well supplied with places, whose seats are generously patronized both day and night. where for five cents a half hour's entertainment can be obtained.

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HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY

THE POST OFFICE.

On April 19, 1836, Antoine LeClaire became the first postmaster of Daven- port, having received his commission on that day from Washington. He had no deputy, nor had he any other means of carrying the mail but on his own proper person, and his mail bags were the capacious pockets in the tail of his coat. Semi- occasionally letters would arrive in Stephenson, now Rock Island, to which place he would go and receive them. His first quarter's stipend was said to have been the munificent sum of seventy-five cents. But this was not the first postoffice established in this vicinity. The island of Rock Island is given that distinction and Colonel George Davenport was placed in charge of the mails there in 1824. Previous to this, during the occupancy of the island by government troops, the mails came in at very irregular intervals, by military manipulation, once a year or oftener, as supplies or reinforcements were sent in. When Colonel Daven- port was appointed the nearest office was at the little town of Atlas, on the Illi- nois river, about three miles from its mouth. It was between this point and the island, about three hundred miles distant, that the mail carriers, either on foot or on horseback, made trips once a month. A few years later the nearest post- office was at Clarksville, Missouri, 245 miles away ; then the service got up as far as Hannibal, 208 miles, and a little later to Quincy, 183 miles. Between the island and Quincy the mail service was performed by Rev. Peter Williams, a Methodist minister. A local writer says of him: "Meager as to education, but chuck full of zeal, he faithfully served Uncle Sam and his Divine Master contemporane- ously delivering his mail and his rousing old backwoods Methodist sermons at the same time. Despite the well-known text upon the subject, he did serve two mas- ters, and did it well. Parson Peter's loftiest efforts were reserved for the sinful men of sanguinary war who peopled Fort Armstrong. At that point, of a Sun- day, in his plain, ungrammatical style, did the venerable old man thunder forth the gospel with most earnest vehemence. He was a Methodist, with the bark on, and he took no pains to conceal it. He was the pioneer Methodist of these parts, probably the first preacher of any denomination among the white men in this vicinity."

LATEST YEARLY STATEMENT.

Yearly statement, ending March 31, 1910: Stamp sales, $175,430.75; box rent, $692.40 ; newspaper postage, $9,491.51; waste paper, $44.96; total, $185,- 659.62 ; year 1909, $169,114.96; gain for year, $16,544.66.

MAIL FROM THE EAST.

The route from Quincy to the island was suspended in 1829 or 1830, and the island mail came in by way of Chicago and Galena, by horseback from the latter place until about 1835, when it commenced coming by vehicle by way of Dixon, and it kept coming by that route until the advent of the steam horse. In 1838 there were several mail routes into this vicinity, bringing mail about half the days of the week.

Colonel Davenport was in possession of the office several years before he was properly sworn in. Judge Irwin, of the United States supreme court, by

COMMERCIAL CLUB

.....

ELKS' BUILDING. DAVENPORT

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HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY

chance visited the island and administered the long-neglected oath of office. Mr. Davenport was postmaster on the island until November 25, 1834, when his charge was turned over to Miles Conway, at Farnhamsburg, now Rock Island.

In December, 1836, D. C. Eldridge opened a store in a little log house down on the corner of Front and Ripley streets, and Mr. LeClaire made him his dep- uty, and gave him charge of the office. The duties of this office were not yet burdensome, though provisions were made for bringing the mail over in a mail bag. Mr. Eldridge closed out his store in a year or two, and in the summer of 1838 built a little one-story brick house on the corner of Third and Main streets, for his future residence, and just east of it, upon the same lot, erected the little brick office for a postoffice. It was not much of a building, and would but poorly accommodate the business of today. But it was quite a neat little affair, and really a great improvement in its day. There was plenty of room for the neat little array of boxes, and for two or three city magnates to sit and talk awhile with the agreeable and chatty postmaster. It was the first expressly built postoffice building in Davenport. From a well-written article by D. N. Richard- son, the following extract is taken: "Mr. Eldridge ended his service as deputy in February, 1838, and was now commander-in-chief of the department, receiv- ing his commission through the influence of General George W. Jones, of Du- buque, then delegate in congress for Wisconsin territory. Mr. Eldridge had formed the acquaintance of the general in 1835, while moving into this country, and afterward met him at Burlington, in 1837, while the Wisconsin territorial legislature was there in session, before which body he was a candidate for fur- ther congressional honors. Mr. Eldridge was a whig and the general a demo- crat, but politics didn't amount to much on the border in those days, and if it did it didn't make any difference in this case. The general took a liking to Mr. Eldridge and got him the position, which he held, with but a single recess, for more than a dozen years. The postoffice remained in the little brick office for nearly two years, but in 1840 was removed to the White Hall tavern, but then newly erected upon the site now occupied by the Democrat building, Mr. Eldridge being its host. The postoffice was kept in the bar-room of the White Hall for a little more than a year, when Mr. Eldridge retired from hotel-keeping and established a handsome and spacious reading room in the basement of the Le- Claire House. The postoffice was removed into the reading-room and there. remained until 1843, when a little frame bakery down on Main street was fitted up for its occupancy and the reading-room abandoned to other less literary uses. Here Mr. Eldridge kept his office until the inauguration of James K. Polk as president, in March, 1845, soon after which the office was handed over to John Forrest, the village justice. In the same building did Squire Forrest hold his court and handle the mail during the entire Polk administration. He informs us that he was unfortunate in his official career, in that about the time he entered upon his duty the rate of postage was reduced from twenty-five, eighteen and three-quarters, and twelve and a half cents per letter to ten and five cents, which interference on the part of the government in favor of the letter-writing masses for a while very seriously curtailed his percentage, which was no higher under the new arrangement than under the old. This trouble was but temporary, how- ever, for under the reduced postage system the mail bags became much more

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HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY

weighty after awhile, and the receipts got to be quite satisfactory before his office term had expired. He remained postmaster until the summer of 1849, when General Taylor, having assumed the presidential chair, executed a com- mission to the former incumbent, and D. C. Eldridge again became postmaster. Upon taking hold of the office that gentleman removed it to Second street, into a new brick store building. He had bought out two drug stores just before, one of Dr. John F., now Judge Dillon, and another of Alfred Sanders, editor of the Gazette, and consolidated the pills and pestles in the aforesaid new two-story brick. So the drugs and mail matter were both dealt out over the same counter.

OUT IN THE COUNTRY.

"This new postoffice location made trouble. It was away out in the country, the bulk of the city being between Main and Ripley streets. The people wanted very much to know what the mischief he was carting the postoffice away up to Princeton for? They wanted their mail, and they didn't want to hunt all over the prairies for it, either! Petitions were circulated, numerously signed, and forwarded to Washington, where the grievances of the people were taken under advisement. The department called on Mr. Eldridge for an explanation of his sudden movement toward the lead mines. The worthy official responded by saying that he had sought to serve the interests of the department by removing the office from a rickety old frame to a substantial brick, and the entire distance between the old postoffice and the new was but about 500 feet by actual tape-line measure, and he believed it to be his duty to keep it there. So the government thought, and so the difficulty ended.

"The office remained there. In November. 1852, was General Frank Pierce chosen president. Mr. Eldridge wanted to spend the winter in Cincinnati, and concluded to give up the office, knowing that a change would probably be made in the spring, so he forwarded his resignation in favor of William Van Tuyl, a well known democrat. Mr. Van Tuyl was duly appointed postmaster and con- tinued the office in the same place until the following spring, when the Pierce ad- ministration came into power, and assumed the reins of government. While the people of Davenport had no reason to find fault with the manner in which Postmaster Van Tuyl had conducted the affairs of his office, the democrats did object to the manner of his appointment. There were other aspirants to the position in the field, among whom were A. F. Mast, T. D. Eagal, editor of the Democratic Banner, Richard Shields and Gilbert McKown, who with their back- ers vigorously disputed the right of Mr. Eldridge, the former incumbent and a whig, to dictate as to which of the expectant democracy should enjoy the spoils of the glorious democratic victory. The general disquiet culminated in an ap- peal to General George W. Jones, who, not wishing to take the postal bull by the horns, directed, as there were several candidates in the field, the choice of the democracy be indicated by ballot. So they met at the court-house one quiet spring morning and voted-as usual. After a ballot or two Mr. Eagal withdrew his name in favor of Mr. Mast, who was the fortunate candidate. His name was sent forward and in due time his commission arrived. Mr. Van Tuyl, be-

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HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY

ing of the opinion that his position would be sustained, did not go into caucus, and so lost his office.

A BUILDING PROVIDED.

"Mr. Mast assumed control of the office and held it for eight years. Its location remained on Second street, near Brady, about three months, during which time he put up a new postoffice building on the corner of the alley on Brady, below Second street, which room becoming too small, was deserted in 1855 for more commodious quarters further up Brady street. When Mr. Mast entered the office, Davenport was just becoming a point of importance. The Chicago & Rock Island railroad was approaching completion ; seven four-horse mail coach- es of Frink & Walker's line left this place daily for various western points. The western mail arrived by way of Muscatine, at midnight, and about the office on arrival and departure of the mails there was that noise and bustle, rattling of coach wheels, prancing of horses, cracking of whips, and slinging of mail bags that will never be seen again. In those days, and until 1861, the postoffice boxes, now the property of the department, belonged to the postmaster, together with all their proceeds. This income, together with the usual percentage of 40 per cent on mail matter, amounted to about $800 the first year ; increased to $3,300 in 1856 and 1857, and then under pressure of the panic subsided to $2,000 a year, in the later part of his official term. With the exception of a few months at the be- ginning, Richard Smetham was with him the entire term; and during the flush times spoken of, three clerks were employed. The opening of the mails on Sun- day mornings in those times afforded a rare sight, the 'general delivery' patrons being numerous and anxious. Taking place in line as they arrived, the 'rear sergeant' generally found himself well nigh out of sight of the postoffice. At that time the Davenport postoffice was only one of three postoffices in the United States that had a surplus over expenses. The room, which was originally about fifty feet deep, was extended some thirty feet farther back by tearing away the partition and taking in what was then the city marshal's office.

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History of Davenport and Scott County Iowa, Volume I, Part 66

Author: Downer, Harry E Publication date: 1910 Publisher: Chicago : S. J. Clarke Number of Pages: 1042

Author: Downer, Harry E
Publication date: 1910
Publisher: Chicago : S. J. Clarke
Number of Pages: 1042