USA > Iowa > Scott County > Davenport > History of Davenport and Scott County Iowa, Volume I > Part 79
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I am, sir, your most obedient servant, JOHN MCLEAN.
To Mr. George Davenport.
In the fall Mr. Davenport received his commission but it was two or three years before he took the oath of office, as there were no officers to administer it.
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HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY
In the fall of 1826 Mr. Bostwick, purchasing agent of the American Fur Company, arrived at Rock island and made an arrangement with him to become a member of that company, purchased all his goods, trading posts, etc. Gave him the management of the trade from the mouth of the Iowa river up to Turkey river. Mr. Russell Farnham having charge of the trade below and his main de- pot at Fort Edwards. Mr. Rollette had charge of the trade above-his princi- pal depot at Prairie du Chien. A few extracts from his daily record may give some idea of the times :
1826. October 21st. Thomas Forsyth, Indian agent, and Dr. Craig, left here on Captain Culver's keel boat for St. Louis.
October 30th. Mr. Rollette's keel boat passed down. Mr. Ingraham on board.
October 31st. . Mr. Lamalease left here for Rock river to build trading house.
October 3Ist. Lieutenant Clarke arrived with keel boat loaded with corn for St. Peters.
October 31st. Brought mail. Sent mail by Lieutenant Clarke for Prairie du Chien.
November Ist. Great fire across the river-all our hay stacks burnt.
November Ist. Russell Farnham arrived in keel boat Oregon.
November Ist. Mr. Burk, a Virginian, arrived, who had been lost sixteen days on Rock river.
November 4th. Mr. Farnham left for St. Louis.
November 4th. Mr. Burk left for the mines-furnished him with a horse.
November 5th. Mr. Man's keel boat passed down from lead mines.
November 5th. John K. Forsyth arrived from trading house on Rock river.
November 6th. Casnor and my men arrived with a canoe load of coal from Rock river.
November 6th. Keel boat Oliver Perry came in sight ; put to, on account of the wind; arrived on the 7th.
November 8th. Oliver Perry passed up at 9 o'clock a. m., two bark canoes arrived from the mines ; laid by on account of the wind; Captain Lowe on board.
November 9th. Keel boat Missouri arrived at 10 o'clock and departed at 3 o'clock.
November 13th. Boat arrived from Rock river.
November 15th. Winnebago chief, Carimonne arrived from Waupsipinica.
November 20th. Keel boat Missouri, Captain Otis Reynolds, from the mines, loaded with lead, for Davenport & Company. Martin Smith, and two men, arrived to establish a wood yard at the mouth of Rock river.
In the spring of 1827 Mr. Davenport started on a visit to his native place in England, after an absence of twenty-three years. He remained there about a year-visited London and all the principal cities. He returned in May, 1828, to Rock island. During this year the first settlements were made in this vi- cinity. Two families (Judge Pence and his son), arrived on the 9th day of December at Black Hawk's lodge. Several more families came directly after, among whom were John Spencer, Johan Case, William Brasher, Rinnah Wells, Joshua Vandruff, Archy Allen, George Harland, Thomas Hubbard, and John
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Danforth. On the 27th of December, Mr. Davenport's daily record says : "George Wells came down for provisions, he having settled on the rapids. He makes the tenth settler in our neighborhood and one preacher, Rev. John Kinney, who preached the first time on the island the 29th of January, 1829." During the first. year the settlers suffered very great hardships and Mr. Davenport fur- nished many of them provisions and groceries until they got their farms under cultivation and raised a crop.
In the spring of 1829 the Indians returned to their village and found the whites occupying their houses and cornfields. Mr. Davenport used all his influence with the Indians to induce them to remove to the west side of the Mississippi and partly succeeded. Waupello removed his village to Muscatine Slough and Keokuk, with part of the Sacs, removed to Iowa river; but Black Hawk and the remainder of the Sacs refused to go, claiming that they never had sold their lands.
In Mr. Davenport's record we find: August 5th. Steamboat Josephine, with two keel boats, arrived; purchased 1,000 bushels of corn to pay the Fox chiefs for their improvements. August 14th, the Fox chiefs refused to receive the corn for fear of being blamed by the Sacs for selling their village.
The Indian agent and the commanding officer used every argument to get Black Hawk to move west of the Mississippi, but without effect. In 1830 Mr. Davenport visited Washington city to see the President (General Jackson), and secretary of war and recommended that the government pay the Indians a few thousand dollars (which they could well afford to do) and that from his knowl- edge of their character and customs he felt satisfied that they would remove without any further trouble to the government. This plan was not approved of by the president, who declared that they should move off.
In the spring of 1831 the Indians again returned to their village and shortly afterwards General Gaines, with four or five companies of infantry, arrived. Governor Reynolds also received a requisition for a number of companies of mounted volunteers, which were soon raised and were on their way to Rock river, under command of General Joseph Duncan. Shortly after General Gaines arrived. He notified Black Hawk to meet him in council at the agency (which was half a mile from the fort.) On the day appointed Black Hawk and a large number of warriors arrived on the south side of the island and marched across to the council chamber. They were dressed in the full war costume and most of them armed with bows and arrows and war clubs and what seemed singular. it was noticed that their bows were all bent and ready for use. Directly after- ward General Gaines arrived with his staff officers and an orderly but had no guard. They entered the council room and arranged themselves at one end, while Black Hawk and his party occupied the other three sides and the center. Mr. Davenport noticed that they acted in a very bold and defiant manner and that the friendly Indians appeared to be much alarmed. He went to one of the offi- cers and advised him to send the orderly as quickly as possible to the fort and have a strong guard sent up, which was done at once. The council commenced by General Gaines addressing them and stating why he had come, and that they must move off or he would be compelled to use force. He made the inquiry, "who this Black Hawk was, that was giving the government so much trouble?"
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This offended Black Hawk very much and the Indians became very ex- cited. They began to call across the room to one another and seemed to try to increase the excitement of those on the outer side by their yells and whooping ; but fortunately the guard now came up, which fact, Mr. Davenport thought, was all that saved them from being attacked and massacred.
The first Black Hawk war now commenced but was of short duration. When the large number of volunteers arrived in sight of the village Black Hawk thought they were too strong to fight and accordingly he moved to the west side of the river during the night. In the spring of 1832 Black Hawk returned with his party, more hostile than ever. The inhabitants all flocked into the fort with their families for protection. Mr. Davenport fortified his house, built a stockade around it with bastions at two corners, in order to use a small swivel for pro- tecting the sides and had his men all well armed and their places pointed out in case of an attack. He had been informed that the Black Hawk party had de- termined in council that he and two others (General Clark and the Indian agent) should be killed, as they had done so much to weaken their party. Neapope was appointed to carry out this threat; but Black Hawk having passed on up Rock river and the troop following him, the people here were not molested.
During the Black Hawk war Mr. Davenport received a commission from Governor Reynolds, appointing him acting quartermaster general, with the rank of colonel. In the latter part of the summer of 1832 the cholera broke out among the troops on the island and raged fearfully for about ten days; 100 died out of a population of 400; every person was dreadfully alarmed. An incident occurred during this time which will show the state of feeling. Mr. Davenport, Mr. LeClaire and a young officer were standing together in front of the store one morning. The officer had been giving them an account of the number of deaths and new cases when an orderly came up to them with a message from General Scott to Mr. LeClaire, requesting him to come down to the fort as soon as possible. Mr. LeClaire looked at Mr. Davenport to know what excuse to make. Mr. Davenport, after a moment, replied to the orderly to tell General Scott that Mr. LeClaire could not come, as he was quite sick. The officer and orderly laughed heartily at Mr. Davenport and Mr. LeClaire being so much alarmed; but next morning the first news they received from the fort was that these two men were dead. At the time the cholera broke out at Fort Arm- strong there were two Fox chiefs confined in the guardhouse for killing the Menomonies at Prairie du Chien, and had been given up by their nation as the leaders, on the demand of our government, and were awaiting their trial. Mr. Davenport interceded for them with the commanding officer, to let them out of their prison and give them the range of the island with a promise that they should be forthcoming when they were wanted. The Indians were released and they pledged their word not to leave the island until permitted to do so by the proper authorities. During all the time the fearful epidemic raged upon the island and every person was fleeing from it that could get away, these two chiefs remained on the island, hunting and fishing and when the sickness had subsided they pre- sented themselves at the fort to await their trial, thus showing how binding a pledge of this kind was with this tribe of Indians. Mr. Davenport, for many years, was in the habit of crediting the chiefs of the different villages for from
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$50,000 to $60,000 worth of goods annually, having nothing but their word pledged for the payment of them, which they always faithfully performed.
In 1833 Mr. Davenport built his late residence and moved out of his old cabin. In 1834 Rock Island county was organized and John Spencer, John Van- natta and Mr. Davenport were elected the first county commissioners of that county. The county seat was located and the town of Stephenson laid out (now the city of Rock Island) and the lots sold at public sale. They established roads and built bridges in various parts of the county. They were reelected several times and their administration of the affairs of the county gave very general satisfaction to the people.
In the fall of 1835 Mr. Davenport, Major Smith, Major Gordon, Mr. Ham- baugh, Mr. McGregor, Mr. Colton and Captain May purchased a claim of Mr. LeClaire (he retaining an eighth part) upon which to lay out a town. The pro- prietors agreed to name it Davenport, in honor of their friend, Mr. Davenport. The town was surveyed and laid out by Major Gordon, assisted by Mr. Bennett, who were, at this time, engaged by Government to survey Mr. LeClaire's re- serves.
In the spring of 1836 Mr. Davenport sold the site upon which the famous Rock Island City was laid out (near the mouth of Rock river) retaining a quarter interest. In the fall of that year he and some others purchased an interest in Mr. LeClaire's reserve at the head of the rapids, upon which they laid out a town, which they named LeClaire, in honor of Mr. LeClaire; and about the same time he purchased an interest in the town of Port Byron, on the opposite side of the river, thus becoming interested in the rise and progress of all the towns in this vicinity.
In the fall of 1837 Mr. Davenport accompanied Keokuk, Wapello, Poweshiek, Black Hawk, and about forty of the principal chiefs and braves of the Sac and Fox nation, to Washington city, and assisted Government, by his influence with the Indians, in making a very good purchase of a large portion of Iowa. About this time Mr. Davenport purchased an interest in Mr. LeClaire's reserve, adjoin- ing the town, upon which they laid out the first addition to the town of Daven- port, of about twelve blocks, and the following season another addition was laid out by Mr. LeClaire, of which Mr. Davenport purchased one third interest. In the spring of 1838 Mr. Davenport and Mr. LeClaire bought a large stock of goods and opened a store, under the firm of Davenport & LeClaire, on the corner of Front and Main streets; this was considered the largest store in the country for some time. Persons came a great distance to purchase their goods and pro- visions. Mr. Davenport still continued the Indian trade at his store on Rock island. The Indians came in from the Iowa, Des Moines and Cedar rivers, about every three months, for their supplies.
In 1838 Mr. Davenport received the following letter from one of the pro- prietors of Davenport, who was sutler of the troops in Florida, which may be interesting to some of the readers of this work :
TAMPA BAY, September 3, 1858.
Dear Sir :- I have no doubt you have long since concluded that a certain per- son, P. G. Hambaugh, is "co-ga-go;" I did anticipate the pleasure of returning
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to your place ere this, but have been disappointed. I have no doubt but you know as much about the Florida war as I do; there will be another winter campaign, but whether on a large or small scale I am not able to say. Some gentleman in Havanna has proposed furnishing blood hounds for the purpose of hunting down the Indians in the Hammocks, and his plan is looked upon by a majority of experienced officers as the most feasible one yet suggested. The government will, I presume, condemn this mode of warfare, however, as being too inhuman to be practiced by a civilized nation, and it is too expensive to be undertaken by any individual.
I am told Davenport "goes ahead." I wish to God I was there with a few thousand dollars. What is the prospect of securing the town to the proprietors by pre-emption? I hope you and Mr. LeClaire will use every exertion to do so and also to protect my interests while I am absent. I make this request because I shall undoubtedly (if I live) return there and make it my permanent residence ; nothing keeps me in this infernal country but the prospect of making enough to place me in easy circumstances when I return and another winter's campaign will do it, unless I meet with some unforeseen misfortune. Write to me and give me all the local news ; tell me if Davenport is the county seat and if it is to be the capital of Iowa; tell me who the prominent men about Davenport are. What has become of Gordon?
Remember me to all my friends, and particularly to Mosquakee.
Your friend,
P. G. HAMBAUGH.
In the fall of 1841 the Indian payments were made at the agency on Des Moines river. The Indians from all the different villages gathered there to re- ceive their annuities. Mr. Davenport and most of the Indian traders attended there, during the payment. Governor Lucas, superintendent of Indian affairs in Iowa, made an attempt to make a treaty with the Sacs and Foxes to purchase all their lands within the state but utterly failed. He had determined he would make a treaty with the Indians without the assistance of the traders, and that they should have nothing to do with it. He was particularly opposed to the American Fur Company (then Pierre Chouteau, Jr., & Co.). He ordered them to retire to their trading house, about a mile from the agency, and posted a guard of dragoons at the house to prevent any communication with the Indians. When he had assembled the chiefs and braves of the two tribes he made them his propo- sition-to buy their country. The chiefs replied that they always consulted their old friends, whom they had known for many years, and had the greatest con- fidence in and that they had understood their old traders had been placed under guard and as they were not allowed to have any communication with them, they, therefore, declined making any treaty with him.
In 1842 Governor Chambers made a treaty with the Sacs and Foxes. He took a different plan. He told the chiefs to select any of their white friends they might choose to assist them in making a treaty. They selected Mr. Davenport, Mr. LeClaire, Mr. Sanford and Mr. Phelps. By this treaty the Indians sold all of their lands within the state of Iowa and agreed to remove west of the Mis- souri river.
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HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY
After this treaty Mr. Davenport withdrew from the Fur Company and gave up the Indian trade, being engaged in this business about twenty-three years, during which time he had made twenty trips to St. Louis with his keel boat. The shortest time in coming from St. Louis to Rock island was eleven days, having a fair wind most of the time. The longest trip was forty days. Mr. Davenport now devoted his time to the improvement of his property in Davenport and Rock Island. About this time he laid out an addition to the flourishing town of Moline.
Mr. Davenport was of a very free and generous disposition, very jovial and very fond of company. He now generally spent the winters in St. Louis or Wash- ington city. If he traveled on a steamboat or while at his hotel he would always have a crowd around him, listening to his anecdotes and stories. He never sued any one in his life and could not bear to see any one in distress without trying to relieve them. He enjoyed excellent health and spirits and had the prospect of living many years to enjoy the comforts for which he had toiled so hard for many years, but he was struck down by the hand of one of a band of robbers in his own home, on the 4th of July, 1845. He died aged sixty-two years.
AN INDIAN CEREMONY.
After Col. Davenport was murdered his remains were buried near his island home. At his grave a memorial was erected by his Indian friends a cedar post whereon in ceremonial fashion had been painted various records. When the remains were removed to Chippiannock cemetery near Rock Island a replica of the post was carved in limestone and placed at the new resting place. The post is now in the possession of Rock Island friends of the Davenort family. The Gazette editor was fortunately present when this post was set up in 1845 and wrote this account for the Gazette :
"An Indian Ceremony,-On last Friday afternoon we were witness to a strange and interesting ceremony performed by the Indians over the remains of Mr. Davenport who was murdered at his residence on Rock island on the 4th inst. Upon proceeding to the beautiful spot selected as his last resting place, in the rear of his mansion on Rock Island, we found the war chief and braves of the band of Fox Indians then encamped in the vicinity of this place reclining on the grass around his grave at the head of which was planted a white cedar post some seven or eight feet in height.
"The ceremony began by two of the braves rising and walking to the post upon which with paint they began to inscribe certain characters while a third brave armed with an emblematic war club, after drinking to the health of the deceased from a cup placed at the base of the post walked three times around the grave in an opposite direction to the course of the sun, at each revolution de- livering a speech with sundry gestures and emphatic motions in the direction of the northeast. When he had ceased he passed the club to another brave, who when through the same ceremony, passing but once around the grave, and so on in succession with each one of the braves. This ceremony, doubtless would ap- pear pantomimic to one unacquainted with the habits or language of the Indians,
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but after a full interpretation of their proceedings they would be found in char- acter with this traditionary people.
"In walking around the grave in a contrary direction to the course of the sun they wished to convey the idea that the ceremony was an original one. In their speeches they informed the Great Spirit that Mr. Davenport was their friend, and they wished the Great Spirit to open the door to him and to take charge of him. The enemies whom they had slain they called upon to act in the capacity of waiters to Mr. Davenport in the spirit land-they believing that they have unlimited power over the spirits of those whom they have slain in battle. Their gestures toward the northeast were made in allusion to their great enemies the Sioux, who live in that direction. They recounted their deeds of battle with the number that they had slain and taken prisoners. Upon the post were painted in hieroglyphics the number of the enemy that they had slain, those taken prison- ers, together with the tribe and station of the brave. For instance, the feats of Wau-co-shaw-she the chief were thus portrayed. Ten headless figures were painted which signified that he had killed ten men. Four others were then added, some of them smaller than the others, signifying that he had taken four prison- ers, one of whom was a child. A line was then run from one figure to another, terminating by a plume, signifying that all had been accomplished by a chief. A' fox was then painted over the plume, which plainly told that the chief was of the Fox tribe of Indians. These characters are so expressive that if an Indian of any tribe whatsoever were to see them he would at once understand them. Fol- lowing the sign of Pau-to -- to-to who thus proved himself a warrior of high de- gree were placed twenty headless figures, being the number of the Sioux that he had slain.
"The ceremony of painting the post was followed by a feast prepared for the occasion which by them was certainly deemed the most agreeable part of the proceedings. Meats, vegetables and pies were served up in such profusion that many armfuls of the fragments were carried off-it being a part of the ceremony which is religiously observed that all the victuals left upon such an occasion are to be taken to their homes. At a dog feast which is frequently given by them- selves, and to which white men are occasionally invited the guest is obliged to eat all that is placed before him or hire some other person to do so, else it is con- sidered a great breach of hospitality.
"With the feast terminated the exercises of the afternoon which were not only interesting but highly instructive to those who witnessed them."
HON. J. II. MURPHY, LEVI HUMPHREY, MRS. CLINTON AND MISS ANNA PENROSE WATCHING THE HIGH WATER OF MARCH 10, 1886. FROM SCOTT HOUSE BALCONY
CHAPTER XXXII.
CLIMATOLOGICAL CONDITIONS.
BEING AN ARTICLE BASED UPON WEATHER BUREAU OBSERVATIONS COVERING A PERIOD FROM 1871 TO 1909-THE LOCATION OF OFFICE AND INSTRUMENTS-A CLIMATOLOGICAL SUMMARY-UNUSAL WEATHER PHENOMENA-WARM AND COLD PERIODS-LENGTH OF GROWING SEASONS-UNUSUAL AMOUNTS OF RAIN- FALL-NOTABLE RIVER STAGES-REMARKABLE FLOOD STAGE.
By J. M. Sherier, Local Forecaster, Weather Bureau.
This station was established on May 23, 1871, in the First National Bank build- ing, situated at the southwest corner of Main and Second streets, the instruments being located in the northeast corner room on the third floor of that building. On April 1, 1890, the office was moved to rooms 49 and 50, third floor, of the Ma- sonic Temple, located at the northeast corner of Third and Main streets. The removal to the present location was accomplished November 3, 1896, when rooms 5, 6 and 7 were occupied on the second floor of the Post Office building. at the southwest corner of Third and Perry streets. All instruments now located on the roof, with the single exception of the sunshine recorder which was added to the instrumental equipment only a few years ago, have remained in their present po- sition since they were transferred from the Masonic Temple. However, owing to work preparatory to the erection of an addition to the office building, it became necessary, on January 25, 1910, to abandon room No. 5 and to occupy room No. 9 instead. The barometers were transferred from room No. 6 to room No. 7 on January 3Ist, but without causing any change in the elevation of those instru- ments. The themometers, rain gauge, sunshine recorder, and the wind vane and anemometer are all exposed on the nearly flat roof of the present office building.
The following climatological summary is a revision of the data contained on page 649 of Weather Bureau Bulletin Q, Climatology of the United States. Means of maxima and means of minima have been determined from observations for thirty-six years, 1874-1909. All other temperature data and all precipitation data, except snowfall, thirty-eight years, 1872-1909; snowfall, twenty-five years, 1885-1909.
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HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY
TEMPERATURE
PRECIPITATION (Inches)
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