USA > Iowa > Scott County > History of Scott County, Iowa > Part 26
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Grand and petit juries were selected at this session, for the first term of the District Court, the names of which are given in the chapter on "Courts."
At the July session, a two-mill tax was ordered levied on the real estate of the county, for opening and repairing publie high ways, and five mills for general purposes.
The first tavern licenses were granted at this session, one to Samuel Barkley, in Davenport, and one to II. W. Higgins, in Rockingham.
November 12, the commissioners met in Rockingham and ad- journed to meet in Davenport, that town being declared the county seat, an election having previously been held for that purpose. Only one of the three members went over to Davenport, and there- fore there was no quorum, and the lone member adjourned.
A special session was called for Nov. 26, at Davenport, the newly elected county seat. Alfred Carter was the only member present. A. W. Campbell sent in his resignation as a member of the board. B. F. Pike, the third member, was in Rockingham and would not honor Davenport with his presence; therefore Mr. Carter, on the principle that "if the mountain would not go to Mahomet, Mahomet would have to go to the mountain," adjourned to meet in Roek- ingham. But little business was transacted other than granting lieenses for taverns and ferries.
273
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY.
In January, 1839, the board met again at . Rockingham, no cause being assigned why they did not meet in Davenport. The full board 'was present, including A. W. Campbell, whose resig- nation had never been acted upon, and was probably withdrawn.
At the annual election this year, John Work was elected in place of B. F. Pike, whose term had expired.
At the January meeting in 1840, Ebenezer Cook, the commis sioners' clerk, was ordered to bring suit against John Litch, of Davenport, for violation of the license law, Mr. Litch persisting in selling liquor without a license.
At the annual election in the spring of 1840 the ticket favored by the Rockingham party for county commissioners was elected.
At a special session of the Board of County Commissioners held March 25, 1840, a proposition was read from Adrian H. Dav- enport and John HI. Sullivan in which they offered to build a court- honse and jail npon certain conditions. The commissioners were bound to have a jail in Rockingham, as will be seen by the follow- ing notice published in the Iowa Sun, published in Davenport, of May 12, 1840:
Notice to Contractors.
Sealed proposals will be received by the Board of Commissioners of Scott County, for building of a JAIL in the town of Rockingham, until the first day of July next, on which day the proposal will be opened and the contract let.
A plan and specifications may be seen by calling on Jobn H. Sullivan, Esq., Commissioner to superintend the erection.
Proposals to be endorsed, " Proposals for Erecting a Jail in Scott County," and directed to " John H. Sullivan, Esq., Commissioner to superintend the erection of a jail in Rockingham "
By order of the Board of Commissioners of Scott County.
EBENEZER COOK, Clerk.
Rockingham, May 12, 1840.
It is needless to say the jail was never erected.
The commissioners made a proposition to A. H. Davenport and J. II. Sullivan, in which it was provided that in case of failure or non-acceptance J. H. Sullivan and A. H. Davenport were to con- vey 160 lots to the county which were to be sold and amount ex- pended for the erection of a court-honse and jail. The proposition was accepted.
The commissioners' clerk was ordered to insert proposals for the erection of a jail in the lowa Territorial Gazette, published at Bur- lington, and also to advertise the sale of town lots in four different newspapers, the sale to take place July 4, 1840.
274
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY.
The county-seat question being settled in favor of Davenport the Board of County Commissioners mnet at Davenport in special session Oct. 26, 1840.
But little business of public interest was transacted by the board for several years, the sessions being taken up in auditing bills and appointing committees and hearing reports on locations of public roads.
In 1845 steps were taken to organize the county into townships, and at the Jannary meeting of the board in 1846 it was ordered that township lines as organized remain the same as preeinet lines heretofore organized, except a slight change made in the line be- tween Rockingham and Davenport. The name of Parkhurst pre- cinet was changed to Fairview township, and Point Pleasant precinet was called Winfield township.
At the April, 1846, meeting of the board part of Pleasant Valley township was added to Fairview, and the name of the latter was changed to Le Claire.
At the October meeting of the same year Allen's Grove township was divided, the western part taking the name of Liberty and the eastern, Allen's Grove.
By aet of General Assembly, approved January, 1851, the County Commissioners' Court was abolished, and all the powers developing upon that body were transferred to the county judge.
From the organization of the county to this time the following named served as county commissioners:
1838-Benjamin F. Pike, Andrew W. Campbell, Alfred Carter.
1839-A. W. Campbell, Alfred Carter, John Work.
1840-A. W. Campbell, Alfred Carter,* John Work.
1841-Same as in 1840.
1842-John Work, John C. Quinn, Otho G. Mc Clain.
1843-Same as in 1842.
1844-John C. Quinn, Asahel Hubbard, Otho G. Me Clain.
1845-Otho G. Me Clain, John C. Quinn, Cyrus G. Blood.
1846-John C. Quinn, C. G. Blood, Asa Foster.
1847-C. G. Blood, Asa Foster, Stephen Thompson.
1848-C. G. Blood, Asa Foster, E. S. Wing.
1849-Asa Foster, E. S. Wing, A. C. Fulton.
1850-E. S. Wing, A. C. Fulton, John W. Wiley.
* Resigned, and John C. Quinn elected to fill vacancy.
275
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY.
COUNTY JUDGES.
The business of the county was transaeted by the county judges from 1851 to 1861, a period of 10 years. See County Courts in Chapter IV., for list of county judges.
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.
In accordance with an aet of the General Assembly entitled, " An aet ereating a County Board of Supervisors, defining their duties and the duties of certain county officers," passed March 22, 1860, the county of Seott was organized under the new law, and at the election held Nov. 6, 1860, supervisors were elected. Each town- ship was entitled to one supervisor without regard to the number of inhabitants. Davenport having over 12,000 inhabitants was entitled to three members of the board.
The first meeting of the board was held Monday, Jan. 7, 1861. C. Stewart Ells was elected president.
The representation was continued at one from each township and three from Davenport until 1866, when one more was added to the latter's representation. In 1868 the number was increased to five.
The law in 1870 was changed, and instead of a Board of Super- visors, composed of a representative from each township, there were three elected by the entire county, who had vested in them the same powers as the old board.
In 1874 the county availed itself of the privilege offered by the State law to increase the number of representatives on the board to five. which nninber is yet retained.
The following is a complete list of the members of the Board from 1861 to 1882 inclusive:
1×61.
C. Stewart Ells. Davenport- Thomas K. Fluke, Mathias J. Rohlfs.
Le Claire-Horace Carpenter.
Winfield -- Henry G. Neal.
Princeton-Giles M. Pinneo.
Buffalo -- Dan B. Shaw. Blue Grass-Daniel L. Lyon.
Hickory Grove-James II. Ross. Pleasant Valley-Philip Earhart. Allen's Grove-Ephraim Snyder.
276
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY.
Liberty-Azotus M. Frost.
Cleona-Benjamin P. Putnam. Rockingham -- Elisha S. Mowrey. 1862.
C. Stewart Ells, Davenport- 3 Thomas K. Fluke, George M. Matthews.
Le Claire-Horace Carpenter.
Winfield-John C. Quinn.
Princeton-Giles M. Pinneo.
Buffalo-Dan B. Shaw.
Blue Grass-Daniel L. Lyon.
Hickory Grove-James H. Ross.
Pleasant Valley-Philip Earhart.
Allen's Grove-Ephraim Snyder.
Liberty -- Azotus M. Frost.
Cleona-Benjamin P. Putnam.
Rockingham-Elisha S. Mowrey .* 1863.
John L. Davies, Davenport- { Thomas H. Fluke, George M. Matthews.
Le Claire-Horace Carpenter.
Winfield-Henry G. Neal.
Princeton-Giles M. Pinneo.
Buffalo-Warner L. Clark.
Blue Grass-Daniel H. Lyon. Hickory Grove-James H. Ross.
Pleasant Valley-Philip Earhart.
Allen's Grove-Montgomery Thompson.
Liberty-Azotus M. Frost.
Cleona -- William M. Murray.
Rockingham -- John Coleman.
1864.
John L. Davies, Davenport -- / George M. Matthews, Moses C. Farber. Le Claire-Horace Carpenter.
Winfield -- Alexander Brownlee, Sr. Princeton-James McConnell. Buffalo-Warner L. Clark.
*Died and John Coleman elected to fill the vacancy.
277
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY.
Blue Grass-Samuel Little.
Hickory Grove -- James II. Ross.
Pleasant Valley -- Jesse L. Henley. Allen's Grove -- Montgomery Thompson. Liberty -- Don C. Gates. Cleona-William M. Murray. Rockingham-Enoch Mead. 1865.
John L. Davies, Davenport- { Moses C. Farber, ( George W. Matthews. Le Claire-Robert Scott. Winfield-E. S. Wing.
Princeton-James McConnell.
Buffalo -- William Posten.
Blue Grass-Samuel Little.
Hickory Grove-James H. Ross.
Pleasant Valley-Jesse L. Henley.
Allen's Grove -- William Nutting. Liberty-Don C. Gates.
Cleona- William M. Murray. Rockingham-George P. Whitcomb. 1866.
Davenport-
John L. Davies, Moses C. Farber, George M. Matthews, Charles S. Watkins.
Le Claire-Robert Smith. Winfield-C. H. Ficke.
Princeton -- Joseph McConnell.
Buffalo-William Posten.
Bine Grass-Samuel Little. Hickory Grove-James H. Ross.
Pleasant Valley-Bachus Birchard. Allen's Grove -- William Nutting. Liberty -- James H. Freeman.
Cleona-William M. Murray.
Rockingham -- Edward Ricker.
Ben Butler -- E. S. Wing. 1867
Davenport-
Y
[ John L. Davies, Peter N. Lau, George M. Matthews, Chas S. Watkins.
278
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY.
Le Claire-C. C. Applegate.
Winfield-James McManus.
Princeton-G. W. Pinneo. Buffalo-G. W. Baker.
Blue Grass-William S. Schmidt.
Hickory Grove-James II. Ross.
Pleasant Valley-Bachus Birchard.
Allen's Grove-John Heller.
Liberty-Joseph Freeman.
Cleona-George W. Murray.
Rockingham-Edward Rieker.
Butler-D. R. Stearns.
Lincoln- John Larrimer.
Sheridan-H. II. Fry.
1868.
Davenport-3
John L. Davies, Th. Sindt, Christ. Kruse, Thomas Robeson, G. M. Matthews.
Le Claire-C. C. Applegate. Princeton -- Michael Moore.
Buffalo-Geo. W. Baker.
Blue Grass -- James Herron.
Pleasant Valley-J. W. Means.
Allen's Grove -- E. S. Newton.
Liberty-A. M. Aplin.
Cleona-F. Theodore Blunck.
Rockingham-S. Bawden. Butler-D. R. Stearns.
Lincoln-W. B. Murray.
Sheridan-William Rigg.
Winfield-Alexander Williamson.
Hickory Grove-Julius Langheim. 1869.
Th. Sindt. Chris. Kruse, Davenport- / Thomas Robeson, [ Edwin Smith. ( B. H. Lahrman. Le Claire-C. C. Applegate. Princeton-Mark Matthews. Buffalo-Horace Miller.
279
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY.
Blue Grass-IIenry Goering. Pleasant Valley-James W. Means. Allen's Grove-E. S. Newton. Liberty-J. II. Freeman. Cleona-F. Theodore Blunck.
Rockingham-S. Bawden. Butler-William Cressler.
Lincoln-Wm. B. Murray.
Sheridan -- William Rigg.
Winfield -- Alex. Williamson.
Hickory Grove-Julius Langheim. 1870.
[ Th. Sindt, i John M. Lyter. Davenport- John Lambert, II. A. Runge. ¿ B. H. Lahrman. Le Claire-Erastus Decker.
Princeton-Mark Matthews.
Butlalo -- Horace Miller.
Blue Grass-Henry Goering.
Pleasant Valley-James W. Means.
Allen's Grove-E. S. Newton.
Liberty-J. II. Freeman.
Cleona-John A. Giftord. Rockingham -- Stephen Bawden.
Lincoln-William B. Murray.
Sheridan-William Rigg. Winfield-John Madden.
Hickory Grove-Julius Langheim.
Butler-William Cressler.
Julius Langheim
1871. John L. Davies.
Erastus Decker. 1872.
Julius Langheim.
John 1. Davies. *
George S. Shaw.
Erastus Decker. 1>73. George Murray Julius Langheim.
*Died and George S. Shaw appointed to fill the vacancy.
280
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY.
Julius Laugheim.
1874. George Murray. John Madden. 1875.
George Murray. Julius Langheim.
John Madden. Frederick Kautz.
George L. Dennis. 1876.
John Madden. George G. Dennis.
Julius Langheim. Frederick Kautz.
George Murray. 1877.
·
George Murray. Julius Langheim. Fred. Kautz. A. J. Emeis. Thomas W. McCansland. 1878.
George Murray, Thomas W. MeCansland.
A. J. Emeis, E. S. Newton.
HI. S. Garlock. 1879.
T. W. McCausland,
LI. S. Garlock,
E. S. Newton, H. Thomson,
Louis Schworm. .
1880.
HI. F. Laverenz,
H. S. Garlock,
T. W. McCausland. E. S. Newton,
T. W. McCausland,
H. F. Laverenz,
Louis Schworm. 1881. Louis Schworm, John S. Ackley,
F. A. Quistorf. 1882.
T. W. MeCausland,
John S. Ackley.
F. A. Quistorf, Caspar Foster,
Henry C. Chapman.
CHAPTER II.
SCIENTIFIC.
GEOLOGY OF SCOTT COUNTY, BY A. S. TIFFANY.
Scott County is bounded on the south and east by the Mississippi River, and on the north by the Wapsipinecon. These streams have cut through the superficial deposits and have invaded the underly- ing rocks for a considerable depth. The lowest rocks exposed in the county are the Niagara limestone, Upper, Silurian series, which is exposed from east of Crow Creek. in Pleasant Valley township, through the eastern and northern boundaries of the county. It is also exposed in the beds of most of the tributaries to the above named rivers throughout the northern and eastern por- tions of the county. It is a light-buff crystalline magnesian lime- stone, which makes a superior quality of quieklime. The organic remains it contains are, some of them. common to that group of rocks throughout the United States, and some of them are common in the same group of rocks in Europe.
The next rock, in ascending order, is the Le Claire quarry rock. It deserves more than a passing notice, for its economic value as a dimension stone. It is easier wrought into the required shape, and more enduring than any other stone that has been used in the county. This stone may be examined at the corner of Brady and Seventh streets, Davenport, where it has been exposed to the most severe test for 27 years, yet shows no signs of disintegration.
Able geologists differ in regard to the geological horizon of this rock. Prof. James Hall, in his Report on the Geology of Iowa, page 74, regards it as the equivalent of the Onondaga salt group, and Prof. A. H. Worthen and Prof. C. A. White regard it as belonging to the Niagara group. The rock is almost destitute of organic remains, which leaves the student at sea with only lithol- ogy and super-position to determine its horizon. Its super-position cannot be studied successfully at Le Claire. There are, however, many places in Seott, Cedar, Clinton and Jones Counties where the super-position of this formation can be studied with some suc- cess, with the conclusion that it is superior to the Niagara. The Niagara rocks had been land, and consequently subject to dennding
(281)
282
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY.
agencies, for a long period before the formation under consideration had begun to be deposited. These older rocks had been deeply scored and grooved by the channels of drainage. During this pe- riod many hundreds of feet of Silurian rock were deposited in the State of New York.
When subsidence had brought the Niagara group below the ocean again, the deposition of the rocks under consideration took place, filling the interstices in the Niagara group. Being thus pro- tected by the older and harder Niagara rocks, they have escaped subsequent erosion, while the higher portions, which onee connected these numerous outlines, have been swept away.
There is a fine exposure of this rock on the south side of the Wapsipinecon River, six miles above Oxford Mills, where a hundred feet of strata may be seen. the top thin and fissile and somewhat porous, the strata becoming thicker as you descend to the base, where they attain a thickness of 20 to 30 inches, close and compact. the lines of bedding being a perfect plane, resting on the rough Niagara, which is elevated above the water line of the river; the bottom layers contain cavities lined with caleshar. and in some places flint concretions. Prof. Hall, in the New York Report of the Geology of the Fourth District, page 142. Fig. 57, in describing the water lime group, figures some acicular crystals of sulphate of baryta, which are numerous in this group of rocks at Anamosa. Iregard this group as the equivalent of the New York water lime. It is calcareous in the west, and contains too little silica and alumina for a cement.
The Devonian comes next in ascending order. The lower mem- ber is known as the Corniferous or Upper Helderberg. It makes its appearance a little below the mouth of Crow Creek, on the river shore, in Pleasant Valley township, and has extended west of the city limits of Davenport. Duck Creek has cut its channel through this formation from where the Harrison street road erosses it to its mouth. It is for the most part a hard, compact, heavy-bedded limestone, breaking with a rough fracture. It endures exposure well, and makes a strong but dark-colored quicklime. There are a few feet of its strata variegated with drab and gray, which have been exposed near the Great Western Brewery.
The most of this formation is destitute of organic remains. A few feet of the upper section of rock at the quarries west of Dav- enport have furnished many fossils, which are characteristic of the group in other States, among which we have Terabraturia-har-
MLbook,
285
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY.
monia, Plutystorna-centricosa, Naticopsis-humutis, Purocelas- ohioensis, Protus-olarus, and fish remains. We have at this time collections of them in the hands of Professors St. John and Worthen, at Springfield, Illinois, for identification and description.
The Hamilton group reposes on the Corniferous, where it has not been removed by erosion. The Hamilton shales make their first appearance in Le Claire's ravine, in Davenport. They are unknown east of that point in this county. The quarries previously men- tioned have a light covering of Hamilton remaining, which has not been removed by erosion.
All the ravines in Buffalo township have made deep cuts through the Hlamilton shales. On the Sauer farm, on section 13, the shales are largely made up of crinoid stems and bryozoa corals. The stems are for the most part white, set in buff and blue gangue. When polished they are very ornamental and have received the name of Iowa marble.
At Buffalo the shales are developed at their full force. They are literally filled with organic remains, and have furnished a great vari- ety of good fossils to illustrate the life of the Devonian ocean. They become more calcareons west of Buffalo, and extend to the western extremity of the county adjacent to the river.
The Kinderhook has been assigned to the sub-carboniferons by Professors A. H. Worthen and C. A. White. There are only a few small outlines remaining of this formation in the west end of the county. It is generally yellow and drab, soft arenaceous shale. It is exposed in several ravines in Buffalo township between the Ham- ilton group and the Coal Measures.
COAL MEASURES.
The Mississippi River has abraded its channel from about two miles below Le Claire to the western extremity of Scott Connty, through the Coal Measures, leaving remnants of shale and conglom- erate sand rock on either shore, generally remote from its margin. The lower coal vein. No. 1, which lies above and near the conglom- erate sand rock, is the only one which has been deposited in this connty, and time justified Professor Hall's report. In his " Geol- ogy of Iowa," page 125, he says : "From all examinations made in this region, no evidence has been obtained of a second coal seam."
18
286
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY.
Coal has been successfully mined in sections 2, 3, 9, 10 and 11, in Buffalo township, for many years. It is generally of excellent quality. This small outline will soon become exhausted and leave the people of this county dependent for their indispensable fuel to be brought from the Illinois or Central Iowa coal fields. There has already been a good deal of fruitless labor expended in search- ing for coal in Buffalo, Blue Grass, Pleasant Valley and Le Claire townships. It is possible there may be some small pockets of coal that would be productive in this long field of thin outlyers, but the chances of thic expense being rewarded is exceedingly small. The Coal Measures rest unconformably on the Kinderhook, Hamilton, Corniferous, and the Niagara groups-on the latter alone in Pleas- ant Valley and Le Claire townships.
QUATERNARY.
A large portion of the country is heavily covered with drift, the boulder-clay forming the base reposing on the underlying rocks. It is composed of clay, sand, gravel and small boulders. It is unstrat- ificd and attains a thickness in some places of 60 to 80 feet. The gravel it contains is for the most part primitive. but some of it is from the Palosozoic rocks, and not unfrequently places of coal. Upon this boulder clay grew the old conifer forest. It is the period of the elephant and mastodon. This forest-bed was finally covered with the layers, probably to a depth of more than 100 feet. Subsequent erosion has removed this as well as the underlying boulder-clay along the river valleys, and has reduced its thickness on the divides, or high prairie land, to from 40 to 60 feet. The loess is composed of clay, very finely commuted silica, with a little lime and oxide of iron. It furnishes all the brick stock of this country. The loess has been described by some authors to be unstratified, which proves to be a mistake. It is only when long and deep cuts have been made in the loess where its stratified character is made to appear. It is usually modified by slides from ten to fifteen hundred feet from its outcrop, which destroys the lines of deposition.
GEOLOGICAL EXAMINATION OF A SECTION OF BLUFFS AT DAVENPORT.
BY PROF. W. H. PRATT.
I have taken occasion to watch the progress of the excavation of the C., R. I. & P. R. R. track through the bluff west of Daven- port and to note the arrangement and position of the deposits ex-
287
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY.
posed, and to eollcet specimens of all the relics of the ages which are to be found there.
The surface of the prairie, which at this point extends to the edge of the bluffs, is somewhat undulating, highest almost at the extreme edge, and gently sloping backward toward the north. The cut is nearly in a north and south direction, and the deepest part is 44 feet below the prairie surface.
Beneath the recent soil, which is one foot in depth, is about 20 feet of the usual "yellow elay " No. 2. The lines of stratification in this stratum consist principally of iron-stained streaks, and occa- sional thin layers of sand interstratified, and frequently a distinctly laminated structure, the laminæ being mnuch eurved. Many cal- · careous sandy concretions of one or two onnees in weight are found in this yellow loam, which in all respects corresponds very closely with the loess of the valley of the Rhine, as deseribed by Sir Charles Lyell, and indeed he also alludes to the formation " which borders on the great plain of the Mississippi," as being of the same character. This loam also contains some shells, among which are found Succinea obliga, S. avara, Helicena occulta, Pupa fallax and Helix striatella, extremely fragile, but unbroken, which latter fact, in connection with the general uniformity and horizontal position in the strata, shows that the whole must have been deposited in comparatively still waters. This clay makes excellent brick.
Next below the yellow elay, the line of division being in some places not very distinet, is a layer, varying from three to five feet in thickness of bluish clay, No. 3, containing a few shells of some of the above-named species. This clay presents no lines of stratification whatever, and there seems to be strong indication of its having been thrown down rapidly and very soon after the submergenee or overflow which ehangod this whole region into an immense fresh- water lake.
The above deseribed layer rests directly upon a bed, one foot thiek, of brown peat, No. 4, which. when thoroughly dried, will burn, though it is very poor fuel. In some places the forms of the peat-moss, Hypum aduncum, as determined by Prof. C. H. Peek, State Botanist of New York, are preserved; and considerable quan- tities of much decomposed corniferous wood, some pieces being several inches in diameter, are found distributed through the peat bed. As no roots are found penetrating the soil, it seems doubtful whether the wood grew in the immediate locality.
288
HISTORY OF SCOTT COUNTY.
Below the peat is the " ancient soil," No. 5, two feet in depth. This is a rich vegetable mold, of a dark brown color, much resem- bling the peat itself, but more decomposed, more earthy, and darker.
Both the soil and peat are of very uniform thickness, and exactly horizontal, while the overlying strata correspond in some degree to the contonr of the prairie surface. No shells or other fossils have as yet been observed in this soil.
Underlying the old soil and extending to the bottom of the excavation-abont 18 feet, and probably much lower-is the boulder drift, No. 6, consisting of a very tenacious " blue clay," intimately mixed with fine sand, and containing much gravel and small boulders, and growing coarser as we descend. No shells or other organic remains have been discovered here. The pebbles and boulders of this formation have all been smoothly water-worn, and very many of them have subsequently been scratched and ground by glacial action, of the prevalence of which, in this latitude, at some remote period, they afford good additional evidence, fully in accordance with the "glacial theory " so ably maintained by Prof. Agassiz, and now generally accepted as a truth.
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