USA > Illinois > Rock Island County > Past and present of Rock Island County, Ill., containing a history of the county-its cities, towns, etc., a biographical directory of its citizens, war record of its volunteers in the late Rebellion, portraits of early settlers and prominent men > Part 17
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THE PRESS OF ROCK ISLAND.
The first attempt at establishing a newspaper in Rock Island was by Henry C. M&Grew, in 1839. Mr. McGrew was an Irishman who came to this country with his father in 1818. His father subsequently published The Torchlight, at Paoli, Ind., where Henry learned the printer's trade. He came here with his father in 1839, and about the middle of August of that year issued the first number of the Rock Island Banner and Ste- phenson Gazette. This was the first paper printed in Illinois nearer than Peoria, Springfield and Galena. It was neutral in politics till just previous to the election in 1840, when it became democratic. The town and county at that time were Whig. The Banner was printed on a sheet 30x32 inches, five columns to a page. The first office of publication was on Mississippi street near the ferry landing. It was several times changed during the
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short existence of the paper. The Banner continued till the fall of 1841, when its publication was suspended, and the press and type moved to Galena, where Mr. McGrew commenced the publication of the Galena Sentinel.
THE UPPER MISSISSIPPIAN,
The second paper in Rock Island, was started on the 8th of October, 1840. It was a Whig paper, started in the heat of the political excitement of that year, though late in the campaign. It was "published weekly, and simulta- neously in Stephenson, Rock Island County, Ill., and Davenport, Scott County, Iowa Territory." Its editors and proprietors were not at first announced, but all communications were to be addressed to Daniel Crist. Several leading Whigs aided Crist in the enterprise. It started as a six- column paper, 22×30 inches in size, at $2.50 per year in advance. The name of Daniel Crist is as indissolbly associated with its early history as a Whig paper, as that of Hon. Holmon G. Reynolds is with its close, as a Democratic paper. Mr. Crist was a native of Pennsylvania, and had for- merly published the Allegheny Republican, a Whig paper, in Allegheny County, New York. He came to the State of Illinois first in 1834, and again in 1836, stopping at Ellisville, in Fulton Co. In 1840 he came to Rock Island, and started the Upper Mississippian. The paper had an eventful, almost tragic history, and is more spoken of by old settlers than any other early institution. Mr. Crist, besides editing the paper, engaged in many enterprises before leaving Rock Island in 1852; after that, his career was quite changeable and eventful. In about 1860 he went to California, where he died Nov. 14, 1874, at the age of 68 years. He was a man of good natural abilities, but not highly educated.
The principal characters connected with the Upper Mississippian were Mr. Crist and Hon. Harmon G. Reynolds. The latter was a leading demo- crat, a polished gentleman, a man of large ability, of untiring energy, a sympathizer with and leader of the masses. Dr. Silas Reed had also con- siderable to do in furnishing editorial matter for the paper. Dr. Reed lived here a little over two years, from June, 1839, to February, 1841, and was appointed by President Harrison, Surveyor General of Missouri and Illinois. The paper was first published in a log cabin on Mississippi street, two num- bers being issued there; the third contained a notice of its removal "to the 'White House' on Illinois street, one square above the Rock Island House." The Rock Island National Bank now occupies the place. January 7, 1841, John G. Powers became editor and proprietor, and D. Crist printer. Mr. Powers's connection with the paper was only nominal. From March 19, 1841, Daniel Crist conducted it to the close of that volume, Jan. 1, 1842, Mr. Powers being "proprietor of the press." At that date his (Powers) name disappears from the paper. June 10, 1841, the office was removed to the second story of John & C. Swortwouts' wagon shop, a building on the corner of Washington and Illinois streets. From Jan. 1, 1842, till Dec. 1844, the paper was edited and managed by Daniel Crist. Nov. 24, 1842, a new press was purchased for the paper, the old press having been seized and taken under a writ of replevin by J. G. Powers, making it necessary to print the issue for that week on the Gazette press in Davenport. March 23, 1844, Thomas Gregg, formerly editor of the Warsaw Message, became assistant editor, continuing till Oct. 5th of the same year. In Dec., 1844, the paper was assumed by Harmon G. Reynolds,
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Esq., who changed the heading to Upper Mississippian and Rock Island Republican. Its office was on Eagle street, north of the Rock Island House. In April, 1845, it was removed to Mr. Buford's building, opposite the Eagle Hotel, on Buffalo street.
Mr. Reynolds' life was an eventful one. He was one of the most prom- inent, able and influential of the old settlers here. He was a lawyer by pro- fession, having been admitted to the bar at Montpelier, Vt. He came to Rock Island in June, 1837; practiced law till 1850; taught school several years; served in various public offices, as State's Attorney, Probate Justice, County Judge, both here and in Knox County. In 1847 he was Postmaster of Rock Island; in 1854 held the same office at Knoxville; was assistant clerk of the Constitutional Convention in 1847, and of the House of Repre- sentatives in 1849 and 1861. Mr. Revnolds was a very prominent Mason; in 1858 he removed to Springfield, and in 1862 commenced the publication of the Masonic Trowell, which in five years reached a subscription list of 12,800. He now resides and practices law in Marshall County, Kansas.
June 26, 1845, Henry C. Randall became publisher and proprietor. Then it became the firm of H. C. Randall & Co., which was dissolved August 14, 1845. Mr. Reynolds continued the paper alone for a short time. In 1847 Jonah Case appeared as proprietor, and H. G. Reynolds editor. Col. Danforth says: "The last copy of the paper I have is dated Feb. 23, 1847,"' and thinks this "was about the last of the Upper Mississippian and Rock Island Republican." It expired early in 1847.
THE NORTHWESTERN ADVERTISER.
The first issue of this paper appeared in November, 1845. It was started as a Whig organ by Dr. Horatio P. Gatchell and Miles W. Conway. The former purchased the press at Dubuque, Iowa, and the paper was first printed in a small building on Miles Conway's lot, where Conway had a house and kept the postoffice. On the 12th of November, 1845, Miles W. Conway, Jr., died. He was a popular, talented and very promising young man. Dr. Gatchell came from Cincinnati to Rock Island as a Christian (Campbellite) preacher, in 1843 or 1844. He had been educated for a phy- sician, and was a man of catholic sentiments and a very popular preacher. The early death of his associate discouraged him in his newspaper enter- prise, and he failed to make the paper a very great success. The paper was disposed of to Gen. William Vandever, who moved the press and type to the " Rio Grande," a long, lone building standing back from Illinois street, in front of which, years after, Lee's Block was erected. It is now the back part of Brown's livery stable. The office was removed from there directly across the street to the second story of a wooden building occupied by Lee & Chamberlin as a stove store, where Mitchell & Parson's store now stands. From there it was removed to the other side of the street, a little east, in the second story of Guyer's building, now Hesley's saloon, where it re- mained many years. Its next remove was to the upper part of Lee's Block, formerly called "City Hall;" then from there to Gothic Block, where it re- mained the balance of its days.
Gen. Vandever purchased the Advertiser of Dr. Gatchell in May, 1846. He continued as editor and publisher about a year, when the office was sold to Messrs. Sanders & Davis, of the Davenport Gazette, who published it a few months, when it became the property of F. R. Bennett, Mr. Vandever
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continuing in connection with the editorial department till after the election of General Taylor, in 1848, when he was appointed to a clerkship in Wash- ington, and afterwards to a clerkship in the office of the Supervisor General of Iowa, at Dubuque, and where he has since remained in the practice of law. He settled at Rock Island in the spring of 1839. In Iowa he has been quite distinguished as a member of Congress two terms, in 1858 and 1860, and as a Colonel and General in the army during the late war. While connected with the Advertiser he was an able editor.
In the fall of 1847 the Northwestern Advertiser came into the posses- sion of Francis R. Bennett, who changed its name to Rock Island Adver- tiser. A. G. Brackett became associated with him in 1851, continuing till the next year, when Mr. Brackett accepted the office of First Lieutenant in the regular army.
In the fall of 1853 the Advertiser office was sold to Raymond & Whar- ton, and Bennett went to farming in Scott county, Iowa. In September, 1851, Albert G. Brackett was senior editor, associated with Mr. Bennett, and while in that capacity published a series of articles on the early history of Rock Island County. He was a clear and forcible writer. He came to Rock Island in the fall of 1849.
Thomas R. Raymond was a native of Potsdam, St. Lawrence County, New York, and was for several years connected with different newspapers in Ohio. He came to Rock Island in 1853, and, as before stated, became associated with Mr. Oliver P. Wharton in the Rock Island Advertiser. Mr. Wharton was an Ohio man, born in Muskingum County in 1830. He came to Rock Island about the end of September, 1853, and together with Mr. Raymond purchased the Advertiser office. The co-partnership con- tinned till September 13, 1854, when it was dissolved by mutual consent. Mr. Wharton continued the newspaper, removing the office to the third story of Lee's hardware store, then called "City Hall," and Raymond opening a job printing office in Gothic Block, afterwards the Register office.
The Tri- Weekly Advertiser was started by Raymond & Wharton, De- cember 3, 1853.
Mr. Wharton started the Daily Advertiser September 13, 1855. And he writes that he stood over and under the enterprise till the spring of 1858, or about that time, when it became too heavy for him and he suspended the paper. He afterwards became connected with The Wheatland Times, at Wheatland, Iowa, with The Local, at Beaver, The Times, at Allegheny City, Pennsylvania, and The Vindicator, at Youngstown, Ohio.
From 1853 to 1858 the following changes were made in the proprietor- ship of the Rock Island Advertiser:
I. S. Hyatt was taken in as partner Jan. 16, 1856; in May following he retired, and Mr. Wharton conducted the paper alone till August 19, when T. R. Raymond became sole proprietor; Mr. Wharton, editor; Mr. Ray- mond, associate. December 1, following, Mr. Wharton's name disappears entirely from the paper, and Mr. Raymond introduces Dr. S. A. Paddock as a partner, but says " Mr. Wharton will still be connected with the paper as one of the editors." The firm was Raymond & Paddock. In 1855 Dr. Paddock had been connected with the Ottawa Republican. His connection with the publication of the Advertiser lasted less than a year, when the de- clining prospects of the paper induced him to retire and resume his practice of medicine at Princeton. Early in 1861 he took a company to Chicago
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for the 9th Illinois Cavalry. He was made Lieutenant-Colonel of the regi- ment, but on his way to the front was taken sick and died at the St. Nich- olas Hotel in Bloomington, aged 39 years.
The Rock Island Advertiser continued to be published in the office of Mr. Raymond till some time in the spring of 1858, when it died, leaving the Whigs, or Republicans as they were now called, without any paper in town.
THE LIBERTY BANNER.
In the spring of 1846, a small, unpretentious sheet, called the Liberty Banner, was started in Rock Island, by C. B. Waite, since Chief Justice of Utah. As its name implies, this paper was devoted to the abolition of slavery, at that time a very unpopular subject; for while there were few who possessed hardihood and courage enough openly to advocate abolitionism, the great body of both political parties of the country, either ignored or violently opposed the doctrine. Mr. Waite had no printing office of his own, but procured his work done in the office of the Upper Mississippian and Rock Island Republican.
Mr. Waite was a native of Wayne County, New York. In 1840 his father removed with his family to Illinois and settled on the prairies near Chicago. He soon started a newspaper at St. Charles, Kane County, where his son learned the printers' trade, and after working in various offices in Illinois, and writing more or less for various papers, came to Rock Island in 1845, and worked in the office of the Upper Mississippian and Rock Island Republican. He traveled over much of the country on horseback seeking the scattering abolitionists and soliciting subscriptions, but the number of those who sympathized with him was small, and his paper soon died for the want of patronage.
He moved to Chicago in the fall of 1853. In 1862 President Lincoln appointed him Chief Justice of Utah Territory, which office he filled with credit till 1864, when he resigned. In 1865 he was appointed by Governor Lyons District Attorney for the principal judicial district of Idaho, which office he held for some time, and then returned to Chicago, where he still resides and practices his profession.
THE ROCK ISLAND ARGUS.
From the discontinuance of the Upper Mississippian and Rock Island Republican, in 1847, to the fall of 1851, the Democrats were with- out a newspaper advocating their principles, the Advertiser, a Whig paper, being the only newspaper published in Rock Island. In the fall of 1851, Fred. S. Nichols and John W. Dunham purchased of George K. Budd, of the St. Louis Intelligencer, second-hand materials for a weekly paper, and on the 18th of October of that year issned the first number of a Democratic paper called The Rock Island Republican-the name of which was changed to The Rock Island Argus in 1855, because a political party had assumed the name Republican.
The paper was started in the back room of the second story of Whita- ker & Everts' store, opposite the Rock Island House. In November, 1854, it was moved into the four-story brick building-the first four-story in the city-erected that summer by Charles Buford, northeast corner of Seven- teenth and Second Avenne, where it remained seventeen years. In the summer of 1871 the Argus Block was erected, and the office moved to its present location in October of that year.
IIISTORY OF ROCK ISLAND COUNTY. 159
Mr. Nichols, one of the founders of this paper, was a native of Michi- gan, and came to Davenport with his parents in 1838. In 1840, he com- meneed setting type in the office of the Iowa City Standard, in Iowa City, William Crum, editor and proprietor. In 1847 he worked in the office of the Northwestern Advertiser, at Rock Island, and in 1849 on the St. Louis Intelligencer, whence he came here, as above stated, in October, 1851.
Mr. John W. Dunham, his partner, came from East Tennessee, having learned the printer's trade in Nashville. He was a compositor on the St. Louis Intelligencer, where Mr. Nichols first formed his acquaintance in 1850. In 1851 he joined Nichols in starting the Rock Island Republican, as before stated. He was an imaginative and rhetorical writer, and in this regard the opposite of Nichols, who used to chide his grandiloquent dis- enssiveness with the stereotyped criticism-" Boil it down, Dunham." This is said to have been the cause of the dissolution of the partnership. Nichols continued the paper alone till November 24, 1852, when he sold one-half interest to J. B. Danforth, Jr., who on the 16th of March following, purchased the remaining half. Mr. Nichols, after going to Australia, liv- ing a while on a farm in Iowa, and working on the Chicago Times, went in 1864 to Memphis, Tennessee, where for the past five years he has held the position of foreman in The Avalanche office.
January 1, 1856, Robert V. Shurly was taken in as a partner and con- tinned a short time. He is now city editor of the Dubuque Herald.
Col. J. B. Danforth, Jr., was born in Windsor County, Vermont, in 1819. In January 1846, he became joint proprietor and publisher of the Vermont Patriot and State Gazette, at Montpelier. In the summer of 1851, he sold his interest to Major Eastman, his kinsman and partner, and came to Rock Island, arriving here in October of that year. In the fall of 1852, he connected himself with the Argus (then the Republican) and is still one of its editors and proprietors.
July 13, 1854, he started the first daily paper in Rock Island, and, in- deed, in this portion of the State, for there was then no daily nearer than the city of Dubuque, the first having been started there in July, 1852. Col. Danforth also brought here the first steam-power press. From 1857 to 1859, he was not connected with the Argus, having at the former date sold his interest to Messrs. Pershing & Connelly, in order to sail on a cruise of inspection to the west coast of Africa, in the capacity of purser in the United States Navy, to which office he was appointed by President Buchanan, August 21, 1857.
Col. Danforth has held many places of trust both in the civil and mili- tary service. In 1852, he was appointed to the military staff of the Gov- ernor of the State with the commission and rank of Colonel. In 1853, he was appointed by President Pierce United States Custodian for the island of Rock Island, which position he held till he resigned in 1857. He has held many offices of a local character, and taken a prominent part in the national political conventions of his party.
When he sold his interest in the Argus to Pershing & Connelly on the 17th of September, 1857, the latter united it with their paper, the Rock Islander, under the name of The Islander and Argus. It continued un- der this name and management till September 16, 1859, when Col. Dan- forth, having returned, purchased their interest, retaining Milton Jones, who had previously become a partner by the purchase of Shurly's interest. Thus it continued till the spring of 1869, when Col. Danforth sold one-half
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interest to Robert T. McNeal, Esq., and one-sixth interest to Mr. Jones, and they as equal partners continued the paper till January 1, 1870, when Mr. Jones formed a partnership with James Smith Drake, they becoming equal owners of the establishment. Mr. Drake has since been the active business manager.
On the 5th of July, 1873, the Argus Company was incorporated un- der the general law of the State with a capital stock of $32,000.
The first Daily Argus was issued July 13, 1854, as an evening paper. It was continued as such till December 17, 1855, when it was changed to a morning paper, and published as such till November 18, 1861, when it was changed back to an evening paper, and has so remained ever since.
From the 18th of July, 1859, to September 1, 1861, the Daily Argus was suspended and a Tri-Weekly published in its place. The Weekly has been published continuously from October 18, 1851, to the present time., It has been in politics an independent Democratic paper.
Mr. Milton Jones of this office is a native of Ohio. He commenced as a "roller boy " in a printing office at Zanesville, whence he came to Rock Island in 1855. He has been in the Argus office ever since.
Mr. Robert T. McNeal, connected with the editorial staff of the Argus in 1869, is now law-partner of Major H. C. Connelly, of Rock Island. He is a graduate of the Law School of the University of New York, at Albany, and was formerly editor of several papers in his native State-Kentucky. He came to Davenport in 1865, where he practiced law in partnership with George H. Parker, Esq. He came to Rock Island and connected himself with the Argus in 1869. In this capacity he acquired the reputation of an .accomplished and vigorons writer.
THE NEWS.
On the 10th of March, 1855, James Bowie issned a daily paper in Rock Island called The News. It was printed in Raymond's office in Gothic Block, and was of transient duration. It expired after an existence of 128 days. Bowie came here from Baltimore, and after leaving here edited a paper at Geneseo, Henry County. In September, 1858, he re- turned to Moline, and in connection with Frank Linnehan started The Cit- izen, which soon failed, and in 1860 he was again at Geneseo in connection with another short-lived paper in that place, where he died in 1860.
THE COMMERCIAL.
On the 7th of July, 1858, C. W. Kirkland commenced the publication of a morning daily paper, and also a weekly, called The Commercial. In its first issue he said: "The Commercial will be the firm, zealous and con- sistent supporter of the principles of the Republican party." The printing was done at Raymond's office in Gothic Block. It was discontinued on the 3d of February, 1859, for the want of patronage. Kirkland was born in Utica, New York, and learned the printer's trade in the office of The Evan- gelist, at Oberlin, Ohio. He afterwards published the Gazette, at Medina, in that State, and came to Rock Island in June, 1858. In 1861, he enlisted in the army, was made captain of a company in 1863, and was mustered ont of service March 20, 1866. Since 1867 he has resided in Chicago, for the most part working at his trade as a printer.
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HISTORY OF ROCK ISLAND COUNTY.
THIE ROCK ISLAND REGISTER.
On the 9th of February, 1859, T. J. Pickett started a Republican paper called the Rock Island Register, and published from the start a weekly and tri-weekly. The office was in Raymond's job office, Gothic Block. The tri- weekly ceased some time in the summer of 1861, and the weekly main- tained a precarious existence till August 27, 1862. At the commencement, Campbell W. Waite was associate editor, who continued his connection with the paper about five months. June 6, 1860, C. W. Kirkland became a part- ner, the firm being Pickett & Kirkland, editors and proprietors. On the 9th of January, 1861, Mr. Pickett having been elected to the State Senate, Mr. M. S. Barnes took editorial charge, continuing with Mr. Kirkland till June 19, 1861, when T. J. Pickett returned to the editorship in connection. with M. S. Barnes. August 21, 1861, Mr. Barnes withdrew, and the paper was edited by Mr. Pickett and the foreman of the office, Alexander Lamar- tine, till it expired, as above, in August, 1862.
Before the expiration of the Register, Messrs. Kirkland and Barnes had enlisted in the service. Mr. Pickett was a native of Louisville, Ky., and moved to Peoria, Ill., when quite young, where he learned the printer's trade. In 1840 he established the Tazewell Register, at Pekin, a Whig paper, advocating the election of Harrison to the Presidency, and after- wards was connected with the Peoria Republican. In June, 1862, he was chosen Lieut .- Col. of the Sixty-Ninth Illinois Infantry. He is now editor of the Paducah Sentinel, at Paducah, Ky. Mr. Campbell W. Waite is a brother of C. B. Waite, formerly founder of the Liberty Banner, in this city, and ex-Chief Justice of Utah. He was born in Throopsville, N.Y., in 1832, and learned the printer's trade with his father, in the office of the Patriot, published at St. Charles, Kane County, Ill. He was afterwards associated with T. J. Pickett in the editorship of the Peoria Republican, and in 1857 established the True Republican at Sycamore. Ill. In 1872 he established a paper at Sycamore called The Democrat, which he edited with vigor and ability in the support of Tilden and Hendricks till after the last election. Mr. Waite was in the Army, in the Eighth Illinois Cavalry, and was also war correspondent of the Chicago Tribune.
TIIE ROCK ISLAND UNION
Was started in 1862, by J. A. Kuck, formerly of the Moline Independent. The latter paper was the property of R. H. Graham, brother-in-law of Mr. Kuck, who had gone to the Army. At the instance of the Republicans of Rock Island, Mr. Kuck discontinued the Independent at Moline, and in the fall of 1862 moved the press and materials to Rock Island. The first num- ber of the Weekly Union was issued Nov. 5, 1862; a daily was also pub- lished for a few days. The paper was started in the third story of Bailey & Boyle's Block (now Mitchell & Lynde's). Mr. Graham died on the 11th of November, only a few days after the paper was started. The publication of the daily was discontinued, but the Weekly Union continued to be pub- lished by Mr. Kuck till May, 1863, when he sold the establishment to M. S. Barnes. On the 2d of June Mr. Barnes revived the Daily Union as an evening paper. He also published the weekly. The daily has been 'pub- lished continuously from June, 1863, to the present time, but as a morning paper since December, 1866, at which date it became the property of Capt. Haverstick.
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