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Subject: [IASCOTT] 1910 Dav part 39 - East Davenport
Date: Fri, 3 May 2002 08:45:25 EDT

Chapter 6 cont. The Barrows History chapter 4 cont.

EAST DAVENPORT.

This is a small village on the Mississippi river about a mile from Brady
street.  It was laid out by William H. Hildreth, Esq. and Dr. J. M. Witherwax
in 1852 and 1853.  The location is one of some beauty, being in a broad
ravine having very gentle slopes even from the highest point of bluffs.  It
is on a bend of the river just below the Rock island reef or chain of rocks
at the foot of the rapids which forms a beautiful eddy in the river where
boats can land at all stages of water and is a safe harbor for rafts where
they may lay up on windy weather or when seeking a market at Davenport or
Rock Island.  The village is located upon the site of an old Indian town or
encampment.

This place until a few years since was called "Stubbs' eddy" having been the
residence for many years of James R. Stubbs, Esq., an eccentric genius who
built a cave in 1857 on the south side of the beautiful mound that stands at
the mouth of this valley, a part of which still remains.  Capt. Stubbs, as he
was generally called, was educated at West Point, where he graduated with
high honors.  In 1822 he was stationed at Ft. Armstrong on Rock island where
he remained for four years.  During his stay upon this beautiful island at
this early day away from the crowded city he formed an attachment for this
wild and enchanting country that terminated only with his life.  He was a
brother-in-law to Judge McLean, and in 1826 he returned east and served under
him in the postoffice department and from there went to Cincinnati, where he
was clerk in the postoffice department for some years.  But in 1833 he
gratified his long pent-up desire to return to the West.  On his return to
Rock island, however, there seemed to have come over him a great change.  He
seemed to have lost all of that vivacity of life and spirit so natureal to
his character.  Deep melancholy at times brooded over him.  His bright and
keen intellect seemed at once to give way.  Various were the causes
attributed to the state of mind.  Some surmised that it was a matter of love,
but none knew.  The secret was buried in his own bosom.  He sought relief
like thousands in the inebriating bowl.  His talents, were bright, his
education liberal and his honesty beyond all question.  He sought retirement
from the world and selected the secluded spot in East Davenport, and dug his
cave in "Stubbs' Mound" where from its mouth he could look out upon the
beautiful Mississippi as its rippled current moved on in its endless journey
to the sunny South.  Here he lived a hermit's life for nearly eight years.
 His own companions were a pet pig and a cat, with sometimes a dog.  This was
his family and many a lecture did these mute listeners get from their
eccentric master.  All quarrels among these were settled by the captain in a
judicial manner and the guilty one punished.  In his morning and evening
rambles upon the banks of the Mississippi his entire family would be seen
with him, marching behind in military file with all proper decorum and often
in his visits to the village he was accompanied by his pig and cat.

A. C. Fulton, Esq., tells this anecdote of his first visit to the cave in the
summer of 1842.  He had wandered up the banks of the river, looking at the
country for the first time, and when he reached the eddy and crossing the
little creek below the present site of Mr. Dallam's store, he hastened toward
the top of the mound in order to obtain a more extensive view of the little
plateau of ground to which he had arrived.  In passing up the side of the
mound he caught the sound of a human voice, but could not determine from
whence it came, as he could see no one near him.  The noise increased and
seemed to be a very earnest dispute, mingled with not a few hard words, when
suddenly Mr. Fulton discovered the place from which issued the sound.  He was
near the top of the chimney or hole from which the light, smoke and heat of
Capt. Stubbs' residence escaped, and not dreaming that he was in the vicinity
of a habitation he was somewhat startled, but cried out at the top of his
voice, as he looked down the cavity,  "Hello, what are you doing down there?"
 To which the answer came back in quick response, "What are you doing up
there?  Get off of my house, sir!"  This was his first introduction to Capt.
Stubbs, who in after years received many kind tokens of regard from the hand
of Mr. Fulton.  The only cause of the disturbancee in the captain's domicile
was that the pet pig had, probably without malice or forethought, undertaken
to assist his master in the culinary department and accidentally or for want
of better training partially destroyed a pone of corn bread which the captain
had been preparing for the first table.  Capt Stubbs was a surveyor and ran
out many of the first settlers' claims and often drew up deeds and contracts
between parties at that early day.  In 1846 he was induced to come forth from
his hermitage and settle in Davenport where he was elected justice of the
peace, which office he filled to the time of his death which occured in May,
1848.

East Davenport contains some 500 inhabitants, has a district school house
with school and worship on the Sabbath by the Methodists and other
congregations.  There are two flouring mills, one belonging to David A.
Burrows, the other to Graham & Kepner, with a first rate sawmill, built by
Robert Christie.  There are two stores, brickyards and stone quarries which
in former times furnished ample business and labor for the inhabitants.  It
is now within the corporate limits of the city of Davenport.
North and west Davenport are terms applied to the suburbs of Davenport, and
contain many fine residences.

The quarries from which the building rock in Davenport is taken are very
extensive.  The rock is a light gray limestone underlying rhe whole city of
Davenport.  Its first appearance on the surface is on Perry and at the foot
of Farnam street.  It crops out along the banks of the river as we ascend it,
and at East Davenport forms perpendicular bluffs of some thirty feet in
thickness above low water mark.  These quarries are worked to good advantage.
 The rock dresses very well under the hammer.

There is an abundance of coal that makes its appearance about ten miles from
Davenport in the southwesterly direction, about two miles from the
Mississippi river, but it has never been dug extensively.  Some half-dozen
mines have been opened and more or less taken of the surface coal of very
good quality, but it requires more extensive operations to bring forth a pure
article which lies beneath the Rock river coal basins.

Debbie Clough G-erischer


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