History of Davenport 1882

FERRIES

"From History of Scott County, Iowa 1882 Chicago: Interstate Publishing Co."

SURNAMES: Davenport, Clark, Colton Wilson, Sullivan, Mounts, Thomas, Doolittle, Marshall, Kertly, Grant, Wells, Spencer, Robinson, Hawley, Mitchell, Whisler,

The Mississippi River was no slight obstruction to travel in the early day, and immigrants from the east would endeavor to steer their course so as to make some point where there was a good ferry established which charged reasonable prices for ferriage. The first public ferry between Warsaw on the south, and Prairie du Chien on the north, a distance of 500 miles, was established by Col. George Davenport in 1825, and full crews employed both at the "slough" and the main channel, for the original ferry led across the island and not below it. The slough fery touched the Illinois shore near where the passenger depot of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad now stands. The island landing on the main channel was just in front of the Davenport mansion, while on the Iowa shore there were two - an arriving and departing landing. The rapids' current was strong, and the boats, ordinarily propelled by oar and helm, were naturally carried well down stream in crossing. The first landing was at a point where Renwick's mill was subsequently built, and from this point, having first discharged its freight, the boat was polled up along the shore to a point at the foot of Mississippi avenue, from which it returned to the island landing. It was seldom, indeed, that there was any return trade. The crew consisted of two oarsmen and a man at the helm, and for putting a man and horse across was $1.25, or a two-horse team for $2.00; single passengers in a skiff, 25 cents.

Captain Benjamin C. Clark established a ferry at Buffalo while he lived at Andalusia, before he moved across the river. For many years this was the most noted ferry between Burlington and Dubuque. Antoine Le Claire in 1834 started his ferry below the island, and Davenport boats and crews retired from the business. Le Claire opened out with flat-boats. His first captain was L. S. Colton. After three years' service Mr. Le Claire sold out his franchise and boats to John Wilson for $1,000, and retired from the business.

Mr. Wilson was a man of enterprise, and improved his line by building new boats and transacting his business in a systematic manner. He made commutation rates with Rock River ferry, at the mouth of Green River, whereby one fare paid way over both ferries, which arrangement being well advertised, greatly increased his business and brought to Scott County many parties seeking homes, who otherwise would not have come. In the Iowa Sun, of Aug. 4, 1838, it was announced that Mr. Wilson had a steam ferry upon the stocks which he would put upon the water in due time. For some unaccountable reason the boat was not finished until 1842, but when it did appear it was found to be in advance of the times, and was taken off to re-appear no more until 1852. It was, however, the first steam ferry on the river above St. Louis.

In 1842 there were 12 ferries chartered. Every town along the river, or site where a town was to be in the future, had its ferry. Benjamin W. Clark had a ferry at Buffalo, which still exists. In the spring of 1838 Benjamin W. Clark was licensed to run a ferry at Buffalo; John H. Sullivan and Adrian H. Davenport at Rockingham, and Marmaduke S. Davenport at Credit Island. These ferries may have been in operation before this time, but this is their first public record. The Buffalo ferry is the only survivor of the three.

In the spring of 1839 Joseph and Mathias Mounts were chartered ferrymen just below Buffalo. Avery Thomas started a flat ferry-boat at Pinneo's Landing, now Princeton. Benj. Doolittle was also chartered for the Wapsipinecon, near its mouth. These were all flat-boats. The Princeton ferry is now run by steam.

In 1840 Gilbert Marshall was licensed to ferry the Wapsipinecon at Point Pleasant, and this became the property of J. W. Kertly in 1842, and afterward that of Judge Grant.

In 1842 Luciah Wells started a ferry at Pleasant Valley, and Parkhurst, now Le Claire, was honored near the same time.

At the May, 1838, term of the County Commissioners' Court, held at Rockingham, the following was adopted as the schedule for licenses: Davenport, $20; Buffalo, $10; Rockingham, $8; all the rest at $5 per annum. The following rates were also allowed for the Mississippi ferriage:

Footman............................................................................18-8/4

Man and horse.........................................................................50

One vehicle and driver..............................................................75

Two-horse vehicle and driver..................................................100

Each additional horse or mule.............................................18-8/4

Neat cattle, per head..........................................................12-1/2

Sheep or hogs...........................................................................05

Freight, per hundred............................................................06-1/4

The Wapsipinecon tariff was 33 per cent, off the Mississippi rates.

The commissioners also entered on their records the following order:

"Ordered, That each keeper give due attendance at all times, from sunrise until 8 P. M., but shall be allowed double rates of ferriage after sunset."

Among the improvements instituted by Mr. Wilson was the "ferry alarm." Says a local writer:

"In very primitive times, in order to arouse the ferryman on the opposite shore, benighted Stephensonites, who had been over here [in Davenport] to attend evening service and overstaid their time, or zealous Davenporters, who after dark had occasion to visit Stephenseon in the missionary cause, had to raise the 'war-whopp.' In order to discourage relics of barbarism, Mr. Wilson introduced the ferry triangle, an ungainly piece of triangular steel, which, when vigorously pounded with a club, sent forth from its gallowstree a most wretched clanging noise. But it brought the skiff though it waked the whole town. That triangle was immortalized by Davenport's local bard - the same who is now broiling beneath a torrid sun in a far off consulate. In an inspired moment he ground out an epic, or a lyric, or a something, in seven stanzas, and from seven to 17 poetic feet. We would reproduce it if we were quite certain our readers were all prepared to die."

On the death of John Wilson, the ferry fell into the hands of his son-in-law, Judge Spencer, and Thomas J. Robinson, then associate judge, and in 1854 another judge, James Grant, of Davenport, was added, and the firm changed from J. W. Spencer & Co. to Spencer, Robinson & Co. Judge Grant retired in 1862, but the firm name remained the same. John W. Spencer was one of the early pioneers of Illinois, arriving in Green County, from Vergennes, Vt., behind a lot of cows and young cattle, which he drove out for Isaac Hawley, who subsequently became a citizen of Scott County.

Thomas J. Robinson came out in 1837 to Greene Co., Ill., from Maine, his whole worldly wealth consisting of two dollars. He taught school several years, and was county clerk several years. In 1847 he came to Rock Island Co., Ill., and for two years engaged in farming. He then engaged in merchandising and milling three or four years at Port Byron, and from 1853 to 1868 was the Captain to be seen, almost without a day's absence, upon the deck of his active and prosperous steamer, ever active, pleasant and accommodating, minding his own business and minding it well.

The "John Wilson" was the first permanent steam ferry-boat introduced between Davenport and Rock Island. The "Davenport" came out in 1855 and ran in connection with the "Wilson" in those busy transfer times of 1855 and 1856, before the completion of the railroad bridge. In 1857 the "Rock Island," the present ferry, came into service, and the "Wilson" was sold to the Fulton and Lyons trade, and when the war broke out the "Davenport" went into Government transport business, and in time went where the good steamers go.

The only competition the firm of Spencer, Robinson & Co. ever had was in 1854 - '55, when Judge Mitchell and C.S. Whisler, having obtained a 10 years' charter from Iowa, put a boat of their own upon the line. In the winter of 1854 - '55, they made an effort to get a charter form the Illinois Legislature but failed. Having authority to carry but one way, the business was unprofitable, but keeping up a bold front, they sold out their Iowa franchise in 1855 to Spencer, Robinson & Co., for $2,000, and afterward sold their boat to an irresponsible party and never got a cent for it.

Spencer, Robinson & Co. amassed a handsome fortune from the ferry. Their best years were 1855 and 1856, but the business continued good until the Government built the magnificent bridge across the river and threw it open to everybody free of charge. Under this arrangement the boat barely paid expenses, and a valuble source of revenue has been lost. But it can it truth be said the old ferry served its owner and the public well.