About the 1st of March, 1839, I received letters at Cincinnati, saying the Mississippi was about to break up and at once I commenced making arrangements to return.  Being anxious to add to the population of the little settlement in Iowa, I persuaded two brothers-in-law, Wheeler Crane, a carriage maker, and Joseph Beach, a painter, also my two brothers, Lewis and David, stout lads in those days, to accompany me.  Our journey was without incident until we reached the lower rapids, where we had a tedious time, getting fast on the rocks and being nearly a week getting over. At last, on the 4th day of April, we reached our future home, being put ashore on the bank of the river, about half way between Perry and Rock Island streets.  I remember the day well.  It was a gloomy day, the wind blew a perfect gale, and everything looked cheerless. I found that the man whom I had engaged to put up my house had betrayed me.  The money I had left with him to purchase lumber he had applied to his own use, and there was nothing on the ground but the naked frame which I had purchased in the fall.  The first thing to be done was to find shelter for my wife and child.  I succeeded in renting two small rooms, just finished, about twelve feet square, at the corner of Third and Ditch (now Harrison) streets.  The rooms were very small and inconvenient for a family of seven persons.  We were obliged to go out doors from one room to get into the other.  They had been built for offices, but in those days we had to do the best we could. In about two weeks I had my house weather-boarded and shingled, and, putting down loose boards for a floor, moved in at once and then finished it, a room at a time.  I found the little town a busy place, every one anxious to secure a home.  Some settlers, besides myself, came in that spring and a number of houses had been commenced, and the inhabitants of the little town were as active as a swarm of bees.  But the great excitement was the Rockingham war, and a few weeks later the Missouri war.  I served in both, like a true soldier and patriot.  The Rockingham war was tedious, lasting about two years, and four pitched battles were fought, with varying success.  The contest was for the county seat, which Rockingham had and was loth to give up.  She had been the emporium of Scott county, outnumbering Davenport in population and business.  But two years made a change.  Davenport had grown materially, both in population and capital, while poor Rockingham had reached her growth, some of her citizens deserting to the enemy and at the last election, sixteen of her people voted for Davenport, the citizens offered to build the court house and present it to the county, free of all expense, promising it should be equal to the court house across the river, at Stephenson, Illinois; and it was a facsimile. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Debbie Clough G-erischer G-erischer Family Web Site http://gerischer.rootsweb.com/ Assistant CC, Iowa Gen Web, Scott County http://www.celticcousins.net/scott/ List Manager for: IASCOTT-L * G-erischer-L * D-encker-L Fitzpatirck-L * V-lerebome-L * Huntington-L * Otis-L * Algar-L EIGS-L * Pickens-L * McNab-L * Patris-L - Rankin-L