Chapter 14 cont. FERRIES CROSSING THE MISSISSIPPI Colonel George Davenport established the first public ferry between Warsaw on the south and Prairie du Chien on the north, a distance of 500 miles.  This took place in Davenport in 1825 and full crews were employed, both at the "slough" and the main channel, for the original ferry led across from the island and not below it.  The slough ferry touched the Illinois shore near where the freight depot of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific 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 a departing landing.  The rapids current was strong and the boats, usually 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 the boat was poled up along the shore to a point at the foot of Mississippi avenue, from which it returned to the island landing.  Two oarsmen and a man at the helm composed the crew, and the rates for putting a man and horse across the stream was $1.25, or $2 for a two horse team, and sinle passengers in a skiff 25 cents.  While living at Andalusia Captain Benjamin W. Clark established a ferry at Buffalo before he moved across the river.  This was for many years the most noted ferry between Brulington and Dubuque.  In 1834 Antoine LeClaire started his ferry below the island, which put the Davenport boats and crews out of business.  LeClaire began with flat boats and his first captain was L. S. Colton.  At the expiration of two years Mr. LeClaire sold his franchise and boats to John Wilson for $1,000 and quit the business.  Captain Wilson was a man of energy and enterprise and at once began building new boats and conducted the business in a methodical manner.  He made commutation rates with the Rock river ferry at the mouth of Green river, whereby one fare paid the way over both ferries.  This arrangement was well advertised and greatly increased Captain Wilson's business and brought to this county many people seeking homes who would not otherwise have come here.  The Iowa Sun of August 4, 1838, announced that Captain Wilson had a steam ferry upon his docks which he would launch in due time.  For some reason, not now known, the boat was not finished until 1842, but when it appeared on the water it was found to be in advance of the times, and was taken off to reappear no more until 1852.  It was the first steam ferry on the river above St. Louis.  There were twelve ferries chartered in 1842.  Every town along the river had its ferry.  Captain Benjamin W. Clark had one at Buffalo which existed up to a few years ago.  In the spring of 1838 he was licensed to run a ferry at Buffalo.  John H. Sullivan and Adrian A. Davenport had one at Rockingham and Marmaduke S. Davenport at Credit island, which have long since gone out of existence.  Just below Buffalo Joseph and Matthias Mounts had ferries.  Avery Thomas ran a flat boat at Pinneo's landing, now Princeton, and Benjamin Doolittle had a ferry on the Wapsipinicon near its mouth.  These men all had flat boats.  Gilbert Marshall ran a ferry on the Wapsipinicon at Point Pleasant in 1840, which was subsequently turned over to J. W. Curtley in 1842 and afterward became the property of Judge Grant.  A ferry was started at Pleasant Valley by Lucien Well in 1842 and Parkhurst, now LeClaire, had its ferry about the same time.  In the county commissioners' court at Rockingham in May, 1838, the following schedule for licenses was adopted:   Davenport, $20; Buffalo, $10; Rockingham, $8; all others at $5 per annum.  For Mississippi ferriage the following rates were followed: Footmen......................................$   .18 3/4 Man and horse............................. .50 One vehicle and driver.................. .75 Two horse vehicle and driver........ 1.00 Each additional horse or mule........18 3/4 Neat cattle, per head.....................12 1/2 Sheep or hogs...............................05 Freight per hundred.......................06 1/4 It was also ordered at this meeting that each keeper give due attendance at all times from sunrise until 8 p. m., but that they shall be allowed double rates on ferriage after sunset. Among the improvements instituted by Captain Wilson was the ferry alarm.  Says a local writer:  "In primitive times in order to arouse the ferryman on the opposite shore the Stephensonites (now Rock Islanders) who had been over here in Davenport to attend evening services and overstayed their time, or zealous Davenporters who after dark had occasion to visit Stephenson in a missionary cause, had to raise the 'war-whoop.'  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 gallows tree a most wretched clanging noise.  But it brought the skiff, though it awakened the whole town.  That triangle was immortalized by Davenport's local bard.  In an inspired moment he ground out an epic or a lyric or a something in seven stanzas and from seven to seventeen poetic feet.  We would reproduce it if we were quite certain our readers were all prepared to die." After the death of John Wilson the ferry fell into the hands of his son-in-law, Judge John W. Spencer and Thomas J. Robinson, then associate judge, and in 1854 Judge James Grant, of Davenport, was added and the firm name changed from J. W. Spencer & Company to Spencer, Robinson & Company.  An extended history of Judge Spencer's life was written by himself is given in another part of this work.  Thomas S. Robinson left his native state, Maine, in 1837 and landed in Green county, Illinois, where he taught school several years, and was county clerk for some time.  In 1847 he went to Rock Island county and there engaged in farming for two years.  The following three or four years he engaged in merchandising at Port Byron, and from 1853 to 1868 almost without a day's absence he was the captain in command of his prosperous steamer, ever active, pleasant and accommodating and attending to his business in a business-like manner.  The first permanent steam ferry boat that plied between Davenport and Rock Island was the "John Wilson."  It was followed by the "Davenport" in 1855 and ran in connection with that boat in those busy transfer times of 1855 and 1856 before the completion of the railroad bridge.  In 1857 the "Rock Island" came into service and the "John Wilson" was sold to the Fulton & Lyons' trade.  The "Davenport" became a government transport during the Civil war and eventually met the fate of all things perishable.  The "Rock Island" continued in the service several years, when it was supplanted by the "J. W. Spencer," whose successor was the "Augusta."  In 1902 the "Augusta" was remodeled and rechristened as the "T. J. Robinson," which name it bore in honor of the man who gave this locality its earliest ferry service and who kept it up to a high standard in the years that followed.  The boats now in commission, "The Davenport" and "Rock Island," furnish the finest service between St. Louis and St. Paul.  They are provided with the latest approved machinery procurable for such service and the accommodations provided for the traveling public are the best possible.  Trips are made between the Rock Island and Davenport shores every fifteen minutes, which are kept up constantly during the day and until late in the evening.  On April 7, 1888, the original license to operate this ferry was issued by the United States teasury department and April 26, 1888, the charter was issued to the incorporated body - the Rock Island-Davenport Ferry Company - with a capital stock of $60,000.  The original incorporators were Thomas J. Robinson, D. Nelson Richardson, Henry Lischer, Joe R. Lane, Edward D. Sweeny and J. Frank Robinson.  Thomas J. Robinson died in April, 1899, and his stock in the ferry company was inherited by his son and only heir, J. Frank Robinson, and with the stock went the management which the elder Robinson had wisely administered.  J. Frank Robinson died in May, 1902, and bequeathed his stock to Captain Marcus L. Henderson, a cousin who had been in charge of the ferry as general manager since 1896.  At the meeting of the stockholders Captain Henderson was unanimously elected president and manage, with H. E. Casteel secretary and treasurer. 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