Chapter 34 cont. STATION NAMED FOR CAPITALIST As the building of the Mississippi & Missouri progressed, stations were created and named. On July 19, 1855, when the Antoine LeClaire was brought here, the road had reached a distance of two and a half miles west of the city, and Farnam station was created and named after one of the eastern capitalists who put money into this pioneer railroad. Henry Farnam gave his name to the first station outside of Davenport but today it is simply Farnam siding in official dispatches. The next station was Walcott and the third Durant. While Mr. Farnam failed to have his name perpetuated by colored porters and unintelligible brakemen in calling off the railroad stations, he succeeded in getting it fixed to one of the streets of Davenport, Farnam street, although this claim is likely to be refuted by those who contend that Farnam street was christened after Russell Farnham, Antoine LeClaire's old traveling partner in the Indian fur business. But it will be remembered that Farnam street was not laid out until about the time of the coming of the Chicago & Rock Island and the Mississippi & Missouri roads, and that, like LeClaire street, it had been vacated to these roads first by gift of Mr. LeClaire and then by record of the city council. Debbie Clough Gerischer Iowa Gen Web, Assistant CC, Scott County http://www.celticcousins.net/scott/ IAGENWEB: Special History Project: http://iagenweb.org/history/index.htm Gerischer Family Web Site: http://gerischer.rootsweb.com/