Chapter 35 cont. THE FIRST DAVENPORT TEACHER The honor of teaching the first private school has been accorded to many different teachers by local historians and those who have written reminiscences. Elsewhere in this work it goes to Rev. Michael Hummer, and on good authority, but there are those who should be competent to settle the matter who say otherwise. In his address at the dedication of the Davenport Free Public Library, May 11, 1904, Judge John F. Dillon said: "The earliest school was kept in a small log cabin near the river below Western avenue by the aged father of Alexander W. McGregor." C. H. Eldridge, who was a schoolboy in Davenport in those days, gave an address before the historical section of the Davenport Academy of Sciences years ago, and his signed notes, still preserved, have these entries: "Miss Marianna Hall, a niece of Dr. Hall, opened a school, the first one in town, in the summer of 1838, in a little, about twelve by fourteen log house, originally built for a blacksmith shop, without any floor but mother earth, two windows, with one slab door and a wooden latch. This was maintained about one term; but few scholars, - I think Lafayette Franks, Sarah Franks, who afterward married Samuel Leonard, brother of our sheriff, Henry Colton, two daughters of Powers, up the river, a nephew of Walter Kelly, I forget his name, three children of Nelson Powers, who kept the hotel, Patrick Fox, and one of Judge Cook's sons. This house was near where Davies & Sons' saw mill is now situated. Some of Dr. Hall's younger sons attended." To continue Mr. Eldridge's notes: "The next school was opened by Rev. Michael Hummer, better known as Parson Hummer, in a frame building on the corner of the alley east side of Ripley street, between First and Second streets, in the fall of 1838 and ran through until the summer of 1839. There were J. M. Parker of our city, Bailey Davenport, ex-mayor of Rock Island, Frank Bennett, editor of Clinton, Henry Colton, Miss Frances Peck, Clarence Whiting, now of California, Samuel K. Barkley, his sister, two Zeigler boys, and one of the McGregor boys. "The next school in order was opened by Moses Parmele, whose several sons are well known citizens. This school was opened up stairs in a front room of a two story house on Front street near Schricker & Mueller's mill, the family living down stairs and back. This was in the summer of 1839, I think. Here were Henry Colton and a younger brother, the Parmele boys, Sarah Franks, Frances Peck, a girl whose name was Fudge, her father being afterward killed by an explosion at Burrows' steam mill, Jack Dillon, since J. F. Dillon, his brother Timothy who was drowned, the Ziegler boys, Whiting's two boys, the Powers girls. 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/