Davenport Democrat Davenport, Scott, Iowa July 20, 1924 "SCHICK EXPRESS" EARLY TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM OF PIONEER DAVENPORT Before the good citizens of Davenport began to bother their heads with "traction problems"; before even the remote and dilatory horse-car rumbled its unwieldy way thru the muddy streets of the infant city, Davenport had a "transportation system." It is a small but unforgotten chapter in the early history of Davenport, then a thriving little frontier town of 8000 inhabitants, a town without a railroad but with five stage lines running to other settlements in Iowa. The history of the first transportation system is contained in Davenport's first city directory-a small but ambitious volume. In this little directory, which looks like a little primer compared to the big, thick volumes necessary at present, we read as follows: "Davenport Express- a splendid omnibus, bearing this designation, runs to East Davenport, leaving the corner of Second and Brady streets at 10 o'clock and 6 1/2 o'clock a.m. and at 2 and 6 p.m.; makes trips every morning and evening to Rock Island depot in time for the cars. Private parties can also be accommodated. On Sundays will run from the above corner to the Bluff.- John Schick, Propr." A Pioneer Leader. john Schick was the father of Joe, Charles, John and Julius Schick, all well-known Davenport business men. He was one of the pioneer residents and industrial leaders of Davenport. A native of the village of Niederklein Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany, he came to the United States, when a young man, to make his fortune. The journey was made in a sailing ship and was a long, tedious voyage lasting several weeks. Landing at New Orleans, the young German immigrant took passage on a Mississippi river steamboat and started on the journey upstream to Davenport. It was flood time on the Mississippi and as Mr. Schick was carried slowly upriver he saw houses washing down the river and great trees swirling along in the current. On some of the houses chickens were perched. The boat rescued many people from drowning in the inundated lands. Bus Cost $1,000. Arriving at St. Louis, the young immigrant purchased an omnibus, the best he could buy. It cost him $1,000 in gold, a large part of the savings he had brought with him. Coming to Davenport, he put the rest of his savings in four iron-gray horses, and splendid animals they were. His young wife decked them out with red, white and blue ribbons, and they made a splendid appearance. Old residents of Davenport say it was the finest omnibus that the city ever boasted. At that time the railroad stopped at Rock Island. But here in Davenport there were numerous hotels and there was a large travel to and from the city. There were three passenger trains a day from Rock Island to Chicago, one at 9:15 a.m., one at 7 p.m. and one at 6:45 a.m. The first arrived in Chicago at 8 p.m. and the second at 4:30 a.m. Ten hours and thirty-five minutes to make the trip from Davenport to Chicago! The time card is given in the first Davenport directory. A Real Stage Town. Davenport was a real stage-coach town in those days. There was the stage to Iowa City, one to Cedar Rapids, one to Dubuque, and two to LeClaire. And the Schick omnibus, in addition to making the trip to Rock Island to carry passengers from the end of the railroad line to Davenport, also ran the transportation to East Davenport. East Davenport was a village, then, if you please, not a suburb of Davenport. It was located about a mile and a quarter east of the city of Davenport. When the Burtis house, then a magnificent hotel opened up business for the first "Bridge Line" grew. There was no bridge across the Mississippi at first, and the bus did not run every day in the year. In the summer time the bus was driven on the ferry boat and carried across the river. In the winter, the bus crossed on the ice. Sometimes the ice near shore melted and the stage was driven through the water sometimes two to three feet deep until the solid ice farther in the stream was reached. Bus Didn't Pay. But the first transportation system in Davenport was not a paying venture. Mr. Schick lost all of the money he put into it. It was at that time that a gold rush to California was on and the young Davenporter joined the stream of gold seekers. He drove an ox team from here to Denver, walking all the way on foot. Shortly after arriving at Denver he started back home, disillusioned, penniless, and alone. He was to walk back across the plains to his home and wife in Iowa. Had he not been an exceptionally strong man, Mr. Schick would never have completed his journey, he often told his family in the days afterward. The Indians were his best friends he said. They gave him things to eat and directed him from one camp to another. When eventually he did arrive in Davenport, half starved but with a crust of bread in his pocket and a beard seven inches long, his appearance was so changed that his wife did not know him. He then entered the drug business, "staked" by J.M. Selle, a boot merchant, and followed the occupation until he died in 1886. Cathy Joynt Labath Scott Co, IA USGenWeb Project http://www.celticcousins.net/scott/index.htm Iowa Old Press http://www.IowaOldPress.com/

I'm very grateful for the addition of this newspaper article to the website because it answers some of the questions I've had about transportation in Iowa before the railroads "crossed the river" The only date within the article, however, is 1886, the date Mr. Schick died. Does any one know when he might have actually arrived in Davenport and begun setting up his business? Some of my ancestors arrived similarly, by ship, at New Orleans and came up the river in the 1836. Others landed in New York and got to Davenport, overland through Pennsylvania, c1846-1848. Would anyone who knows early Davenport history better than me be willing to make a guess at the date when the population had reached 8000, the railroad had reached Rock Island, there was no bridge, and Davenport was a one bus, stage coach town? Thanks, Mary Jane Researching the PORTER and STEWART families. > "SCHICK EXPRESS" EARLY TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM OF PIONEER DAVENPORT > > Before the good citizens of Davenport began to bother their heads with > "traction problems"; before even the remote and dilatory horse-car rumbled its > unwieldy way thru the muddy streets of the infant city, Davenport had a > "transportation system." > It is a small but unforgotten chapter in the early history of Davenport, > then a thriving little frontier town of 8000 inhabitants, a town without a > railroad but with five stage lines running to other settlements in Iowa. The > history of the first transportation system is contained in Davenport's first > city directory-a small but ambitious volume. > In this little directory, which looks like a little primer compared to the > big, thick volumes necessary at present, we read as follows: > "Davenport Express- a splendid omnibus, bearing this designation, runs to > East Davenport, leaving the corner of Second and Brady streets at 10 o'clock and > 6 1/2 o'clock a.m. and at 2 and 6 p.m.; makes trips every morning and evening to > Rock Island depot in time for the cars. Private parties can also be > accommodated. On Sundays will run from the above corner to the Bluff.- John > Schick, Propr." > > A Pioneer Leader. > john Schick was the father of Joe, Charles, John and Julius Schick, all > well-known Davenport business men. He was one of the pioneer residents and > industrial leaders of Davenport. A native of the village of Niederklein > Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany, he came to the United States, when a young man, to > make his fortune. The journey was made in a sailing ship and was a long, tedious > voyage lasting several weeks. > Landing at New Orleans, the young German immigrant took passage on a > Mississippi river steamboat and started on the journey upstream to Davenport. It > was flood time on the Mississippi and as Mr. Schick was carried slowly upriver > he saw houses washing down the river and great trees swirling along in the > current. On some of the houses chickens were perched. The boat rescued many > people from drowning in the inundated lands. > > Bus Cost $1,000. > Arriving at St. Louis, the young immigrant purchased an omnibus, the best he > could buy. It cost him $1,000 in gold, a large part of the savings he had > brought with him. Coming to Davenport, he put the rest of his savings in four > iron-gray horses, and splendid animals they were. His young wife decked them out > with red, white and blue ribbons, and they made a splendid appearance. Old > residents of Davenport say it was the finest omnibus that the city ever boasted. > At that time the railroad stopped at Rock Island. But here in Davenport > there were numerous hotels and there was a large travel to and from the city. > There were three passenger trains a day from Rock Island to Chicago, one at 9:15 > a.m., one at 7 p.m. and one at 6:45 a.m. The first arrived in Chicago at 8 p.m. > and the second at 4:30 a.m. Ten hours and thirty-five minutes to make the trip > from Davenport to Chicago! The time card is given in the first Davenport > directory. > > A Real Stage Town. > Davenport was a real stage-coach town in those days. There was the stage to > Iowa City, one to Cedar Rapids, one to Dubuque, and two to LeClaire. And the > Schick omnibus, in addition to making the trip to Rock Island to carry > passengers from the end of the railroad line to Davenport, also ran the > transportation to East Davenport. > East Davenport was a village, then, if you please, not a suburb of > Davenport. It was located about a mile and a quarter east of the city of > Davenport. When the Burtis house, then a magnificent hotel opened up business > for the first "Bridge Line" grew. There was no bridge across the Mississippi at > first, and the bus did not run every day in the year. > In the summer time the bus was driven on the ferry boat and carried across > the river. In the winter, the bus crossed on the ice. Sometimes the ice near > shore melted and the stage was driven through the water sometimes two to three > feet deep until the solid ice farther in the stream was reached. > > Bus Didn't Pay. > But the first transportation system in Davenport was not a paying venture. > Mr. Schick lost all of the money he put into it. It was at that time that a gold > rush to California was on and the young Davenporter joined the stream of gold > seekers. He drove an ox team from here to Denver, walking all the way on foot. > Shortly after arriving at Denver he started back home, disillusioned, penniless, > and alone. He was to walk back across the plains to his home and wife in Iowa. > Had he not been an exceptionally strong man, Mr. Schick would never have > completed his journey, he often told his family in the days afterward. > The Indians were his best friends he said. They gave him things to eat and > directed him from one camp to another. When eventually he did arrive in > Davenport, half starved but with a crust of bread in his pocket and a beard > seven inches long, his appearance was so changed that his wife did not know him. > He then entered the drug business, "staked" by J.M. Selle, a boot merchant, and > followed the occupation until he died in 1886.