Davenport Democrat Davenport, Scott, Iowa July 20, 1924 HOW AN EARLY TRAVELER IN EARLY DAYS SAW DAVENPORT Easterner Describes Journey Over Plains to the Infant Town How a traveler of 1855, a resident of that acedon of the country which used to be known as the "Effete East", saw Davenport is shown by an old letter now in the possession of George M. Bechtel. The letter was written to James Simmons, esquire, firmly ensconced in the "land of culture" by his friend, Andrew Shannon, who made an adventurous journey to Iowa. Following is the letter: I made one kind of promise before I left old Sadsury to you when I should arrive in the great West. I set down to fulfill that promise. I have little talent for and no practice in correspondence of this kind and therefore you will please excuse all omissions and deficiencies- for Israel's pioneer I am not endorsed with fluency of speech; therefore you will pardon my brevity. I have been in this state for 10 days traveling most of the time. I landed here on the 23d of June and happened to make the acquaintance of three middle aged gentlemen who meditated a journey to the interior of the state. We hired a carriage and two horses and struck out for Iowa City, capital of the state, distant 60 miles. Our party was to have counted 6 but one gave out before we started and another at Iowa City. We left Davenport at noon and arrived at Iowa City on the next evening. Wood of the company wished to located land-that is to buy of Government at $1.25 per acre and supposed he could fine in the neighborhood of the capital without any difficulty but were disappointed. Next morning we assembled in council to decide whether we should proceed or return now. The weather was cold and chilly and our horses showed signs of giving out. I voted for sending them back or returning with them, but the majority decided to proceed. An Unexplored Region. According I took a draft of the road, turned our horses headed toward the setting sun, cracked our ship and boldly plunged into what to us was an unexplored region. Our destination a little town lying about 85 miles in a northwesterly direction where we arrived on Monday about noon (not traveling on Sunday). We found the country about as it had been represented to us, beautiful, grand and rich beyond description, but upon inquiry we discovered that there was no government land in the neighborhood but what was occupied or already taken up. I found after examining some of the plots several tracts lying about six miles south of the village. We procured a guide and proceeded to the spot but no one seemed inclined to fancy the bargain. It was too far from civilization, there was no house, and scarcely a shrub in sight, nothing but the green prairie, and that rough and rolling. A dampness seemed to come over the feelings of the party and we returned to town in moody spirits. I saw that most of the party were getting homesick and that by next morning they would be anxious to return. Morning came and we put it to vote. I was anxious to proceed, but the majority decided to return. Accordingly return we did and after traveling for 3 1/2 days and leaving one of our party on the road, three of us arrived safe in the port from which we started. Our horses were just able to draw us into town and that was all. It was a joint stock company, I was Secretary, Treasurer, Postillion, Hostler, and waiting man in general and particular; our gross expenses $76.55 of the four that continued faithful to the end. Each paid $17.06. The company have dissolved and most are on their way home, and I feel almost lonely, but that will soon wear off. It was a pleasant trip and rather a jovial company. We had Temperance, Anti-Slavery and Progression personated in the form of a liberal minded Doctor of medicine. We had old Hunkerism refined and concentrated and most truthfully presented in the person of a grey-haired, hide bound, hard hearted old line Democrat. Wise Saws and sharp saying in a New York Yankee and Genuine Know Nothingism in Myself. I shall look back on the trip in after time with feeling of pleasure and satisfaction. We certainly have traveled over some of the road that is East of "Jourdan" and is designated by the somewhat un-euphonius cognomen of "Hard" and it may be that we have been just within sight of the promised land but was not permitted to enter. Saw "the Elephant" One thing is certain we HAVE SEEN the "Elephant" all except the tails! (It was a large rock covered with moss not unlike that giant quadruped. Several companies had turned at this point and we supposed that was the occasion-they were satisfied). Seriously, this is a great country. I cannot begin to do it anything like justice. One who has lived all his life in hill of old Pennsylvania can scarcely conceive of the richness of the soil and grandure [sic] of the prospects out on the broad prairies. II will try to give you a faint idea of the village of Martha, the terminus of our journey, as it struck me the most forcibly of any place I have yet seen in this country. It is situate on a high point of land surrounded by slightly rolling prairie. The Iowa river lined with timber runs one mile north, a large stream about one mile south, the village of LeGrand nine miles east visible to the naked eye, another small village to the northeast, groves of timber to the west and southwest, and unbroken prairie all around. Land sells at this price 140 miles from the Mississippi for form four to six dollars per acre according to the nearness to the village; town lots from 50 to 120 dollars. They raise potatoes about as big as your dog's head-I forget his name.- Onions large round as our ice cream plate from the seeds, watermelons, sweet potatoes in abundance; burn all their straw, make no manure, buy no grain at 50 dollars per ton nor anything of the kind; they sow nothing but spring wheat out here and that often without ploughing the ground, and get 20 & 25 bushels to the acre. What is worth about 150 at this time, corn about 50, flour 9 and 10 dollars barrel. The country has disadvantages, fencing timber is scarce and inconvenient, mills far apart. Log cabins very plenty-not much room inside but almost any amount out. I will not be able to say all I want and therefore had better draw to a close. I am at the house of Richard Hoode in this place, staying for a few days. He is Martha Fulton's husband. They live on the brow of a bluff back of the town. They have a grand view of the town, river and Rock Island on the Illinois side, a place just opening out and destined to be one of the most important on the Mississippi. I have just had my dinner and think the best thing I can do is to shut right down as my paper is growing scarce. I have enjoyed abundant health and a saw mill appetite. Am burned as black as an Indian. By the way, we fell in with a caravan of wandering Indians in our journey west but I have no room to tell you about them. To an Anglo Saxon they seem to live a miserable idle and dirty life. I'll tell you more when I have more leisure. Till then farewell. Give my respect to all who enquire and believe me Yours truly, AND. SHANNON. Cathy Joynt Labath Scott Co, IA USGenWeb Project http://www.celticcousins.net/scott/index.htm Iowa Old Press http://www.IowaOldPress.com/