George Davenport
Encyclopedia
Colonel George Davenport (1783 – July 4, 1845) was a 19th-century American frontiersman, trader and US Army officer. A prominent and well-known settler in the Iowa Territory
, he was one of the earliest settlers in Rock Island
and spent much of his life involved in the early settlement of the Mississippi Valley and the "Quad Cities
". The present-day city of Davenport, Iowa
, is named after him.
as well as in France
, Spain
, and Portugal
. In the fall of 1803, shortly after arriving with a cargo from Liverpool
, Davenport was arrested with the rest of his crew while in port at St. Petersburg when the Czarist Russian government acceded to Napoleon's embargo
on British vessels (the "Continental System
"). Davenport was imprisoned until the spring when he was released and allowed to return to his home country.
He arrived in New York the following summer. While in port, he suffered a severe leg injury while rescuing a fellow sailor who had fallen overboard. As the merchant ship was without a ship's surgeon, he was forced to stay in hospital while his ship returned to Liverpool. He left the hospital two months later and, acting on doctor's advice to live in the country, he lived in Rahway, New Jersey
for a time before enlisting in the US Army at Carlisle, Pennsylvania
. Accepting a commission as sergeant
, he was assigned to the 1st Infantry Regiment
and assisted in recruiting for the army in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
, as well as training recruits at the Carlisle Barracks
.
He remained in the army for the next several years, participating in the War of 1812
under General James Wilkinson
. At the end of the Peoria War
in late December 1813, he escorted the Pottawatomie peace delegation to St. Louis, where the peace treaty was signed. Chieftains in the delegation included Black Partridge
, Senachwine
, Comas
, Shick Shack
, Crow
, and Gomo
.
where Fort Armstrong
was established. After he was discharged, he became a successful merchant and traded with the local tribes in the Illinois
and Iowa territories
for several years. Soon after his arrival, he built a double log cabin. This was the first permanent residence built in the Rock Island-area from which grew into a small frontier town. The first recorded religious service was held at his home in 1819.
Around this time, Davenport entered a partnership with fellow pioneer and fur trader Russell Farnham
. Building a house on the mainland opposite of Rock Island, the two founded Farnhamsburg, a small village from which the present-day Rock Island, Illinois
, stands. In 1825, Davenport was appointed the first postmaster
of Rock Island when the post office was established.
The following year, he resigned his position to became an agent for John Jacob Astor
's American Fur Company
with Farnham and oversaw its interests from Iowa
to the Turkey River
. During the Black Hawk War
, he was made an assistant quartermaster
with a commission of colonel
by Governor John Reynolds.
In 1833, he moved from his double log cabin and built his home on a lower part of Rock Island near the old fort. Two years later, he and six others (including close friend Antoine LeClaire
), purchased a large tract of land along the Mississippi River
opposite the island. On this site, the town of Davenport, Iowa
, was officially founded on February 23, 1836. In 1838, he succeeded U.S. Indian agent
Joseph M. Street
as a representative of the Sauk and Fox until 1840. In 1842, he and several others negotiated a treaty on behalf of Governor John Chambers
between the Iowa territorial government and the Sauk and Fox for the sale of their lands in Iowa.
Davenport left from the American Fur Company following the signing of the treaty and retired to private life on his Rock Island estate. He often travelled to St. Louis, Missouri
, sailing on his keel boat, and resided there or in Washington City
during the winter months. He also laid out plans for an addition to the small town of Moline, Illinois
.
. Davenport stayed behind however and, sometime during the late afternoon, a band of local bandits forced their way into Davenport's home. Accounts differ as to the nature of the assault, as one version claims he was shot by the burglars while another states the elderly Bowman was severely beaten when his assailants found there was far less money in the safe then they had first believed. Davenport was still alive when the men finally left his home and was able to give a description of them to authorities before he died.
The men thought to be responsible were traced to a ruffian gang operating out of Nauvoo, Illinois
, known as the "Banditti of the Prairie
". Detective Edward Bonney
volunteered to infiltrate the gang was able to arrest eight men and, although one man escaped while another disappeared, the others stood trial and were convicted of murder. Two received prison sentences while another three, Granville Young and brothers John and Aaron Long, were later arrested and executed for the crime. In October, shortly before their execution, the men were photographed by daguerreotypist
s Thomas Martin Easterly
and Frederick F. Webb.
One of the earliest buildings to be built on Rock Island, Davenport's home still exists and remains one of the oldest residential landmarks in northern Illinois. The house was later used as the temporary headquarters of a Confederate
prisoner-of-war camp during the American Civil War
and is operated by the Colonel Davenport Historical Foundation as a civil war and house museum.
Iowa Territory
The Territory of Iowa was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 4, 1838, until December 28, 1846, when the southeastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Iowa.-History:...
, he was one of the earliest settlers in Rock Island
Rock Island, Illinois
Rock Island is the county seat of Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. The population was 40,884 at the 2010 census. Located on the Mississippi River, it is one of the Quad Cities, along with neighboring Moline, East Moline, and the Iowa cities of Davenport and Bettendorf. The Quad Cities...
and spent much of his life involved in the early settlement of the Mississippi Valley and the "Quad Cities
Quad Cities
The Quad Cities is a group of five cities straddling the Mississippi River on the Iowa–Illinois boundary. These cities, Davenport and Bettendorf and Rock Island, Moline, and East Moline , are the center of the Quad Cities Metropolitan Area, which, as of 2010, had an estimated population of...
". The present-day city of Davenport, Iowa
Davenport, Iowa
Davenport is a city located along the Mississippi River in Scott County, Iowa, United States. Davenport is the county seat of and largest city in Scott County. Davenport was founded on May 14, 1836 by Antoine LeClaire and was named for his friend, George Davenport, a colonel during the Black Hawk...
, is named after him.
Early life and military service
Born in Lincolnshire, England, Davenport became an apprentice to his uncle, a merchant captain, and went to sea at an early age. During the next several years, he visited ports in the BalticBaltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
as well as in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, and Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
. In the fall of 1803, shortly after arriving with a cargo from Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, Davenport was arrested with the rest of his crew while in port at St. Petersburg when the Czarist Russian government acceded to Napoleon's embargo
Embargo
An embargo is the partial or complete prohibition of commerce and trade with a particular country, in order to isolate it. Embargoes are considered strong diplomatic measures imposed in an effort, by the imposing country, to elicit a given national-interest result from the country on which it is...
on British vessels (the "Continental System
Continental System
The Continental System or Continental Blockade was the foreign policy of Napoleon I of France in his struggle against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland during the Napoleonic Wars. It was a large-scale embargo against British trade, which began on November 21, 1806...
"). Davenport was imprisoned until the spring when he was released and allowed to return to his home country.
He arrived in New York the following summer. While in port, he suffered a severe leg injury while rescuing a fellow sailor who had fallen overboard. As the merchant ship was without a ship's surgeon, he was forced to stay in hospital while his ship returned to Liverpool. He left the hospital two months later and, acting on doctor's advice to live in the country, he lived in Rahway, New Jersey
Rahway, New Jersey
Rahway is a city in southern Union County, New Jersey, United States. It is part of the New York metropolitan area, being 15 miles southwest of Manhattan and five miles west of Staten Island...
for a time before enlisting in the US Army at Carlisle, Pennsylvania
Carlisle, Pennsylvania
Carlisle is a borough in and the county seat of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The name is traditionally pronounced with emphasis on the second syllable. Carlisle is located within the Cumberland Valley, a highly productive agricultural region. As of the 2010 census, the borough...
. Accepting a commission as sergeant
Sergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
, he was assigned to the 1st Infantry Regiment
U.S. 1st Infantry Regiment
The 1st Infantry Regiment draws its lineage from a distinguished line of post Revolutionary War Infantry Regiments and is credited with thirty-nine campaign streamers....
and assisted in recruiting for the army in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
, as well as training recruits at the Carlisle Barracks
Carlisle Barracks
Carlisle Barracks is a United States Army facility located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. It is part of the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command and is the site of the U.S. Army War College...
.
He remained in the army for the next several years, participating in the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
under General James Wilkinson
James Wilkinson
James Wilkinson was an American soldier and statesman, who was associated with several scandals and controversies. He served in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, but was twice compelled to resign...
. At the end of the Peoria War
Peoria War
During the War of 1812, the Illinois Territory was the scene of fighting between Native Americans and United States soldiers and settlers.Tensions in the Illinois Territory between U.S. settlers and Native Americans were on the rise in the years before the War of 1812...
in late December 1813, he escorted the Pottawatomie peace delegation to St. Louis, where the peace treaty was signed. Chieftains in the delegation included Black Partridge
Black Partridge (chief)
Black Partridge or Black Pheasant was a 19th century Peoria Lake Potawatomi chieftain...
, Senachwine
Senachwine
Senachwine or Petchaho was a 19th century Illinois River Potawatomi chieftain...
, Comas
Chief Comas
Chief Comas was a 19th century Potawatomi chieftain who, as one of several leaders of the Illinois River Potawatomi, was a war chieftain during the Peoria War...
, Shick Shack
Shick Shack
Shick Shack was a 19th century Potawatomi chieftain and leader of a band of the Illinois River Potawatomi. He was also involved in several conflicts during the Indian Wars, particularly during the Peoria and the Black Hawk Wars...
, Crow
Chief Crow
Crow was a Sioux chief who gave the opening battle cry at the Battle of the Little Big Horn.-References:*Lafarge, Oliver. . A Pictorial History of the American Indian. Crown Publishers Inc. Page 177....
, and Gomo
Chief Gomo
Chief Gomo was a 19th century Potawatomi chieftain. He and his brother Senachwine were among the more prominent war chiefs to fight alongside Black Partridge during the Peoria War.-Biography:...
.
Arrival in Rock Island
In the spring of 1816, he accompanied Colonel Lawrence as an army supplier for an expedition to Rock IslandRock Island, Illinois
Rock Island is the county seat of Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. The population was 40,884 at the 2010 census. Located on the Mississippi River, it is one of the Quad Cities, along with neighboring Moline, East Moline, and the Iowa cities of Davenport and Bettendorf. The Quad Cities...
where Fort Armstrong
Fort Armstrong
Fort Armstrong , was one of a chain of western frontier defenses which the United States erected after the War of 1812. It was located at the foot of Rock Island, Illinois, in the Mississippi River between present-day Illinois and Iowa. It was five miles from the principal Sac and Fox village on...
was established. After he was discharged, he became a successful merchant and traded with the local tribes in the Illinois
Illinois Territory
The Territory of Illinois was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 1, 1809, until December 3, 1818, when the southern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Illinois. The area was earlier known as "Illinois Country" while under...
and Iowa territories
Iowa Territory
The Territory of Iowa was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 4, 1838, until December 28, 1846, when the southeastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Iowa.-History:...
for several years. Soon after his arrival, he built a double log cabin. This was the first permanent residence built in the Rock Island-area from which grew into a small frontier town. The first recorded religious service was held at his home in 1819.
Around this time, Davenport entered a partnership with fellow pioneer and fur trader Russell Farnham
Russell Farnham
Russel Farnham was an American frontiersman, explorer, and fur trader. An agent of John Jacob Astor's American Fur Company, he oversaw fur trading in the Great Lakes region throughout the 1810s and 1820s. A member of the Astor Expedition headed by Wilson P...
. Building a house on the mainland opposite of Rock Island, the two founded Farnhamsburg, a small village from which the present-day Rock Island, Illinois
Rock Island, Illinois
Rock Island is the county seat of Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. The population was 40,884 at the 2010 census. Located on the Mississippi River, it is one of the Quad Cities, along with neighboring Moline, East Moline, and the Iowa cities of Davenport and Bettendorf. The Quad Cities...
, stands. In 1825, Davenport was appointed the first postmaster
Postmaster
A postmaster is the head of an individual post office. Postmistress is not used anymore in the United States, as the "master" component of the word refers to a person of authority and has no gender quality...
of Rock Island when the post office was established.
The following year, he resigned his position to became an agent for John Jacob Astor
John Jacob Astor
John Jacob Astor , born Johann Jakob Astor, was a German-American business magnate and investor who was the first prominent member of the Astor family and the first multi-millionaire in the United States...
's American Fur Company
American Fur Company
The American Fur Company was founded by John Jacob Astor in 1808. The company grew to monopolize the fur trade in the United States by 1830, and became one of the largest businesses in the country. The company was one the first great trusts in American business...
with Farnham and oversaw its interests from Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
to the Turkey River
Turkey River (Iowa)
The Turkey River is a tributary of the upper Mississippi River. Its main branch rises in Howard County, Iowa, near the city of Cresco. The other counties it or its tributaries cover are Chickasaw, Winneshiek, Fayette, Clayton, Delaware, and Dubuque....
. During the Black Hawk War
Black Hawk War
The Black Hawk War was a brief conflict fought in 1832 between the United States and Native Americans headed by Black Hawk, a Sauk leader. The war erupted soon after Black Hawk and a group of Sauks, Meskwakis, and Kickapoos known as the "British Band" crossed the Mississippi River into the U.S....
, he was made an assistant quartermaster
Quartermaster
Quartermaster refers to two different military occupations depending on if the assigned unit is land based or naval.In land armies, especially US units, it is a term referring to either an individual soldier or a unit who specializes in distributing supplies and provisions to troops. The senior...
with a commission of colonel
Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
by Governor John Reynolds.
In 1833, he moved from his double log cabin and built his home on a lower part of Rock Island near the old fort. Two years later, he and six others (including close friend Antoine LeClaire
Antoine LeClaire
Antoine LeClaire was a US Army interpreter, landowner in Scott County, Iowa and Rock Island County, Illinois, businessman, philanthropist and principal founder of Davenport, Iowa-Early life:...
), purchased a large tract of land along the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
opposite the island. On this site, the town of Davenport, Iowa
Davenport, Iowa
Davenport is a city located along the Mississippi River in Scott County, Iowa, United States. Davenport is the county seat of and largest city in Scott County. Davenport was founded on May 14, 1836 by Antoine LeClaire and was named for his friend, George Davenport, a colonel during the Black Hawk...
, was officially founded on February 23, 1836. In 1838, he succeeded U.S. Indian agent
Indian agent
In United States history, an Indian agent was an individual authorized to interact with Native American tribes on behalf of the U.S. government.-Indian agents:*Leander Clark was agent for the Sac and Fox in Iowa beginning in 1866....
Joseph M. Street
Joseph M. Street
General Joseph Montfort Street was a 19th-century American pioneer, trader and US Army officer. During the 1820s and 1830s, he was also a U.S. Indian Agent to the Winnebago and later to the Sauk and Fox tribes after the Black Hawk War. His eldest son was Joseph H.D...
as a representative of the Sauk and Fox until 1840. In 1842, he and several others negotiated a treaty on behalf of Governor John Chambers
John Chambers (politician)
John Chambers was a U.S. Representative from Kentucky and the second Governor of the Iowa Territory.Chambers was born at Bromley Bridge, Somerset County, New Jersey, on October 6, 1780 to Roland Chambers ....
between the Iowa territorial government and the Sauk and Fox for the sale of their lands in Iowa.
Davenport left from the American Fur Company following the signing of the treaty and retired to private life on his Rock Island estate. He often travelled to St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, sailing on his keel boat, and resided there or in Washington City
Washington, Missouri
Washington is a city on the Missouri River in Franklin County, Missouri, United States. The population was 13,243 at the 2000 census. It is the corn cob pipe capital of the world, with Missouri Meerschaum located in Washington.-Geography:...
during the winter months. He also laid out plans for an addition to the small town of Moline, Illinois
Moline, Illinois
Moline is a city located in Rock Island County, Illinois, United States, with a population of 45,792 in 2010. Moline is one of the Quad Cities, along with neighboring East Moline and Rock Island in Illinois and the cities of Davenport and Bettendorf in Iowa. The Quad Cities has a population of...
.
Murder
On July 4, 1845, Davenport's family went to the mainland to celebrate Independence DayIndependence Day (United States)
Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain...
. Davenport stayed behind however and, sometime during the late afternoon, a band of local bandits forced their way into Davenport's home. Accounts differ as to the nature of the assault, as one version claims he was shot by the burglars while another states the elderly Bowman was severely beaten when his assailants found there was far less money in the safe then they had first believed. Davenport was still alive when the men finally left his home and was able to give a description of them to authorities before he died.
The men thought to be responsible were traced to a ruffian gang operating out of Nauvoo, Illinois
Nauvoo, Illinois
Nauvoo is a small city in Hancock County, Illinois, United States. Although the population was just 1,063 at the 2000 census, and despite being difficult to reach due to its location in a remote corner of Illinois, Nauvoo attracts large numbers of visitors for its historic importance and its...
, known as the "Banditti of the Prairie
Banditti of the Prairie
The Banditti of the Prairie also, known as "The Prairie Bandits," "Pirates of the Prairie," "Prairie Pirates," or simply "The Banditti," in the U.S. state of Illinois, were a group of loose-knit outlaw gangs during the early-mid-19th century...
". Detective Edward Bonney
Edward Bonney
Edward Bonney was a 19th century adventurer, private detective and later author. He is best known for his undercover work exposing the "Banditti of the Prairie" resulting from his investigation of the torture-murder of noted Illinois pioneer and frontiersman George Davenport.-Biography:Bonney was...
volunteered to infiltrate the gang was able to arrest eight men and, although one man escaped while another disappeared, the others stood trial and were convicted of murder. Two received prison sentences while another three, Granville Young and brothers John and Aaron Long, were later arrested and executed for the crime. In October, shortly before their execution, the men were photographed by daguerreotypist
Daguerreotype
The daguerreotype was the first commercially successful photographic process. The image is a direct positive made in the camera on a silvered copper plate....
s Thomas Martin Easterly
Thomas Martin Easterly
Thomas Martin Easterly was a 19th-century American daguerreotypist and photographer. One of the more prominent and well-known daguerreotypists in the Midwest United States during the 1850s, his studio became one of the first permanent art galleries in Missouri.Although his reputation was limited...
and Frederick F. Webb.
One of the earliest buildings to be built on Rock Island, Davenport's home still exists and remains one of the oldest residential landmarks in northern Illinois. The house was later used as the temporary headquarters of a Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
prisoner-of-war camp during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
and is operated by the Colonel Davenport Historical Foundation as a civil war and house museum.