SIXTY-FIVE YEARS IN IOWA -- D.S. WRIGHT

WRIGHT

Posted By: David (email)
Date: 1/12/2005 at 10:07:34

The Chariton Leader, Chariton, Iowa
Thursday, June 13, 1907

On Monday, of this week, D.S. WRIGHT was in the Leader office, and said he
had been a resident of the State of Iowa just sixty-five years that day,
coming to Iowa in 1842, two years before it was a State. The family prior
to this time resided in St. Louis. He said when he landed in Davenport, he
owned a pair of horse-hide boots, a linen duster, a chip hat, and had $1.50
in money, and thought he was rich. His mother and sister had preceded him,
his father remaining in St. Louis, until a little later to finish some
employment. MR. WRIGHT says he did not like Iowa at that time and tried to
run away on a down stream packet but his mother captured him, gave him a
good application of witch hazel salve and he has loved the old State ever
since. At that time Davenport, was a straggling village of 800, the
majority of the buildings being log cabins, and was the headquarters for
Indian traders and pioneer enterprises generally. The Indians by the
hundreds came in from the broad prairies to the west, attracted by the
ge-gaws of civilization. And what a development has been since then.
Steamboating was the means of commerce, railroads then being considered
irridescent dreams.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copied by Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert
December 21, 2004
iggy29@rnetinc.net