FOREWARD.

(A picture of Mr. Downer is included here.  To view thepicture just go to the Picture Index of this, the 1910 Vol 1 book on the mainScott county page.)

And after the book has gone to the printer, the author, editor,compiler or whatever or whoever he may be, carries in a preface his burden ofregret to the public who probably expected nothing better, and in dismal remorsetells how his plans have buckled, his roseate visions turned to leaden hue, hisbudding hopes chilled and filled with April snows.  Not in this book. There is a disposition to acknowledge that prospectus plans covered ascope a trifle wide for the binding of any one book or two books, but there is abelief that there is much in this work that will be new to the reader, and thatit merits recognition rather for what it contains than for what has beenomitted.  There are plenty of inconsistencies, no doubt, and misstatements,perhaps.  But it is a good deal to expect that the writer of history canarrive at truth in incidents wherein principals and bystanders are all dead. It puzzles any one who drops into any court of justice to sort the truthfrom the conflicting testimony of witnesses who saw the self-same thing happenyesterday.  How much more difficult is the task of the assembler of factsfor a local history.  In any event there is as much amusement in denying asagreeing, and the reader, gentle or otherwise, gets his money's worth.

If there have been matters passed over without mention that areworthy extended notice in any history, let it be remembered that many thingshave happened in Scott county since Radisson yearned for the red souls of itsinhabitants, and that the comparative estimate of values is the sole pleasure ofthe writer of history and may be exercised by anybody who can find a publisher.

Some expert who has given the matter thought says no man has aright to pen history unless he has something new to tell or a new way to tellingthe old.  There is a third reason,-the same which impelled the Galena hotelkeeper to charge the Prince de Joinville $4.00 for playing one tune on hispiano; the same reason which caused the assistant superintendent of a New Jerseylunch counter to ask $1.00 of Bill Nye for that combination of sliced ham andsome baker's absent mindedness known on the road as a boxing glove.

Schleiermacher, the great philosopher, draws a distinctionbetween longitudinal and transverse views of any series of historical facts. An attempt has been made in this work to combine both plans, with whatsuccess the reader, pugnacious or otherwise, may judge.

The opportunity offered by this foreword is eagerly embraced toacknowledge indebtedness.  First of all, credit for the finest portion ofthis work must go to one who has long been gone,-the fine old pioneer, surveyor,linguist, gentleman, Willard Barrows, and in lesser measure to his son, B. H.Barrows, once of Davenport, now of Omaha, who generously gave permission forreprinting Willard Barrows' history in these words.  "I not only donot see any objection to your using any of my father's material which you canfind, but I should be very glad indeed, to see the collection of his historicalwork in some permanent form,"  and finally in this connection thewriter's personal gratitude is expressed to the publishers of this work forbeing willing to reprint the Barrows history, complete, unabridged, unchanged,without modification or erasure, an adequate recognition of this masterpiece oflocal history to which it has been entitled any time these fifty years and whichhas not been before accorded.

By way of tribute to the memory of another writer gone fromearth it should be recorded that had it not been for D. N. Richardson's love forhistory, his patient untangling of historical problems and his ability tocoordinate seemingly unrelated facts, supplemented by his delightful narrationof matters thus arranged, much of Scott county history would have been lostbeyond recovery.  There are many others, old associates on the Democrat,the Richardsons, B. F. Tillinghast, J. E. Calkins, Ralph W. Cram, whose chapteron the Press is a feature of this work; fellow members of the Press Club, W. A.Meese, of Moline, H. P. Simpson, of the Rock Island Argus, J. E. Hardman and JoeCarmichael, of the Times, Dr. August Richter of Der Demokrat, the most prolificof local historians, Fred B. Sharon, of the Messenger, Adolph Petersen of theIowa Reform, whose chapter on the German Impress is a notable portion of thishistory.  When this is read, it will be understood by the distant readerwhy Scott county is sometimes spelled Skat county.

The permission to use any of the copyrighted material in thatmine of local history the Half Century Democrat is only an added instance of agenerosity which has never failed in an association of twenty-five years.

Thanks are due to Mrs. Maria Purdy Peck for her chapter on thePublic Library.  Those who know this gifted writer will not fail toidentify her with the Mrs. W. F. Peck who took such large part in making libraryhistory.  Prof. Frank I. Herriott, a resident of Scott county byinheritance, for his father farmed near Durant before the citizens of Iowacalled him to be state treasurer, has developed something in regard to thenomination of Abraham Lincoln that has escaped the actual dwellers of Scottcounty.  For this analysis of a hitherto neglected incident in Iowapolitical history he has our gratitude.

The list of those who have aided in producing this work is longand to every one thanks are due,-to J. B. Young, who patiently collectedmaterial for the hitherto unwritten chapter on local education, to J. M. Sherierfor his scientific and interesting chapter on climatology, to J. H. Paarmann,curator of the Davenport Academy of Sciences and Miss Sarah Foote-Sheldon,corresponding secretary of that institution, to Capt. W. L. Clark, for hisinteresting interview, Col. F. E. Hobbs, commanding Rock Island Arsenal,Secretary C. A. Steel of the Commercial Club, to city and county officials, theDavenport Board of Park Commissioners, to Miss Grace D. Rose, librarian, Mr. andMrs. Louis A. LeClaire, Mr. and Mrs. W. J. McCullough, Dr. C. H. Preston, C. E.Harrison, W. C. Mossman, G. E. Hubbell, Prin. J. A. Hornby, to Supt. F. L. Smartand Secretary J. D. McCollister of the Board of Education; and finally to thegood friend whose name has been omitted and whose neglect shall seem perfectlyinexcusable when it shall be made apparent by sober second thought.

                                                                                             H. E. DOWNER.