In
the year 1828, a ferry was established across the
Mississippi at Quincy, and in February, 1829, Willard
Keyes obtained license from the Marion county court to
land this ferry on the Missouri side and to operate it
regularly. Mr. Keyes lived in Quincy, and was one of the
first county commissioners of Adams county, Illinois. This
was the first ferry across the Mississippi north of
Louisiana. The landing on this side was the origin
of the village of West Quincy. Keyes sold the ferry to Eli
Merrill, who operated it for some years. In 1840 the
proprietor was Gov. Carlin, of Illinois, who in that year
built the ferry house. His was the first steam ferry, and
the boat was called the "Mary Ann." Previously
the boats had been run by hand and horse power. After a
time Capt. John Taylor purchased the "Kossuth,"
and other boats since then have been the "Mary
Cole," the "Emma," the "Quincy,"
the "Rosa Taylor," and the present boat, the
"Frank Sherman." The last named was built in
1878. Capt. Taylor is still the owner.
The
first house in the village of West Quincy was built by a
Mr. Patterson, in 1849. It stood on the site of the
present ferry dock, and was washed away in the flood of
1851. The first store house was built by Capt. Taylor, and
Isaac Stephens sold goods in it many years ago. In the
winter of 1859-60, Henry Forquert built a store house. The
town is laid out on the center of section 3, township 59,
range 5, and contains seven streets running east and west,
named (beginning the north side) Taylor, McGinley, Main,
Clark, Vine, Cedar and Walnut. Only one of these streets,
however (Main), is discernible to the visitor. Six streets
bearing numerical designations run north and south, named
from First street to Sixth. About the only buildings
however, are along the river and on Main street, besides
the railroad depot. Three railroad tracks lead into West
Quincy,--the St. Louis, Keokuk & Northwestern, the
Wabash, St. Louis and Pacific, and the Hannibal &- St.
Joseph. The Chicago, Burlington & Quincy runs its
trains over the tracks of the St. L., K. & N. W. The
town was regularly laid out January 28, 1871.
For
a time during the war and before the building, of the
railroad bridge the place was the terminus of a stage line
from Keokuk, Iowa. Only a few houses were ever here at any
time, however. The city of Quincy, just opposite, has
forbidden any town of considerable size, even if the site
were not below high water mark. The floods of the injure
the village no little, flowing through it, and over it and
around it sometimes unrestrained. Notable floods in times
past which have damaged the village were those of 1844,
1851, 1857, 1862, and 1881.
In
October, 1868, the railroad bridge across the Mississippi
was completed and trains began to run. Work on the bridge
was begun in the latter part of the year 1866. Nehemiah
Bushnell, of Quincy was the first president of the bridge
company. Thos. C. Clarke was chief engineer, Col. E. D.
Mason was first assistant engineer and superintendent of
construction, George Walcott and H. H. Killaly, assistant
engineers. Warren Colburn was consulting engineer.
The
great or main bridge spanning the river from the west bank
to Wood's Island is 3,185 feet in length. The grade across
the Island is 600 feet; the trestle bridge across Wood's
slough, 400 feet; then comes a grade or an embankment 500
feet; then a trestle bridge over the bay 525 feet. Total
length from the main western to the main eastern shore,
5,200 feet. The total cost of the entire, structure was
$1,500,000, as follows: Main bridge, $1,150,625 ; the Bay
bridge, $165,690; embankments, $149,755 protecting shores,
$33,930. Prior to the completion of this bridge cars were
ferried across the in a river in a steam ferry expressly
prepared.
OTHER
RAILROAD STATIONS
Besides
West Quincy, Fabius township contains two other railroad
stations -North River, on the Hannibal & St. Joseph,
at the crossing of the North river, and Tavlor's, on the
Wabash at the crossing of the North Fabius five and a half
miles west of Quincy, at the residence of Capt. John
Taylor. There are station houses here, but riot much else. |