{"id":15380,"date":"2022-07-08T10:21:07","date_gmt":"2022-07-08T15:21:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/?p=15380"},"modified":"2022-07-08T10:24:33","modified_gmt":"2022-07-08T15:24:33","slug":"a-beautiful-place-davenport-of-july-1842","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/2022\/07\/08\/a-beautiful-place-davenport-of-july-1842\/","title":{"rendered":"A Beautiful Place: A Letter about Davenport of July 1842"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow\" data-effect=\"slide\"><div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_container swiper-container\"><ul class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_swiper-wrapper swiper-wrapper\"><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"484\" height=\"771\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-15382\" data-id=\"15382\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/letter1.png?resize=484%2C771&#038;ssl=1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/letter1.png?w=484&amp;ssl=1 484w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/letter1.png?resize=188%2C300&amp;ssl=1 188w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 484px) 100vw, 484px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_caption gallery-caption\">Letter written by Ellen Harris dated July 1842. <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"478\" height=\"770\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-15381\" data-id=\"15381\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/letter-2.png?resize=478%2C770&#038;ssl=1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/letter-2.png?w=478&amp;ssl=1 478w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/letter-2.png?resize=186%2C300&amp;ssl=1 186w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 478px) 100vw, 478px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><a class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-prev swiper-button-prev swiper-button-white\" role=\"button\"><\/a><a class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-next swiper-button-next swiper-button-white\" role=\"button\"><\/a><a aria-label=\"Pause Slideshow\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-pause\" role=\"button\"><\/a><div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_pagination swiper-pagination swiper-pagination-white\"><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>This newsy July 1842 letter addressed to \u201cAunt\u201d Elizabeth B. Langdon from Ellen Harris describes her ten-day journey along the Ohio River, then to the mighty Mississippi River as Ellen, husband William, her mother, and perhaps other family made their way from Cincinnati, Ohio to their new Davenport, Iowa home.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/letter-3.png?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"521\" data-attachment-id=\"15383\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/2022\/07\/08\/a-beautiful-place-davenport-of-july-1842\/letter-3\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/letter-3.png?fit=747%2C608&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"747,608\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"letter-3\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/letter-3.png?fit=300%2C244&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/letter-3.png?fit=640%2C521&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/letter-3.png?resize=640%2C521&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15383\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/letter-3.png?w=747&amp;ssl=1 747w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/letter-3.png?resize=300%2C244&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>\u201cWhen we left the Ohio river it was night but we all got up to see the meeting of two mighty rivers the effect was quite sublime seen by the light of moon just rising \u2013 it is as a place where three ways meet__ On entering the Mississippi the scene changed to bold and rocky shores on Sunday we passed some magnificent rocks (at least to my unpracticed eye) some that appeared to rise perpendicular to the height of 150 to 200 feet some with snug cottages perched upon the utmost summit and the majestic river washed the base-others with tall shot towers on their top looking as if the wind might prove too powerful although built of solid rock-on the same day we passed an Island composed of rock rearing its head high in the midst of the waters we also passed his Satanic majesty\u2019s tea-table and bake-oven and several other curiosities equally as well named.\u201d<\/p><cite>Quote from the Letter of Ellen Harris. <\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>\u00a0\u201cSatanic majesty\u2019s tea table and bake oven\u201d were unfamiliar landmarks to me. No luck with the tea table, but a bit of digging revealed that below St. Louis on the Mississippi there is a spot called Devil\u2019s Bake Oven, and nearby is an island that may be the one she describes as \u201ccomposed of rock rearing its head high\u201d. It is called Tower Rock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tower Rock is a small, rocky limestone island on the Missouri side of the Mississippi River. Growing from the top of the rock is a small forest of beech, pine, oak, and hickory. The rock has long been feared by riverboat captains because of the rapid current that swirls at its base, but when water levels drop, the island is easily accessed by walking over the dry limestone riverbed. Tower Rock was used as a navigational point for early explorers. It was visited by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, with Lewis writing about this location in his journal over 200 years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Well, Ellen Harris wrote about it 180 years ago, just 20 years later. We have proof!<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/letter-4_b.png?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"189\" data-attachment-id=\"15384\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/2022\/07\/08\/a-beautiful-place-davenport-of-july-1842\/letter-4_b\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/letter-4_b.png?fit=1245%2C368&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1245,368\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"letter-4_b\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/letter-4_b.png?fit=300%2C89&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/letter-4_b.png?fit=640%2C189&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/letter-4_b.png?resize=640%2C189&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15384\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/letter-4_b.png?resize=1024%2C303&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/letter-4_b.png?resize=300%2C89&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/letter-4_b.png?resize=768%2C227&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/letter-4_b.png?w=1245&amp;ssl=1 1245w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/letter-5.png?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"537\" data-attachment-id=\"15385\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/2022\/07\/08\/a-beautiful-place-davenport-of-july-1842\/letter-5\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/letter-5.png?fit=1080%2C906&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1080,906\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"letter-5\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/letter-5.png?fit=300%2C252&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/letter-5.png?fit=640%2C537&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/letter-5.png?resize=640%2C537&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15385\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/letter-5.png?resize=1024%2C859&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/letter-5.png?resize=300%2C252&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/letter-5.png?resize=768%2C644&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/letter-5.png?w=1080&amp;ssl=1 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><figcaption><em>Tower Rock, View on the Mississippi \u2013\u00a0Karl Bodmer (1839)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow\" data-effect=\"slide\"><div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_container swiper-container\"><ul class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_swiper-wrapper swiper-wrapper\"><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"550\" height=\"374\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-15386\" data-id=\"15386\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/letter-6.png?resize=550%2C374&#038;ssl=1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/letter-6.png?w=550&amp;ssl=1 550w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/letter-6.png?resize=300%2C204&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 550px) 100vw, 550px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"158\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-15387\" data-id=\"15387\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/letter-7.png?resize=640%2C158&#038;ssl=1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/letter-7.png?w=810&amp;ssl=1 810w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/letter-7.png?resize=300%2C74&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/letter-7.png?resize=768%2C190&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"269\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-15388\" data-id=\"15388\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/letter-8.png?resize=640%2C269&#038;ssl=1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/letter-8.png?w=961&amp;ssl=1 961w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/letter-8.png?resize=300%2C126&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/letter-8.png?resize=768%2C323&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><a class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-prev swiper-button-prev swiper-button-white\" role=\"button\"><\/a><a class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-next swiper-button-next swiper-button-white\" role=\"button\"><\/a><a aria-label=\"Pause Slideshow\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-pause\" role=\"button\"><\/a><div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_pagination swiper-pagination swiper-pagination-white\"><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Mrs. Harris then moves on to her present life in Davenport sharing descriptions of the burgeoning city, its surroundings, neighbors, and daily affairs. \u00a0The family was living in a house with nine rooms at Third and Main Streets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow aligncenter\" data-effect=\"slide\"><div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_container swiper-container\"><ul class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_swiper-wrapper swiper-wrapper\"><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"526\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-15389\" data-id=\"15389\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/letter-9.png?resize=640%2C526&#038;ssl=1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/letter-9.png?resize=1024%2C841&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/letter-9.png?resize=300%2C246&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/letter-9.png?resize=768%2C631&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/letter-9.png?w=1404&amp;ssl=1 1404w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/letter-9.png?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_slide swiper-slide\"><figure><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"307\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_image wp-image-15390\" data-id=\"15390\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/letter-10.jpg?resize=640%2C307&#038;ssl=1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/letter-10.jpg?w=1428&amp;ssl=1 1428w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/letter-10.jpg?resize=300%2C144&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/letter-10.jpg?resize=1024%2C490&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/letter-10.jpg?resize=768%2C368&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/letter-10.jpg?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><a class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-prev swiper-button-prev swiper-button-white\" role=\"button\"><\/a><a class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-next swiper-button-next swiper-button-white\" role=\"button\"><\/a><a aria-label=\"Pause Slideshow\" class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_button-pause\" role=\"button\"><\/a><div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-slideshow_pagination swiper-pagination swiper-pagination-white\"><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Mrs. Harris goes on to mention the healthy environment, Methodist religious affairs and describes a picnic held on the island providing an extraordinary historic primary source description of Davenport, Iowa in 1842. The letter is folded carefully and sealed with a spot of wax that has long since peeled off, leaving only a red stain. Perhaps another of the city\u2019s proprietors, Antoine LeClaire, (Davenport\u2019s postmaster) carried the letter for Ellen Harris to be mailed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The couple seems to have left Scott County in about 1858, moving to Adair County, Iowa, then Vincennes, Indiana. Both Ellen&#8217;s parents, Joseph and Mary Woodward, and brother, Benjamin Beckwith Woodward, settled in Davenport as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We hope you will explore this and the many other primary source materials available to you in the Richardson-Sloane Special Collections Center very soon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sources:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Accession 2018-18.0067 Ellen Harris correspondence<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Historical Maps Book:&nbsp; A State-by-State Atlas of U.S. History, 1790-1900<\/em> by Dolan<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>John Caspar Wild:&nbsp; painter and printmaker of nineteenth-century urban America<\/em> by Reps<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.greatriverroad-illinois.org\/Tower-Rock\">https:\/\/www.greatriverroad-illinois.org\/Tower-Rock<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/collection.crystalbridges.org\/objects\/2512\/towerrock-view-on-the-mississippi#\">https:\/\/collection.crystalbridges.org\/objects\/2512\/towerrock-view-on-the-mississippi#<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-link is-provider-embed wp-block-embed-embed\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"eqaDqjMVfY\"><a href=\"https:\/\/lutheranmuseum.com\/2017\/04\/09\/mississippi-marriage-misfortune-tragedy-at-tower-rock\/\">Mississippi Marriage Misfortune: Tragedy at Tower Rock<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);\" title=\"&#8220;Mississippi Marriage Misfortune: Tragedy at Tower Rock&#8221; &#8212; \" src=\"https:\/\/lutheranmuseum.com\/2017\/04\/09\/mississippi-marriage-misfortune-tragedy-at-tower-rock\/embed\/#?secret=GuF4CnLbbb#?secret=eqaDqjMVfY\" data-secret=\"eqaDqjMVfY\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/southernmostillinoishistory.net\/what-is-the-devils-backbone\/\">http:\/\/southernmostillinoishistory.net\/what-is-the-devils-backbone\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(<em>posted by Karen<\/em>)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This newsy July 1842 letter addressed to \u201cAunt\u201d Elizabeth B. Langdon from Ellen Harris describes her ten-day journey along the Ohio River, then to the mighty Mississippi River as Ellen, husband William, her mother, and perhaps other family made their &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/2022\/07\/08\/a-beautiful-place-davenport-of-july-1842\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[5],"tags":[41,2435,2433,308,89,91,2436,2437,2434],"class_list":["post-15380","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-local-history","tag-davenport-iowa","tag-devils-bake-oven","tag-ellen-woodward-harris","tag-george-davenport","tag-mississippi-river","tag-primary-sources","tag-tower-rock","tag-westward-expansion","tag-william-harris"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pd0CXc-404","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15380","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15380"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15380\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15393,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15380\/revisions\/15393"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15380"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15380"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.davenportlibrary.com\/sc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15380"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}