This being the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth, many, including myself, are going to be out retracing his life.
The September 21, 2008, Chicago Tribune Travel Section had an article about a little-known Lincoln site in Rock Island, Illinois, that helped seal his stature as a lawyer.
There were no bridges across the Mississippi River until 1856 when the Chicago & Rock Island Railroad spanned the river between Rock Island and Davenport, Iowa, which greatly upset the steamboat companies.
Just 15 days after the opening, the steamer Effie Afton crashed into it, causing afire that destroyed both the boat and bridge. The steamboat operators sued the railroad, claiming that the bridge was an impediment to boat traffic.
The bridge and railroad owners got Lincoln to defend them in court. (Lincoln was noted for his work with the railroads.) The trial ended with a hung jury and viewed as a victory for Lincoln and the railroads.
There is a historical marker along Davenport's River Drive (by 3rd Street) which marks the western end of the bridge. There are now more than a dozen bridges in the area. The story of the bridges can be viewed at the new Centennial Bridge Center at 201 15th Street in downtown Rock Island, Illinois.
Lincoln Must Have Slept Here, Too. --Cooter
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