Elias Gilbert arrived from the East Coast in 1850 and built a house and barn, planted corn, and tried to grow tobacco. In 1858 he used his authority as county surveyor to platt 29 lots for the town of Gilbert that included the area formerly known as Lillienthal. The former town’s boundaries are now part of Bettendorf running along State Street from 10th to 14th Streets, more or less. Gilbert, the town, was never incorporated, much to the disappointment of Gilbert, the surveyor, I bet; residents voted to change the town’s name to Bettendorf in 1903.
© Dean Klinkenberg, 2009
