Farnhamsburg Archives - Mississippi Valley Traveler

Farnhamsburg Illinois

Farnhamsburg was among the first settlements along the Illinois bank of the Mississippi River. Named after Russell Farnham, George Davenport's partner in the fur trading business, the village was founded in 1831, centered around 30th Street and 4th Avenue in modern-day Rock Island. Farnhamsburg became the county seat after winning a contested election with Hampton (read more about it

By Dean Klinkenberg|2018-05-17T16:31:24-05:00April 16th, 2009|Ghost Towns|Comments Off

Election Day Special

In honor of Election Day, I offer three short stories of nineteenth century political games in Mississippi River towns. As new areas were settled, communities fought contentious political battles over the location of the county seat, like these places did. Enjoy! Rock Island County (Illinois) In 1833, Hampton and rival Farnhamsburg (now Rock Island) competed

By Dean Klinkenberg|2016-10-21T15:29:33-05:00November 4th, 2008|Historical shorts|2 Comments

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