Richard F. Newcomb House

The history of the city of Quincy was written by Gen. John Tillson, but revised and corrected by Hon. William II. Collins, while the history of the county has been written by William II. Collins and Cicero F. Perry, men whose qualifications for the work will be acknowledged by evei'yone. The biographical sketches are of sj^ecial interests, our corps of writers having gone to the people, the men and Avomen who have, by their enterj^rise and industry, brouglit this county to a rank second to none among those comprising this great and noble state, and from their lips have the story of their life struggles. No more interesting or instructive matter could be presented to an intelligent public. In this volume will be found a record of many whose lives are worthy the imitation of coming generations. It tells how some, commencing life in poverty, by industry and economy have accumulated wealth. It tells how othei-s, with limited advantages for securing an edvication, have become learned men and women, with an intluenee extending tlironghont the length and breadth of the land. It tells of men who have risen from the lower walks of life to eminence as statesmen, and whose names have become famous. It tells of those in every walk in life who have striven to succeed, and records how that success has usually crowned tlieir efforts. It tells also of many, very many, who, not seeking the applause of the worlcl, have pursued the "even tenor of their way," content to have it said of them, as Chi-ist said of the woman performing a deed of mercy - "They have done what they could." It tells how many, in the pride and strength of young manhood, left the plow and the anvil, the lawyer's office and the counting-room, left every trade and profession, and at their country's call went forth valiantly "to do or die," and how through their efforts the Union was restored and peace once more reigned in the land. In the life of every man and of every Avoman is a lesson that should not be lost upon those Avho follow after.

Passage source: Past and Present of the City of Quincy and Adams County, Illinois, published 1905.

We can imagine these exploi-ers landing upon the bank of the river, which now is the wharf of Quincy. As their two canoes neared the shore, the Indian dogs greeted them with their noisy and wolfish yelps, while the l)rowu men, women and children rushed forward to see for the first time in their lives, the "pale face." Undoubtedly, Marquette asked them about the bay. It would have appeared to him as a tributary river. Some Indian making a rude drawing in the sand with a stick, would answer his inquiries aboiit the geographical features of the country, its forests, lakes, sloughs and tributary streams.

Passage source: Past and Present of the City of Quincy and Adams County, Illinois, published 1905.

Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.

Read the whole chapter on Quincy Township - 1,162,005 words on its settlement, mills, schools and churches.