From the Rock Island Argus, December 31, 1925
David Sears, 87, Rock Island Resident, Claims To Be First White Child Born
in Moline
Claim to the title of being the first white child born in Moline is advanced by
David Sears, 87 years of age, pioneer settler of Rock Island county, and one of the founders of the former village
of Sears. Mr. Sears, in spite of his age, is still vigorous, and declares that he is able to work with "the
best of 'em." He resides at 4409 Fourteenth street, Rock Island, with his wife and one daughter.
Mr. Sears performs the major portion of the heavy duties around his home and claims,
that if necessary, he could saw a cord of wood. He trims the lawn around his house, which is located on a slight
bluff, so that one can see the country for miles around. The pioneer has an exceptional memory for dates and events,
recalling occurrences in his youth with ease.
Mr. Sears is the son of David B. and Delilah Sears. His father came from Lima,
Livingston county, New York, and his mother from Covington, Ky. His father came to the village of Camden Mills,
now known as Milan, but refused to make his home there because of the numerous saloons and the absence of churches.
Prominent men of Camden Mills wanted the elder Sears to settle in Milan, but he declined the invitation. He went
to Moline and purchased more than 500 acres there in August, 1836. There were only three families living there
at that time, and the coming of the Sears family marked the fourth.
The elder Mr. Sears made the trip to Moline by prairie schooner from Shawnee Town,
White County, Ill., and his wife and children later came by a boat on the Mississippi River. Mr. Sears formed a
partnership with Spencer White and John W. Spencer of Rock Island, then known as Stephenson, to erect a dam from
the eastern end of the Island of Rock Island, now identified as the Rock Island Arsenal, to the Iowa side, for
a flour and saw mill. The dam was built in 1840. Mr. Sears bought out the shares of his partners in the enterprise
and he constructed a saw mill and flour mill.
Moline from Scotch
The present city of Moline was given its name by the old settlers from the Scotch
word for milltown. Mr. Sears, the son, was informed of the origin of the name by his father.
The elder Sears, upon settling in Moline, opened a general store. In 1842 he was
appointed postmaster of the first post office which was in his general store where religious services also were
held. Rev. A. B. Hitchcock delivered the sermons at the services. The principal business of Mr. Sears was packing
pork and shipping produce down the river to Memphis, Tenn., New Orleans, La, and other southern points.
Mr. Sears was married twice, being united in marriage to Melinda Stokes, and later
to Delilah Caldwell. He had seven children by his first marriage and six by his second. Divid Sears, the son residing
in Rock Island, was his father's first son and his ninth child. He had seven step-sisters, three brothers and two
sisters, all of whom preceded him in death. Mr. Sears was born in the log cabin built by his father in Moline,
March 23, 1838, and lived in the home of his birth until he was 11 years old, when the residence was shifted to
a location near the south end of the mill dam in Moline, now fifteenth street. Mr. Sears had for his playmates
Wyandotte Indian children, and knew few white children until he was in his youth.
Mr. Sears of Rock Island received his education in a country school in Moline.
The tuition was $3 a term and school was held only during the winter months. He was given work in his father's
sawmill, and he learned the sawyer's trade of cutting lumber. Later he entered the flour mill to learn the milling
trade, but this did not appeal to him.
Opens Store at Minnetonka.
In 1859 his father gave him a stock of goods and he opened a store located near
the outlet of Minnetonka lake, Minn., where his father had bought land, and built a saw mill and furniture factory.
On March 15, 1859, he was married to Marian Stimpson at Minnetonka City, 12 mile west of Minneapolis. he sold out
his business and moved back to Moline in 1860. His father built a flour mill there, and he later operated it in
conjunction with his brother, William H. Sears. The mill was in their charge until the government condemned the
property for military purposes in 1864. Mr. Sears enlisted twice, but he was not accepted because of the intervention
of John Deere, S.W. Wheelock, and Judge John M. Gould, all of Moline who believed that he was doing more to aid
the government by operating the mill and employing men than shouldering a gun in the ranks of the army.
His father failed financially and he accepted the post of surveyor general to
survey the boundary line between the state of Iowa and the territory of Minnesota in 1852. David Sears, the son,
moved to a farm in Cleveland, in Henry county, Ill., after the government took over the flour mill, and he lived
there for a year. He moved to Vandruff's Island, May, 1867. His father had purchased about 500 acres of land on
the island, and in Rock Island. This land included the future territory of the village of Sears. The elder Sears
and his son laid out the village of Sears, and, it was a suburb of Rock Island until it was finally annexed to
the city.
The son resided in Searstown, 44 years, and in Rock Island 10 years. His home
in Searstown was located at what is now Twelfth street and Forty-sixth avenue, Rock Island. His father died in
Searstown, and his mother preceded him in death in Moline.
Mr. Sears' first two children were born on the upper end of the Island of Rock
Island. He has five children, three daughters and two sons. They are Mrs. Delilah M. Currie of Medicine Lodge,
Kan., Mrs. F. S. Laflin, Rock Island, Mis Vesta H., at home, Hugh R. Sears of Coda, Neb., and John D. Sears of
Rock Island, street commissioner of the city.
Mr. Sears and his father built a mill on the north shore of Rock river and sold
it to a Rockford firm, which operated a cotton factory and distillery.
Mayor of Searstown
As a resident of Searstown, Mr. Sears was mayor for three terms and three terms
was chairman of the board of trustees at a salary of $1 a year. he was a school director in South Rock Island township
for nine years and also commissioner of highways in South Rock Island township. he is an active member of the rock
Island County Old Settlers' association, and was president for one term. He has been a member of Eureka lodge,
No. 65, Masons, of Milan for more than 50 years. Mr. Sears was the last master of the lodge of the Ancient Order
of United Workmen at Milan and was also a member of the now extinct branch in Milan of the Ancient Order of Druids.
He has been an active republican all his life and votes at every election. Mr.
Sears used the privilege of voting for the first time in the first campaign of Abraham Lincoln. He voted for him
again four years later and asserts that if Lincoln still lived, he would still give him his vote.
Pioneer Women Best.
Mr. Sears is not much in sympathy with the feminine sex of today. The pioneer
women were much superior to those of this age. She was independent and self supporting, an entirely different woman
from the woman of today.
He attributes his long life to the obeying of a saying of his father, "live
right and live long." He does not smoke, chew or drink and like his father, is very temperate man, practicing
the principles of industry, economy and honesty. Even though an old man, he can hear well and his eye sight is
of the best. His wife who is 11 months older than he is, is not in good health, and their daughter, Miss Vesta
remains at home to take care of her aged parents.
