On September 1, 1854 – the cornerstone of the first bridge over the Mississippi River was laid during Judge James Grant’s term as mayor of Davenport.
Did you know that in the 19th century, the definition and rules for a conflict of interest differed greatly than they do today. That’s why Judge Grant, who began investing in the railroad industry in the early 1850’s, ran for the Iowa State House of Representatives in 1852, was elected Speaker of the House, and was able to secure valuable franchises and right-of-way concessions for the railroad.
You see, over his fifty years in Scott County, James Grant’s legal practice was very successful, and he made a small fortune representing the railroads. In one railroad case, he won for his clients one million dollars, and received for his services $100,000!
In 1851, Grant invested in and became the first president of the Chicago and Rock Island Railroad, and that’s one of the main reasons, as mayor of Davenport in 1854, the first bridge to be constructed over the Mississippi River (opening in 1856) was the Rock Island’s railroad bridge! Hmm. Conflict of interest? Well, despite the political shenanigans, the addition of the railway bridge in Davenport changed everything for Iowa and Iowa City.
READ MORE ABOUT THIS IOWA STORY HERE
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