Day in history for March 14, 2003

1853 -- 150 years ago

The annual meeting of the stockholders of the Rock Island and Camden Plank Road Company will be held at the courthouse Friday. Directors will be elected.

1878 -- 125 years ago

``The express brought in a quantity of ducks and wild turkeys this morning. What are our hunters doing?''

1903 -- 100 years ago

Enroute to Iowa City, William Jennings Bryan was in Rock Island today. He called on former Congressman Ben T. Cable.

1928 -- 75 years ago

Only 2,335 voted in the Rock Island primary yesterday. Five retiring aldermen, seeking renomination, were successful in the heat of the election race.

1953 -- 50 years ago

Mrs. Theodore Speckel, 70, of 529 Western Ave., a Davenport resident for the last 50 years, died at 10:30 a.m. in her home after an illness of one year. Mrs. Speckel was a third cousin of Abraham Lincoln, and her grandmother, the late Mrs. Lucinda Hanks, was a first cousin of Lincoln. Marie Goodell was born Sept. 24, 1882, in Warren County. She married Theodore Speckel July 11, 1905, in Davenport.

1978 -- 25 years ago

A St. Louis firm that manufactures noisemakers says it is not ready to `snap to' a Moline ban on one of its products, ``snap 'n' pops.'' Moline Fire Inspector Blaine Johnson said the noisemakers fall under the category of ``torpedos,'' a noisemaker that explodes on impact, and therefore they are fireworks.

Back: Available days in March 2003