Miriam McFate Travel Journal - 1926

Tue, Oct 19, 1926

Got up at 4:00. Got breakfast and ready for the road. Started at 5:45. Just daylight. Had to detour south of Marengo. Had trouble with an oil leak. Drove thro a very hilly stretch of country. Detoured from Marengo thro Williamsburg on to Iowa City. Sure had some hills. Got in Iowa City at 9:22. Most of the way dirt roads. Left Iowa City at 9:30. Drove on to West Liberty Ia. Camp ground at 10:55. Fixed a new gasket in the car to stop the oil leak. Eat dinner.

Started again at 12:30. Got in Davenport at 3:30. Sure have fine farm land around Davenport. Drove over pavement for 13 miles before reaching here. Crossed the Mississippi at 4:00. The children got their first glimpse of an elevated railroad. This is quite some city. Got our first taste of traffic. Stopped in Rock Island, Ill. for gas and oil. Discovered we had left our tent over on the Iowa side. Took it off to look at the oil. And forgot to put it back. Had to drive back after it. A black cat crossed our pathway during our drive into Davenport and I suppose if we were superstitious our tent would have been gone. Drove on until dark. Engine missed, so pulled up to a farm house. Asked to camp in barn yard. Is sprinkling so suppose will have more rain. These people are afraid we would steal their farm so we had to drive to another house. These people were civilized and let us in. Went into camp at 6:25 Put up the tent. Got supper. Popped a pan of pop©corn. Went to bed. Had a good rest.