Rockingham Township, Scott County, Iowa facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rockingham Township
Township
Map of the old Town of Rockingham, laid out by Adrian H. Davenport & J.H. Sullivan in 1835
Country	United States
State	Iowa
County	Scott
Elevation	168 m (551 ft)

Rockingham Township was a small community in Iowa. It was created in 1836 in Scott County, Iowa. This area was about four miles south of where downtown Davenport is today. Early maps from 1837 show that Rockingham was a town.

For several years, Rockingham was a big competitor to its neighbor, Davenport. Both towns wanted to be the main city, or "county seat," for Scott County. However, Rockingham Township officially became part of Davenport on January 22, 1958.

History of Rockingham Township

In 1838, the people of Scott County had to choose their county seat. This is the main city where the county government is located. The newly formed town of Rockingham and its neighbor, Davenport, were the two choices.

The County Seat Competition

After the first election, Davenport seemed to have won. But people from Rockingham said there was cheating. So, another election was held in August. This time, Davenport, Rockingham, and a place called Winfield (Scott) were all trying to win.

Davenport offered more land, buildings, and money than the other two towns. Because of this, Davenport eventually won the competition. The Rockingham Post Office opened on March 11, 1837. It closed on December 16, 1847, which was the same year the town itself stopped existing.

The Battle for the County Seat

In 1837, Scott County was just starting. Rockingham and Davenport both wanted to be the county seat. The Iowa Territory said that the city with the most votes in the February 1838 election would win.

Just before the election, people from Davenport brought in workers from Dubuque. These workers voted in the election, helping Davenport win. But Rockingham supporters were very upset. They complained to the Governor of the territory.

The Governor refused to accept the election results. A second election was planned for August. To stop people from bringing in outside voters again, the Governor said voters had to live there for 60 days. Both cities tried to cheat as the second election got closer. Davenport won again, but only by two votes.

The government then set a third election for the summer of 1840. As the August election got closer, people in Rockingham became tired of the fight. It was hard to beat the efforts of Davenport, especially with Antoine LeClaire giving $3,000. Davenport easily won the third election. To make sure the county seat question would not come up again, Davenport built the first county courthouse.

Interesting Facts About Rockingham

Even though Rockingham Township is no longer a separate place, its name lives on. There is a road in Southwest Davenport called Rockingham Road. This road is in the area where the old township used to be.

Geography of the Former Township

The area that was once Rockingham Township is now part of the far southwestern side of Davenport. It is located near the "corner" where Interstate 280 meets the Rock River.

Population Changes Over Time

This table shows how the number of people living in Rockingham Township changed over many years.