James Lindsay, the son of a sawmill owner from New York, arrived in Davenport in 1861. Lindsay wanted to better manage the family’s timber holdings in Wisconsin, which were to be processed further down the Mississippi. He joined forces with his brother-in-law, John B. Phelps, to purchase a sawmill, and they named their company Lindsay & Phelps, Co.
Lindsay & Phelps lumber yard and planing mill, circa 1890 in East Davenport
Lindsay spearheaded ventures in Arkansas, Minnesota, Washington, Oregon and Louisiana, some of which were in cooperation with Frederick Weyerhäuser.
The Lindsay family home, built in 1876, still stands today, at 911 College Avenue, Davenport.
James E. Lindsay House, circa 1876