The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Gladstone, a village of 600 inhabitants, formerly called Sagetown, is located on the Chicago, Burlington & Quincey Railroad at the junction of the Oquawka, Keithsburg and Galva branch of the same road. (Of course, today the railroad is the Burlington Northern Santa Fe.)
The town is nine and a half miles from Burlington, Iowa, thirty-two from Galesburg and five and a half from Oquawka and 197 from Chicago.
It is situated nearer the center of the county than any other town on the railroad; it is an excellent site for a small city; and it is destined to become the most business, prosperous and populous town in the county.
( In 1882 the writer of the history certainly had high hopes!)
The streets are due north and south and east and west and sixty feet wide with alleys being twenty. Lots are 54 feet front and 125 deep, excepting fractional ones.Streets running north and south are Dallas, Olena, Raritan, Main and Warren with those east and west being Sycamore, Walnut and Elm.
Although most of the buildings are ordinary wooden ones, a few are good, substantial ones, both public and private.