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Tag Archives: Davenport
Graduates of World War II
The beginning of June this year brings two things to my mind: high school graduations and the 65th anniversary of D-Day. Thinking of those, I began to peruse our year book collection in Special Collections. The 1942, 1943, and 1944 … Continue reading
Posted in Local History
Tagged Davenport, Davenport High School, Iowa, World War Two, Yearbooks
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What’s in a Name?
The city of Davenport was named after Colonel George Davenport. This is fairly well known—at least to most residents of the Quad-Cities—although every once in a while, we still receive a question concerning the invention and manufacturing of long, squared-off … Continue reading
Posted in Local History
Tagged Antoine LeClaire, Davenport, George Davenport, Iowa, Local History
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New Old Stuff, Old New Stuff!
New to the Special Collections Center’s Iowa vital records microfilm cabinet is Lee County. Thirty-five rolls of births, delayed births, deaths, marriages and even a few naturalizations are ready for use the next time you come in. Lee County is … Continue reading
Posted in Genealogy
Tagged county records, Davenport, Genealogy, Iowa, new resources
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Happy Birthday, Davenport!!
On this day in 1836, the City of Davenport was platted and named. In order to understand the weight of history behind that simple sentence, one would have to look back at least to the treaty, signed on September 21, 1832, … Continue reading
Posted in Local History
Tagged Antoine LeClaire, Black Hawk War, Davenport, Iowa, Local History, Maps
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We’re Number One: Davenport Firsts
We felt like bragging this week, so we’ve brought out a brief list of some of the statewide or national things that happened first in Davenport. In rough chronological order: The first locomotive in Iowa was delivered in Davenport on … Continue reading
From the Archives: The Masquers
A recent addition to our Archive & Manuscript collection has brought to the forefront visions of Davenport drama and theater clubs. Davenport’s Friendly House was an early supporter of this creative outlet, first providing the venue for the “Friendly House … Continue reading
Posted in Local History
Tagged Davenport, Drama Clubs, Friendly House, Friendly House Players, Iowa, Local History, Lois Murphy, The Masquers, Theater Clubs
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The Fire Fighting Advance that Wasn’t
In 1899, Davenport was a growing city. This concerned those responsible for public safety, not only because the city was growing out, but because it was growing up. From a fire department’s point of view, higher buildings mean higher fires—and in … Continue reading
Posted in Local History
Tagged Davenport, Davenport Fire Department, Grain Elevators, Iowa, Local History, Peter M. Gilloley
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Not Exactly Neighborly: The City Hospital Fire of 1860
Every city experiences growing pains along the way, and Davenport, Iowa is no different. As population and businesses grew during the nineteenth century the city began to adapt. Davenport’s city council realized early on that two medical facilities to treat … Continue reading
Posted in Local History
Tagged Arson, City Hospital, Davenport, Disease, Fires, Hospitals, Iowa, Local History, Pest Houses
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Bridge Appreciation and the Diary of Benjamin F. Gue
While walking my dog along the Duck Creek Bike Path recently, I stopped on the little bridge that crosses the creek near our house and listened to the ice creaking and cracking as it was thawing. That brought to my … Continue reading
Posted in Local History
Tagged Benjamin F. Gue, Davenport, Diaries, Iowa, Local History, Mississippi River, Primary Sources
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