Follow us on Instagram!
Author Archives: SCblogger
A Beautiful Place: A Letter about Davenport of July 1842
This newsy July 1842 letter addressed to “Aunt” Elizabeth B. Langdon from Ellen Harris describes her ten-day journey along the Ohio River, then to the mighty Mississippi River as Ellen, husband William, her mother, and perhaps other family made their … Continue reading
Saluting the Sailor Suit
With the approaching July 4th holiday, we decided to celebrate the endearing tradition of children’s sailor suits. Introduced from England shortly before the U.S. Civil War, these small outfits were designed to resemble uniforms worn by Navy sailors. By the … Continue reading
Posted in Local History
Tagged Alfred H. Eckman, Bahsen, Charles Dunn, Clothing, Erna Reistein, Fashion, Frederic G. Homer, Laurence B. Morrissey, M. Potter, Sailor Suit
1 Comment
Lost but Not Forgotten: A Brief History of 1125 Pershing Avenue
The Quad Cities have a number of structures imbued with an aura of their time, the residence located at 1125 Pershing Avenue was one of those. The setting for this historic home was the late 19th century when the City … Continue reading
Posted in Local History
Tagged Abraham Moritz, Davenport (Iowa), Local History, Peter Bendixen, Photographs
Leave a comment
Davenporters of Note: Leonidas W. Ramsey
Davenport residents have long been passionate about gardening. In June of 1913, nearly 400 people were hard at work preparing their properties for the first of the Rotary Club of Davenport’s “City Beautiful” contests. This dedication to beautification attracted young … Continue reading
Posted in Local History
3 Comments
The Quad Cities Museum Alliance
In honor of Quad Cities Museum Week, we’re looking back at previous collaborations by area museums, galleries, and other historical & cultural institutions. 12 major area museums and art galleries got together in 1986 to form the Quad Cities Museum … Continue reading
FAQs about the DPL FAL (FamilySearch Affiliate Library)
The Richardson-Sloane Special Collections Center has exciting news to share about access to genealogical research materials: The Davenport Public Library has been designated as a FamilySearch Affiliate Library! “But I already use FamilySearch online from home for my genealogical research,” … Continue reading
From Decoration Day to Memorial Day
We think of Memorial Day Weekend as the unofficial kickoff to summer, but in 1868 “Decoration Day” was established by a G.A.R. organization to decorate the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the War of … Continue reading
Posted in Local History
Leave a comment
Living Memory History: The Levee Inn
At the foot of Main Street and the Mississippi River in Davenport is a little boarded-up building that stands next to the old ferry landing. This building has been known by many names since it was built 93 years ago. … Continue reading
Posted in Local History
Tagged Archie's, Arlene Hennings, Charlotte Ebbing, Claussen Kruse and Klein Architects, Floods, Iowa Pork Stop, Lee Roy Hennings, Levee, Levee Confectionary, Levee Improvement Commission, Levee Inn, Municipal Inn, Paul Martinez, Roy C. Young, Ruth Young, Shonnie Holmes
2 Comments
The History of the Petersen House at 722 Brown Street
Some of the most frequent types of questions we receive relate to researching the history of residences and other structures built in Davenport and Scott County such as churches and businesses. The specific questions we are asked include: when was … Continue reading
Dear Mother: Letters from our Archive & Manuscript Collections
In honor of Mother’s Day we’re sharing these lovely letters and postcards sent to mothers by their adult children from our Collections. It’s a good reminder to write/call/text your mom more often! 2018-180062a: Correspondence from Edwin R. Bryant to Mother, … Continue reading
