Author Archives: SCblogger

A Christmas “Fowl” on West 6th Street

Posted on December 17, 2015 by SCblogger

While the holiday season is known for its colorful lights and joyful atmosphere, many of us find the hustle and bustle to be a little stressful as well. While we like to imagine that holidays past were more peaceful, we … Continue reading →

Posted in Local History | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Riefe’s Restaurant: A sad goodbye

Posted on December 10, 2015 by SCblogger

It was 66 years ago that a father and son team opened what would become a landmark restaurant in west Davenport. Orval Riefe and his son, Del, opened Riefe’s Sno-Cone Drive-In at 1737 Fillmore Lane in 1948. Located between West … Continue reading →

Posted in Local History | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

A December Thanksgiving in Davenport, 1865

Posted on December 3, 2015 by SCblogger

One hundred and fifty years ago this coming week, on December 7, 1865, Davenporters observed a memorable National Day of Thanksgiving. In the words of Iowa Governor William M. Stone’s proclamation, printed in the Davenport Daily Gazette on the 6th, … Continue reading →

Posted in Local History | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

The St. James Thanksgiving Feast: 1891

Posted on November 25, 2015 by SCblogger

We have located another wonderful hotel menu printed in a local newspaper highlighting the amazing Thanksgiving feast awaiting hotel patrons at a local establishment. This year’s selection is from the Davenport Daily Leader, published on November 25, 1891 on page 5. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Local History | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Turkey Notes: The 2015 additions

Posted on November 19, 2015 by SCblogger

As loyal readers of this blog know, this is the time of the year when we share our favorite Turkey Notes submitted by staff of the Davenport Public Library. If you are not among our regular readers, our best explanation is … Continue reading →

Posted in Local History | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

A Veteran and a Friend

Posted on November 10, 2015 by SCblogger

In honor of Veterans Day we would like to share a portion of an Oral History interview conducted on June 4, 2001. Interviewer: Susan Carlson, WWII/Korean War Oral History Project Veteran: Army PFC Kenneth Roy Plumb Enlisted June 1954. 82nd … Continue reading →

Posted in Library, Local History | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

OMG! NARA AAD Passenger Lists FYI

Posted on November 5, 2015 by SCblogger

Last month, staff from the Richardson-Sloane Special Collections Center listened in to the National Archives Virtual Genealogy Fair. One of the things we learned is that NARA’s Access to Archival Databases has indexed passenger lists available to search from home for FREE. There … Continue reading →

Posted in Genealogy | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

A Fearful Halloween Frolic

Posted on October 29, 2015 by SCblogger

Children involved in Halloween mischief has always been a concern for adults in Davenport. From outhouse tipping to pumpkin smashing or worse; adults have tried to keep children busy on Halloween night and away from trouble. The Davenport Y.M.C.A. had those thoughts … Continue reading →

Posted in Local History | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Genealogy Night is Almost Here!

Posted on October 22, 2015 by SCblogger

This Sunday, October 25th from 3:00 – 8:00 p.m. the Richardson-Sloane Special Collections Center will be hosting Genealogy Night. Come take advantage of our closed library to research genealogy. Our staff will be available for guidance or to help you … Continue reading →

Posted in Genealogy | Tagged , | Leave a comment

TRACES “Bus-eum”: At Home in the Heartland

Posted on October 15, 2015 by SCblogger

On Thursday, October 22 from 9:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. the Eastern Avenue branch of the Davenport Public Library will be hosting the TRACES “Bus-eum”. This mobile museum is crossing Iowa sharing the history of the state in a retrofitted … Continue reading →

Posted in Library | Tagged , , | Leave a comment