Author Archives: SCblogger

National History Day: A Learning Experience for All!

Every year, our Special Collections Center is pleased to assist middle and high school students who are researching projects for National History Day. These projects require primary resources and a thorough understanding of the annual theme as it relates to … Continue reading

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The Flood of 1870: Bridging the gap between memories and measurements

Last year at this time, we were taking pictures and blogging about the Flood of 2013. This year, so far, finds us nicely dry and warming up after a cold, snowy winter. But what attracted our attention this week when … Continue reading

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National Library Week: 1961 and Now

The motto for National Library week 1961 was “For a Better-Read, Better-Informed America”. That year, the Davenport Public Library was featured on a half hour TV show, Spectrum, on WHBF. Both the Davenport Morning Democrat and The Daily Times ran … Continue reading

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The wedding of Helen Kohn and David Gottlieb

Helen Josephine Kohn of Davenport married David Sticker Gottlieb of Tiffin, Ohio, on April 7, 1913, at the Outing Club in Davenport. According to the next day’s Davenport Democrat, the wedding was lovely. The Outing Club Ballroom was decorated with … Continue reading

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First, Do No Harm – then come see the State of Scott!

The Richardson-Sloane Special Collections Center is pleased to offer two programs on Saturday, April 5th: First Do No Harm: Caring for your Family Documents  will be held at the Main Library (321 Main Street) from 9:30 – 11:30. Learn how … Continue reading

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Davenporters of Note: Alvino Peña

Alvino H. Peña was born May 14, 1939, in Silvis, Illinois.  He died on March 20, 2014, in Davenport, Iowa. In between those dates, he lived a lot of life and helped a lot of kids. The father of ten … Continue reading

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When Irish Eyes are reading the newspapers . . .

It’s difficult to do any research about Davenport’s earliest history without finding at least one Germanic surname along the way. And once the “forty-eighters” came here to find a little peace from the ongoing wars in their part of Europe … Continue reading

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The Small, Pretty Wedding of Jennie E. Grieve, Schoolteacher of this City

On March 14, 1901, Jennie E.  Grieve, former schoolteacher of the brand new School #11 (later renamed Taylor Elementary) married Alexander Shadbolt, the owner of a stock farm outside of Brooklyn, Iowa, in Poweshiek County. Aren’t they a lovely couple? … Continue reading

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Living Memory History: The Winter of 2013-2014

We decided to blog this week about the weather because after a winter of freezing cold and permanent snow . . .  it’s still cold and still snowing. And while that makes us a little sad, we thought it was … Continue reading

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Chronicling America: The Bystander

It’s no secret that newspapers can be a wonderful resource for history and genealogy, but many early newspapers—ones from smaller communities or with shorter or less frequent publishing runs— have remained secrets, or at least inaccessible, to the average researcher. … Continue reading

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