Author Archives: SCblogger

October 20 Celebrate History! 30 years of the Special Collections Center at the Davenport Public Library!

Join Jim Jacobsen of History Pays! Historic Preservation Firm for his 2:45 presentation on the Civil War Rendezvous Camps of Davenport including Camps McClellan, Kearney, Jo Holt, Hendershott, Herron, and Roberts/Kinsman. Utilizing maps, drawings and meticulous research, Jacobsen ties together … Continue reading

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Genealogy Night Approaches

October 14 – SECOND SUNDAY – The Richardson-Sloane Special Collections Center of the Davenport Public Library offers Genealogy Night 4 – 9 p.m. Evening meal and refreshments included. A fee of $10 payable in advance secures your reservation. Funds raised … Continue reading

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30 Years of Myths and Mysteries, Hysterical Histories, Tree-Kickin’ Genealogy…and Much More!

Each department at the Davenport Public Library is valued, and the month of October affords an opportunity to celebrate the 30th birthday of one gem in particular – the hidden pearl in the Main Street Library – the Richardson-Sloane Special … Continue reading

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Truth in Advertising: Wagener’s Sewing Machine

Advertising can be a hit-or-miss business sometimes. Some ads click with readers or viewers while others leave them simply unimpressed, or worse, make a negative connection to the object being advertised. We recently ran across the advertisement below in the … Continue reading

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Cool Resource: Widows’ Pension Records

One hundred years ago, there weren’t a lot of options for widowed mothers who needed help caring for their children. In Iowa and parts of Illinois, if a judge felt that the mother could not provide for her family, the … Continue reading

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The Made In Davenport Exposition of 1910: “One Dandy Big Fine Time”

  In September of 1910, the manufacturers of Davenport held the first “Made in Davenport” Exposition from Monday, September 12 to the following Saturday evening. According to an article in the Davenport Democrat on September 11, an ‘army of carpenters … Continue reading

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Davenport During the Civil War: The Coward List

Fall of 1862 found the citizens of Davenport and Scott County adjusting to daily life during wartime.  The Draft of August had been answered by eligible volunteers and those men were leaving home to join the Union cause. Women, children, … Continue reading

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Davenport During the Civil War: The Draft of August 1862

In August of 1862, the Civil War continued to rage and the Union began to experience a shortage of soldiers as enlistment rates dropped. Various factors were behind the declining numbers of recruits, including the realization that the war was … Continue reading

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Just Shelved: Quad-City Times Newspaper Index to Social Events

One of the first things a genealogist learns is how to find obituaries, which usually appear in the local newspapers within two or three days after the date of death, if the deceased was a current resident. One of the … Continue reading

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Just Shelved: Wheatland, Iowa, newspapers

We’re pleased to announce that the following Wheatland, Iowa, newspapers have been added to our microfilm collections: The Wheatland Times — 11Feb1860 – 30June1864 The Clinton County Advocate — 3Nov1864 – 6June1867 The Wheatland Gazette — 9May1888 – 23July1981 The … Continue reading

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