Author Archives: SCblogger

100 Years Ago: Park View Addition Sale!

If you had opened up the Davenport Democrat on May 3, 1912, you would have found a two-page advertisement, announcing that 90 lots in the new Park View Addition—Gas, Water, Sewer, and Electricity included— would be available for sale the … Continue reading

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Mrs. Hilda Matthey: Civic Worker or Spy?

Hilda Amalia Mueller Matthey was born in Davenport on July 16, 1869 to Christian and Elfrieda Mueller. She married Dr. Heinrich Emil Matthey on March 3, 1890, at her parents’ home on 530 Ripley Street. They made their home at … Continue reading

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Music to Remember: Dick Clark’s Summer Caravan of Stars

The high-pitched shrieks of teenage girls must have been heard all over Davenport on September 1, 1964. That was the night that  Dick Clark’s Summer Caravan of Stars made a stop at the RKO Orpheum Theatre (now the Adler Theatre). … Continue reading

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Titanic Fashions, Midwestern Style

The entire world was shocked when the Titanic sank in April of 1912.   A hundred years and several movies later, we’re still fascinated with every detail of the doomed voyage—especially the passengers.  We want to know who they were, where … Continue reading

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The 1940s Census is here! And it works!

Ancestry Library has finished uploading all of the 1940 Census images to its database.  They are now working on indexing—at this posting, Delaware was finished and everything else is pending. Meanwhile, you can find your relatives by browsing the right Enumeration … Continue reading

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Library Closing: April 8

The Davenport Public Library will be closed this Sunday, April 8. We will reopen Monday, April 9th, for our regular business hours.

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Coffee & Census!

Six Days until the complete 1940 Census is released! Why are we so excited about this? Because we’ve waited 72 years for the personal data—or ten since the 1930 Census—and the anticipation has been terrible. Because this Census includes 1935 … Continue reading

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Real Midwives of Scott County: Celia Horst

Every once in a while we notice things that have been right in front of us (that hmm moment). Then curiosity takes over and the research begins! I recently had one of those moments. While looking through local birth records I … Continue reading

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The 1940 Census — a two-for-one!

 One of the questions asked on the 1940 Federal Census was the location of the person in April of 1935.    A decade is a long time and people didn’t always stay put—and some moved more than once.  The Census Bureau wanted to … Continue reading

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Davenporters of Note: Cecile Cooper

Cecile Cooper was born April 15, 1900, in Trenton, Missouri.  After high school, Ms. Cooper attended the Madam C.J. Walker School of Beauty Culture in Chicago,* and took courses at Bethune-Cookman College, the University of Iowa, and traveled to Paris, … Continue reading

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