Follow us on Instagram!
Author Archives: SCblogger
Clausen & Kruse, Summer 1923
The Davenport Public Library is pleased to have architectural historian and guide Ellen Shapley back to offer her “The Heart of Downtown Davenport: Architectural Styles and Stories” walking tours. During the kick-off tour, she described some of the “building booms” … Continue reading
Posted in Local History
Leave a comment
Living Memory History: The 30th Anniversary of the Flood of ’93
It was on July 9, 1993 that the Mississippi River crested at 22.63 feet at Lock and Dam 15. That broke the previous record set on April 28, 1965 of 22.48 feet. Most people who saw the 1993 flood thought … Continue reading
Unusual Collections: The Davenport Police Department “Lodgers” Books
The Richardson-Sloane Special Collections Department has shelves filled with the amazing history of Davenport and Scott County, Iowa. One small collection is from the Davenport Police Department (1990-04) and includes ledgers for police blotters, roll call, and Matron’s Records. A … Continue reading
Party in the Park 2023 Edition: Lafayette Park
This week kicks off more summer activities encouraging the community to get outdoors together to explore the world around us. For the last few years, the City of Davenport has been hosting “Party in the Park” in neighborhood parks to … Continue reading
Special Collections Closed Until Further Notice – Exciting events at our Eastern and Fairmount branches!
For the safety of our staff and patrons, the Davenport Public Library – Main Street Branch will be closed until further notice as the City of Davenport deals with the unexpected partial collapse of the Davenport Apartments located across the … Continue reading
Closed for Memorial Day, Open for New Hours
The Davenport Public Library will be closed on Memorial Day. Please join us in remembering those who gave their lives so that we could have the opportunity to live ours in freedom. We will open on Tuesday, May 30th—and remind … Continue reading
Posted in Library, Local History
Tagged Civil War Monuments, Davenport Public Library, Holidays, Library Hours, Memorial Day, Monuments, New Hours
Leave a comment
Invented In Davenport: Examples of Davenport ingenuity
We came across this unusual ad from the Davenport Democrat and Leader from September 12, 1922. We researched and found a John Flanagan of Davenport, Iowa applied for a patent for his Lifting-Jack on June 9, 1919, with the application … Continue reading
Jewish Americans in the Quad Cities
Celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month 2023 at the Davenport Public Library by exploring the resources on the history of the local Jewish community available at the Richardson-Sloane Special Collections Center at Main|Library. The Jews of Iowa by Simon Glazer (1904) … Continue reading
Posted in Local History
Leave a comment
Preservation Week 2023: Building Resilient Communities
Each year, we participate in Preservation Week sponsored by Core: Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures with the objective to inspire action “to preserve personal, family, and community collections in addition to library, museum, and archive collections.” Preservation Week offers us a time … Continue reading
Posted in Local History
Leave a comment
Happy National Library Week: There’s More to the Story!
Join us in celebrating National Library Week from April 23-29. This year’s theme is “There’s More to the Story.” The story of libraries in Davenport, Iowa began in 1839 with a library in the LeClaire Hotel. In the following decades, … Continue reading
Posted in Local History
Leave a comment
