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Author Archives: SCblogger
A Summer Morning Haunting?
The end of October is upon us with cooler days, rustling leaves, and stories of haunted houses and ghosts. We have found, though, that rumored hauntings are not just for Halloween. One such alleged haunting merited a small article in … Continue reading
A Street by any other Name: The Legend of Bloody Hollow
We have blogged in the past about west Davenport subjects, including Fairmount Cemetery, which was named in a contest, Scheutzen Park with its fabled fairy lights, and the fun of the Mississippi Valley Fair. Today, we’re adding another west Davenport … Continue reading
Davenport’s first daily newspaper
Volume 1, Number 1 of the Daily Davenport Gazette* was published on Monday, October 16th, 1854. It was the first daily newspaper ever published in Davenport. The Gazette had been published weekly for the previous 13 years, and started out with about … Continue reading
Posted in Local History
Tagged Alfred Sanders, Davenport (Iowa), Davenport Gazette, firsts, newspapers
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The Davenport Fire Department: twenty-six years in the making
Whereas, the events of the past week have made it very manifest that a more expeditious method should be adopted of procuring water to extinguish fires than by hauling it in Casks on drays from the river; Therefore be it … Continue reading
Patience, No — Time, Yes!
The two things a genealogist can’t do without are patience and research time. True patience comes from within, but we can offer you some extra time! Starting next Sunday, October 2nd, the Main Street location of the Davenport Public Library … Continue reading
Posted in Genealogy, Library, Local History
Tagged Genealogy, Genealogy Night, Research, Sunday Hours
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Rock Island Wapello Baseball Club
This past Saturday, September 17, 2011, the Quad Cities River Bandits became the 2011 Midwest League Champions by beating the Lansing Lugnuts 6-3 at Modern Woodmen Park in Davenport. 145 years ago, on Thursday, October 20, 1866, The Rock Island … Continue reading
A Davenport Connection: The Early Life of ‘Big Nose Kate’ Horony – Part II
On September 5, 1860 the steamship Bremen set sail from Southampton, England heading for New York City. Originating from the port of Bremen, Germany the ship contained hundreds of individuals headed to the United States. Among those on board were … Continue reading
Davenport Inventors: Patently the Best
Davenport has had its share of inventors over the years, including Alexander F. Victor, who held almost eighty patents for his film projecting equipment; William Voss, whose washing machines brought laundry to a whole new level, and Otto F. Rohwedder;* … Continue reading
Truth in Advertising: The Last Giraffe
The Ringing Brothers Circus, with or without Barnum & Bailey, has been a Davenport tradition for more than a century. These famous brothers were the sons of August Ringling, a harness maker born in Hanover, and his wife Salome, … Continue reading
Posted in Genealogy, Local History
Tagged Circus, Davenport (Iowa), Giraffe, Ringling Brothers, Truth in advertising
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Happy 175th Birthday, Davenport!
The year 2011 marks the 175th anniversary of the founding of Sofa City – that’s right! In February of 1836 the official “Articles of Agreement” were drawn up, land was purchased from Antoine LeClaire, and a town was platted in … Continue reading
Posted in Local History
Tagged 175th Anniversary, Antoine LeClaire, Davenport, Local History, William F. Skiles
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