Author Archives: SCblogger

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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In Memoriam: Alice Richardson Sloane

“Preservation and access of historical records will provide the key ingredient for success in the future for those who are able and take advantage of the lessons of life from the past. This knowledge and understanding of truth about our … Continue reading

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Just Shelved: People, Places, Planes, and More!

We’ve added many new resources to our collections recently!  Some of these were budgeted, some were donated, and some are courtesy of the Scott County Iowa Genealogy Society: People: Man of Deeds: Bishop Mathias Loras and the Iowa Frontier by … Continue reading

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