Author Archives: SCblogger

Summer is here!

And about time, too. Summer river outing, ca. 1890s This image shows nineteen people and one brave little boat sitting pretty low in the water, on a “Summer River Outing”, 1890’s style. This 4 x 6 inch postcard is part of our … Continue reading

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Summit Cemetery: Memories of a Rural Past

It catches the eye.  Nestled amongst more elaborate headstones in Summit Cemetery is a small wooden grave marker.  It is simply engraved “Lena Smith 1915 – 1932.”  One cannot walk by, but feels the need to stop and ponder about … Continue reading

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New Feature: Have You Seen . . . ?

One of our ongoing projects is to scan and research each image in our photograph collections.   Most of the time, this is relatively (no pun intended) easy. The majority of our Hostetler glass negatives, for example, came with an original … Continue reading

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“One of the grandest soldiers the North had . . . “

While we take the time to remember and honor  the men and women of our armed forces who have fought to keep our country and people safe, it seems fitting that we also remember those civilians who have fought to … Continue reading

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The Davenport Glucose Works

Corn, as everyone knows, isn’t just for eating on the cob.  The possibilities for corn products appear to be endless:  ethanol, plastics, liquors, starches, packing material, fabrics—and of course, corn syrups. It seems like corn syrup has been part of … Continue reading

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Remembering Police Officer James W. Means

James Wilson Means was born in Pennsylvania around 1824, reared and married in Ohio, and then settled in Davenport around 1855 with his young family.  By the spring of 1883, Mr. Means was a respected officer with the Davenport Police Department.  … Continue reading

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A Flood of Images: 2011 edition

Now that the River has receded from its crest of 20.7 feet,* we thought it was time to take a look back at this year’s flood, which knocked the 1892 flood out of fourth place by almost a foot and … Continue reading

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How do your Mayflowers grow?

If April showers bring May flowers, what do Mayflowers bring? Ancestors! If you’d like to research your Pilgrim ancestors, try searching our library catalog for “Mayflower”, “Pilgrim” and “Plymouth”, and see what we have available. Or try our subscription databases from … Continue reading

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Now, about those flying cars . . .

 All aboard!  Please fasten your seatbelts. Buckle up!  Lift off! If you are traveling to another city, state, or country by land or air—or if you’re even one of the chosen few to travel though space—you have to have vehicle … Continue reading

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Poets and Poetry: With a Mississippi Walking Stick

April is National Poetry Month, so it seems fitting to share  the work of a few of our local poets each week. Richard Stahl was born and raised in Davenport.  He graduated from Central High School in 1957 and later taught English there for 34 years. His … Continue reading

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