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Author Archives: SCblogger
Better Never than Late . . .
Historically speaking, we’re two weeks past due for a flood around here. Most of our major Mississippi floods have crested in April,* but the 1993 Flood—the one that knocked the 1965 “Flood of the Century” off its pedestal**—was a late … Continue reading
Bix Lives Here
In the summer of 1971, a group of musicians made a pilgrimage to Oakdale Cemetery in Davenport, Iowa. They planned to play a simple concert in homage to one of the pioneers of jazz, on the fortieth anniversary of his death. Almost … Continue reading
Posted in Library, Local History
Tagged Bix Beiderbecke, Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Jazz Festival, Bix Porch Party
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Barnstormers: The Negro League All-Stars in Davenport
When I look around, I see the world as it has been my whole life and sometimes neglect to think about Davenport’s past. Since I was young, going to a baseball game and viewing people of all ages and nationalities … Continue reading
Posted in Local History
Tagged Baseball, Major League All-Stars, Municipal Stadium, Negro League All-Stars, Race, Ray L. Doan
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Credit Island: The Unknown Battlefield
In May of this year, the city of Davenport received a grant from the State Historical Society of Iowa to conduct an archaeological study of one of the Mississippi River islands near the Iowa shoreline. The eventual goal is to … Continue reading
Posted in Local History
Tagged Black Hawk, Credit Island, Local History, Trading posts, War of 1812, Zachary Taylor
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Revolutionary Resources
What with the thirteen American Colonies and their territories being mostly east of the Appalachian mountains in the late 1700s, it should come as little surprise that no Iowa soldiers fought in the Revolutionary War. But that doesn’t mean that our ancestors didn’t … Continue reading
Posted in Genealogy
Tagged Genealogy, Military Records, Resources, Revolutionary War
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Change Afoot: The Advent of Free Mail Delivery
As always, June has flown by and July is peeking around the corner. And, as always, on July 1st, new laws and regulations will be passed across the country. We found one change that occurred on July 1, 1873, that affected everyday life … Continue reading
The More Things Change . . .
On June 21, 1923, the Davenport Public Library formally opened the new addition to its Main Street location. The eighteen-year old building—the largest Carnegie library west of the Mississippi at the time of its construction—was already in sore need of … Continue reading
Posted in Library, Local History
Tagged Davenport Public Library, Eastern Avenue Library
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Yearbooks: Embarrassing or Awesome?
The Davenport Community School System has three high schools. The original Davenport High School took up residence in its current Main Street campus in 1904. It was renamed Central High School after West High was built on West Locust in … Continue reading
Once Upon a Fairy Night
Imagine a fairyland of delights only a trolley’s ride away from the center of the city’s downtown, a welcome escape from the heat, dust and smells of summer in a crowded river city. Imagine families picnicking in the cool shade … 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. Scott County Soldiers’ Monument We will be open … Continue reading
Posted in Library, Local History
Tagged Memorial Day, New Hours, Scott County Soldiers' Monument
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