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Author Archives: SCblogger
The Story of John S. Sandstrom
It was November 2014, and I was investigating documents in one of our manuscript collections, #X-09, that was described as having documents pertaining to building the Poor House in 1883. Among the documents was a petition signed by 38 people … Continue reading
Posted in Local History
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Veterans Day: WWI soldiers photographed by J.B. Hostetler
In honor of Veterans Day, we wanted to share a sampling of portraits of men in uniform taken by J. B. Hostetler at his photography studio in Davenport in 1918. These images have been digitized and uploaded to our Upper … Continue reading
Posted in Local History
Tagged Hostetler Studios, Photographs, Portraits, Soldiers, veterans, World War I, WWI
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A Trusted Friend: The murder of Rose Gendler
22-year-old Rose Gendler left her part-time job at M. L. Parker Co. in downtown Davenport a little after 9:00 p.m. on December 21, 1932. She had worked a full day in the toy department and still had to catch the … Continue reading
Treats for Special Collections Librarians
Happy Halloweeen from the Richardson-Sloane Special Collections Center of the Davenport Public Library! A recent donation has filled our trick-or-treat bag with some items that are most certainly like candy to us local history librarians: little advertisements for Davenport businesses … Continue reading
Halloween History in Newsprint
From the shrouded mists of history, the mysterious Samhain (pronounced “sow-wen”) is an ancient Celtic end-of-summer or beginning-of-winter festival where Halloween finds its origins. In the early newspapers of Davenport, readers read about this curious holiday intertwined with Hallowe’en on … Continue reading
The Truth Will Out: Annie Wittenmyer
In preparation for a recent program featuring Annie Wittenmyer and the orphanage she is forever linked to in Davenport, Iowa, inconsistencies within reference works were found bringing up a number of questions. Turning to some basic documents used for family … Continue reading
Mujeres Latinas: The García Sisters & Their Friends
This snapshot of 4 teenage girls was taken in the Cook’s Point neighborhood in Davenport around 1942. It is part of accession #2016-39 Cook’s Point and Fichtner Family Image Collection, 1913-1950. Photo identification is written in the back in blue … Continue reading
The Davenport Conspiracy
Mid-September through mid-October marks Iowa Archaeology Month, the perfect occasion to tell the story of Davenport’s most notorious adventures in archaeology. In January of 1877, the Reverend Jacob Gass, a Swiss-born minister serving the First Lutheran Church and aspiring antiquarian, … Continue reading
Found in a Library Book: A Davenport Mayor Connection
We find curious artifacts in books from time to time. A couple of weeks ago when we were featuring our collegiate yearbooks we found two pen drawings by an Art Kroppach. Davenporters should be familiar with Mr. Kroppach. He was … Continue reading
Posted in Local History
Tagged Arthur Kroppach, Davenport (Iowa), drawings, Mayors of Davenport, university of Iowa
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In Memoriam: Queen Elizabeth II
As we learn of Queen Elizabeth II’s passing, it brings to mind her long and full life of service as head of state to her country and causes one to reflect on her decades of dedication to duty. Up to … Continue reading
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