Category Archives: Local History

#ColorOurCollections Week Featured Artist: Mary Costello

This week marks another #ColorOurCollections Week. We are pleased to offer the Richardson-Sloane Special Collections Center’s Coloring Book Volume 3: From the Mayflower to the Lock & Dam. This volume celebrates the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower voyage and the … Continue reading

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National Handwriting Day: January 23, 2020

To celebrate National Handwriting Day, we thought we would share handwriting samples from the early years of the City of Davenport. Not only are handwritten documents from the city historically important, but we enjoy the different styles of handwriting shown … Continue reading

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“Pershing Day,” January 6, 1920

One hundred years ago, the turn of the new year brought great excitement to the citizens of the Quad-Cities. The occasion was a visit from General John J. Pershing, commander in chief of the American Expeditionary Forces and hero of … Continue reading

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Exhibit: The 1920s

For our first exhibit of the year, we are taking a look back at life in Davenport a century ago. What kinds of books were children and grown-ups checking out from the library? What were the people attending the symphony … Continue reading

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Happy Birthday, Judge John Forrest Dillon

John Forrest Dillon was born in Washington County, New York on December 25, 1831. His family moved to Davenport in 1838 when he was 7 years old. He attended Father Pelamourgues’ school at St. Anthony’s Church until the age of … Continue reading

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New Year’s Eve 1919: Welcoming in a “Dry” 1920

New Year’s Eve 1919 in Davenport, Iowa was a “dry” one. Iowa passed a state prohibition law on January 1, 1916 (one of three states) that included making the production or sale of alcohol in the state illegal. Alcohol was … Continue reading

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In Your Own Words: Oral History Project

Share your stories with us! The In Your Own Words: Oral History Project seeks to involve all individuals willing to tell their own stories as well as the community’s history. This oral history project will focus on specific and relevant … Continue reading

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A Little Poinsettia Magic: Vander Veer Park Style

In advance of Poinsettia Day next week (December 12th), we thought we would share some Poinsettia exhibit pictures from the old Conservatory at Vander Veer Botanical Park in Davenport. The Conservatory featured in these images was built in 1897 and … Continue reading

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20 Years of the Richardson-Sloane Special Collections Center

The Richardson-Sloane Special Collections Center celebrates 20 years since its dedication on November 26, 1999. It was a culmination of years of effort and dedication come to fruition, ensuring Loren Ted and Alice (Richardson) Sloane’s dream of a “premiere genealogy … Continue reading

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The Sauk and Fox of the Mississippi Valley

The following publications, many of which are available at the Richardson-Sloane Special Collections Center, represent differing views of the native peoples who inhabited this region in the early 19th century. With the exception of Black Hawk’s Autobiography (originally published in … Continue reading

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