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Category Archives: Local History
The Death of Claus Behrens: Whispers of murder
The summer heat was already being felt in the early morning hours of July 17, 1897 when Mr. Claus Behrens reported for work at the Brammer Manufacturing Company on Rockingham Road in west Davenport. Mr. Behrens was known as a … Continue reading
Posted in Local History
Tagged Christine Behrens, Claus Behrens, Henry Bendt, Hulda Behrens Bendt, Murder, Otto Bendt, Paris Green, Paula Behrens, Poison
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Breaking the Cornerstone: Demolition of the Carnegie Library
Once the largest Carnegie Library west (or north) of the Mississippi River, in the 1960s the Davenport Public Library faced an unsettled future due to developing structural problems. In the early 1960s, the Library Board requested funds to build a … Continue reading
Posted in Library, Local History
Tagged Carnegie Library, cornerstone, Davenport Public Library, Demolition
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Main Street Library’s 50th Anniversary Series: The Children’s Library Wing
As we approach the 50th anniversary of the Davenport Public Library’s Main Street branch, we will be posting here about the events that led up to the demolition of the Carnegie building and the decision to construct Edward Durell Stone’s … Continue reading
Davenport Doughboys in the St. Mihiel Offensive, September 12, 1918
September 12, 2018 marks the centennial of the Battle of St. Mihiel, the first American-led offensive of the Great War in France. General John J. Pershing commanded the newly-organized First Army in a successful campaign to push back the bulge in … Continue reading
In Memoriam: Thomas Francis Chouteau
Thomas Francis Chouteau was born on February 6, 1923, in Independence, Montgomery Co., Kansas. His parents were Frederick L. and Katherine E. (Dalsing) Chouteau. His paternal grandparents, Frederick L. and Adele (Cornatzer) Chouteau, were members of the Shawnee Tribe, … Continue reading
Posted in Local History
Tagged art, artist, Davenport Municipal Art Gallery, In memoriam, professor, St. Ambrose College, Thomas Chouteau
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Keeping Your Cool in Days Past
Despite a few cooler days this week, the current local weather forecast reminds us that we are still in the heat of August. We will soon be retreating again to our air-conditioned spaces! This got us thinking about how Davenporters … Continue reading
Posted in Local History
Tagged Air Conditioning, Capitol Theatre, Electric Fans, Heat Wave, Summer
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Indigenous American Voices
This past Wednesday evening at the Eastern Avenue branch of the Davenport Public Library, a direct descendant of the Lakota leader Crazy Horse spoke about recording his family’s oral history. Floyd Clown, grandson to Crazy Horse, was on his 146th … Continue reading
The Early Days of the Davenport Civil Rights Commission
The current controversy over the proposed restructuring of the Davenport Civil Rights Commission harkens back to the difficulties it experienced during the earliest days of its existence. In fact, much argument over the Davenport Human Relations Commission’s purpose and powers … Continue reading
Posted in Local History
Tagged Catholic Interracial Council, Charles Toney, Davenport Civil Rights Commission, Davenport Human Relations Commission, fair housing, Harry S. Roberts, Henry Vargas, Jack Wolter, John Jebens, Lawrence Satin, LULAC, Milton Rosenfeld, Paul Ives, race relations, Ray O'Brien
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Bix in Context: Jazz Music on the Mississippi
We are getting “jazzed” for this weekend’s 47th annual Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Jazz Festival, or “Bix Fest,” by taking a closer look the local music scene that nurtured Davenport’s world-renowned cornetist. In the summertime months, the place to be was … Continue reading
