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Category Archives: Local History
The Weekly Outlook: Davenport’s Gilded Newspaper
Once upon a gilded age in Davenport there were so many clubs and such an abundance of cultural activities and interests that a team of optimistic young writers chose to start their own publishing company, creating a twelve page weekly … Continue reading
When Opportunity Knocks . . .
It is August in the Midwest and we all know without a doubt that the weather around here can be brutal (Heat Wave: 1936). There’s no need to dwell on the heat or the humidity. So today’s post will avoid the topic … Continue reading
Introducing Footnote!
Have you tried our newest reference and genealogy database? Footnote is a rich resource of digitized historical documents gleaned from the collections of the Library of Congress, the National Archives, and other institutions. Are you writing a paper on the … Continue reading
Posted in Genealogy, Library, Local History
Tagged Footnote, Genealogy, Local History, new resources, Resources
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Mississippi Valley Fairground Fashions: Then and . . . then
The Great Mississippi Valley Fair starts this week, running from Tuesday, August 3rd through Sunday, August 8th. While looking through our photo collection, we found two shots taken at the Fairgrounds, about 50 years apart: This first photo was taken … Continue reading
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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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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