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Category Archives: Local History
In Memoriam: Marion G. Crandell
Marion G. Crandell was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on April 25, 1872. She went to school in Cedar Rapids and Omaha, and attended the Sorbonne University in Paris, before residing with her brother for a short time in Alameda, … Continue reading
Posted in Local History
Tagged Marion G. Crandell, Memorial Marker, st. katherine's school, Women, World War One
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Kathryn Kirschbaum: First Woman Mayor of Davenport
Kathryn Kirschbaum was born August 30, 1931, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Frank and Esther (Kiplinger) Goll. She graduated from Denison College in Grandville, Ohio, in 1953 with a degree in “Citizenship”. She was First Lieutenant in the Army Medical Corps … Continue reading
Posted in Local History
Tagged biography, Davenport, Davenport (Iowa), Mayors, Women, Women's History
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Davenporters of Note: Norma M. Wiese
Once upon the 1880s, in a beautiful brick Italian Villa at 709 Brown Street, lived William and Minnie Wiese, who were known for their love of travel, music, and community. Their daughter Edna was born in 1887 with another, Norma, … Continue reading
Posted in Local History
Tagged Davenport Art Gallery, Norma M. Wiese, Social Organizations, Wiese Fine Arts Building, Women
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Equality through Education: Phebe W. Sudlow*
Phebe W. Sudlow often appears of lists of ‘firsts’ for the positions she held throughout her career as an educator. Most, if not all of these related to her gender: Ms. Sudlow was the first female school superintendent in Iowa … Continue reading
Posted in Local History
Tagged Davenport Public Schools, Phebe Sudlow, Women, Women's History
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“Comic” Valentines
St. Valentine’s Day is a day to show your feelings of love and friendship. Children and grown-ups send nice, sweet valentines that can brighten up someone’s day. Roses are Red, Violets are Blue… But valentines were not always nice and … Continue reading
The Importance of Primary Resources
One of our readers, former Davenporter Brendan Wolfe, wrote to share an interesting story about the only known newspaper interview with Bix Beiderbecke, which was published in the Davenport Democrat on February 10, 1929. Bix Beiderbecke is always interesting, at … Continue reading
The 911 of 1889
On the afternoon of February 8, 1889, the alarm at telephone patrol box number 3 at Front Street between Main and Brady Streets was sounded by an officer on patrol. It was the first alarm sounded on the week-old system that … Continue reading
Posted in Local History
Tagged Davenport, Davenport Police Department, Patrol Wagon, Telephone, Telephone Patrol Box
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Meet Frank McElroy
Davenport has had its share of inventors and entrepreneurs over the years. Some, like Alexander F. Victor, with his 16mm film projector and eventual 80 patents, were a great success, revolutionizing their particular industry. Some . . . were not. … Continue reading
Posted in Local History
Tagged Automatic Shoe Shine Company, Frank McElroy, Inventors
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Our “Special” Visitors for 2009
This year, genealogists and history researchers came from all over the country to the Richardson-Sloane Special Collections Center, to use our wonderful resources. They came from far away to fill in the blank branches of their Family Trees. They found … Continue reading
