Category Archives: Local History

Happy “Franksgiving!”

Turkey Red, Turkey Blue, Turkey Says,  “Happy Franksgiving to You!” No, rest assured this is not a blog about Halloween crossing over into Thanksgiving.  This is just a brief peak at a moment in history when the United States struggled … Continue reading

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In Honor of Veteran’s Day

We thank all military personnel in the past and in the present for their service to our country. We also thank those veterans who were kind enough to allow us to add their memories to our Oral History project, which includes the interviews of Harold … Continue reading

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Just Shelved: Germans, Canadians, and Iowans–Oh, My!

We are now the proud owners of volume 25 and 26 of Kevin M. Hansen’s Map Guide to German Parish Registers.  These volumes primarily contain information on the Lutheran and Catholic parishes of the Kingdom of Saxony, but other churches are also … Continue reading

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WOC-TV: A not so Spooky Anniversary

Something not so spooky, but pretty spectacular happened on October 31, 1949.  Without a ribbon cutting or speeches, another brain child of B. J. Palmer (of chiropractic fame) came to life.  On that day, a television signal from Palmer’s WOC-TV … Continue reading

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Rat-a-tat-tat. Vvvvvvvvvbbbbbbbbrrrrrrrrr.

Not usually the sounds of silence you might expect in the library, especially in the Richardson-Sloane Special Collections Center, right? Well, all that noise is preparation for welcoming back our dancing, leaping and running cherubs, or “putti”, to the Davenport … Continue reading

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A Fine Day for a Dedication

Have you ever wondered if children of the nineteenth century groaned when it was time to return to school after summer break?  If they did grumble about such things the week of September 10, 1866 would have been the time–back … Continue reading

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October is National Archives Month

October is National Archives Month, when we attempt to “Celebrate the American Record.” If not for all these records, there would be very little for researchers to go on when it came to family history or investigating political, social or … Continue reading

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The Free and Independent State of Scott

As has been said before here, Davenport was the home to many breweries and saloons in the mid-1800s.  This wasn’t a problem during the Civil War, when those of a teetotal inclination had other things to worry about.  But once … Continue reading

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Archives, the historical record and freedom

If you’re a regular visitor to this blog, you’ve read lots of brief histories of people, events and places in Davenport and Scott County.  Have you ever thought “that doesn’t sound accurate to me”  or wondered “just how do they know that?”  … Continue reading

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A Veteran’s View: Dale Elliot

Since 2004, libraries across the world have organized events about freedom and issues that matter to their communities during the month of September. This grassroots project favors free over fee, public over private, and voices over silence.   Throughout the week of … Continue reading

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