Category Archives: Local History

The Barnard Lehrmann Memorial Road Race?

Posted on August 4, 2008 by SCblogger

As we all continue to recover from the Bix 7 Run,* it might be of interest to look back 150 years and a month back to another race that took place one Davenport summer—a race that was far more spontaneous and … Continue reading →

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Such a deal!

Posted on July 28, 2008 by SCblogger

You just never know what you might find in our Archive and Manuscript Collection! I’d be willing to spend a whole dollar for these ready-to-hang lace curtains, even without the brass rod! No wonder Von Maur has been in business … Continue reading →

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A Double-Bix Weekend!

Posted on July 21, 2008 by SCblogger

Bix Beiderbecke, for those of you who don’t know, was a jazz genius, a coronet player who jammed with the likes of Hoagy Carmichael and played with the Jean GoldKette  Orchestra and the Paul Whitman Band.    When he died on … Continue reading →

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The Little Engine that Did—another first for Davenport!

Posted on July 14, 2008 by SCblogger

This week, we are celebrating the upcoming anniversary of the first locomotive in Iowa, which arrived in Davenport on July 19, 1855.  This was a pretty big deal—most people were counting on reliable overland transportation to be as much of … Continue reading →

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Heat Wave: 1936

Posted on July 7, 2008 by SCblogger

Just as the Mississippi River is beginning to recede and festivals appear on our riverfront, we suddenly have a new weather focus – summer temperatures. The warmth of July is suddenly here and July warmth will soon melt into the … Continue reading →

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Closed for the Fourth — Open for the Fifth!

Posted on July 3, 2008 by SCblogger

The Special Collections Center will be closed tomorrow for theFourth of July. But we will be open Saturday, the fifth of July, during our normal hours! Have a wonderful–and safe–Independence Day!

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The Death of Colonel George Davenport

Posted on June 30, 2008 by SCblogger

When most people think of the Fourth of July, they tend to think of freedom, fireworks, and food.  Readers of early Davenport history probably think of the same things, but with one addition—murder. On July 4 of 1845, several men … Continue reading →

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Extraordinary Ordinances

Posted on June 23, 2008 by SCblogger

Often overlooked on the library shelves, City Ordinances offer a unique exploration of a community’s history. The Richardson-Sloane Special Collections Center has a fine selection of published Revised Davenport City Ordinances on its shelves. Inside we learn how ward boundaries … Continue reading →

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The CCC and the CWA

Posted on June 19, 2008 by SCblogger

Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “new deal” established a variety of programs, sometimes referred to as “Alphabet Agencies” with the intent of providing Americans beleaguered by the Great Depression with relief. Two programs created in 1933 which greatly impacted the lives of … Continue reading →

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History’s Mysteries: An Image of Prohibition?

Posted on June 16, 2008 by SCblogger

While researching a possible blog entry about Prohibition and Davenport’s various coping mechanisms, we found an image in our collections that gave us pause: This group image of Thiedemann’s Atheletic Club was taken on April 12, 1933, at Thiedemann’s , a … Continue reading →

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