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Category Archives: Local History
The Little Engine that Did—another first for Davenport!
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
Posted in Local History
Tagged Antoine LeClaire, Blackhawk Treaty, Bridge, Locomotive, Mississippi River, Train, Treaty House
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Heat Wave: 1936
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
Posted in Local History
Tagged 1936, August 1936, Davenport Centennial, Heat Wave, July 1936, Record Cold, Record heat, Summer, Winter
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Closed for the Fourth — Open for the Fifth!
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
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
Posted in Local History
Tagged Colonel George Davenport, Crime, Fourth of July, Murder, Rock Island Arsenal, Skeleton
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Extraordinary Ordinances
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
The CCC and the CWA
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
History’s Mysteries: An Image of Prohibition?
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
Posted in Local History
Tagged Breweries, Photographs, Prohibition, Thiedemann's, Thiedmann's Athletic Club
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A Second Flood of Images
As we appear to be facing another round of flood-like behavior from the Mississippi this year, it seems fitting to continue our memorial series of high waters past with these images of the 1993 Flood. This was the flood, you … Continue reading
A Grand Lawn Fete
Iowa’s soft summer evenings beckon us outdoors for parties and celebrations. On June 14, 1897, Henry and Clara Petersen hosted a party for a cause – the Ladies Industrial Relief Society (LIRS) – and they entertained an estimated 2,000 guests! … Continue reading
Posted in Local History
Tagged Ephemera, Ernst Otto, Ladies Industrial Relief Society, LIRS, Phebe Sudlow
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A Davenport Connection: The Early Life of ‘Big Nose Kate’ Horony
For those fans of the Old West, we present to you the possible early life of Big Nose Kate, also known as Katie Elder, Kate Fisher, and Katherine Cummings–Doc Holliday’s girl, she was, living in Tombstone at the time of … Continue reading
Posted in Local History
Tagged Big Nose Kate, Doc Holliday, Horony, Mary Katherine Horony
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