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Category Archives: Local History
Remembering the Effie Afton
Today is the anniversary of the first time a riverboat hit the railroad bridge between Davenport and Rock Island, Illinois. Why is this more significant than any other Mississippi River disaster, or any other time (and there were several) when a boat … Continue reading
Posted in Local History
Tagged Abraham Lincoln, Accidents, Bridge, Effie Afton, Fire, Mississippi River, riverboats, Train
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St. Luke’s Training School for Nurses
Today starts National Nurses Week. To honor these indispensable people, let’s take a look at the first nurses’ school in Davenport: When St. Lukes’s Hospital (now Genesis East) was first organized, it naturally had nurses on staff. But after only … Continue reading
Posted in Local History
Tagged Hospitals, Nursing, St. Luke's Hospital, St. Luke's Training School for Nurses
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A Flood of Images
In honor of this year’s flooding (which surprised us as much as anyone), we pulled a few of our images of Floods Past from our Historical Photograph Collections for your enjoyment: The 1940s: This photos were taken during the same flood in the early … Continue reading
Posted in Local History
Tagged Floods, Mississippi River, Photographs, weather, Weather Records
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Old Jokes: When Genealogists Go Bad
Quizzer— What’s the matter, old man? You look worried. Sizzer— I have cause to. I hired a man to trace my pedigree. Quizzer— Well, what’s the trouble? Hasn’t he been successful? Sizzer— Successful? I should say he has! I’m paying … Continue reading
Posted in Genealogy, Local History
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Floods we have known
The “Flood of the Century”–well, the one in 1965, anyway April showers may bring May flowers, but in Davenport, winter precipitation traditionally brings April flooding. As neither the Mississippi nor Duck Creek appears to be approaching major flood … Continue reading
Whatever Happened To . . .Davis Gardens?
Davis Gardens was a small gardening business started by James W. Davis on April 29, 1911, that eventually grew to be the largest greenhouse operation west of the Mississippi. For years they grew fancy cucumbers and flowers, but ended up … Continue reading
The Mississippi Ice Jam of 1868
March 13, 1868 tells the story of the massive ice gorge that occurred on the Mississippi as the rain and spring thaw caused the ice to go out. The ice gorged above the bridge and at the bend in the … Continue reading
Posted in Local History
Tagged Bridges, Floods, Ice Jams, Mississippi River, weather
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April Fools? Not Us!
While we love the fun of April Fool’s Day, we have found in our years of work that we have no need, or desire, to fool people. The real facts relating to genealogy and local history are full of surprises. … Continue reading
Celebrating Women’s History Month: Women’s Art – Women’s Vision
The 2008 Women’s History Month theme asks us to honor and recall the originality, imagination and multiple dimensions of women’s lives. A fine example of this would be 70-year-old Mrs. Mary E. Gensley who received a patent in December 1918 … Continue reading
Posted in Local History
Tagged Inventions, Mary E. Gensley, Patents, Women's History
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