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Category Archives: Local History
St. Valentine’s Day and Marriage — a Shot in the Dark?
Valentine’s Day is a time of romance. We think about flowers, candy, and cards non-stop for weeks in advance (probably thanks to the many commercials and ads we see). The legacy of Valentine’s Day was already well-known in the United … Continue reading
Davenporters of Note: Milton Howard
Mr. Milton Howard, an African-American, was a man with a unique story. He was born as a free person in Muscatine, Iowa about 1845 (different sources offer different dates). However, as a child, he and his family were kidnapped and … Continue reading
Davenporters of Note: Popcorn Pete
Pete Duex made a career out of popcorn. Back in the early 1900s, Duex was a familiar sight on Davenport streets as he moved through the downtown area selling popcorn from a horse and wagon. Time moved on and he … Continue reading
City Cemetery Sexton Records Found
One of the oldest cemeteries in our city is located in an area that is anything but peaceful. Cars and semi-trucks roar by the grounds where some of the poorest citizens of Davenport lay resting in a Potter’s Field and … Continue reading
Davenport Boys coast to victory!
As winter snow blankets the Midwest, you can hear the cries of children as they careen down Iowa hills on their sleds. In the late 1880s, children enjoyed sledding, or coasting, just as much–in fact, in Davenport, they not only … Continue reading
The Trouble with Boulevards
While searching through a carton of 1895 Davenport City Council documents, we found a protest letter written to the council by a Mr. Jacob M. Eldridge. It seems that the City of Davenport planned to run a landscaped boulevard down the center … Continue reading
17 is Enough — Maybe!
On November 3,1907, the Davenport Democrat & Leader newspaper published an article offering a prize to the largest family in Scott County. The newspaper believed that the contest would “bring out the fact that Scott leads the state in the matter of … Continue reading
Posted in Local History
Tagged Conrad Dietz, Contest, Margaretha (Puck) Dietz, Photographs
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The Freaks and Follies of a Frontier Life II
Or, the finale to the slightly shady story of how Davenport became the county seat. Part Two: The Election(s) The 1837 legislature had made an effort to appoint county seats, but it was discovered that bribery had heavily influenced the nominations, so … Continue reading
Posted in Local History
Tagged County Seat, Davenport (Iowa), Elections, Rockingham (Iowa), Scott County
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The Freaks and Follies of Frontier Life
Or, the slightly shady, two-part story of how Davenport became the county seat. Part One: the Mystery of the Missing Townships If you take a look at the outline of Scott County, you’ll see that a township or two appears to … Continue reading
