Happy Halloweeen from the Richardson-Sloane Special Collections Center of the Davenport Public Library!
A recent donation has filled our trick-or-treat bag with some items that are most certainly like candy to us local history librarians: little advertisements for Davenport businesses of old. Take a gander at these three goodies we’re adding to our ephemera collection:
First is this 4.5″ x 3″packet of sewing needles, compliments of the Phoenix Milling Company.
The “Maud S” type of flour milled from Dakota Hard Spring wheat by C. H. Juergensen is the subject of the humorous (if dated) poem on the back cover. Perhaps this offering sold more product than the slogan in the newspaper ad: “It has been tried for 30 years and proved to be alright.” (Davenport Democrat and Leader, 9 Jun 1907)
There is also this similarly-sized 1908-1909 pocket calendar, courtesy of the Ballard Drug & Dental Company on West 2nd Street.
In addition to the “Great Corn Sheller” demonstrated on the back cover, Ballard’s had Emerson’s Bromo-Seltzer for sale. Each of the blank day-of the-week pages reminded you that this potion could cure headaches; German- and Italian-speaking customers could also read of its benefits.
The “useful information” in this booklet also included a pages of poisons and their antidotes, and another of measures to take in the event of an accident. Modern sensibilities — thinking of Halloween — may find these treatments quite scary!
The Security Fire Insurance Company of Davenport advertised its services by handing out this tiny blank notebook. It is an especially delicious treat for a librarian/archivist because it was actually used by an area farmer (for a short time – less than a page’s worth) to keep his accounts. In addition to information about the company, we now know that the going rate for hiring grubbers (farm hands helping to clean up the fields after the harvest?) in November 1893 was $20 per acre, as well as the prices of various foodstuffs. Sadly, we’ve had no luck finding either Peter or Emil Nilsen in local records.
Our thanks to all who donate historical materials like these to the RSSC Center. We so appreciate receiving treats all year ’round without having to go door-to-door in a costume. This Halloween we hope you’ll brave those spooky attics and basements and find more Davenport memorabilia to share with your community via the library!
From the shrouded mists of history, the mysterious Samhain (pronounced “sow-wen”) is an ancient Celtic end-of-summer or beginning-of-winter festival where Halloween finds its origins. In the early newspapers of Davenport, readers read about this curious holiday intertwined with Hallowe’en on October 31st and the Christian holy day “All Saints Day” on November 1st.
In the pages of The Daily Times and The Morning Democrat from the 1860s, Davenporters learned that Halloween came from Wales, Ireland, and Scotland. People celebrated by having a large bonfire Coel Coeth. They believed the veil between the spirit and the living worlds were at their thinnest, so they performed rituals that would honor their ancestors.
“Halloween,” The Morning Democrat (Davenport, IA), Nov. 2, 1868, 4.
In the following decades, the papers covered the history of Halloween with brief articles. The local journalists reported more than just the history of this tradition, but they also informed the citizens about all the events the contemporary people were involved in, including parties, mischievous acts and more.
The Daily Times (Davenport, IA), Oct. 31, 1888, page 4.
“Ancient Irish Religion,” Davenport Democrat and Leader (Davenport, IA), May 5, 1890, page 2.
The people of 1934 were celebrating Halloween in a “traditional manner” with parties. In the article below, there are a number of fêtes hosted by a variety of groups and individuals.
“Hallowe’en Celebrated in Traditional Manner with Numerous Parties,” The Daily Times (Davenport, IA), October 31, 1934, page 6.
As Halloween has been celebrated over the years in Davenport so has a history of mischief and mayhem also ensued. In this 1902, the articles shares “Hallowe’en Events” that include new ways of celebrating and police force at the ready for troublemakers.
“Hallowe’en Events,” The Daily Times (Davenport, IA), Oct. 28, 1902, page 3.
VM89-002297 from 1990-11: Youngsters in costume for Halloween dance at J.B. Young School held on October 25, 1948.
Featured above are a few photographs from our collection. They showcase a few different types of celebration held in Davenport and Scott County by the city’s youth. Both feature aspect of Halloween that current viewers can identify.
A sampling of a few more articles published in Davenport newspapers in the 1950s are evidence of the continued fascination with Halloween and its history.
“Every Woman’s Exchange,” Democrat and Times (Davenport, IA), Oct. 2, 1955, page 38.
“Halloween Boasts Long History as Festival in Christian, Pagan Lands, ” Democrat and Times (Davenport, IA), Oct. 26, 1952, page 22.
“Goblins’ll Get You If you Don’t Watch Out,” Morning Democrat (Davenport, IA), Oct. 31, 1956, page 1.
(posted by Kathryn)
Sources:
“Ancient Irish Religion.” Davenport Democrat and Leader (Davenport, IA), May 5, 1890, page 2.
“Every Woman’s Exchange.” Democrat and Times (Davenport, IA), Oct. 2, 1955, page 38.
“Goblins’ll Get You If you Don’t Watch Out.” Morning Democrat (Davenport, IA), Oct. 31, 1956, page 1.
In preparation for a recent program featuring Annie Wittenmyer and the orphanage she is forever linked to in Davenport, Iowa, inconsistencies within reference works were found bringing up a number of questions. Turning to some basic documents used for family history research and a book by Thomas R. Baker called The Sacred Cause of Union: Iowa in the Civil War, clarification (and documentation) that Annie Turner Wittenmyer was actually NOT a wealthy widow whose husband died before the Civil War came to light. Rather, she was a DIVORCED single mother striving to provide for her child in the 1860s with an enormous sense of empathy and desire to improve the quality of life in her community through her charity work.
Born in Adams County, Ohio in 1827 to John G. and Elizabeth (Smith) Turner, Sarah Ann Turner was the eldest child in the family. On May 26, 1845, in Scioto County, Ohio she married William Wittenmyer, ten years her senior. He was a widower with two young daughters, “Sallie” (Sarah) and Louisa.
By September 1850, the Wittenmyers had moved to Keokuk, Iowa. The census records William, age 36, merchant and head of household, Sarah A. (Annie), age 26, Sarah, age 14, Louisa, age 8, and William W., age 2 years. This provides the name of who was probably their first child together, born circa 1847-1848.
The 1856 Iowa state census finds the family still living in Lee County, with the exception of little William. Instead, two 1-year-olds born in Iowa are recorded in William and Annie’s household: Elbert and Ellen, along with the two older girls.
“Wm. Whettenmyer” [sic] is listed as residing on the corner of Blondeau & 11th in Keokuk in a City Directory for 1857.
According to Baker’s research, the value of taxable property in Keokuk dropped enormously in 1858 and many were unable to pay taxes. Wittenmyer was a merchant with real estate holdings and business enterprises in several southeast Iowa communities. Having recently built a large colonial-style home near Keokuk’s Main Street valued at more than $10,000, the couple feared losing their dream home and being forced to declare bankruptcy.
Somehow, the couple hung on financially, although their taxes went unpaid. The 1860 federal census shows both of Wittenmyer’s daughters from his first marriage, Sallie and Louisa, out of the household. Ellen no longer appears, and instead of Elbert, there is a Charley, age 4 years. It is likely that Charley and Elbert were the same person, as his given name was Charles Albert. The value of Annie’s real estate is listed as $10,000.
So far, no burial locations for either of William’s children (or Ellen) have been found near Keokuk. Iowa did not keep death records until 1880, so unless a cemetery or church record can be found (Annie was Methodist, William a “spiritualist”), their resting places may remain unknown.
Exactly what happened next to the couple? Baker states that by 1860, the couple spent much of their time apart. Both of the older girls had married and moved away and documents show Charles stayed in the care of his mother. The loss of several children during the marriage apparently aggravated the religious gulf between William and Annie, and most certainly, the financial strain contributed to their difficulties. Divorce papers in Lee County, IA were not discovered by Baker. However, the divorce could have been filed elsewhere, likely after the June 1860 census date and (hopefully) before his subsequent marriage in Illinois in 1864.
Apparently, William did not share much with little Charles nor Annie regarding his whereabouts. A transcribed letter from Annie to an aunt dated Christmas Day 1868 states:
“I do not know where Mr. Wittenmyer is. I have not heard a word of his whereabouts for a long time. He has not been to see Charlie for more than two years I think. He married again, and lived for a time in Chicago, but his wife left him about more than a year ago, which is the last I have heard of him. I thought you would be interested to know about him. He is as crazy as ever.”
In 1870, William and his new wife, Susan, are recorded in the federal census as living in Cook County, Illinois; he is again listed as a prosperous dry goods dealer.
They continued to reside near Chicago until William Wittenmyer’s death in January 1879.
DailyDavenport Democrat in 1867
Sarah “Annie” Turner Wittenmyer passed away in 1900 at her homestead in Sanatoga, PA. In her will, Wittenmyer left her farm and a store building on Main Street in Keokuk, Iowa to her son Charles Albert Wittenmyer, stipulating “that the taxes shall be paid annually” so he need never go through the hardships of financial ruin that she had endured in Keokuk fifty years prior.
According to an article printed in the DailyDavenport Democrat in 1867, Annie Turner Wittenmyer was “not to be out-ranked, out-flanked or out-generalled.” Why then did she (and/or her son Charles) perpetuate the myth of her widowhood? We cannot know HER truth, but we can know THE truth.
Sources:
Baker, Thomas The Sacred Cause of Union: Iowa in the Civil War (2016)
State Historical Society of Iowa-picture of Annie Wittenmyer 1860s
Shoemaker and Rudity, Marriage records of Scioto County, Ohio, 1803-1860 (1987)
United States Federal Census Records
Iowa State Census Records
Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps; Keokuk, Iowa
Richardson-Sloane Special Collections Center Ephemera Collection-Biography: Wittenmyer, Annie; transcribed letter
This snapshot of 4 teenage girls was taken in the Cook’s Point neighborhood in Davenport around 1942. It is part of accession #2016-39 Cook’s Point and Fichtner Family Image Collection, 1913-1950. Photo identification is written in the back in blue ink “L-R: D. Vargas, N. Garcia, Lupe Herrera, M. Garcia.”
D. Vargas, N. García, Lupe Herrera, and M. García at Cook’s Point, ca. 1942
We wanted to know more about these girls and share this with you in honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month. We’re not completely certain if the girl on the right is Margaret or Mary, so we looked up information for both.
Dolores Vargas
Dolores Rita Vargas was born on July 19, 1926, to José “Joseph” and Esperanza “Hope” (Pérez) Vargas. The family lived at 640 South Howell St. in Cook’s Point. She graduated 8th grade at St. Anthony’s parochial school in 1942. Sadly, Dolores was shot and died on June 6, 1945.
The Davenport Democrat and Leader, Thursday, June 7, 1945, p.9
Narcisa (García) Segura
Narcissa Jesús García was born on October 29, 1924 in Sibley, Minnesota to José “Joseph” García and Leonor (Quijas) García. She graduated from Frank L. Smart Jr. High in 1940. She studied industrial sewing at the National Youth Administration Center, 1220 Minnie Ave. Davenport, in 1942. She married Nicolás “Nicholas” Segura on October 6, 1945, at St. Alphonsus Church in Davenport. The couple lived in Rock Falls, IL. Narcissa Segura died Nov 7, 2014, in Pueblo, Colorado.
The Davenport Democrat and Leader, Sunday, April 19, 1942 p.32
Lupe (Castro) Herrera
Lupe Castro was born on December 13, 1923, to José and Jessie María (Delgado) Castro. The family lived at 2317 Grant Street in Bettendorf. She graduated from Immaculate Conception Academy in Davenport in 1942. Lupe married Marcelino “Marshall” Herrera in June 1942 in Bettendorf. She worked at Mercy Hospital in Davenport. Lupe Herrera died on January 30, 2003, in Davenport.
Mary (García) Rocha
Mary García was born October 7, 1926 to Joseph and Leonor (Quijas Pineda) García in Davenport. She was baptized at St. Alphonsus Chuch on November 21, 1926. Mary married Alex Rocha on November 8, 1952, in Davenport. She worked as a seamstress at Seaford Clothing in Rock Island, retiring in 1982. Mary Rocha died April 21, 1993, at the Kahl Home for the Aged in Davenport.
Margaret (García) Ulloa
Margaret Mary García was born on December 5, 1922, in Omaha, Nebraska to José “Joseph” and Leonor (Quijas) García. She graduated from Frank L. Smith Jr. High in 1939. Margaret married Joseph A. Ulloa on April 6, 1945, in Davenport. She worked at Davenshire and Bettendorf Schools. Margaret died October 14, 2006, at the Kahl Home in Davenport.
For more information on Cook’s Point, Holy City, LULAC Council 10, and the history of Mexican Americans in Davenport and Iowa check out the Iowa Women’s Archives’ Mujeres Latinas Digital Collection and their Migration is Beautiful digital scholarship project.
Mid-September through mid-October marks Iowa Archaeology Month, the perfect occasion to tell the story of Davenport’s most notorious adventures in archaeology.
In January of 1877, the Reverend Jacob Gass, a Swiss-born minister serving the First Lutheran Church and aspiring antiquarian, uncovered two slate tablets in a burial mound on the Cook Farm in southwest Davenport. One depicted cremation and hunting scenes on each of two sides; the other appeared to be a calendar. The discovery excited members of the Davenport Academy of Sciences, who believed the tablets could support the theory that an ancient civilization of “Mound Builders” once existed on the North American continent. The Academy encouraged Gass, now among its members, to dig again. The following January, Mound 11 at the Cook Farm yielded a limestone tablet with a red-colored figure holding a bow and sitting astride a sun icon. Above the figure were two images of bird-shaped pipes.
Gass also acquired a pipe in the shape of an elephant for the Academy. A Louisa County farmer had turned it up in a field and used it to smoke. Gass later excavated a mound in the same area and a second “elephant pipe” resembling a woolly mammoth or a mastodon was discovered. Financially supported by wealthy attorney Charles Putnam, Gass continued hunting on the Academy’s behalf until he left Davenport for Postville, Iowa in 1883.
Troubles began in 1884 when the Smithsonian Institution’s Bureau of Ethnology report, “Animal Carvings from Mounds of the Mississippi Valley” reached the Davenport Academy of Natural Sciences. Its author, Henry Henshaw, cast doubt on the authenticity of the various Mound Builder artifacts then on display at the Academy museum. Furious that the integrity of the Academy had been challenged, Charles Putnam penned “A Vindication of the Authenticity of the Elephant Pipes and Inscribed Tablets…” (1885) in response.
The details of the ensuing controversy are thoroughly explored by Marshall Bassford McKusick in The Davenport Conspiracy (1970) and the Davenport Conspiracy Revisited (1991). It included a public battle between Putnam and Washington scientists in the pages of the journals Science and the American Antiquarian, the expulsion of two members of the Academy whom Putnam and his supporters believed had conspired to tarnish the institution’s reputation, a study of the artifacts at the Davenport Museum by an expert in Hopewell culture, an account by Judge James Bollinger, an investigation into Academy files by Davenport Museum director Don Herold, and research by McKusick himself, the State Archaeologist of Iowa.
McKusick’s work revealed that the perpetrators of the hoax were likely a small group of Academy members playing a joke on Jacob Gass, who had irked some by bragging about his many finds (McKusick also suggests that the educated Eastern-born elites of the Academy disdained the recent immigrant and his mound-looting methods). This group had etched and planted the tablets in the mound at the Cook Farm, purposefully leaving the holes where nails would have attached the slate to the roof (allegedly on a local house of prositution) from which it was taken. When the fakes were taken for real, the group “tried to end the affair with an even more obvious fraud,” the limestone tablet in Mound 11, and was astonished that the artifacts collected there were again accepted as genuine. By that time the situation had escalated to the point where the pranksters felt a confession would not be believed. Indeed, the testimony of “whistleblowers” A.S. Pratt and Dr. Clarence Lindley was suppressed by the more powerful Putnam-led faction.
The two “elephant pipes” were definitively proven fraudulent in 1930 by Dr. Henry Shertrone, along with other platform pipes in the Davenport Museum’s collection (though many were also confirmed as genuine).
The Daily Times (Davenport, Iowa), August 11, 1930, page 2.
McKusick discovered the majority of the frauds originated with Edwin Gass, brother of Jacob, a participant in many of the excavations. He also assembled evidence that Jacob, Edwin, and Jacob’s brother-in-law, Alfred Blumer, were deeply involved in the antiquities trade and knowingly passed off fake artifacts to collectors, including (possibly) each other. And he brought to light testimony of the Academy’s janitor, John Graham, made copies of platform pipes and may have created the second elephant pipe; either he or Blumer are said to have “uncovered” it during the excavation of the mound.
We find curious artifacts in books from time to time. A couple of weeks ago when we were featuring our collegiate yearbooks we found two pen drawings by an Art Kroppach. Davenporters should be familiar with Mr. Kroppach. He was Davenport’s mayor for a decade from 1944 to 1954.
We made another interesting connection to this artifact in our collection. We have a portrait of Arthur that was painted in 1947 by Gay Tydeman who lived at 304 Union Arcade. This painting was submitted into the the artist competition at the Mississippi Valley Fair.
Because of these two beautiful sketches and our portrait of Art, we wanted to learn more about the life of Arthur Robert Kroppach. Arthur was born on September 22, 1921 to Robert Kroppach and Grace Darling in Burlington, Iowa. He attended elementary and high school in Burlington. He continued his education at the University of Iowa.
The 1920 edition of the University of Iowa’s yearbook, The Hawkeye.
The 1920 edition of the University of Iowa’s yearbook, The Hawkeye.
Sketches signed by Art Kroppach.
Sketches signed by Art Kroppach.
The pen drawings were found between pages 200 and 201 in “The Honor Roll” section. It was a partial list of alumni and students of who left the University of Iowa to enter the service. One of the students listed on page 201 was Arthur R. Kroppach.
Arthur received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Iowa 1917. He registered for military service during World War I. His registration card is dated May 28, 1917 and lists him as a law student and single. He was discharged from military service on November 27, 1918 at Camp Zachary Taylor in Kentucky.
After the war, he earned his law degree in 1920 from the University of Iowa. During his time at the University of Iowa he was known for more than his studies, he was a renowned thespian. Here are some images of him on the Iowa stage.
1918 edition of the University of Iowa’s yearbook, The Hawkeye.
1921 edition of the University of Iowa’s yearbook, The Hawkeye.
On September 22, 1921, Arthur married Anne E. Thoman, the daughter of John Paul Thoman and Mary Gerot, from Iowa City. She was born on April 25, 1897 in Riverside, Iowa. They had two children, Suzanne (born in 1925) and James Robert (born in 1931).
According to the city directories, Arthur was residing at 513 Putnam Building in 1920. He lived and worked in Davenport. He lived in the 5th Ward of Davenport. Arthur was elected to be an alderman on Davenport’s City Council in 1934. He represented the 5th ward. After 2 years, he was elected alderman-at-large, a position he served in for 8 years.
On April 27, 1942, he signed his draft registration for World War II. He was aged 48 and working at the Iowa Mutual Insurance Company.
In 1944, Arthur was elected to be the mayor of Davenport. His political party was Republican. He would serve in this capacity for the next decade until Mayor Walter Beuse was elected in 1954. As mayor, Arthur established the follow notable accomplishments:
the Davenport Municipal Airport Commission at Mt. Joy
installed Davenport parking meters
improved the seawall and fill-in to make the levee usable throughout they year, and the construction of an extensive seawall West from Gaines for future development of industry and park purposes
provisioned that stop signs be made for crosswalks to control traffic with children walking to school which lead to crossing guards.
The Davenport Democrat and Leader (Davenport, IA) Apr. 6, 1944,15.
The Davenport Democrat and Leader (Davenport, IA) Mar. 28, 1944, 13.
The Daily Times (Davenport, IA), Mar. 31, 1944, 20.
The Daily Times (Davenport, IA) May 12, 1944, 2.
According to our recent blog, A Look at Davenport in 1950, we found Davenport mayor Arthur R. Kroppach (age 54) living at 418 West Central Park Avenue with his wife Ann (age 51), daughter Suzanne (age 24), and son James (age 18). Suzanne was the assistant society editor for The Daily Times newspaper.
Morning Democrat (Davenport, IA) Jan. 1, 1954, 1.
After his tenure as mayor, Mr. Kroppach was appointed the postmaster of Davenport by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1954 and served until 1968 when he retired.
The Daily Times (Davenport, IA) Feb. 25, 1954, 1.
The Daily Times (Davenport, IA) Mar. 27, 1954, 19.
The_Daily_Times_Fri__Apr_30__1954_1
He was still an active member in the Davenport community. He was known as an honest and civic oriented person. He died on May 18, 1980. He is buried at the Davenport Memorial Cemetery with his wife Anne.
Quad City Times (Davenport, IA) May 19, 1980, 1.
We hope that we will be able to share more of the artifacts we find in our books in the futures. This one had a unique Davenport connection!
As we learn of Queen Elizabeth II’s passing, it brings to mind her long and full life of service as head of state to her country and causes one to reflect on her decades of dedication to duty. Up to date with current affairs, always moving and changing with the times, even on social media, 96 year-old Queen Elizabeth certainly upheld the pledge given on her 21st birthday in 1947: I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong.
The Queen never visited the Quad Cities. The closest she got was Chicago in July 1959. Davenport’s mayor, Don Petrucelli and his wife were invited and happily attended the event. In this blog post from the Chicago Public Library posted June 26, 2019, we gain some detailed insight into the event.
After lunch at the Ambassador Hotel, the royal party toured the University of Chicago campus and Museum of Science and Industry. They took a quick look at the Art Institute of Chicago, then attended a reception at the Drake Hotel with Midwest governors and mayors. At just about 8 o’clock that evening, after a short delay to allow the Queen to receive an emergency dental filling, the royal procession was led by the Black Horse Troop of Chicago’s Medinah Temple to a dinner hosted by Mayor Daley at the Conrad Hilton Hotel.
Nearly a thousand people dined with the Queen at the Mayor’s dinner, including singer Etta Moten Barnett and Chicago Defender publisher and owner John H. Sengstacke. Several of the six courses offered that evening were named for the locks along the St. Lawrence Seaway including Fresh Strawberries Cote Sainte Catherine, Prime Chicago Filet Mignon St. Lambert and Double Consomme Iroquois.
Queen Elizabeth addressed the attendees that evening, sharing, “Ever since we landed this morning we have not ceased to be impressed by the massive dignity of your city…We shall carry with us…a memory of the generous hospitality of Chicago which will long warm our hearts.”
From https://www.chipublib.org/blogs/post/queens-landing-elizabeth-iis-chicago-visit-in-1959/ posted 26 June 2019
From https://www.chipublib.org/blogs/post/queens-landing-elizabeth-iis-chicago-visit-in-1959/ posted 26 June 2019
Daily Times July 1, 1959
Daily Times, July 6, 1959
Daily Times, July 6, 1959
Daily Times, July 7, 1959
That sounds like Queen Elizabeth. Graciously saying she knew where Davenport was located – in the middle of the United States on the Mississippi River! The Chicago Film Archives posted a 26-minute newsreel of outtakes from that 14-hour Chicago visit at this link:
Abstract Silent and sound newsreel outtakes from Queen Elizabeth II’s visit to Chicago on July 6, 1959. The queen and her husband, Prince Philip, were on a 15,000-mile, 45-day tour along the St. Lawrence Seaway visiting all Canadian provinces and four of the Great Lakes, including a 14-hour stop in Chicago. This was their only American stop and was the first visit of a reigning British monarch to the Windy City.
Always aware of duty, Elizabeth served during World War II. She joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service, the women’s branch of the British Army training as a mechanic.
www.nationalww2museum.org Princess Elizabeth, as a 2nd Subaltern in the ATS, leans against a vehicle during training. Imperial War Museum, TR 2835.
She became Queen upon the death of her father, King George, in 1952. She served with dignity and grace for seven decades, raised four children and navigated the changing culture and expectations of new generations. She withstood the losses of her father as a young woman, her mother, sister Margaret, her daughter-in-law Princess Diana and most recently her prince, Philip. She kept calm and carried on through numerous royal scandals and fifteen different prime ministers.
HRH Elizabeth II, Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, born April 21, 1926 in London has now died September 8, 2022 at her beloved Balmoral Castle in Scotland. The press says she was surrounded by family. Perhaps her dear corgis were nearby as well. She is the only queen many have ever “known”. Rest easy, Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith. You left a brilliant legacy during your whole life which turned out to be a long one, certainly devoted to the service of your family, your citizens, and your imperial family. Your honor, sense of duty, and indefatigable spirit will be remembered fondly by many.
The 14th biennial convention of the International Association of Machinists took place right across the street from us at the Hotel Davenport. The convention lasted nearly 2 weeks, beginning on Monday, September 18th, and closing on September 29, 1911.
The first to arrive at Davenport on Sunday, September 10th were President James O’Connell of Washington, DC; secretary-treasurer George Preston of Washington, DC; Members of the executive committee: Hugh Doran of Chicago; E.L. Tucker of Washington; J.A. Reynolds of Cleveland; A.E. Ireland of Pittsburgh; and R.G. Cook of Seattle; Members of the law committee: Arch McGillivery of Birmingham; J.A. Taylor of Seattle; Thomas Buckley of Providence; and D.E. McCallum of Winnipeg.
William Baumbeck, chairman of the program committee, was in charge of arranging the entertainment for the delegates. An automobile tour of the tri-cities and a visit to the Arsenal were planned for Monday, September 18th. The local lodges hosted an event at Industrial Hall in Rock Island on Tuesday, September 19th. A banquet and concert by Petersen’s Band at Schuetzen Park were scheduled for Wednesday, September 20th. Lodge 548 hosted an event at the Moline Turner Lodge on Friday, September 22. Mississippi River excursions aboard the steamers Wenona and Columbia were scheduled for Sunday, September 24. A grand ball was given at the Coliseum on Tuesday, September 26th.
The 4 local unions hosting the festivities were No. 388 of Davenport, No. 81 Rock Island Arsenal lodge, No. 548 machinists working in shops in Rock Island and Moline, and No. 695 machinists working at the Silvis shops.
The executive committee arranged the handling of the convention. They heard appeals from decisions made by the board during the preceding 2 years and considered requests by various locals for endorsement of strikes.
The law committee met first to consider recommendations for amendments to the constitution by local chapters throughout the country. J.A. Taylor of Seattle, WA was elected chairman. The committee presented its report on Tuesday, September 19th.
Speakers at the opening of the convention, which took place at 10 am in the auditorium on the 6th floor of the hotel, included A.L. Urick, president of the Iowa State Federation of Labor, Congressman L.S. Pepper of Muscatine, B.W. Newton, president of the Tri-City Federation of Labor, and Davenport Mayor Alfred Mueller.
Delegates to the Women’s Auxiliary convention met jointly with the men for the opening ceremony, then moved to the new Kimball auditorium. Mrs. J.A. Kaps, secretary of the Toledo, OH branch of the women’s auxiliary to the I.A.M. gave a speech:
How man of you men have wives at home spending your hard-earned dollars for scab goods?
There is a great necessity that the wives and daughters of the machinists be organized so that they can learn something of trades unionism. At the present time the franchise is being exteded to women, but they are going to the polls with no adequate knowledge of the trade union movement.
Most people think our auxiliary is organized for social purposes, but that is the smallest part of our purpose. We are banded together not for charity’s sake but for purely business purposes. Whenever the women of the country, wives of laborers, are organized, there will be no more sweat shops, and there will be more hapier homes among the working people when the wife as well as the husband understands the principles of trade unionism.
Mrs. J.A. Kaps, secretary of the Toledo, OH branch of the women’s auxiliary to the I.A.M.
The delegates voted to elect members to the following committees:
Grievance Committee
Credentials Committee
Committee on committees
Special Committee on Federal Trades
Railway
Navy and Arsenal employees
Extension of Organization
Piece Work
Resolutions
Appeals and Grievances
Legislation
Officers Reports
Federated Trades
The union drafted several resolutions in opposition to the proposed “Taylor System” in government Navy yards and arsenals. $5,000 were appropriated for the campaign for the 8-Hour Law to be used in the coming year. A referendum was called to abolish the “district” system and centralize all the trades under the “federation” plan.
On the last day of the convention, the union authorized a strike of railway shopmen on the Illinois Central and Harriman lines. 40,000 workers including machinists, boilermakers, sheet metal workers, and pipemen were affected. They demanded the recognition of the federation of 5 allied trades, known as the “System federation.”
The souvenir program was distributed on opening day. The returns from advertising were expected to foot the entertainment bill for the convention. Below are scans of some of the pages.
As college campuses revive with the activities of students moving into the dormitories, attending classes, and studying in every conceivable place, we wanted to share a resource for those searching for faculty, students, and other aspects of collegiate life over the years. One common type yearbook comes to mind when thinking of yearbooks, it is not the college yearbook.
This valuable resource should not be over looked because it has a wealth of information for historians, genealogists, and the curious observer! It helps one gain an understanding of the development of students as the pass from high school onto life on a college campus.
In the following college yearbooks, one will discover a place that is dedicated to educating not only to those who attended the classes, but also taught them. The Richardson-Sloane Special Collections Center holds a number of yearbooks for colleges and universities in Davenport and surrounding areas.
Turn the pages of this local Davenport university and step through time. We have yearbooks dating from 1941-1984 with some years missing. One may view the digitized St. Ambrose University by following the following link: https://cdm16810.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p16810coll2/search
Marycrest College was another Davenport University, but unfortunately the school closed in 2002. Marycrest’s yearbook went by the name of the college and later Kaleidoscope. The yearbooks we have date from 1948-1978 with years missing. We hope we can house a complete collection one day.
We only have one Palmer College of Chiropractic yearbook in our collection. It dates from 1977-1978. If one was curious about this publications, one can visit the Palmer Archives and Special Collections or view the publications by following this link.
St. Luke’s Nursing Training School for Nurses was a well-known educational facility in Davenport. Many a young nurse maturated from its classes. We only have one yearbook book for the year 1964.
Only two of this Cedar Rapids based college’s yearbooks are housed in the collection. They date from 1933-1934. Coe College has digitized its yearbooks here: http://coecollege.advantage-preservation.com/.
To many of us in Iowa, Hawkeye means many things, but in this instance, we are referring to The Hawkeye the university’s yearbook. We house volumes dating from 1896-1986. The University of Iowa has the yearbook available for viewing here: https://digital.lib.uiowa.edu/yearbooks.
The Rockety-I from across the Mississippi River in Rock Island houses history of Augustana College’s students. The yearbooks in our collection date from 1949-1968.
We hope you find these resources as useful as we do!
A valuable resource for discovering more details about the families of Davenport’s post-Civil War Black community is Last Seen: Finding Family After Slavery, an online database of advertisements “placed in newspapers across the United States (and beyond) by formerly enslaved people searching for family members and loved ones after emancipation.”
The “Last Seen” database allows searching by location; three advertisements were placed with return addresses in Davenport, Iowa. The earliest of these appeared in the Christian Recorder (Philadelphia, PA) on July 1, 1865. Mrs. Fannie Robinson was in search of her husband, Cayrel.
The Christian Recorder (Philadelphia, PA), 1 July 1865
A search for Fannie and Cayrel Robinson in standard genealogical sources has yielded no results other than a card in the 1915 State Census of Iowa for Ottumwa. This Fannie Robinson is described as a Black woman, widowed, age 71, and born in Missouri:
Fannie Robinson in the 1915 State Census of Iowa for Ottumwa
However, the designated recipient of Fannie’s hoped-for information, P. C. Cooper, is much easier to find: He was one of the four founders of the African Methodist Episcopal congregation in Davenport.
Cooper appears in Root’s Davenport City Directory for 1867 as Peter:
The 1868-9 directory has him living at the same address, Griswold College, where he was also employed as a janitor.
Fannie may have requested that Peter Cooper place her advertisement, as he was a leader in the A.M.E Church and the Christian Recorder was its official newspaper. With its nation-wide circulation, the Recorder offered the best chance for separated members of Black families to find one another.
In March of the following year, the Christian Recorder published another advertisement with a Davenport return address. Lucinda Reynolds sought the whereabouts of her parents:
The Christian Recorder (Philadelphia, PA), 31 Mar 1866
While we cannot know if Lucinda ever reunited with her parents, the advertisement in the “Last Seen” database reveals their names, the name of a slaveholder, and a location.
Is it possible that William and Matilda Reynolds were sold within Essex County, Virginia, and by 1870 worked among other Black families there as farm laborers? Did Lucinda have a younger brother, Joshua?
1870 US Census for Essex County, VA, showing members of the Rennolds family (1152)
And could their mother Matilda have been born in the Carolinas as a Jones?
Certificate of Death in Essex County, VA for Joshua B. Reynolds, 1916, showing his mother as Matilda Jones, born in “Carolina”
Just two months after placing the advertisement, Lucinda Reynolds’s marriage to a man named Henry Simons would be recorded in Scott County. The witness to the union was none other than Peter C. Cooper. As it turns out, Simons, like Cooper, was an original trustee of the A.M.E. congregation in Davenport.
Davenport Daily Gazette, 30 Nov 1865, page 4
In a third advertisment published in the Christian Recorder, Davenport resident Emma Ashe Pitts sought information about two children she had not seen in nearly 50 years:
The Christian Recorder (Philadelphia, PA), 10 Oct 1895
Sadly, Emma Pitts died in July of the following year, making it unlikely she received any response to her inquiry. And while we find no evidence of Mary Francis or Julius Ashe, we have been able to uncover some details about her own life. Her obituary, published in the Daily Times on 7 July 1896 indicates she was a member of the Third Baptist Church and that she was born in Norfolk, Virginia. The Mrs. Andrew Pitts who told the Davenport Weekly Times in May 1872 that “she had been a Methodist forty years, but had at last opened her eyes to the true church” after being baptized in the Mississippi River by Rev. Walker of the Third Baptist Church, was likely Emma. The 1885 State Census of Iowa confirms that Emma and Andrew lived together in Davenport, and that her birthplace was Virginia. Could this Andrew Pitts, born in Missouri about 1830 and described in the Davenport city directories of the 1890s as a “whitewasher,” have been the same Andrew Pitts who served in Company G of the 56th US Colored Infantry?
While the answers to these questions about Black families in Davenport may remain elusive, the “Last Seen” database opens more possible avenues of inquiry.
