Davenport’s Branch of The National Association of Letter Carriers Union

Posted on September 5, 2020 by SCblogger

Current attention to the fate of the U.S. Postal Service and the arrival of Labor Day weekend 2020 gives us the perfect opportunity to share the experiences of Davenporters Edward and Margaret Gilbert in the Iowa State Association of the National Association of Letter Carriers and its auxiliary.

Edward Alvin Gilbert was a mail carrier in Davenport for thirty years, from his return from service in World War II to his death in 1974. He was a member of the NALC local, Branch 506. His wife Margaret (nee Schaeden), a sales clerk at the Petersen Harned Von Maur department store, belonged to the Auxiliary No. 129. The couple lived at 3105 W. Lombard St., where Mrs. Gilbert often hosted auxiliary meetings in the 1960s. She was installed as the financial secretary of that body in January 1965 and the treasurer in February 1968.

The materials in the Richardson-Sloane Special Collections Center’s collection #2017-27 document the Gilberts’ participation as delegates to the annual NALC state conventions and various social events connected with the union and its auxiliary in the 1960s.

The items in the collection were likely gathered and saved by Margaret Gilbert. These are some of her mementos of the 1965 state convention in Sioux City, Iowa …

… including her record-keeping as financial secretary for the Davenport Auxiliary, and

… her snapshots of the Sioux City branch’s 75th Anniversary party:

Most certainly the Gilberts attended the state convention hosted by the Davenport NALC branch the year before, in 1964. Attendees were treated to a boat ride on the Mississppi River, an “evening smorgasbord,” a dinner with a dance, and luncheons at the Hotel Blackhawk. The national union president of the NALC decried the recent Post Office service cuts in his address to members. (1) Margaret saved this clipping from the Morning Democrat about the plans for the convention:

Davenport Morning Democrat, April 21, 1964, p. 3.

Perhaps these mini mail saddlebags were given out at the Davenport convention?

Margaret Gilbert identified herself as the woman in blue on the right side of this photograph of the 1969 Davenport NALC Auxiliary Christmas party:

We believe she is also pictured in this photograph of a Hawaiian-themed NALC party from around the same time. We haven’t been able to identify Ed!

The Gilbert household would have received the “Iowa Postman,” the “official publication of the Iowa State N.A.L.C.” in the mail every month. This issue is from June, 1965:

“Nalcrest” was the name of the Florida retirement community where letter carriers from Davenport and all over the country could spend their golden years. A writer for the Davenport Times-Democrat noted that union members and their families could relax in “…homes that match or surpass those they have occupied in the cities from which they came. And they have the sunshine and tranquility as a bonus with no snow, sleet, or dogs to worry about.” The “restless feet of the mailmen,” he said, could walk along the “many paths and lanes along lakes and lagoons” and even “stroll to the post office for their own mail” — there were no mailboxes or mail deliveries at Nalcrest! (2)

Image from The Postal Record, March 2014, p. 22.

Although he passed away while still on the job, we hope Edward Gilbert at least had the chance to visit Nalcrest with Margaret. We certainly know he was a respected mail carrier in Davenport: “Here’s the kind of postal service no one can dispute,” said Jim Kadera in the “City Vignettes” feature of the Times-Democrat for April 16, 1964, as he went on to tell how Ed returned a bag full of thousands in cash he found along his route to a tavern employee who had dropped it on the street nearby

The Richardson-Sloane Special Collections Center wishes union members and workers everywhere a happy and healthy Labor Day weekend!

(posted by Katie and Cristina)

(1) Daily Times, May 18, 1964, p. 13.

(2) Doob, Oscar A. “Retired Mailmen Live in Dogless Paradise,” Times-Democrat, March 29, 1964, p. 2C.

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QC Life in the New Normal Writing Project: Phase II

Posted on August 31, 2020 by SCblogger

This project has allowed community members to express themselves through writing about how they are feeling, coping, and managing to live through this unexpected, life-changing event. This also helped us to capture this period of history through the words of the people by preserving real-time reflections about life in the Quad Cities during the COVID-19 era.

We asked that people submit writing pieces, including poems, essays, and more. In addition, during this phase, we also asked for photos and artifacts. Specifically, we asked for any photos related to working from home, signs people had seen posted, documents, letters, memos, or anything else they wanted to share. We gave examples of the various creative writing formats for different age groups, but participants could write in the format of their choosing.

Phase II of QC Life in the New Normal Writing Project offered personal comparisons between people and their life experiences. We were thrilled to get these incredible submissions. We hope you enjoy them as well!

Winner of Phase II

“Recalled to Service” by Andrew Sichling

Veteran, your nation needs you in ways that you never thought possible. You thought it was all over once you got your discharge paper, the coveted DD-214. Remember when that Master Sergeant looked at you and said that you were one of those “break glass in time of war” kind of guys. The glass has been broken, Veteran. 


You came back to a society that you didn’t feel comfortable in. You didn’t feel comfortable because you knew that the luxuries of America are so fragile, that it could break at any moment. You knew that the United States has life and peace not seen anywhere else. 


Veteran, your nation is scared and doesn’t know what to do or how to live. It is up to you now to be a light in the darkness like the Green Goddess of Ellis Island. It is through your enlistment that you gained abilities and leadership that the American people need now. 


Veteran, you know the dangers that the world holds. You have seen it first hand. You’ve seen people who were persecuted for religious beliefs, sexual orientation, political ideology, and even hair color. You’ve seen the portal to Hell and yet, you smiled. 


The American people are now seeing the same portal. A great Dragon released its rage among the populace. You are now the only force between your tribe and the Dragon. You must posture yourself against this evil beast that wants nothing but the utter destruction of your 
people, home, and way of life. Veteran, you know what it’s like to live with leadership that has no idea what’s going on. You’re seeing politicians on the news pointing fingers at each other and calling each other names. You know that it’s all grandstanding. You’ve seen how leadership doesn’t know what to do because that’s what chaos is. It’s a flow of ever-changing issues that don’t stop. You know that you must carry on like you always did. You know what it’s like to walk down a path of uncertainty like it was your home that you grew up in. You know how to keep walking. It is now up to you to show the American people how to do it.

 
Veteran, you know what it’s like to live with an enemy you can’t see. COVID-19 is claiming thousands of lives, but no one knows where it is. Just like what you saw during your time on the streets of Baghdad, the mountains of Afghanistan and the plains of Syria. You had to always be on guard. The child might be harmless, but it could also be a suicide bomber. You never knew, but you kept on. 


Americans don’t know who does or doesn’t have the disease. Every time an American goes out into the community they have a chance of contracting the virus and for some, it could be a death sentence. Just like you, but you didn’t have the luxury of #stayhome. You must demonstrate that same courage now, holding off the fear in the back of your mind telling you the dangers and showing your fellow countrymen how to move forward in the world. 


Veteran, you know boredom. Americans don’t know what it’s like to be restricted to their homes like this. You do. Combat is 99% boredom 1% excitement. You were in your tents, holes, and structures for months. Watching the same thing over and over again because you 
couldn’t stream anything. You found ways to keep yourself entertained, you found ways to not mentally break from not knowing if, how or when you would meet your maker. Show your families and loved ones how not to go stir crazy. Find some open area and exercise, you know to 
be resourceful with your land. Remember how you used to do calisthenics between the tents. How you took empty ammo cans, filled them with sand as improvised kettlebells. Play the Name Game, where someone says a celebrity’s first and last name and the next celebrity’s first name had to start with the same letter as the previous celebrity’s last name, you remember that you used to play for hours on post amongst the other fire teams. Talk about the things you want to do after this is all said and over, like the dates you want to take your sweethearts on, or how you’re going to enjoy that first good meal at your favorite restaurant. 


Veteran, you know how to do more with less. You went months at a time without luxuries. Most of you never even had a toilet for the duration of your deployment. Tap into that again and show your families that not being able to make that quick trip to Wal Mart is okay. How to do without. You figured out how to make tables out of wood and sandbags. You still 
have your utilities during this time, you can just flip the lightswitch, unlike during your deployments. You know how to ration supplies and how to make food with a combination of things you never would’ve thought of. Remember the MRE Cookbook? Now it’s time to get creative like you used to. Remember, anything tastes edible with enough Tabasco on it. 


Veteran, you know how to plan for supplies. Like I said earlier, the quick trip to the store every day is not a thing right now. You remember that getting supplies was a full tactical mission that had to be planned out to the smallest detail. What routes would be taken, how much your vehicles could hold, and just how long you were able to be out. Your leadership was never going to constantly put in orders for supplies every day and things like ammunition and water were going to take precedent over things like tobacco, energy drinks, and baby wipes (because you couldn’t take an actual shower). Now is the time to show your loved ones how to make lists and show how they can live without certain things for a while until it is deemed worthwhile. 


Now, the politicians are calling for either extension of the stay at home orders, or a phasing operation to reopen. Just like how deployments were. Sometimes you got extended, and sometimes you got sent home early. Now, you need to show the populace how to go with the flow, how to take things as they come. Like how you were supposed to be in Afghanistan for ten 
months, then a year, then you got sent home at around the eight-month mark. You also remember the times you got deployed on short notice, that twice, you were only given a four day weekend with your families before you went forward into enemy territory. Then getting sent home after four months on your last deployment, that you reenlisted for, because of the draw down. 


Veteran, you know everything will return to normal. You remember coming back from your deployments and life went on. You remember the surreal feeling of getting in a car that you didn’t need your PPE. The American people will eventually go back to that, and it’ll be weird for 
them just like it was for you. That one day it’ll be back to how it was, and life goes on. It’ll be unceremonious, just like how it was for you, the days of ticker-tape parades being a thing of the past. 


The Dragon will be slain and the people will rejoice. Things will go back to how they were and you won’t have the luxury of being able to relax. Veteran, I know you feel normal during this. This is what you’ve been wanting, that your people will see that you aren’t crazy and that all your preparation wasn’t for nothing and you don’t want it to come to an end, but it has to. 


Veteran, where do you go from here? You know what you must do and what you serve as. You know that time and life always move on. You’ll be training for the next thing because as you know, it’s never goodbye, it’s “see you later.”

Honorable Mentions:

“Untitled” by Kristina Bouxsien-Hearn

If I had known that March 11, 2020  would be the last day I’d get to drop off my preschooler and my kindergartner at school, I would have slowed down and appreciated the moment. I was already feeling anxious and worried about the spreading coronavirus, but it still felt far away, affecting other areas. When the message came that local schools were shutting down, it felt real and deep; the pandemic was serious and things weren’t going to be normal for a very long time. I sat on my basement steps and cried, pouring out all the weight that I was carrying in my mind, upset for the businesses and people who were losing their livelihoods during the shutdown, concerned for individuals in complete isolation, and most of all scared for people losing friends, family, or their own lives to the virus. It all made me feel incredibly helpless. Tragic things were happening in the world around, and I couldn’t do anything about it. 
A week later my husband arrived, unexpectedly, in the middle of the day, with two monitors in tow. He was required to work at home – another big change, but I am thankful for it.

As the days went by, I grappled with my anxious feelings and came to a few realizations. My primary feeling was helplessness, but I tried to combat that by focusing on the things that were in my control. That I was doing my part by following the CDC guidelines and  staying at home as much as possible. That I could help my children understand what was happening and give them a sense of normalcy. I signed up to give blood, donated to the food bank and relief efforts, reached out to those in isolation, and helped make masks for the Million Mask challenge. We looked for hearts on windows and driveways. I wrote a blog trying to uplift others by highlighting the positive things that people/organizations were doing. At the beginning of the pandemic, even with the terrible situation, there was a great deal of kindness, and people were trying their best to help out. 

But yet, on many days I still felt frozen in place. 

I devoured every article on the virus that I could, and paid way too much attention to social media. I saw people argue in the comments about masks, vaccines, politics, and conspiracies. Some mornings, I would wake up and not feel like getting out of bed. I did get out of bed for my children, and put on a happy face, but inside I felt irritated and negative.

As the months passed, I have taken steps to change my outlook. I disconnected from social media, and limited the news that I read about the virus, while still staying up to date. It’s been easier to get out of bed in the morning and I’m feeling much more positive. We’re all adjusting to this new normal and I have hope that the rest of COVID-19 will be easier to navigate and emotionally process than the first few months.

“Covid and the Big Surprise” by Heidi Exner Larson

I have a lung disease called Bronchiectasis.  The diagnosis came at around the time I turned 70 in February. Since corona virus marched into our collective lives, I’ve been paying close attention to the numbers: how many cases, how many deaths, how many recovered, hot spots, testing, tracing…. I’m trying to play the odds for when to go in for an elective procedure, a bronchoscopy, needed to determine the nature of the inflammation and how to treat it.

Just as Covid-19 cases and deaths were going down in our area, George Floyd was murdered by police in Minneapolis.  The scars covering the wounds of historic racial inequality were ripped off by the televised image.  The incident exposed the original sin of the country’s racist underpinnings and unleashing worldwide outrage.  Protests and demonstrations erupted all over the nation. People’s conviction to hold wrong-doing to account overrode the fear of the virus; thousands fanned out in cities large and small to register their anger and sorrow. They called for change in this country in ways that reflect the values of its founding principles, and for abolishing unequal treatment of minorities.

Were it not for my age and health condition, I would have joined the outcry in the mostly peaceful demonstrations in Davenport.  It was a hard choice to stay home. I’m somewhat heartened that there are other ways to join in the movement.  (Writing an op ed for the newspaper and sending letters to our senators are two that come to mind.)

So, I’m back to square one regarding when to schedule the lung scope.  The hospital to which my medicare plan is tied, assures the public that those having elective surgeries are sequestered from Covid patients.  The facility is taking extra precautions to protect anyone requiring their health care services.

Questions still swirl in my head.  What if the doctor performing the test has brought the virus to work the day I go in for the procedure, without knowing he has it? What about the anesthesiologist, the nurse, the intake personnel?  Which, if any of them, are unwittingly shedding corona virus cells that day, before symptoms have manifested?

Lots of “what ifs”.

On the other hand, I can’t put off the necessary scope much longer. And perhaps more urgently, after months of self-quarantine, I need to accept the risks of surgery during the pandemic, just to get out of the house and be with society again. I’ll do it, if only to get a day of human interaction that, while not exactly “fun”, will be social nonetheless. The self-isolation has been lonely and anxiety producing.  I’ve had periods of depression, periods of optimism, periods of paralysis and periods of blissful denial.

But one sure thing has brought me out of my “Covid funk”.  It is the news I got on Mother’s Day: we are going to be grandparents! All the numbers crunching, the “what ifs”, the speculations and angst have taken a back seat to this news.

No matter what happens, it will not alter the facts that we are to become grandparents for the first time, and that our daughter and son in law are starting a family.  What a tectonic shift! 

I’ll take care of myself as best I can to help ‘bend the arc’ toward justice for all, to lower the Covid-19 case numbers, and to become the best grandma I can be.

Addendum: Since writing this piece, I’ve made the appointment for the bronchoscopy.  Maybe the hospital is the safest place in public now.  At least everyone there is following CDC guidelines with personal protective equipment (PPE): N95 masks, face shields, frequent hand washing and disinfectant application, specialty gowns and Nitrile gloves.

“A Time for We not Me” by John Bowman

Four photograph of a 100th birthday parade for Bernie Bettini, a Coast Guard during WWII. “100th Birthday parade for Bernie Bettini, a veteran of the Coast Guard seeing during WW II. Many veteran’s groups, to include the Honor Flight of the Quad Cities, organized the parade on her birthday which was also Armed Forces Day. When in times of trouble we get together. The motto of Honor Flight of the Quad Cities is “It is all about the veteran”. We all wore masks and all got together; at a safe distance.”

  • Bernie Bettini’s COVID-19 Birthday Celebration
  • Bernie Bettini’s COVID-19 Birthday Celebration
  • Bernie Bettini’s COVID-19 Birthday Celebration
  • Bernie Bettini’s COVID-19 Birthday Celebration

We are looking at ways to continue this project. Please look for more information in eNewsletter and on our Social Media accounts soon!

(posted by Kathryn)

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The Hotel Davenport

Posted on August 29, 2020 by SCblogger

In 1907, a modern era of buildings began in the growing city of Davenport with the completion of a new hotel on the corner of Main and Fourth Streets. This hotel poised mid-way between Union Station and the Chicago, Rock Island, and Pacific Railroad stations at the prime location of 324 Main Street in LeClaire’s 1st Addition boasted six stories and other attractive features for its guests. Designed in the Renaissance Revival architectural style, the delicate terra cotta adornments on its corners and the symmetrical layout of the building, were eye-capturing to the public.

Before the ground was broken on April 11, 1906, the businessmen and the financial supporters of this venture had Temple, Burrows, and McLane Architects draw up plans for this fire-resistant building.

A statement from Temple and Burrows, Architects- P.T. Burrows, Architect in charge

Erection of the Davenport Hotel inaugurated a period of building that would bring Davenport’s central business district fully into the era of the “tall buildings.” Despite loss of the original cornice, Temple & Burrows’ hotel retains a very high degree of integrity and continues to be an import feature of the City’s commerical center.

Bowers, Martha, and Marlys Svendsen-Roesler. Architectural/Historical Survey.

Below are image captures of two sheets of plans for this new hotel.

  • Temple, Burrows and McLane, Architects McManus Building, Davenport, Iowa. Building Number 56, Drawing Number 4. First Floor.
  • Temple, Burrows and McLane, Architects McManus Building, Davenport, Iowa. Building Number 56, Drawing Number 4. First Floor.
  • Temple, Burrows and McLane, Architects McManus Building, Davenport, Iowa. Building Number 56, Drawing Number 4. First Floor featuring the bar room, barber shop, and writing room.
  • Temple, Burrows and McLane, Architects McManus Building, Davenport, Iowa. Building Number 56, Drawing Number 4. First floor featuring a rotunda, dining room, cafe, and ladies’ reception room.
  • Temple, Burrows and McLane, Architects McManus Building, Davenport, Iowa. Building Number 56, Drawing Number 4. Second Floor featuring sample rooms, bedrooms, and parlors.
  • Temple, Burrows and McLane, Architects McManus Building, Davenport, Iowa. Building Number 56, Drawing Number 4. Second Floor.
  • Temple, Burrows and McLane, Architects McManus Building, Davenport, Iowa. Building Number 56, Drawing Number 4. Second Floor featuring the balcony, bedrooms, and servants’ rooms.

The building materials used consisted of brick over steel and concrete. The interior materials were purchased from local businesses and businesses across the region. The cost of the build was approximately $260,000, even though the exact numbers were not shared.

Its distinguishing features include modified distyle in antis main entrance. Additionally, the hotel offer amenities that fit the needs of all its guest and visitors. There were bedrooms with and without a bath, sample rooms for the traveling salesmen, and a relaxing dining environment. From the 1983 Architectural/Historical Survey, Bowers and Svendsen-Roesler state,

It eclipsed the older establishments like the Kimball and St. James. The hotel’s modern features included sample rooms for traveling salesmen, elevators, a dining room, some private baths, and fire proof construction throughout.

Davenport Hotel’s reputation as the city’s finest accomodation was not unchallenged for long. In 1915 the Blackhawk Hotel was built and business at the Davenport was seriously and permanently injured. In 1916, the Davenport was sold to the Black Hotel Company.

Bowers, Martha, and Marlys Svendsen-Roesler. Architectural/Historical Survey.

In the October 31st, 1907 article about “The Magnificient New Hotel Davenport”, the author describes in detail the features of this impressive structure.

  • “The Magnificant New Hotel Davenport and the Proprietors Who Are In Charge.” The Daily Times. October 31, 1907, page 9.
  • “The Magnificant New Hotel Davenport and the Proprietors Who Are In Charge.” The Daily Times. October 31, 1907, page 9.
  • “New Davenport is Palace of Comfort.” The Daily Times. October 31, 1907, page 9.

At its opening, the owner was the Davenport Hotel Company. The lessees and proprietors were James F. Gorman and William Hudson Harrison. The rest of the hotel staff were skilled workers brought from hotels in Des Moines to Chicago.

James F. Gorman, one of the lessees and proprietors, was born in Davenport on May 11, 1857, to Irish immigrants, Francis and Elizabeth (Curry) Gorman. He wedded Miss Mary Doheney on February 2, 1897, in Chicago, Illinois. They had two children, William and Arthur. He passed away on March 12, 1924, in Davenport, and interment was made in St. Marguerite’s cemetery. He worked at many hotels during his career as a hotel keeper.

“James F. Gorman, Well Known Local Hotel Man, Succumbs to Long Illness.” The Davenport Democrat and Leader. March 13, 1924, page 15.

William Hudson Harrison, a nephew and business partner to Mr. Gorman, was born in Davenport on August 6, 1866, to Thomas and Anne (Gorman) Harrison. Mr. Harrison married Caroline Delaney in 1903. He attended Sacred Heart Parochial School and St. Ambrose University. He started his career at the Hotel Kimball (renamed the Perry Apartments and later the Vale Apartments). He and his uncle took over the lease of Hotel Kimball and the Hotel Davenport. After his work with the Hotel Davenport, Mr. Harrison moved to Chicago for two years. He worked at the Fernwood Hotel. As a community leader, he served on City Council as alderman of Davenport’s Fifth ward. He passed away on June 30, 1922.

“Wm. H. Harrison Well Known Hotel Man Is Dead; Ill Long Time.” The-Daily-Times. June 30, 1922, page 1.

In 1915, Hotel Davenport saw its first change of hands as its first proprietors sought retirement and new management opportunities. Over a few days in December, the fate of this hotel was up in the air because, on December 8, David Morrison was slated to be the new proprietor because he had the best financial backing, but a few days later on December 16, 1915, The Daily Times announces that Miller Hotel Company closed a deal for Hotel Davenport. This hotel company also owned the Hotel Blackhawk and the new Kimball. They planned to make extensive improvements throughout the Hotel Davenport.

Whoever managed this magnificent hotel wanted it to succeed, so they attempted various ways of sharing information about its offerings. To attract guests, hotels would put advertisements into the local city directories and newspapers. These are a few examples of ones showcasing the charm and features of Hotel Davenport.

“Great Hotels.” The Daily Times. April 15, 1916, page 12.

A fire broke out late in the day on January 3, 1939, on the two top floors of the hotel. Two employees sustained burns from the conflagration. The hotel was repaired and the building is still standing today as an apartment complex on the top floors and businesses on the first floor.

“Davenport Hotel Is Hit by Flames, Dies Report Condemns Labor Dept.” The Daily Times.January 3, 1939, page 1.

Below are images of this still impressive building from the 1980s.

Bibliography

Images. Architectural Survey 2002: Building Files 1 – 19: Block 13: Davenport Hotel

Bowers, Martha, and Marlys Svendsen-Roesler. Architectural/Historical Survey. Wehner, Nowysz, Pottschull, and Pfiffner. Davenport, Iowa, 1983.

“Illinois, Cook County Marriages, 1871–1920.” Index. FamilySearch, Salt Lake City, Utah, 2010. Illinois Department of Public Health records. “Marriage Records, 1871–present.” Division of Vital Records, Springfield, Illinois.

(posted by Kathryn)

Posted in Local History | Tagged , , | 95 Comments

It’s Ratified! Women’s Suffrage Amendment Passes

Posted on August 18, 2020 by SCblogger
“Suffrage Amendment Ratified.” The Davenport Democrat. August 18, 1920, page 1.

Congress passed it on June 4, 1919, and Iowa ratified it on July 2, 1919. Tennessee finally tipped the scales on the 18th of August 1920 as the 36th state to pass this landmark legislation – the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution.

It was a long time coming! Women in Davenport and Scott County, Iowa had been working for and against the issue for fifty years. Both sides were well organized and affiliated with state and national organizations. Both shared persuasive arguments and tried to garner support and enthusiasm for their causes in myriad ways. Both had spent the past four years campaigning tirelessly for their beliefs.

World War I was in full swing in May 1916 when the Suffrage Headquarters and Anti-Suffrage Headquarters both located on East Third Street next door to each other in the 100 block.

“Davenport’s War Zone on East Third Street.” The Davenport Democrat and Leader. May 25, 1916, page 6.

Who were these women? Based on names found in local newspapers, research was conducted using Davenport city directories and the 1915 Iowa state and 1920 federal census. The mean average age of women involved in both groups was 40 years. The oldest of the identified members of the “Scott County Equal Suffrage Association” was 67 years and the youngest 25. Of this group, roughly 50% had attended at least one year of college and most had completed high school. Their religious affiliations varied tremendously with the highest percentage stating they attended the Unitarian Church.

The “Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage” by and large identified as Episcopalian. 44% reported attending at least one year of college. The youngest was 22 and the oldest was Alice French at 66 years of age. Yes, that Alice French – the local author whose nom de plume was Octave Thanet. The rest of the Anti-Suffs could have easily played “Six Degrees of Alice” as upon inspection they were direct relatives, in-laws, neighbors and part of Davenport’s Who’s Who including the names French, Decker, Lischer, Hecht, Lane, Mueller, Richardson, Roberts, Waterman, and Vollmer.

When Scott County voted down the amendment in the June 1916 primary election, Miss Alice French was quoted in the newspaper speaking for the County chairman of IAOWS Mrs. Jane Crawford and herself, “We are the happiest women on earth. It was a clean-cut victory for our cause. We feel most kindly toward all and wish to thank all the men who stood by us so nobly.” *

Miss Clementine Lewis, niece of Emma H. Mueller (Mrs. Frank) expressed, “I am so pleased to know that so many men in dear old Iowa love their mothers, wives, sisters, daughters, and sweethearts so much that they voted “No.’” * 

Mrs. Nathaniel French stated, “I should like to extend a word of thanks to our husbands, sons, and brothers who have so decidedly said No when it was proposed to burden the women with the responsibility of suffrage. Let us specialize on the duties which we can do best-care of the old, children, and the sick as well as our homes, and our men will always be ready to make the laws to help us out.” *

In response, the Scott County Equal Suffrage League is quoted in the Daily Times Wed. June 7, 1916 p.4, “We wish to express our appreciation of the thousands of men of Scott county who voiced their opinion that women are justly entitled to the ballot. Four years from now, if our friends, the men of Iowa, will again help us we will sweep the state…Equal suffrage is coming; nothing can stop it.”

In August 1916 the executive board of the Scott County Equal Suffrage League sent a telegram to President Woodrow Wilson urging him to submit the suffrage amendment before Congress adjourned that session. It was signed by Mrs. L.G. De Armand, Mrs. Herbert Lafferty, Miss Grace Rose, and Mrs. Fred Lambach.

In late February 1917, the pro-suffragettes enlisted the press to demonstrate favorable sentiments toward equal suffrage by publishing statements of men in favor of the issue including Arthur Davison Ficke, Charles Grilk, and E.K. Putnam.

By April 1917 the United States had joined their allies in the Great War. Women all over the country embraced jobs that traditionally had been done by males. Their contributions, which enabled the country to pursue the war effort, seemed unfair to many, given their inability to contribute to society as full citizens. The heavy sacrifice and a changing understanding of the meaning of democracy brought on by the war gave the suffrage movement renewed energy and enthusiasm.

Tables turned in July 1919 with Iowa’s ratification of the amendment. Chairman of the Scott County Equal Suffrage league Miss Grace Seaman stated, “I think one of the main reasons the men have voted as they have is in recognition of women’s work and what women have done in helping win the war. It is due to American women and to Iowa women to have the right to vote.” **

Davenport Public Library director Miss Grace Rose, who had started a Suffrage Study Club in 1916 to provide education on the subject, called it a splendid victory. Mrs. Henry W. von Maur said she was happy to know “that we are to have a way of expressing ourselves that we have never had before.” **

As for Alice French, she reportedly laughed and stated “the American people are on a moral jag and are going the limit and are preparing themselves for a very bad headache the day after. And the worst part of it is we will all have to take the consequences.” **

Prior to the 1920 November election, the civics department of the Davenport Woman’s Club along with the assistance of many other women’s organizations provided a series of six programs of instruction for women on how to use voting machines. It seems as though Miss French along with many of her former Anti-Suffs were now willing to work with department chair Dr. Genevieve Tucker as a reception committee to ensure the women of Davenport were prepared for this historic occasion.

On Tuesday, November 2, 1920, hundreds of Davenport women cast their first ballot.

“Waiting in Line to Cast Their First Vote.” The Daily Times. November 2, 1920, page 1.

No voter registration records exist at the state or county level so there is no official record of which ladies chose to cast a vote. However, the newspaper did highlight a 90-year-old woman, Margaret Chatters Ferrall, who registered to vote in Davenport and as of November 1st planned to go to the polls accompanied by her daughter Mrs. Horace Birdsall and granddaughter Mrs. Dick Lane. Ironically, both of the younger ladies had assisted Miss French in the Anti-Suffrage cause.

We are quite pleased to take the consequences, Miss French.

Bibliography

* Davenport Democrat Thursday, June 8, 1916 page 14

**Davenport Democrat Wednesday, July 2, 1919 page 15

https://www.nps.gov/articles/womens-suffrage-wwi.htm accessed August 18, 2020

Davenport, Iowa newspapers

Davenport, Iowa city directories

AncestryLibrary Edition

(posted by Karen)

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National Black Business Month

Posted on August 16, 2020 by SCblogger

August is National Black Business Month, and this week’s blog celebrates Black-owned businesses active in Davenport at three different points in its history.

The earliest African American proprietor in the city was likely barber James Hanover Warwick.  His freedom purchased by his “Aunt Matilda,” Warwick began learning his trade as a teenage apprentice in Richmond, Virginia, later gaining experience as a personal servant to a tobacco agent (who took him to Paris and Washington, D.C.) and to the father of actor Edwin Booth, as well as in service to travelers on Ohio and Mississippi River steamboats. He came to Davenport from St. Louis with his wife Beryl in 1848, and opened his own shop on Brady Street in 1856. As the advertisements below attest, Warwick was a barber and more: a hairdresser, wigmaker, and ”perfumer” for men and women alike. His success was widely recognized, the Davenport Sunday Democrat for February 17, 1895 stating “…there are but few men in Davenport who have not been in his chair” upon news of his death.

Daily Iowa State Democrat, September 30, 1858, p. 1.
Daily Democrat and News, July 23, 1863, p. 1.
Davenport Morning Democrat, June 13, 1866, p. 1.

The “List of Early African-American Business and Professional Women in Davenport, Iowa” for the years 1890-1920 assembled by local historian Craig Klein includes frequent mention of Mrs. Rosa Corbin in the Iowa Bystander. Keeper of a rooming house, Mrs. Corbin was described by the Des Moines-based African American newspaper as “a hustler” who would “soon be in moderate circumstances at the rate she is now working” in August 1906. The following summer, the Bystander noted “Mrs. Rosa A. Corbin is a very successful woman. She owns some valuable property.” Presumably, this referred to the Corbin Flats, five rooms at 935 Gaines Street; Mrs. Corbin lived at 936.  Her name was among those of several other women and men (her then-husband Alexander was president) establishing the Negro Business Local League of Davenport, Iowa in September 1901. (Davenport Republican, September 15, 1901, p. 5.)

Stone’s Davenport City Directory, p. 206.

In 1970, the Times-Democrat ran a series of articles on Black-owned businesses in Davenport, beginning with a feature on Earl Maupins, proprietor of Wax Lights, a candle shop at 317 Harrison Street.

Times-Democrat, January 11, 1970, p. 17.

In the April 5th issue, Charles Orman featured Greco Enterprises, Inc. founder George Greer in “From Test Tube to Mop.” Greer had just made the move from working for the Alter Company as analytical chemist to managing his own office cleaning business.

Times Democrat, April 5, 1970.

Part III of the Times-Democrat‘s series “Davenport’s Blacks Speak Out in 1972” focused on Black business owners and their struggles to secure financing in the area at that time. Published on August 29, 1972, the article featured Black owners of businesses including a clothing store, a barbershop, a coin laundry, a record shop, and a real estate and insurance agency.

Flynn Griffin owned a trucking and hauling firm. Mr. Griffin started his business with money he earned from prize fighting. His business expanded from 3 trucks in 1952 to nearly a dozen in 1972. He said he still had trouble landing contracts, even when he was the low bidder on the job. He said “I don’t have any trouble landing contracts for chain stores operated outside Davenport. But, whenever there are local business people involved, I’ve had trouble.” Griffin’s Trucking is listed in the Davenport City Directories through 1989.

Alfred and Rufus Garrett started Garrett Realty, an insurance and real estate agency in 1961 and also owned Garrett Brothers Excavating, a landscaping business established by their father in the mid-1920s. Alfred said “When I came back from California in 1946 I tried to buy a house. No one would sell to black people. I decided then I would someday establish a black real estate agency.” The brothers remained in business for 4 decades. Alfred died in 1998 and Rufus in 2011.

William Dean owned a 25-unit coin laundry at 530 Farnam. Mr. Dean tried to get a $25,000 loan from local banks but was told “Black people can’t borrow that kind of money.” He hired an attorney to interpret the regulations and contracts. After a year and a half of trips and letters to and from the Small Business Association in Des Moines, he finally got approved for an SBA loan. Dean’s Laundromat is listed in the Davenport City Directories through 1973.

L.A. Broyles operated Broyles’ Barbershop at 1226 1/2 Harrison Street. Mr. Broyles tried to borrow $1,000 to buy chairs and barbering equipment but was told he needed at least 60% collateral. “I had a skill, but I couldn’t even buy the tools to work in my trade.” He worked full time at the Rock Island Arsenal and would work at his barbershop in the evenings. L.A. Broyles closed his shop in 2004.

William and Margaret Willingham owned the Psychedelic Record Shak at 1522 Harrison Street while both worked full time jobs. Margaret worked as an aide at Kirkwood Convalescent Home and William worked as a press operator at French & Hecht. They would take turns staffing the store during the day. They said they opened the shop in 1971 because “there was no place for backs to get soul music.” The Psychedelic Record Shak is listed in the Davenport City Directories through 1973. Mr. Willingham died in 2004.

Sylvester “Pete” Mitchell owned Lee’s Clothing and Jewelry at 312 W 2nd Street. He bout the business from Leonard Stone after working there for 2 years, starting out in 1969 doing alterations. He took business courses at a local college and became the store manager in 1970. Then he applied for a loan and bought one-half interest in the business. He bought the business out right when Stone retired. Mr. Mitchell and Lee’s Clothing and Jewelry are listed in the Davenport City Directories thought 1977.

And finally, we remember Davenport businessman Clyde Mayfield, who passed away last week on August 5th. He started Greatest Grains with his wife Julie Martens in 1980, shortly before graduating from St. Ambrose College. Mr. Mayfield retired from the Davenport Fire Department in 2001. He was a civil rights leader and served in the Davenport School Board for many years. Greatest Grains closed last year after almost 40 years in business.

QCT August 26 1982 p7

(posted by Katie and Cristina)

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Remembering those who perished

Posted on August 7, 2020 by SCblogger

Ann Riepe

Anna M. Dittmer was born on January 13, 1930 in Davenport to Peter H. and Ethel L. (Danson) Dittmer. She graduated from Davenport High School in 1947 and was co-editor of the school newspaper and activities editor of the yearbook. Ann Dittmer married Robert James Riepe on October 4, 1955. The couple had 6 children: Patricia, Kathleen, Jeffrey, Susan, Rebecca, and Christine. Ann Riepe died on Wednesday, July 15, 2020, at Huntington Place in Janesville, Wisconsin.

She was the 150th President of the Scott County Iowa Pioneer Settlers Association and past President of the Scott County Iowa Genealogical Society when they hosted the Federation of Genealogical Societies conference in 2001. Ann volunteered her time at the Richardson-Sloane Special Collections Center. She wore a personalized name tag with her maiden name in case someone came in to do research on that family. She was so dedicated that she would walk long distances to catch the bus to come in for volunteering shift. We are lucky to have known Ann and will miss her kind smile and expertise.

Anna Dittmer, Spring Editor of the 1947 Davenport High School Blackhawk Newspaper.
Ann and the SCIGS table at the 2001 Federation of Genealogical Societies Conference at The RiverCenter in Davenport.
Ann Riepe holding the Scott County Iowa Pioneer Settlers Association’s presidents’ cane.

Ed Rauch

Edwin “Butch” Rauch, Jr. was born on February 22, 1949, in Davenport to Edwin and Edna (Forbes) Rauch. After graduation from Davenport High School in 1968, he served in the Navy for 2 years during the Vietnam War. Ed married Susan E. LoRang on October 10, 1970. The couple had 3 children: Chad, Lynsey, and Karen. Ed Rauch died unexpectedly on Sunday, July 19, 2020, at his beloved lake home in Bernard, Iowa.

After his retirement from the Rock Island Arsenal in 2004, Ed came to work at the Davenport Public Library as the morning custodian. He was always in a cheerful mood and had an infectious laugh that brightened everyone’s day. He lived for his weekends at the lake, where he did some fishing, but mostly relaxed with his favorite beverage in his hand. We are saddened by Ed’s passing and will miss him greatly.

Davenport High School Class of 1968.

Please share your memories of Ann and Ed in the comments section below.

(posted by Cristina)

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Mayflower Families: Henry Samson

Posted on August 3, 2020 by SCblogger

2020 marks the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower voyage and the founding of Plymouth Colony. Commemorative publications, programs, and tours are planned in the US, the UK, and the Netherlands by various organizations, including the General Society of Mayflower Descendants, the New England Historic Genealogical Society, and Plymouth 400, Inc.

In preparation for the festivities, we will be blogging about our resources for different Mayflower families throughout the year. This month we’ll explore the family of Henry Samson! 

Henry Samson was baptized on January 15, 1603/04 in at St. Mary’s Church, Henlow, Co. Bedford, England to James and Martha (Cooper) Samson.

Henry was about 16 years old when he boarded the Mayflower with his cousin/aunt Ann (Cooper) and Edward Tilley. His relatives did not survive the first winter at Plymouth.

Since Henry was a teenager and did not sign the Mayflower Compact he is sometimes overlooked as a Mayflower Ancestor. Henry Samson married Ann Plummer on February 6, 1635/36 in Plymouth. 

Mr. Samson moved to Duxbury ca. 1643 and was elected constable in 1661 and tax collector in 1667-68. The will of “Henery Sampson of Duxburrow” is dated December 24, 1684.

The first generation of Henry Samson descendants:

  1. Elizabeth, born 1638-1642, married Robert Sprout ca. 1661.
  2. Hannah, born 1642-1646, married Josiah Holmes on March 20, 1665/6.
  3. [unknown], born ca. 1648, married John Hanmore/Hanmer ca. 1682.
  4. John, born ca. 1640.
  5. Mary, born ca. 1650, married John Summers/Somers ca. 1684. 
  6. Dorcas, born ca. 1652, married Thomas Bonney ca. 1684. 
  7. James, born ca. 1644, married Hannah [unknown] Wait ca. 1679.
  8. Stephen, born ca. 1638, marriedElizabeth [unknown] ca. 1686.
  9. Caleb, born ca.1654, married Mercy Standish ca. 1686.

Want to learn more about Henry Samson’s descendants? Stop by the Richardson-Sloane Special Collections Center and browse through volume 20 of Mayflower Families through five generations (SC 929.2 May)

Weblinks:

(posted by Cristina)

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Davenporters of Note: Albert Nuckols

Posted on July 29, 2020 by SCblogger

Of the many tributes to U.S. Representative and civil rights leader John Lewis appearing since his death, particularly moving is the video clip Henry Louis Gates, Jr. posted from his “Finding Your Roots” television program, in which Lewis tearfully reacts to the sight of his great-great grandfather’s name on the 1867 Alabama voter registration rolls.

This reminder of the promises of Reconstruction amidst the current examination of the roots of systemic anti-Black racism prompts our curiosity about the political activities of the formerly enslaved persons and free Blacks living in Davenport in the years following the Civil War. One Albert Nuckols persistently exercised his right to participate in the political process, despite tepid support from the white community.

“Prince Albert” as Nuckols was known, arrived in Davenport in 1854 with his wife, daughter, and George L. Nickolls, son of his former master. Nuckols had just purchased his and his wife’s freedom from R.C. Nickolls while serving the family in Franklin County, Missouri. He worked as a bill-poster, whitewasher, and janitor from room 12 on the corner of Brady and 2nd Streets, the “Nickolls Block,” until his death in 1889. He was recognized as a leader of the African-American community, nearly always called upon to speak at the celebrations commemorating the Emancipation Proclamation. In 1865, he organized an event with a purpose: “Albert has determined upon a Festival at LeClaire Hall, on Monday evening January 1st, for the purpose of raising funds to alleviate, in a measure, the sufferings of his people.” (1)

Nuckols’ participation in civic life included experience with legal proceedings: a suit against him for payment of rent money was decided in his favor, and he won a replevin suit against another man in the August 1860 court term. (2) In 1868, he was part of an effort to defend the rights of four Blacks who had been refused service by the “aristocratic gentlemen of color” who owned the Delmonico restaurant on West 2nd St. (3) Nuckols, his friend J.H. Warwick of Davenport, and Alexander Clark of Muscatine were the first African Americans to serve as jurors in the state of Iowa.

It was the “Party of Lincoln,” the Republicans, that had Nuckols’ support. In September 1869, he was named a Scott County delegate to the state convention in Des Moines alongside fellow “colored citizen,” Henry Simons. Simons, a barber, was included without controversy, but when Captain J. W. Pearman suggested Nuckols in place of John Hornby, the committee on credentials’ leader George H. French reportedly “couldn’t swallow two n—-rs.” (4) Nuckols’ departure on the train to Des Moines was news, the Democrat calling him “…the acknowledged leader of the Republican colored delegation to the State Convention and the most polished gentleman and accomplished speaker of the entire delegation…” (5)

In July of 1872, Nuckols spoke passionately in support of Ulysses S. Grant’s second term as President to an assembly of Republicans. “Albert really made the best speech of the evening, and was cheered,” said the editors of the Democrat. The article disparaged the local party and its meeting, so they also characterized Nuckols’ invitation to speak as the Republicans’ “last resort.” (6)

Albert Nuckols was the only African American candidate for Representative at the Republican county convention (Scott) in September 1873, (7) and one of two (the other was his friend, hairdresser and wig-maker John H. Warwick) for Scott County Treasurer in October 1875. (8) Nuckols received no votes in the first contest, and he and Warwick received just one vote each in the second. Nevertheless, Nuckols remained active. He was present the following year at a gathering of “Independent” Republicans, traditional Democrats (many German immigrants) favoring Rutherford B. Hayes as President over their own party’s candidate, Samuel J. Tilden. While “[l]oud calls were made for Albert Nuckolls” to speak, meeting chairman and Der Demokrat editor Henry Lischer “…was evidently not prepared to go this far, and made arrangements to have an adjournment before Albert could have a chance to talk.” (9)

Albert Nuckols remained in the public eye through the late 1870s and 1880s: He managed and addressed various Emancipation celebrations, and in 1877 he debated another local “colored orator,” Emanuel Franklin, on the topic of Masonry versus Christianity in a much-anticipated and well-attended spectacle. (10). He was invited to the pulpit at the African Methodist Church in Davenport to deliver the “Central Attraction of the 19th Century,” his 1886 discourse (possibly printed) on the life of Jesus Christ. (11) He spoke in support of a Kirkwood governorship in Iowa later that same year. (12) Just months before his death, “‘Prince Albert’ Nuckels, the colored Republican, made a brief, forcible address on the enslaved condition of the Republican ballot at the South” at a county gathering, the “Republicans’ Last Charge,” according to the Daily Times of November 6, 1888.

Newspaper obituaries admired the way Albert Nuckols had led his life as a citizen of Davenport. He was “highly esteemed by all classes” said the Gazette; “…a well-known and popular citizen…a gentleman always in demeanor and in language,” said the Morning Democrat. Perhaps the most substantive praise was offered by the Weekly Republican, who noted that despite a lack of educational opportunities, Nuckols had “…instructed himself in a greater or less degree, and was posted on political and religious subjects.”

(posted by Katie)

___________________________________________________________

1) Daily Davenport Democrat, December 29, 1865

2) Daily Democrat and News, August 20 and 22, 1860

3) Daily Davenport Democrat, November 9, 1868

4) Daily Davenport Democrat, June 5, 1869

5) Daily Davenport Democrat, June 10, 1869

6) Davenport Daily Democrat, July 27, 1872

7) Davenport Daily Democrat, September 10, 1873

8) Davenport Daily Democrat, October 19, 1875

9) Davenport Democrat, September 9, 1876

10) Davenport Democrat, January 6, 10, and 11, 1877

11) Davenport Democrat, March 16, 1886

12) Davenport Democrat, September 12, 1886

Obituaries:

Davenport Democrat-Gazette, February 1, 1889

Davenport Morning Democrat, January 31, 1889Davenport Weekly Republican, February 2, 1889

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The Rock Island Centennial/Master Sgt. Stanley Talbot Memorial Bridge turns 80!

Posted on July 17, 2020 by SCblogger

On July 12, 1940, a modern, four-lane highway bridge was dedicated and opened to traffic. This bridge was named Rock Island Centennial Bridge. Its structured design supports the “present day high speed passenger and transport traffic” and serves not only local commuters but also the “motor travel on U. S. Highways 67 and 150 (Howard 1). This bridge boasts box girder rib tied arches, which was unusual in the United States at the time. It has a simple design unlike the I-74 or Iowa-Illinois Memorial Bridge whose first span was built in 1935 and its twin in 1961 and the Government Bridge built in 1896.

Notable features of the Centennial Bridge include its claim as the first bridge across the Mississippi with four lanes as well as having the lowest rates of any toll bridge on the Mississippi River. Centennial Bridge also would meet the needs of the growing cities it would serve. As stated in Final Report on Construction of the Mississippi River Bridge between Rock Island, Illinois and Davenport, Iowa, “In 1938 the Government Bridge carried more vehicles than either the George Washingon Bridge in New York or the San Francisco Bay Bridge in California” (Howard 4). The need for this bridge was evident and bolstered by the growing populations and industrial and community interchange between Davenport, Iowa, and Rock Island and Moline in Illinois.

The history of this bridge begins in the mid-1930s with city officials of Rock Island, civic-minded men, and Mayor Robert P. Galbraith. In order to garner support for this new bridge, they retained Ash-Howard-Needles & Tammenm, a consulting engineering company. They provided the valuable information to make a case for constructing a bridge in the proposed location and the type of bridge most beneficial to the community.

On November 23, 1937, Congressman Chester Thompson of Illinois introduced H.R. 8466 a bill “‘Authorizing the City of Rock Island, Illinois, or its assigns, to construct, maintain, and operate a toll bridge across the Mississippi River, at or near Rock Island, Illinois, and to a place at or near the City of Davenport, Iowa'” (Howard 6). This bill received presidential approval on March 18, 1938, thus securing necessary approval for continuing their bridge building plans.

Construction of this bridge began on March 6, 1939. The bridge was completely financed by the City of Rock Island with no obligation to the taxpayers and without any financial support from federal or state governments. There was an unsuccessful attempt to secure funding through the Public Works Administration which helped fund the I-74 bridge construction. The bridge’s cost was $2,500,000 in revenue bonds issued in the name of the City of Rock Island.

Next on their agenda was securing a location for the bridge. The location was to provide quick access to the retail districts of the two cities. The official termini were 15th Street in Rock Island and Gaines Street in Davenport.

The box girder tied arches was a combination of two types of spans: the tied arch spans and girder spans. This design resulted in “a harmonious, logical, economical and aesthetically satisfying layout” (Howard 8). Additionally, the bridge featured sodium vapor lighting for the roadways and both sodium vapor and incandescent lamps in the plazas.

To celebrate this momentous event, the completion of the City’s new sewage treatment plant, and the 100th year of the City’s existence, an elaborate dedication program was planned. A host of prominent speakers including Lieutenant Governor B. B. Hickenlooper of Iowa and Charles P. Casey, director of the Illinois department of public works. The ceremonial ribbon was cut and a bottle of champagne was broken by Miss Bonnie Galbraith, daughter of Mayor Robert P. Galbraith.

The zenith of the festivities was a dance held in the Rock Island Armory with Freddy Martin’s famous orchestra supplying the music. On the day of the dedication, the bridge was toll free until midnight.

In July 2017, the Rock Island Centennial Bridge was renamed Master Sgt. Stanley W. Talbot Memorial Bridge in honor of Master Sergeant’s service as an Illinois State Police Officer. He passed away during an incident of someone trying to flee a roadside safety checkpoint at the intersection of 15th Street and 2nd Avenue.

In our collection, we have a variety of material regarding this fascinating bridge. One that helped us to tell its story today is the Final Report on Construction of the Mississippi River Bridge between Rock Island, Illinois and Davenport, Iowa by Howard, Needles, Tammen & Bergendoff.

  • Howard, Needles, Tammen & Bergendoff. Final Report on Construction of the Mississippi River Bridge between Rock Island, Illinois and Davenport, Iowa. (Kansas City, MO : 1945)
  • Wheeler, Blake. “Bridge Dedicated and Opened to Traffic.” The Daily Times, vol. 54, no. 178, July 12, 1940: 1, 24.

(posted by Kathryn and Cristina)

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QC Life in the New Normal Writing Project: Phase I

Posted on July 10, 2020 by SCblogger

2020 has been a chaotic year for all of us. Each person has had their life disrupted in some way from working from home, not being able to see loved ones, and so much more. At the beginning of the Pandemic, we wanted to create a writing project where people of all ages could express how they are feeling, coping, and managing to live through this unexpected, life-changing event. This would also help us to capture this period of history through the words of the people in preserving real-time reflections about life in the Quad Cities during the COVID-19 era.

We asked that people submit a writing piece of at least 200-500 words about how they were coping. We gave examples of the various creative writing formats for different age groups, but participants could write in the format of their choosing.

We started off thinking that this project would just last a few weeks, but it garnered interest from the community and we extended the project with another phase that recently ended at the end of June.

Phase I astounded us because we had 28 entries from all age groups.

Some of the writing prompts included: What am I grateful for? Who have I come to admire? How have I changed?

We created videos to help the community come up with ideas about what to write about and to learn more about this project. In this approximately 14-minute chat, Kathryn and Lynn talk about the importance of this writing project, suggestions for writing pieces, and how to submit them. Watch their chat here: QC Life in the New Normal Writing Project Conversation.

Phase I entries have been judged and we are pleased to announce the winners of the QC Life in the New Normal Writing Project Contest: Kate James, Lily Campbell, and Audrey Hayden. Each winner received a $20 gift card either to the Book Rack or Crafted QC. We have listed their entries below for your reading pleasure.

“Then It Happened” by Kate James

With the dawn of the New Year came hope for new beginnings. I was just trying to get by since 2019 was especially challenging. It was the second week into 2020 that my son became so ill he couldn’t eat, drink, or stay awake longer than 30 minutes at a time. I was tempted to take him to the hospital since nothing I was doing was helping.

I called my father and he told me this: “Katie, sometimes all a child needs is his mom to be there to love and protect him.” 

As Spring Break was around the corner, increasing news coverage about a virus that originated in China began to make many nervous. When I stopped at a Dollar General before heading out of town, every customer had a package of toilet paper. 

“Buy it when you can! They predict there will be a shortage!” a customer warned everyone in the check-out line.

That’ll never happen, I thought, still buying a package, though.

Spending a few days in rural Missouri without internet left me unaware of the magnitude of paranoia back home. As my father in-law watched Good Morning America I overheard the term ‘social distancing’ used for the first time: closures, cancellations, quarantine.

“Yeah, that’ll never happen!” I said as I rolled my eyes. 

As we set out for home we heard news of the district I taught in delaying school for an additional three weeks following spring break due to the efforts to contain the virus. We then heard on the radio of two states that had cancelled school for the rest of the year. 

“Boy, you’d go crazy without work or shopping or being out and about for the rest of the school year!” My husband chuckled. 

“Yeah, but that’ll never happen,” I replied anxiously.

I began the new normal. Lucky for me, this Covid-19 crisis was not the first difficult circumstance I had to adapt to over the previous year. I was becoming more malleable to challenges I thought would never happen.

What made 2019 especially challenging took place eight months earlier: my beautiful, sweet little boy was diagnosed with Autism. I thought it would never happen. I knew Autism wasn’t a death sentence, for which I was grateful, however it felt like a life sentence. As I struggled accepting and processing this diagnosis, I was thrown into a new way of life that included 30 to 40 hours of intensive intervention therapies for my not even three-year-old son. Did I feel great? No, but I was learning how to cope. 

With the emergence of the Covid-19 Crisis, something that I said would never happen forced me to change, but it was okay because this wasn’t the first time. One sunny, warm afternoon a month after the social distancing order went into effect, my son and I walked along a path in Bettendorf at Devil’s Glenn Park. Typically I was terrified to have him walk without tightly holding on to his hand. As many Autistic individuals are prone to wandering and running off, the fear of losing him kept me from letting him go. However I knew that someday he would be too big, too strong to keep a firm grasp. I had to let him learn. I took a deep breath and let go of his tiny hand. He stopped, looked at me, and slowly, a bright smile spread across his tiny, round face. We walked together, side by side. We saw fluffy clouds in the vibrant blue sky, birds chirping as they flew by, and the sounds of the babbling stream guiding us along the way. As we walked back to my car, I peered down to see my precious, golden-haired boy still paddling alongside of me, and felt an epiphany. I had been so devastated and overwhelmed by a diagnosis that I felt should never happen that it took a global pandemic to make me stop and realize all the beauty that was still around me. 

Uncertainty can be terrifying. We don’t know what will happen by the time this pandemic comes to an end. We can live in fear and be miserable due to the way in which our lives have had to change, or we can take each moment in each day and try to see it through a lens of optimism, even in the darkest hours. It is the most difficult skill to acquire, but over time you become better at it. The uncertainty of Hunter is what keeps me going. I don’t know what will happen in one year, five years, 10 years—but I have right now. While the future could be as equally wonderful for Hunter as it could be terrifying, right now is what can make the difference. While I didn’t think I was capable of providing what a child like Hunter needs—a child with Autism—the Covid-19 Pandemic of the New-Era Roaring Twenties has shown me that as long as I love and protect him, he’ll be okay.  

“Maxie’s Story” By Lily Campbell

Here we go again all standing in our starting positions. Little did I know this would be my last performance with my team.

The music started and the crowd began to cheer. It was all so loud and I loved it. We had practiced this routine so many times but I still got nervous for my stunts. 

The girls threw me up in the air and I soon felt lots of hands underneath my foot. I hit my double back tuck.  I smiled so big when the crowd started to cheer even louder.  Next was the pyramid.  We all had to hit our marks or it would be a disaster. I felt hands on my feet again and then got thrown.  I tucked and flipped and hit again. Everything else fell into place and we hit the whole routine!  We have one more competition before the championship.  

 I was in my dorm getting ready for practice. I started walking down to the gym when I got a notification that said that school was being cancelled until April 1st due to a virus called Covid-19.  I was in shock and did not really know what to think about it. I walked back to the dorm and called my parents. They told me that I could just come home for those two weeks and just to pack what I needed.  They said that school would resume after all of this was over.  Not to worry about anything.  

My teammates all started texting about what was going on.  All wondering what this would do with our competition coming up soon.  Would we still have it or would it be postponed?   They certainly would not cancel the championship.  They would not cancel an event that we have all been working so hard to get to.  We were all so uncertain about what would happen.  I told my roommate that I would see her in a few weeks and I left for home.  

That night at dinner, we all sat down and watched the news.  All kinds of new reports were coming out about the virus.  Reports about how this virus was killing people.  It was scary to hear.  The reports were telling people to have little contact with others.  After hearing these reports, I had a feeling that I would not be going to my last two competitions.  How can you social distance yourself from your team?   A few days later we got the news that our competitions were cancelled.  It was so disheartening that it brought me to tears. I would never get to cheer again since I was a senior.  I would never be with my team again.  The following week, school decided that we would have to finish our courses online.  I would not be returning to finish out my senior year.  I was beyond sad.  I thought I still had a couple months. I thought I still had time.   I thought things would be different.

“QC Life in the New Normal” by Audrey Hayden

            Coronavirus has changed everything, life as we know it! Everyone is stuck at home, and now more than ever, our community needs one another but we cannot help each other, because then we would be putting one another at risk. My life has definitely changed, not for better or worse, it’s just become different.

            Before Coronavirus started affecting my life, I’d get up at 6-6:10 every morning to make breakfast for me and my sisters. I would do my morning routine, and then walk with one of my sisters to her bus stop, and wait for her bus there. I would always bring my dog, and then after her bus came me and my 7 year old sister (she’s homeschooled) would walk about ½ mile with Scout (Dog). By then it would be about 8:00 so I’d get my stuff together for school, and play outside with Scout, or my 7 year old sister, and if it was too cold for that, we’d watch TV. At 8:27 I would go to my bus stop, and when I got to school I would wait on the eighth grade side. When I got home I would walk Scout, and then probably play outside with my sisters. We would eat dinner, go back outside, and then we would come in and just hang out for a bit. 

Now, I get up between 6 and 7, eat breakfast, walk my dog, watch TV, or make a Tik Tok. Then I do online school from 9-11, go to sudlow and get lunch, Dance or go outside until dinner, continue dancing or being outside, come back in and hang out. It’s a bit boring but it’s not that bad. I am going to try to write a book about what’s going on right now. I’ve gotten really invested in staying in shape for the softball season, and I have new personal records for a lot of different things. I really miss going to school, but I’m glad that I can focus on things non school related, things that I don’t learn about in school. I know a lot more now than I did at the beginning of this. I read 50 fun facts everyday, and select a few each time to post in my Honors English optional learning classroom. Did you know strawberries can taste like pineapple? Or that the military uses dolphins to find underwater mines? MIT has free online courses that you can take, so I’m currently trying out Linear Algebra, but I am thinking about maybe doing a different one. I do wish that I could have said bye to my teachers, because next year I will be in highschool and will not get to see any of them again most likely. I wish that life could go back to normal all ready, but for now we can just make the best of it.


(posted by Kathryn)

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