Davenport During the Civil War: The Coward List

Posted on September 6, 2012 by SCblogger

Fall of 1862 found the citizens of Davenport and Scott County adjusting to daily life during wartime.

 The Draft of August had been answered by eligible volunteers and those men were leaving home to join the Union cause. Women, children, and ineligible men now had to adapt to the loss of manpower as the work of daily civilian life, such as the upcoming harvest and butchering, still needed to be done.

On September 4, 1862, the Daily Democrat and News celebrated the number of volunteers enlisting from the state of Iowa with the heading “Three Cheers for Iowa – 21,219 Volunteers Offered!” While this article celebrated the dedication and spirit of the men willing to fight for the Union; another article right below called out those local men who were felt to be evading military service – and it named names..

It was called “The Coward List” and included the names of immigrants who claimed exemption from military service on the grounds of not being citizens of the United States. The men had gone before a county commissioner to proclaim this fact.

At the end of the article it was stated by the paper “It now becomes the duty of every good citizen to endeavor to ascertain whether any of the persons in this list have ever voted in this country, and if so, to at once commence action for perjury.”

Sixty-two names appeared on this list. More names were added by the Daily Democrat and News on the 5th, 8th, and 9th  of September as well. Listed sometimes as the Coward List and other times as the Sneak List, it was a determined effort to shame these men into volunteering.

This Coward List tactic was not done only in Davenport ; newspapers all over the north were publishing the names of men thought to be avoiding military duties while enjoying the liberties of the Union. It may be noted that the Democrat’s local newspaper rival, the Davenport Daily Gazette, did not publish similar lists.

There was a war on and anyone thought not to be supporting the Union appears to have been eligible to be named as a Coward or a Secesh (the nickname for those who supported secession) in local papers—a distinction most may have preferred to have done without.

(posted by Amy D.)

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Davenport During the Civil War: The Draft of August 1862

Posted on September 4, 2012 by SCblogger

In August of 1862, the Civil War continued to rage and the Union began to experience a shortage of soldiers as enlistment rates dropped. Various factors were behind the declining numbers of recruits, including the realization that the war was not going to be quickly won and the remaing civilian men who were torn between enlistment and the need to be at home, especially during the crucial harvest period of late summer and early fall.

Soldiers were needed, though, and President Lincoln passed a draft in early August of 1862, calling for 300,000 men to either volunteer or be drafted. Each state was given a quota to fill based on population.

For Iowa, the number was 10,500 men, between 18 and 45 years old.

By August 29, 1862, as the deadline for volunteering approached, both the Daily Democrat and News and the Davenport Daily Gazette ran the names of the men who were subject to the draft from Davenport and Scott County.  The names were alphabetized and broken down into wards and outer townships.

Benefits to volunteering instead of being drafted included a bounty incentive and higher pay (married men could receive $115 and single men $90 as a bounty incentive according to local newspaper advertisements). One could also choose the regiment. Frequently family and friends volunteered together in the hopes of being in the same regimental company. The newspapers frequently reminded gentlemen of these benefits.

Augusts 30th was the last day to volunteer. On September 4th the Daily Democrat and News reported that not only had Iowa met its draft quota through volunteers, but it had surpassed the number with over 21,000 men volunteering for 3 year length of service. There was no need to activate a draft.

It was not only the 18 to 45 year olds men who came out. The “Governor’s Grey Beards” or 37th Iowa Volunteer Infantry Regiment was comprised of men over 45 not eligible for active service. An estimated 1,000 men joined this company over the course of the war. These men, some well into their 70s and early 80s, gained respect for protecting railroad lines and guarding over 150,000 Confederate prisoners of war.

Based on population statistics from the 1860 United States census, it is estimated that the state of Iowa had the highest percentage of men serving during the Civil War from either the north or the south. 674,913 people lived in Iowa based on that census. 76,242 Iowa men enlisted during the war. Just over 13,000 died while 8,500 were wounded.

The citizens of Davenport, Scott County, and the state of Iowa dedicated themselves to the Union and the war effort. For more blog articles on the Civil War and our numerous resources, please type the key words Civil War into the search engine located on the lower right hand side of the web page.

(posted by Amy D.)

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Just Shelved: Quad-City Times Newspaper Index to Social Events

Posted on August 24, 2012 by SCblogger

One of the first things a genealogist learns is how to find obituaries, which usually appear in the local newspapers within two or three days after the date of death, if the deceased was a current resident.

One of the second things a genealogist learns is how frustrating it can be to find marriage announcements and other social events, which can appear in local newspapers months afterward, or even before the date of the event.

And as much as we love microfilm, it doesn’t make it any easier on the eyes or the carpal tunnel to go through months and months of newspapers page-by-page.

But Pat Scott and Sandy Luse of the Scott County, Iowa Genealogy Society, have solved this problem for those of us trying to search the Quad-City Times between 1994 and 1999.  They’ve gathered and indexed all those elusive marriage, engagement, and anniversary announcements  published during that time period—they even gathered birthday announcements:

Volume 1: Marriages, 1994-1996 (alphabetical by groom)

Volume 2: Marriages, 1994-1996 (alphabetical by bride)

Volume 3: Birthdays, 1994-1996

Volume 4: Marriages, 1996-1999 (alphabetical by groom)

Volume 5: Marriages, 1996-1999 (alphabetical by bride)

Volume 6: Birthdays and Miscellaneous Events, 1996-1999

This six volume set (located under 977.769 QUAD CIT) is an incredible time saver—and as all the listings include the full date of the original event whenever available, it’s an important informational resource all by itself.

We can’t thank Ms. Scott and Ms. Luse enough for all their hard work—and we can’t wait to start using the amazing results of their labor!

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Just Shelved: Wheatland, Iowa, newspapers

Posted on August 8, 2012 by SCblogger

We’re pleased to announce that the following Wheatland, Iowa, newspapers have been added to our microfilm collections:

The Wheatland Times — 11Feb1860 – 30June1864

The Clinton County Advocate — 3Nov1864 – 6June1867

The Wheatland Gazette — 9May1888 – 23July1981

The Wheatland Press-Gazette — 4June1981 – 8August1985

 

Wheatland is a Clinton County community only 36 miles northwest of Davenport, very close to the Scott County line. News from northern Scott County was often reported in the Wheatland newspapers.

These newspapers are not indexed at this time, but if you already know the specific date of an event—birth, marriage, death, etc.—you are welcome to visit our Center and search this wonderful addition to our collection of microfilmed newspapers.

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Image courtesy of Arkyan under Creative Commons license

 

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The mystery of the missing county vital records

Posted on August 3, 2012 by SCblogger

This is an update on an earlier post about the State-Level Death records that are available at the State Historical Society in Des Moines.

The State Historical Society of Iowa has been slowly adding counties to the index for those elusive death records that were not recorded by county clerks between 1920 and 1941— and it’s finally our turn!

The SHS index for Scott County covers the years 1918-1920 and 1932-1933. It includes name, birth date, birth place, death date, county, mother’s maiden name, record number, and the number of the carton in which it is stored at the Archives.  A direct link  to the index is here, and information on how to request copies is also on their website, along with the request form.

But, as usual, that wasn’t the end of it.  While we were gathering this information, we found this quote on a county clerk’s website:

“County registrars, however, do not have code authority to have on record:  single-parent births prior to July 1, 1995; adoptions; any record ordered seal by a court of law; or birth, death, and marriages between the years 1921 to 1941.”

 This got us thinking: were the county registrars simply “not required” to file vital records at the county level? Or were they actually prohibited by Iowa law?

So, we went digging around in our available copies of the Code of Iowa.

Chapter 11 of the Code for 1919 has this to say:

“The undertaker or the person in charge of the funeral of any person dying in the state of Iowa shall cause a certificate of death to be filled out, in original and duplicate, the original to be sent to the state registrar as hereinafter provided and the duplicate to be filed with the proper cemetery authorities where the body is buried for the cemetery’s record […]” (Chapter 11 Section 1365)

“It shall be the duty of the state registrar to furnish to the clerk of the district court of each county on or before the first day of April of each year, certified transcripts of the certificates of death filed with him from the respective counties, and the United States census bureau at Washington, D. C., shall have the privilege of making copies of said transcripts, but at the expense of the United States census bureau and not at the expense of the state, and to arrange by county, bind and deposit in the state historical building at Des Moines, the original death certificates; and transcripts sent to each county shall be bound at the expense of said county, and preserved for reference by the clerk of the district court.” (Chapter 11, Section 1367)

 In 1924, the Code of Iowa uses the term “Local registrars” and lists the duties of local registrars, which include:

“Make a complete and accurate copy of each birth and death certificate registered by him in a record book supplied by the state registrar, to be preserved permanently in his local office as the local record.” (Chapter 114, Section 2394, #7)

 But in 1946, well after county clerks were once again recording vital records,  the Code uses two separate terms, “county registrar” and “local registrar”:

“The clerk of the district court of each county shall be the county registrar” (Chapter 144.4).

“The county registrar shall with the approval of the board of supervisors, appoint as many local registrars as are, in his opinion, necessary to carry out the provisions of this chapter and shall assign each local registrar a definitive district, except that local registrars in cities having a population of thirty-five thousand or more, shall be appointed by the local board of health.” (Chapter 144.6)

The duties for the “local registrar” do not appear to have changed since 1924.

What does this mean?

Well, it appears to mean that county clerks might record births and deaths between 1920 and 1941, but it was really someone else’s job, to be done with someone else’s expensive ledger books.

We’re just grateful that the State Historical Society of Iowa is helping us make our jobs easier!

 

(posted by Cristina)

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Dreams of Olympics Past: Nat Pendleton

Posted on July 26, 2012 by SCblogger

The Summer Olympics are across the ocean this year, but that doesn’t stop us from remembering our past ties to these games:  the Davenporters who were counted among the world’s finest athletes.

One of these was Nat Pendleton, who was born in Davenport on August 9, 1895.  We can’t locate his Scott County birth record, but his parents, Nathaniel and Adalaide, do appear in the State Census for 1895 and Mr. Pendleton is listed in that year’s city directory as the secretary treasurer for the Davenport Gas Light Company.  The little family lived in a nice neighborhood at 1011 Main Street.

Unfortunately, by the next year’s directory, the company had disappeared.  The Pendletons had moved to an apartment at the Kimball House, but soon moved east, eventually settling in New York by way of Ohio and New Jersey.

Nat attended Columbia College, where he showed himself to be champion wrestling material.  In 1920, he was chosen to wrestle freestyle, heavy weight division, in the Summer Olympics, which were held in Antwerp, Belgium.  After beating Sweden’s Ernst Nilsson in the semi-finals, Nat won a silver medal in the finals.

His only loss in the Olympics was to Robert Roth of Switzerland, who took the gold.

Nat later became a well-known character actor in Hollywood, usually playing strong silent types.  He appeared in many diverse films—if not always diverse roles—such as the Thin Man series, the Doctor Kildare series, and, most notably The Great Ziegfeld as circus strongman Eugene Sandow.   He died in California on Oct 12, 1967.

Nat Pendleton may have spent only a few years in Davenport, but he’s one of us by birth,* and we’re keeping him in our minds and memories as we watch this year’s Summer Games.  We may even rent the Thin Man series as well!

(posted by Sarah)

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*We’d claim cyclist Christine Thorburn if we could, except Bettendorf probably wouldn’t let us get away with it.

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Davenport, Iowa: A City In Which To Live

Posted on July 16, 2012 by SCblogger

The Greater Davenport Committee, a precursor to the Davenport Chamber of Commerce, was founded in 1910, with E. P. Adler as its first president. Its purpose was to advertise Davenport and bring new businesses to the city.

For one of their first projects, they published a booklet filled with pictures of residences, businesses, parks and other attractions – “some of the reasons why those who live in Davenport love their city”.

The booklet was sold in leading store in Davenport for ten cents per copy. The cover featured a colorful picture of Fejervary Park with the phrases “Gateway to the West” on the back and “A City in Which to Live” on the front.

This booklet is a great snapshot of what life was like in Davenport in the 1910’s. It can also be a reasource for people who are researching historic homes. The residences featured in the booklet are listed by the owner’s name. Some of the owners were photographed by Hostetler around the same time and are included in our Photograph Collection (click on the links to view images):

Alfred E. Walsh, 1530 Perry St

Andrew J. Preston, 1216 3rd Ave (E 10th St)

August E. Steffen, 410 W 6th St

Edward C., Frank W. & Wm L. Mueller, 413, 421 & 429 W 6th St

Isaac Deutsch, 2135 Main St

James W. Walsh, 1401 Brady St      

Joe R. Lane, 331 (1017) Mississippi Ave

Louis P. Best, 627 Ripley St

Nathaniel French, River Drive & McClellan Blvd

Richardson Estate, East River Drive

Rowland H. Harned, 130 (830) Mississippi Avenue

Rudolph J. Clausen, 2330 Harrison St

Selma Schricker, 1430 Clay St

 

The booklet also has photographs of a few unidentified homes on some of the more picturesques streets and neighborhoods.  Part of the difficulty is that some of the street names and house numbers changed after 1918.

Other buildings pictured include City Hall, Commercial Club, Davenport High School, Immaculate Conception Academy, First Presbyterian Church, Mercy Hospital, Sacred Heart Cathedral, Scott County Courthouse, Trinity Episcopal Church, and the Carnegie building of the Davenport Public Library.

 You are welcome to visit our Center and take a look at this fascinating piece of history!

(posted by Cristina)

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Happy Sesquicentennial to the Rock Island Arsenal!

Posted on July 11, 2012 by SCblogger

On July 12, 1861 Senator James W. Grimes of Illinois presented Bill S. 19 in the United States Senate.   It read as follows:

A Bill      

To establish a national armory on Rock Island, in the State of Illinois.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That there shall be, and hereby is, established on the property belonging to the United States on Rock Island, in the State of Illinois, a national armory for the fabrication and repair of arms and other munitions of war, in which shall be employed one superintendent and one master armorer, who shall be appointed by the President of the United States, and as many workmen as the Secretary of War may, from time to time, deem necessary; the said superintendent and master armorer to receive the same compensation as is now allowed by law to similar officers in the national armory at Springfield, in the State of Massachusetts.

Sec. 2 And be it further enacted, That for the purpose of carrying this act into effect the sum of one hundred thousand dollars be, and the same hereby, appropriated, out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated.

1861 – July 12. Read twice, and referred to the Committee on Naval Affairs.
July 23. – Reported without amendment.

One year later, on July 12, 1862 President Abraham Lincoln signed the following act:

Chap. CXLVIII – An Act for the Establishment of certain National Arsenals.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That there shall be, and hereby is, established a national arsenal at Columbus, in the State of Ohio, at Indianapolis, in the State of Indiana, and on Rock Island, in the State of Illinois, for the deposit and repair of arms and other munitions of war.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That for the purpose of carrying this act into effect, the sum of one hundred thousand dollars for each arsenal named in the preceding section be, and the same is hereby, appropriated out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated

Approved, July 11, 1862.

From its early days as Fort Armstrong to the Rock Island Arsenal, this military installation has had a major impact on the development and lives of those in the Quad Cities.

We wish the Rock Island Arsenal and all its workers and soldiers, past and present, a Happy 150th Sesquicentennial (or Anniversary)!

For more posts about the Arsenal, please type the word Arsenal into our search engine. It is amazing how many of our stories include the Rock Island Arsenal. This island has truly been a large part of our local history.

(posted by Amy D.)

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One hundred years ago: Vollstedt – De Beaulieu wedding

Posted on July 2, 2012 by SCblogger

Alma De Beaulieu Vollstedt

Alma Caroline De Beaulieu married Dr. William C. Vollstedt on September 26, 1912. The wedding took place at 7:30 am, at Holy Cross (Kreuz Kirche) German Lutheran Church, located at 626 Belle Avenue in Davenport.  The Rev. Henry P. Greif officiated.

The Davenport Democrat describes the bridal gown [pictured here in a portrait by Hostetler] in an article published that same day:

“The dress was made of white crepe de chine made over white silk, and draped in one-sided scarf effect, with princess lace that was edged with shirrings of the crepe. The wedding veil of lace and tulle fell from a wreath of green and white and the bridal bouquet was of bride’s roses and ferns.”

Alma was the daughter of Mr. Charles and Albertine (Loehrer) De Beaulieu. She worked as a bookkeeper for M. L. Parker Co.’s The Fair department store, which was located at 120-124 West 2nd Street in Davenport.

Dr. William C. Vollstedt was the son of Hermann and Anna (Meier) Vollstedt. He was a graduate of the Chicago Veterinary College and had been practicing as a veterinary surgeon at 114 Harrison Street in Davenport for over a year.

Following the ceremony, there was a wedding breakfast at the home of the bride at 723 Belle Avenue. The couple left on a morning train to Chicago, where they would spend their Honeymoon. They were to return after November 15, and they would make their home at the Walker apartments, 108-112 West Fifth Street in Davenport.

The Vollstedts moved to Dixon, Iowa in 1925, where Dr. William served as mayor. William died on March 31, 1959 at Mercy Hospital in Davenport. Alma died on June 29, 1969 in her home at 2004 Main Street in Davenport. They are buried at Davenport Memorial Park.

 

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Works Cited

Davenport Democrat. “Dr. Vollstedt, 70, active in Scott affairs, dies.” April 2, 1959: page 10.

Davenport Democrat. “Vollstedt-De Beaulieu wedding at church.” September 26, 1912: page 10.

Davenport Times-Democrat. “Mrs. William Vollstedt.” June 30, 1969: page 19.

Iowa State Board of Health. “Return of a Marriage to Clerk of District Court.” In Scott County Marriage Certificates and License Returns. Davenport, Iowa, 1912.

(posted by Cristina)

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One hundred years ago: Davenport High School, Class of 1912

Posted on June 25, 2012 by SCblogger

In June of this year, around 883 students graduated from our three Davenport high schools.

In contrast, eighty-eight students received their diplomas from Davenport High School in June of 1912. It was one of the largest classes on record, and only the second time that graduates from both semesters were placed in a single class.

Superintendent Frank L. Smart and Davenport High School principal George Edward Marshall recommended that the school combine the commencement exercises for both graduating classes.  Having another ceremony in January was costing them much more money and it interfered with the work of the other students in the school.

At the time, the high school offered four different courses of study: Latin (for students who wished to pursue an academic course at college), Science (for students who desired to enter a technical school/college, or for those who wished full work in science and math), German (much like the Latin course, but with four years of German) and Commercial (preparation for business pursuits).

Some of the graduates were later photographed by J. B. Hostetler in the 1910s, and we were able to locate their portraits in our Photograph Collection.  Here, then, are a few of the lovely ladies and handsome gentlemen of the class of 1912:

 

Elsie C. Brandt, daughter of Jacob and Wilhelmina (Rickert) Brandt, was born May 6, 1894 in Davenport. She was married to Floyd Davies and was a schoolteacher. Mrs. Floyd (Elsie C.) Davies died on March 28, 1972 in Portland, Oregon. 

Ms. Elsie Brandt

 

Edna S. Emanuelson, daughter of Henry G. and Josephine (Johnson) Emanuelson, was born June 6, 1894 in Ottumwa, IA. Edna graduated from the University of Iowa in 1917 with an art degree. She married Lieutenant James M. Blackburn in April of 1918 in Waco, Texas. Mrs. Edna Blackburn died on October 3, 1975 in Santa Clara, California. 

Ms. Edna Emanuelson

 

Eugene G. Hayward, son of Cassino D. and Louise Hayward, was born November 21, 1892 in Arkansas. He married Lura Schlegel on March 1, 1917 in Davenport. Eugene G. Hayward died on November 20, 1981 in Santa Barbara, California.

Eugene G. Hayward

 

Dorothy E. Howe, daughter of Spencer and Phoebe (Eyles) Howe, was born in Davenport on May 20, 1894. She married Clarence A. Lay in Scott County on September 13, 1919. Dorothy worked as a stenographer at the Rock Island Arsenal. Mrs. Dorothy Lay died on October 11, 1978 in Davenport. 

Ms. Dorothy Howe

 

Frank Maehr, Jr., second youngest of Frank and May (Steffen) Maehr was born August 5, 1896 in Davenport. He married Pauline Moeller in 1969 in Perry, Iowa.  After graduating, Frank worked as a manager at his father’s candy shop, later worked at Central Engineering Co., and owned a poultry farm in Andalusia, Illinois. Frank Maehr, Jr. died on December 7, 1989 in Bettendorf. 

The Maehr Brothers

 

Works Cited

Davenport Democrat and Leader. “Class of 88 to graduate Friday.” June 18, 1912: page 9.

Davenport High School. Outlines of the courses of study 1916. Davenport: High School Press, 1916.

 (posted by Cristina)

 

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