Just Skating By . . .

Posted on December 20, 2011 by SCblogger

The river frequently froze over smooth, and made wonderful skating, particularly distance skating.  A favorite stunt was to skate from Davenport downstream as far as Rock River—a matter of five or six miles.  Sometimes, if there happened to be a strong west wind, we could open our overcoats and sail way back to Davenport, at fairly good speed, without taking a stroke with the feet . . .
(Edward Kunkel, “I Remember This . . .” Davenport Daily Times, 26Sept1961, p.123)

Ice skating has been popular in these parts since people discovered ice is slippery.

The pre-dammed Mississippi, of course, was the earliest and biggest “rink.”  Edward Kunkel, whose memories are quoted in this post, was born in 1871, when residents had to use their common sense (or lack of it) to judge when the skating season was open.  But by the 1920s, the city had the responsibility of testing the ice near Credit Island for safety—if it passed the test, the snow would be cleared away for fun and games.

 

Other popular skating places were the pond . . . the Fair Grounds and a privately operated open air ice rink occupying the square block between Brady and Main and 17th and 18th Streets . . . where you could skate as long as you wished for a nickel, except on band concert night when he had a band playing in a bandstand at the center of the rink.
(Edward Kunkel, “I Remember This . . .” Davenport Daily Times, 26Sept1961, p.123)

The Fair Grounds, which were used to establish Central Park in 1885 and renamed Vander Veer Park in 1912, has been the skating venue of choice for many years.  The annual Silver Skates races were often held there as well, with children and adults competing for prizes and bragging rights.

The lake in the Park was so popular that in 1924, the skaters asked the Park Board to have a checking booth installed so that all the boots, sweaters, and skating bags could be more easily managed.  Losing one’s boots in the middle of an Iowa winter is no joke!

It’s been too warm for ice so far this season, but Iowa winters rarely pass by without freezing temperatures, so there’s still hope for skaters.  Of course, nowadays one can skate indoors year ’round,  but as Mr. Kunkel might have told you, it just isn’t the same!

____________________________

Sources Used:

Davenport Public Library photograph collections

“Ice Skating in the Harbor Again Popular.” Davenport Democrat, 11Jan1925, p. 9)

Kunkel, Edward. “I Remember This . . .” Davenport Daily Times, 26Sept1961, p.123.

“Skaters at Parke trying to get a Checking Booth.”  Davenport Democrat. 4Jan1924, p.13.

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A Street by Any Other Name: Kimberly Road

Posted on December 14, 2011 by SCblogger

D. W. Kimberly, ca. 1914

The street known as Kimberly Road in both Davenport and Bettendorf was dedicated on December 14th, 1936.

This road was an extension of U. S. Highway No. 6 and it passed through what at the time was the northern section of the city. The state highway commission provided the funds for the entire cost, which came out to nearly $500,000.  The purpose of the new road was to relieve heavy traffic in the business district of Davenport.

It was decided to name the new street in honor of Iowa State Senator David W. Kimberly,* a resident of Davenport. The city passed ordinance No. 4,019 to that effect on December 15th, 1936.

The dedication ceremonies took place at Fourteenth and State streets in Bettendorf, the ending point of a procession which left from Davenport City Hall and formed at the west end of the new highway. Senator Kimberly’s 16 year old niece, Marilyn Meyer, had the honor of cutting the ribbon.

Also in attendance were Davenport Mayor Merle F. Wells; Bettendorf mayor Gus Sehmann; J. L. Hecht of the Davenport Bridge Commission; Tom Sheridan of the Scott County board of supervisors;  and Irving H. Knudson, H. M. Greene and C. L. McKinnon, all of the Iowa State Highway Commission. City officials hosted a dinner for the esteemed visitors at the Hotel Blackhawk that evening.

___________________________________________

*David W. Kimberly was born in Deadwood, South Dakota on August 6, 1878, the son of Amos E. and Mary (Wilson) Kimberly. The family moved to West Liberty, Muscatine Co., Iowa shortly after his birth. He attended the Bryant and Statton Business College in Chicago and married Elsie King of Chicago. He was first elected to the Iowa House of Representatives in 1914 and elected to the Iowa Senate in 1918, where he served until his death on November 11, 1937 at the age of 59.

_________________________

Works Cited

Council Proceedings [Book]. – Davenport, Iowa : [s.n.], 1936.

“Officials Arrange Formal Opening of Kimberly Road With Parade, Program.” Davenport Democrat and Leader,  December 13, 1936,  p. 2.

“Officials Open Kimberly Road with Program.”  Davenport Democrat and Leader.   December 14, 1936, p. 1.

“Sen. Kimberly, Dean of Legislature, Dead.” The Muscatine Journal, November 12, 1937, p. 1.

“State, County and City Officials at Dedication of New Kimberly Highway.” The Daily Times,  November 14, 1936, p. 1.

(posted by Cristina)

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In Their Own Words: Pearl Harbor

Posted on December 7, 2011 by SCblogger

In 2001, our Special Collections Center was privileged to conduct oral history interviews with several area World War II veterans and others who were personally connected to the War, both home and abroad.

On this 70th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, we wanted to share the experiences of three who were there.  Mr. and Mrs. Tucker and Mr. Netwon have passed away since they were interviewed, but their memories have been preserved:

Dick Tucker was a Lieutenant assigned to the U.S.S. San Francisco, which was in dry dock undergoing minor maintenance repairs at the time of the attack (doing all sorts of repair work you would need Merritt Supply products for):

“We were up in Kaimuki. It’s up in the hills, in back of Pearl Harbor. And we could see the Harbor from our front yard. But we heard this booming noise, walked out, and could see the planes coming overhead were going down there. I thought it was an anti-aircraft practice. Then the lad next door said, no, they’re not our planes. We looked up. These planes were coming overhead I would guess at less than 1,000 feet, because you could see the big red blob on their wings and what not . . .

“So I went down and picked up a ride from fellas off the ship that were going by. One of them was Paul Henderson. He was driving. He was a Marine. And as we were driving across a field, we took shortcuts everywhere we could to get there quick, a plane would come down and strafe us and he’d lean out and he’d say, “You guys are ruining our vacation!”

“But we got to the harbor before the first wave was over with. It’s about a ten minute ride, I guess, the way we were going. Maybe less than that. But I still wasn’t sure what was going on, and we were running down and parked the car in the parking area and we were running towards the ship when there was a loud bang in back of us and a fella up ahead of us fell down. We got up to him and helped him to his feet, and the back of his helmet was dented. And that was the first indication that I had, hey, they’re really getting serious . . .

“We got on board and we had no fuel or ammunition because we were doing a lot of welding on board. So I went down in my room and got my trusty 45-caliber handgun, and I was standing out on the fantail and as the planes went by I was shooting at them. They were about as far away as the building across the … 100 yards at the most . . .

“. . . We put up sandbags on the pier. We assumed that there was going to be an invasion. We had sandbags and what not and everybody was issued rifles and side arms. Then we would look at this mess, I mean it was a mess of these ships burning and capsizing and what not. You just couldn’t believe what you’d seen. We’d go down below to have a cup of coffee or something and somebody would say, the West Virginia, no it couldn’t be. You’d go back up and look. But, we did that two or three times because we couldn’t believe how much was wrought there.”

Jane Tucker was a Navy housewife who had followed her husband from Chicago, where they met, to California, to Hawaii.  Even after the attack, she was determined to stay close:

“All this is basically on Oahu. That’s where we were living when the war started. And actually, prior to that Sunday we had soldiers on all the corners because they were kind of feeling that something was going to happen but they weren’t sure. And the Saturday night before Pearl, all the soldiers were gone. So Sunday morning when [Dick] and I got up, he was about to have leave and we were going to go visit one of the other islands, because, you know, after all.

“And so we were out in the backyard just looking around and Dick said to me, “You know, they’re certainly flying the planes awful early this morning. I wonder what’s up?” And the little lad that lived in the big house in front of ours came by and said, “Mr. Tucker. Those are not our planes.”

“At which we kind of got on our ball and Father quickly got organized and left for Pearl. And I stayed there at the condo, or at the house, the cabin, and I was there for, well, I would say for maybe two or three weeks. Because what basically happened was all of the women that had children that were on Pearl, when this happened they would be called and said, “Be ready to leave. Maybe tomorrow. Maybe…” And they were gone. Especially if they had children. They were gone . . .

“The little house we lived, the folks that lived in the big house in front of us, he was a Commodore in the Navy. So, while we were there and after I moved, and through Mrs. Moore I got a job at Bellows Field in the airfield. Or I couldn’t stay. I had to come back to the states. So I got through Mrs. Moore. And the Commodore-the Commander would sort of quietly let me know where my husband was at that time.”

Wayne Newport graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis in February of 1941, the first class to graduate early because of the war in Europe.  His first assignment of duty was on the U.S.S. Porter in Pearl Harbor:

“. . . and on December 6, 1941 we left Pearl Harbor to escort the U.S.S. Enterprise with a load of planes to go to Midway Island. There were two cruisers, four destroyers, and the Enterprise. We had just gotten out part way when we heard that the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbor and we were ordered to disperse, search out and find the Japanese fleet and sink them . . .

“. . . So on Tuesday following December 7 of 1941 we came back into Pearl Harbor. As we came up the channel toward Pearl Harbor, we saw the U.S.S. Nevada, which was a battleship still aground. It had gotten away from the key where it had been docked and had gotten, it was on fire and it had docked—it had grounded itself. It was still there. We went around it. We went on the west side of Ford Island. We could see the masts of all the battleships and we thought, well, they’re fine. Until we went around Ford Island and came into view and found that all those battleships, all those that were sitting straight up were sitting on the bottom of the bay . . . 

“At that point, the U.S.S. Porter was advised that the command had heard from a freighter that was anchored west of Ford Island that they thought there was a mini-sub tied up on their stern. So they ordered the Porter to go over as far north as they could get in Pearl Harbor on the west side of Ford Island, stand by to drop depth charges. I was in charge of the depth charges. So, knowing that Pearl Harbor was not very deep I set it at the minimum setting of 50 feet hoping we would not blow ourselves up when we passed over the thing.

“Then they told the freighter to start turning its engines over slowly, and he did that. And sure enough, out comes this object. We could pick it up on our sonar. So we had ahead flank speed, fast as we could go. We went over him. I dropped the depth charge. And we saw the parts of him fly out into the air. So we destroyed one of the mini-subs.

“I noticed on the television show that Brokaw had that they were looking for the mini-subs? They were looking for one and they didn’t know where the others went to? I know where one went to!”

Our Special Collections Center has many Oral Histories available—many of them have also been transcribed. 

Please ask the Special Collections Staff if you would like to learn more about the experiences of local veterans in their own words.

___________________________

Sources Used:

“Oral History Interview with Dick Tucker.” (Interviewer:  Babs Treiber), OH45-WAR, 2July2001.

“Oral History Interview with Jane Tucker.” (Interviewer:  Babs Treiber), OH46-WAR, 2July2001.

“Oral History Interview with Wayne Newport.” (Interviewer:  Susan Carlson), OH64-WAR, 21Aug2001.

 (posted by Sarah)

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Guess Who’s Coming to Town!

Posted on December 1, 2011 by SCblogger

Christmas decorations ca. 1940's

 

Santa likes Davenport, Iowa—probably because we’ve thrown him some pretty good parades over the years.

  The Jaycee’s Santa was bigger than life in the 1940s . . .

Jaycee Santa, ca. 1940s

 . . .  But decided he’d rather sit down for the next one:

Davenport Christmas Parade - Santa in sleigh, ca. 1940's

The children were invited to run alongside his traditional sleigh in 1947:

Davenport Christmas Parade, November 27, 1947

 But in 1948, Santa took to the skies in something a little more aerodynamic

Davenport Christmas Parade - Santa with airplane, 1948

The caption of  the above image, which appeared in the Davenport Daily Times on November 26, 1948, reads:

“Santa’s Airmail Special”:  Old St. Nick had a smile and a wave for everyone as he and his Christmas airplane (which he promises is in perfect flying condition for Christmas eve delivery service) traveled through the Davenport business district Thursday afternoon,  as the climax of the Parade of the Christmas Spirit.  Thousands of Quad-City residents gathered on the sidelines for a view of Santa Claus and his colorful holiday company.

But by 1954, Santa was back to his old standby:

Davenport Christmas Parade - Santa & reindeer, 1954

 

Whatever his transportation, Santa usually paid a special visit to the Davenport Public Library to say hello to all his fans, as he did in the 1970s:

 

He still visits the library—in fact, he’s making three special trips to our downtown location on the next three Saturdays:  December 3, 10, and 17, from ten a.m. to eleven-thirty a.m. and then from one p.m. to two-thirty.

Children will receive a FREE photo with Santa, a candy cane, and a booklet.

Help keep the tradition alive!  And make sure to come early for a chance to see Santa pull up in his amazing Santamobile!

 

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Turkey Notes: a four-line Davenport tradition

Posted on November 21, 2011 by SCblogger

It’s Thanksgiving Week!*

Some of our readers already know about The Turkey Note tradition, either because your family writes them, your children write them in school, you make children write them in school, or you caught our previous posts about them.

If you are not among those readers in the know, our best explanation is here.

And this year’s best staff efforts are here:

Turkey clumsy
Turkey adroit
Cheer for the Packers
To beat Detroit!

Turkey Red
Turkey White
Turkey didn’t get one bite!

Turkey run,
Turkey flop.
Turkey up early,
So he can shop!

Turkey purple,
Turkey orange,
Turkey says,
. . . What rhymes with orange?

Turkey Me
Turkey You
Leftovers in sandwiches
And turkey stew!

Turkey lemon
Turkey yellow
Jazzy turkey
Plays the cello

Turkey Pepsi
Turkey Coke
Our family likes its turkey smoked!

Turkey silver
Turkey copper
Bargain turkey
Black Friday shopper

Turkey lime
Turkey mint
Turkey’s book is out of print

Turkey First
Turkey Last
Turkey suggests we all just fast.

Turkey blue
Turkey red
Turkey wishes he was back in bed

 

Why not share the Turkey Joy and make up your own Notes?     You’re invited to share your best (or worst) ones in the comments.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

________________________________

* Or as we like to call it in Special Collections, Chasing Down Co-Workers and Nagging Them Until They Write Their Annual Turkey Notes Week

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Moustache Season

Posted on November 17, 2011 by SCblogger

We’ve noticed that moustaches seem to be making a comeback. It might be because of Movember, a month long campaing that helps raise awareness for men’s health, including prostate and other cancers.  

If you’re looking for some inspiration, here are some of the best examples of manly moustaches from our photograph collection:

Prof. C. Oelschlaegel

Prof. C. Oelschlaegel

Nothing definitive was found regarding his presence in Davenport, but there was a Christian Oelschlaegel listed in the 1900 census as a violin teacher living in Henry County, Indiana. Born in Germany about 1866, he came to America in 1887. It would be reasonable to identify the age of the man in this image as in his forties.

 

S. A. Finger

S. A. Finger

According to the 1900 Davenport City Directory, Samuel A. Finger was a police magistrate justice and a lawyer. He was married to Nellie.

 

Chas. Maehr

Chas. Maehr

We are unable to find anyone by that name in either the Davenport City Directories or the 1900 and 1910 Censuses. This could be a portrait of Charles Maher, age 36, who is listed in the 1900 Census along with his wife, Mary.

 

Alex Anderson

Alex Anderson

According to the 1906-1907 Davenport City Directory, Alex Anderson was the president of the Nicholas Kuhnen Cigar Company in Davenport.

 

Mr. Fejervary

Mr. Fejervary

It seems quite likely this is Count Nicholas Fejervary, originally from Hungary, who came to Davenport in 1853. The philanthropist supported the city of Davenport in many ways, including donating his grand estate to the city, now known as Fejervary Park.

 

(posted by Cristina)

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A Hero of the Iowa 7th: Lieutenant Colonel Augustus Wentz

Posted on November 11, 2011 by SCblogger

Wednesday, November 13, 1861 was a day of mourning for the citizens of Davenport, Iowa.  Lieutenant Colonel Augustus Wentz would be buried on that crisp Autumn day.

Only a few weeks before local residents had cheered as Wentz and members of the 7th Iowa Infantry had departed to defend the Union.  Now Augustus Wentz had returned to his home with a new distinction – the first Scott County soldier to fall in the war.

Mr. Wentz was born in Baden, Germany around 1829.  At 18, he immigrated to the United States and soon joined the army to fight in the Mexican War.  After the war he moved west and settled in Missouri where he met and married his wife Rebecca around 1852.  The couple moved to Davenport two years later.  Mr. Wentz seems to have been a popular citizen who was elected Constable in 1858, a position he held until he joined the war effort.

When war erupted in April 1861, Mr. Wentz formed a group of volunteers that became Company G of the First Iowa Infantry.  Mr. Wentz was elected Captain for this group that served a three month term of service from May 14, 1861 through August 10, 1861.  As a result of his endeavors, Governor Kirkwood gave him the commission of Lieutenant Colonel of the 7th Iowa Infantry Company S and Wentz left to take that position in September.

By early November the 7th Iowa was camped at a place called Bird’s Point, Missouri not far from Cairo, Illinois.  Mrs. Wentz and several other wives were in camp at this time visiting their spouses.  One can only imagine what the ladies thought as they saw their husbands board steamships in the early morning hours of November 7th for the short trip down river to attack a confederate camp near Belmont, Missouri.

By Saturday, November 9th the local Davenport papers had begun to receive word about the Battle of Belmont and it was soon realized that the 7th Iowa was in the worst part of the battle. Soon news arrived that Lieutenant Colonel Augustus Wentz had died.  The first Scott County soldier to fall in battle.

Reports came that his wife, Rebecca, had gone down to the battlefield on November 8th under a flag of truce to look for her husband’s body.  She had found it with the help of a Confederate Lieutenant Colonial.  The body was only partially clad as almost all clothing and possessions had been stripped from his person.

By Saturday afternoon a public meeting was held at LeClaire Hall to form a committee to arrange for the reception and funeral of Mr. Wentz.  Arrangements were made for the body to lie in state at R. B. Hill’s Metropolitan Hall.  Several men spoke at the meeting including J. T. Lane who proclaimed “Let us learn from him what it is to love our country.” (Davenport Daily Gazette, November 11, 1861).

Lieutenant Colonel Wentz’s remains arrived in Davenport on the morning of November 12th.  There was no public reception waiting for him as the body arrived unexpectedly by train.  The committee had been expecting a later arrival on steamship.  At some point on the journey a delay had made the Wentz party decide to switch from steamer to a train.  It was not possible to get word to Davenport of the change.

The body was quietly loaded onto a wagon and taken to Metropolitan Hall where it was dressed in uniform for the viewing and funeral.  Once word spread in town that the body was in the hall a massive crowded waited outside to pay their respects.

The local newspapers reported two unexpected items the next day.  One was a note pinned to the shirt of Mr. Wentz (which most likely had not been taken from his body as he had been shot in the side, rendering it unusable).  The note said:

“Lt. Col. Wentz, of the 7th Iowa Regiment.  Respect his remains and convey them across the river to me. (signed) John A. Lauderdale, Capt. And Chief of Police”

The second surprise was that Mr. Wentz’s sabre was with his body.  The newspapers reported that Mr. Wentz was shot as the Union troops were retreating from a Confederate camp.  Four soldiers in the 7th Iowa saw him fall and went back to him.  They carried his body to another part of the battlefield near a tree.  It was evident that he was dying.  Lieutenant Colonel Wentz’s last words were reported to have been “Let me alone, boys; I want to die on the battle field.” (The Davenport Daily Gazette, November 13, 1861).  After he died one soldier removed the sabre and was trying to remove another personal item when they came under fire by the Confederates and fled for safety.

The newspapers reported thousands paid their respects to Mr. Wentz on the 12th and 13th.  The newspapers of Wednesday, November 13,1861 carried a complex diagram of where every group was to stand during the funeral procession.  The public was urged to either walk in the procession or line the streets as it passed on its way to Oakdale Cemetery.  Troops from nearby training camps, city officials, the Turners, German Merchants Association, and fire department all marched in the procession.  Stores and businesses were asked to close so employees could attend.  Homes and businesses on the funeral route were asked to decorate their exteriors for mourning.

All private and public schools closed early that day as the students gathered for a private viewing of the body from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.  Each school carried a banner with a slogan appropriate for the occasion.  The German School chose for their slogan “I want to die on the battle field.” (The Davenport Daily Gazette, November 14, 1861).  The funeral then began at 2:00 p.m.

The newspapers reported on November 14th it was the largest and grandest funeral to ever be held in Davenport.  At the grave the only sound reported at times was the weeping of his widow.  Lieutenant Colonel Augustus Wentz was laid to rest in Oakdale Cemetery with full military honors.  He left behind a wife and young son.

Marker of Augustus Wentz grave. Oakdale Memorial Gardens, Davenport, Iowa. Photo by Amy D.

The 7th Iowa went on to many more battles and earned great honors during the Civil War including the Battle of Shiloh and the March to the Sea. They were nicknamed “The Gallant Seventh” in local newspapers.  Mr. Wentz was not forgotten by his men.  In his honor, the local chapter, Post No. 1, of the G. A. R. was named the August Wentz chapter (his first name has been spelled with or without the –us on the end in several records).

We, too, remember Lieutenant Colonel Wentz, and all those who fought for our country and have served to protect us in the military—on this Veterans’ Day and always.

(posted by Amy D.)

*To learn more about Rebekah Wentz, please click on our link here.

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A History Mystery Solved: The Disappearance of the Lindsay Lagoon

Posted on November 4, 2011 by SCblogger

Once upon a time, there was a Mississippi River lagoon in the area near Lindsay Park Marina in the Village of East Davenport.  The lagoon was used for swimming and fishing.  Pretty nice place, from what we hear.

It’s not there anymore—a child drowned in the lagoon and it was subsequently filled in.  It’s common knowledge that the rubble from Davenport’s Carnegie Library was used for that purpose.

The problem?  The child supposedly died in 1969, but the library building was razed in 1966.

dplvm89-000867

Was it even true that a child drowned or that the Carnegie library materials were used?  Did the city store that library rubble at the landfill for three years?

The answers to these questions are yes, yes—and no.

The first thing we did (and by “we,” we mean our own Karen and Cristina) was to confirm the death.  We found the obituary of Thomas Thornburg, who drowned on July 1, 1969, when he fell from a raft in five feet of water.

Several resources—including newspaper articles and a thesis written by a library staff member—confirmed that Carnegie library was torn down in November of 1966.  And, according to an article in the November 30, 1966 Times-Democrat, debris from the library building was used to fill in the lagoon.

Now what?  Well . . .

That same article goes on to say that the material from the library wasn’t enough to fill the lagoon all the way.  It wasn’t actually supposed to—the city’s plan was to lower the water level to a “safe depth” for ice skaters.  Unfortunately, it wasn’t as safe as they’d thought, and  Delores Thornburg, mother of Thomas, filed a negligence suit against the city in September of 1969.  The city announced that the lagoon would be filled “soon.”

The Park Board minutes for May 19, 1971, report that a sketch for the proposed landscaping of the filled area was presented at the meeting.    The same minutes also say that the area is “almost completed.”

However, the Levee Improvement Commission minutes didn’t state that the “area near Lindsay Park” was filled with rubble from State Street until almost two years later.  On June 5, 1973, the Quad-City Times finally announced that the fill-in was “finally” completed.

So, the dates work, as long as you put them in the right order!

 

_______________________________________________________

Sources Used:

Davenport, Iowa, Park Board Minutes, 19May1971.

Davenport, Iowa, Levee Improvement Commission Minutes, 10May1973.

“Library Material in Depth.” Times-Democrat, 30Nov1966, p.33.

“Sues Davenport in Son’s Death.” Des Moines Register, 6Sept1969, p.8.

Quad-City Times, 5June1973, p. 14.

Times-Democrat, 2July1969, p.1.

 

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A Summer Morning Haunting?

Posted on October 28, 2011 by SCblogger

The end of October is upon us with cooler days, rustling leaves, and stories of haunted houses and ghosts.  We have found, though, that rumored hauntings are not just for Halloween.

One such alleged haunting merited a small article in the July 14, 1926 evening edition of The Davenport Democrat and Leader.  Several boys contacted the police on that summer morning with a story about a house in their Davenport neighborhood.  It was haunted they proclaimed!  The boys reported not only hearing water running in the unoccupied house, but seeing a hand pull down a shade as well.

The police responded and searched the house from top to bottom.  No ghost was found and the only form of “spirit”, according to the newspaper, was an old wine bottle in the basement which was found to hold gasoline and not alcohol*.

Why would the boys think that house was haunted (besides hearing water running and a ghost hand of course)?  We have found that tragedies, factual or not, often play a part in ghost stories that we sometimes hear from visitors.  And let’s admit having a rumored haunted house on your street as a child would be both scary and exciting!

The article gives the address (as the home still stands I am not including it in the blog for the current owners privacy) and mentions an accident that took place some months earlier to one of the original owners.  Our research found the home was built in 1915 and the first owners were an elderly couple named Henry and Catherine.  Henry passed away in 1921, leaving Catherine alone in the house for the next five years.

In early April 1926, Catherine’s neighbors became worried when they didn’t see her about the house one day.  Newspaper articles indicated police were called and found Catherine unconscious in her basement after suffering a stroke.  She died at St. Luke’s Hospital the next day.  One can picture children in the neighborhood whispering about the tragedy as thoughts of ghosts and haunted houses began to creep into their imagination.

The house remained vacant until 1931 according to city directories.  After checking probate microfilm we found that Catherine left a will that took until about 1930 to settle.  Her house sitting empty for that many years probably added to the ghost stories as well.

What did the children see that day?  We will never know.  Are we ever asked to help patrons who wonder if their homes might have ghosts or if the story of a tragedy is true?  Yes, that does happen (and we always like a research mystery).

While we don’t have a list of every person who died in every home or apartment in Davenport (Oh, we wish we did as we are frequently asked for one); we do have many useful resources to help explore the history of a home or neighborhood.  City directories, maps, probates, death records, and newspaper articles are just a few of the ways we can help patrons research their homes or neighborhoods.

Haunted or not, our staff enjoys helping you find resources to help you learn more about your home, neighborhood, or ancestors.  We always enjoy researching local ghost stories as well!

May your Halloween be a quite one with the only ghosts at your home be the kind ringing your doorbell and asking for candy.

*Not an unusual way to store gasoline in the early twentieth century, but somewhat scary from our current prospective.

(posted by Amy D.)

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A Street by any other Name: The Legend of Bloody Hollow

Posted on October 20, 2011 by SCblogger

We have blogged in the past about west Davenport subjects, including Fairmount Cemetery, which was named in a contest, Scheutzen Park with its fabled fairy lights, and the fun of the Mississippi Valley Fair. 

Today, we’re adding another west Davenport name into our blogging collection, but this name does not herald a peaceful final resting spot or a place for fun and frivolity.  It was called Bloody Hollow.  While the origins of the name may be in question; many would agree that this area of west Davenport lived up to its name.

The earliest legend we have for the name Bloody Hollow is found in the Davenport Daily Republican of June 17, 1900.  An article entitled “Historic Tales of the Vicinity” tells of a small, but vicious skirmish that was fought between the settlers and Native Americans around 1814.  The fight centered on a ravine, small stream, and path that would one day be part of Scheutzen Park.  The settlers lost the battle and stories were told of how the water in the creek ran red with blood on that day— and the area was dubbed Bloody Hollow.

A May 19, 1909 ,article in The Davenport Democrat and Leader reports a story told by Captain W. L. Clark, who lived in the area as a boy.  Captain Clark remembers a fight between three settlers: one named Franks and two brothers with the last name Buck who had settled illegally on part of Mr. Franks claim.  Clark said the claim was not far from what was, in 1909, the McMannus property.  A quick check of the 1909 Davenport City Directory showed the McMannus family lived near the junction of Telegraph Road and 3rd Street, not far from the area known as Bloody Hollow.

Captain Clark described the Buck brothers as being rather mean spirited.  At one point, one brother fought Mr. Franks when they happened to meet at Captain Stich’s saloon on Front Street.  According to the story, Mr. Franks won the fight and the Buck brothers sought revenge.  Soon after, they came upon Mr. Franks near the ravine and attacked him.  Mr. Franks was said to have defended himself with a heavy stick, breaking one brother’s arm and gashing the head of the other.  Beaten, the Buck brothers went back to the Galena area.  That fight, according to Captain Clark, was how Bloody Hollow got its name. 

However it was named, Bloody Hollow lived up to its name for many years. Newspaper accounts over the years described Bloody Hollow as a wooded area with winding roads.  These roads seemed filled with danger, illegal activities, and tragedy well into the 1930s.  

It is not uncommon to find mention of Bloody Hollow while looking through old newspapers.  Lighter articles imply that it was a place for couples to go “parking”.  The area was reportedly covered with Native American artifacts for those interested in exploring the legends of the site.  During prohibition, the area contained taverns and home distilleries that were frequently raided by police.

More serious news items included reports of numerous car accidents, several of them deadly, as cars careened off the winding road to end up in the ditch – or even the creek.  On August 26, 1924, Leslie Haythorne, drunk and speeding, missed a curve on the road and drove his friend’s touring car down the ravine and into the creek.  Haythorne was killed, though his passenger, Ralph Jackson, escaped with minor injuries. 

Kidnappings and assaults were not uncommon in the wooded areas as well.

The official name of the road that ran past the ravine and creek was Slough Road, but newspapers and directories of the day still called it Bloody Hollow.  In the early 1900s the area was platted for the W. H. Crane Subdivision, and Sharon Road was built to adjoin Slough Road/Bloody Hollow.  Sharon Street was renamed Waverly Road in 1919 and Bloody Hollow finally disappeared from the directory in 1942, as the area was absorbed by the expanding subdivisions surrounding Waverly.  

The area that was once called Bloody Hollow is still wooded, but the danger and tragedy have (one hopes) passed on into history.  Still, I don’t think I will be exploring those woods on a dark night anytime soon!

(Posted by Amy D.)

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