Better Never than Late . . .

Posted on July 26, 2010 by SCblogger

Historically speaking, we’re two weeks past due for a flood around here.

Most of our major Mississippi floods have crested in April,* but the 1993 Flood—the one that knocked the 1965 “Flood of the Century” off its pedestal**—was a late bloomer, waiting until July 9 to crest.  Those who know about these things blamed the wettest June in 120 years. 

Let’s take a look at that.

Among our resources are climatological data reports from the Environmental Data Service and the National Climatic Data Center.  According to these reports, the state of Iowa had 13.21 inches of rain in June of 1993. 

If you aren’t able to put your hand out of a Davenport window to check for yourself, it’s been a pretty damp summer this, year, too.

According to the Climatology Bureau of the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, June gave northeast Iowa about 8.66 inches of rain—that’s almost 4 inches more that the average.  And in July, the Quad-Cities saw 3.56 inches in the first ten days.  That’s only half an inch less than the average for the month. 

The Bureau reassured us that there was 20% more evaporation than usual last month because of the heat we’ve all been enjoying so much.  But that lucky break seems to have ended its usefulness.

The Mississippi was at 11.6 feet Saturday at Lock and Dan 15—flood stage is at 15 feet.  It’s possible that we might have to revise our ideas about when our flood season ends.

But rest assured, our city isn’t ignoring the signs.

Because those who do not learn from history are doomed to get their feet wet.  Again.

 

____

*Though heavy rains on June 16, 1990 caused  Duck Creek to flash flood, you couldn’t call that a ‘crest’.  It was a devastating blitzkrieg—following by another, two weeks later.

**By 1.8”, which shows you how seriously we take our river measurements around here.

(posted by Sarah)

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Bix Lives Here

Posted on July 21, 2010 by SCblogger

In the summer of 1971, a group of musicians made a pilgrimage to Oakdale Cemetery in Davenport, Iowa.  They planned to play a simple concert in homage to one of the pioneers of jazz, on the fortieth anniversary of his death.

Almost two thousand people showed up at the gravesite to listen.

The Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Jazz Festival has only grown from there.

This will come as no surprise to those of us who know Bix and have heard recordings of  his compositions.   The man had a phenomenal musical memory and he used it to weave the unconventional patterns of modern classical composers—Debussy, Ravel, Holst, and Stravinsky—with his own free syncopational style.  

And how was he as a coronet player?  At a time when music was just starting to favor the soloist, Bix shone:*

The celebration kicks off tomorrow, with the 23rd annual Bix Porch Party at the Davenport Public Library on Main Street.  We’ll have hot dogs and hot music.  Bring your lawn chairs and your dancing shoes.

While you’re here, come on down to our Special Collections Center and say hello.  We’ll show you our collection of Bix Beiderbecke photographs—including one of Bix on a pony—and Memorial Jazz Festival posters.

Bix Lives!

____

*The singer isn’t half bad, either.

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Barnstormers: The Negro League All-Stars in Davenport

Posted on July 19, 2010 by SCblogger

When I look around, I see the world as it has been my whole life and sometimes neglect to think about Davenport’s past. Since I was young, going to a baseball game and viewing people of all ages and nationalities playing baseball has been a normal experience. However, it is interesting to look back, and research a time when there was only one color on the baseball field.

In the early 1900s baseball was still a young sport made up of predominantly white males. In 1878, Bud Fowler was the first paid African American baseball player, though he played only for the minor leagues. Nine years later, all baseball teams banned the signing of African American baseball players.   It took 33 years for an official “Negro” League to start up and in 1933 the first Negro season took off.

After they formed their own leagues, Negro teams would compete in games against major and minor league baseball players in what were known as Barnstorming exhibition games. Muscatine promoter Ray L. Doan brought a Barnstorming trip to Davenport on Tuesday, October 5th, 1937 at the Davenport Municipal Stadium.   The bill was set with the Major League All-Stars vs. the Negro League All-Stars and was said to be a very exciting face off.

Four thousand fans were in attendance, excited to see Major League talent playing in Davenport, and curious to see if the Negro League stars would prove to be enough competition for them. This game brought in major league players such as Gus Suhr, Johnny Mize, Vince DiMaggio, Lou Fette, Lon Warneke, and Tony Gutteridge. The Negro team included Cool Papa Bell, Willard Brown, Frank Duncan, Newt Allen, and Bill Sims.

Lonnie Warnecke of the St. Louis Cardinals was the winning pitcher for the Major League All-Stars, shutting out the Negro League Stars in the first 2 innings of the game. Warnecke, Lou Fette, Jim Weaver, and Mike Ryba decided to each play 2 innings per game, instead of each playing an entire game on the trip. The Major Leaguers connected for 9 hits and allowed 1 error in the first inning.

Tony Gutteridge, a 3rd baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals, was the standout for the Major League team, hitting one of the two home runs of the game, which went 370 feet to left field. Gutteridge had a great day at the bat, hitting a triple, a single and reached first base on a walk. He also made some impressive plays on the field, thrilling the crowd with his speed and agility.

Willard Brown, a left fielder for the Negro League Stars, came out with a 2 run home run that flew 400 feet in center field off pitcher Mace Brown of the Pirates. This spectacular gentleman also caught an amazing hit into left field from Johnny Mize. 

The game ended with a collision between Mueller of the St. Louis Cardinals and Sims, which resulted in cuts to their forehead and required several stitches.

The final score of this amazing game was 5-3, in favor of the Major League All-Stars.

O’Donnell, John. “Major Leaguers Put n Real Show to Beat Colored Stars Before 4,000 Fans”. The Davenport Democrat and Leader 82, no. 308 (October 6, 1937): 20.

Barnstorming exhibition games continued, with stars like Dizzy Dean, Bob Feller and Satchel Paige facing off all over the country. In the 1960s, the National Negro League and the National Baseball League joined together.

Sometimes everyday things, like watching a baseball game full of diverse people, are taken for granted.  I know in my everyday life I don’t think about whether sports teams were segregated, but that is a part of our history and something that we can still learn from today.  I am proud to live in a city where races could play baseball in the same stadium.

(posted by Cristina and Katie G.)

_____

Sources:

Barthel, T. (2007). Baseball barnstorming and exhibition games, 1901-1962. McFarland & Company.

“Major League Stars Invade Municipal Stadium Tonight to Meet Colored Players”. (1937, October 5). Davenport Democrat and Leader , p. 11.

“Major Leaguers Pun on Real Show to Beat Colored Stars Before 4,000 Fans”. (1937, October 6). Davenport Democrat and Leader , p. 20.

McNeil, W. F. (2000). Baseball’s other all-stars. McFarland & Company.

Peterson, R. (1970). Only the ball was white. Prentice-Hall.

“Sports from the Wings.” (1937, October 6). Muscatine Journal , p. 12.

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Credit Island: The Unknown Battlefield

Posted on July 13, 2010 by SCblogger

In May of this year, the city of Davenport received a grant from the State Historical Society of Iowa to conduct an archaeological study of one of the Mississippi River islands near the Iowa shoreline.  The eventual goal is to get Credit Island listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

And what makes this particular patch of river real estate historically significant?

A couple of things.

Name aside, the War of 1812 actually ended in 1815 and spread out farther west than one might think.  In August of 1814, future president Zachary Taylor battled British troops on or around the island.  The archaeological study will try to determine whether any part of the battle was fought on land.  Regardless, Taylor and his men were outnumbered and lost badly.*

It may be that the Sac chief Black Hawk took part in that battle—it took place in his people’s territory, and although Black Hawk had promised the United States to remain neutral in exchange for winter supplies on credit, no supplies were forthcoming.  The British stepped in with supplies and promises to get the Americans out of the area, and Black Hawk agreed to fight with them.   The partnership didn’t last for long—according to Black Hawk’s autobiography, the Sac warriors didn’t think much of British battle tactics.

Once the war ended, a trading post was established on the island.  It offered credit to the local tribes to be repaid during hunting seasons and when the crops were harvested.

Much later, the island was purchased by private owners, renamed Suburban Island, and was used as a recreational spot for swimming and sports prior to World War I.  The city of Davenport bought the island in 1918, and held a naming contest:  Credit Island was the clear winner.   A golf course eventually replaced the picnic grounds and swimming facilities.**

It seems obvious to us that Credit Island should be included in the National Register and perhaps eventually placed in the American Battlefield Protection Program.   We hope that this will be obvious to the National Park Service as well.

The grant was the brainchild of the late Ken Oestreich, a city-employee and friend of the Special Collections Staff.  He will be missed.

___

*For those who are keeping track, the Americans lost just as badly to Black Hawk’s men at the nearby Battle of Campbell’s Island about a month earlier. 

**Originally, this was an 18-hole course, until flooding drowned the back nine in 1965.

Sources:

Black Hawk. Autobiography of Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiak or Black Hawk. (Rock Island, Illinois: J. B. Patterson), 1833.

Gaul, Alma. “Credit Island: A Battlefield Trading Post.” Quad-City Times, July 13, 2010, C1.

Svendsen, Marlys A.  Davenport, a pictorial history 1836-1986.  ([S.L.]: G. Bradley Publishing Inc.), 1985.

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Revolutionary Resources

Posted on July 5, 2010 by SCblogger

What with the thirteen American Colonies and their territories being mostly east of the Appalachian mountains in the late 1700s,  it should come as little surprise that no Iowa soldiers fought in the Revolutionary War. 

But that doesn’t mean that our ancestors didn’t fight—or that our Special Collections Center doesn’t have resources that can help those Davenporters, or anyone else, find information on those ancestors.

Some of these resources are books and microfiche, including the DAR Patriot Index, compiled by the Daughters of the American Revolution and Known Military Dead during the American Revolutionary War, 1775-1783 by Clarence Stewart Peterson.  We also have some published lists of soldiers from Massachusetts, Ohio, and other areas.

Our two genealogical databases have much to offer the Revolutionary researcher:

AncestryLibrary has several military record databases pertaining to the Revolution, nationally, or by state.  There are plenty of local histories and other records available, too.

HeritageQuest has a search engine dedicated to selected Records from Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land-Warrant Application Files, not to mention a substantial searchable book collection, the Periodical Search Index (PERSI) and the U.S. Serial Set.   Plus, residents of Davenport with home Internet access don’t have to wait to access this database—just plug in your library card number!

So after the fireworks of Fourth of July are over, why not come in and learn something about the ordinary people who fought for our independence? 

We’ll be open July 6th to help you!

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Change Afoot: The Advent of Free Mail Delivery

Posted on June 29, 2010 by SCblogger

As always, June has flown by and July is peeking around the corner.  And, as always, on July 1st, new laws and regulations will be passed across the country.

We found one change that occurred on July 1, 1873, that affected everyday life for citizens within the city limits of Davenport – the day the Davenport branch of the United States Post Office started free mail delivery to homes and businesses.

U.S. Post Office free city mail delivery had actually begun nationally on July 1, 1863 with service in 49 branches within the union (southern states were part of the confederate government, and so were not included). Up to that time, a person could either retrieve their mail for free by going to the post office or pay a private company to deliver mail to a home or business. The free mail delivery experiment was a success and began to be adopted across the country.

The only stipulation the post office department had, prior to 1887, was that the population of the city being served had to be over 20,000 people. Davenport finally reached a population of 20,000 in 1870—reports state 20,038 to be exact. Soon the local postmaster began to work on bringing free delivery to the city;  rural delivery would not be started nationally until the 1890s.

On April 2, 1873 at the Davenport city council meeting Postmaster Edward Russell requested the renumbering of houses and renaming of streets in preparation for July 1st. He had found that streets in newer parts of the city had the same names and house numbers as those in older areas. Russell also asked that longer streets be divided into north, south, east and west to help with delivery. The city council approved these changes. Postmaster Russell also ordered uniforms of gray cloth (by now the standard color for the carriers), leather carrying bags, and 24 additional mail boxes to be added to the nineteen already in use on the streets.

For their part, citizens were being asked to put numbers on their houses to make delivery more efficient. Newspaper articles described how residents needed to address their mail and that postage was now mandatory for mail to be delivered. If mail arrived at the post office without a house number and street, a clerk would look up the person on an address list to assist in delivery.

The city of Davenport was divided into five districts, which were posted in the newspaper. The names of the first five mail carriers were held in secret until the first of July.   District No. 1 carrier was postal clerk Robert Osborne, District No. 2 was served by John D. Tichenor who previously served as a janitor at the court house, District No. 3 was the route of former shoemaker Jacob Felger, District No. 4 was covered by former mason Samuel Hoffman, and District No. 5 had William Preston, a former grocer. According to the census of 1870, all the men were in their 30s or early 40s when hired. All but one of the men were still employed in Davenport as letter carriers in the 1880 U.S. Federal Census; William  Preston and his family relocated about 1879 to Wheatland, Kansas to farm.

Early on the morning of July 1st, the first round of mail delivery began. The newspapers reported that it took about two hours for each carrier to do his route. They then returned to wait for mail to arrive by the eastern train to do another round in the evening; this meant twice daily delivery six days a week.  For those without personal mailboxes, which were not required by law until 1916, the letter carriers would knock (using a small wooden knob to save their knuckles), ring the bell twice, or sometimes blow a whistle to let people know they were at the door.

The start of free mail delivery also meant changes at the post office, which was located on the southwest corner of Third and Perry Streets. The Daily Davenport Democrat reported on June 28, 1873, that within a month of the start of delivery, the post office would be renovated to allow for new use of some areas.

The federal government, it seems, had been greatly concerned about the mixing of male and female patrons within the post office up to this point. Before home delivery, many women had to collect their mail from the post office (this number went up greatly during the Civil War). The government encouraged postmasters to create ladies’ only letter windows or ladies’ only rooms at the post office so they would not be disturbed by male patrons. Women were also served by female staff members in these areas, which helped to keep female and male employees separate as well. Some post offices even went as far as to have male and female entrances for patron comfort.

But now, Davenport ladies could wait for mail at home. The Democrat reported that the Davenport post office’s “ladies’ letter delivery” would be changed into a room for the carriers (Daily Davenport Democrat, June 28, 1873, Pg. 1). With no further description, we are left wondering exactly how seperate this ‘ladies’ letter delivery’ might have been. Another mystery to solve!

Now a daily event in our lives that goes by largely unnoticed, one can imagine the twice daily arrival of mail for the first time with the sounds of wooden rapping or whistles blowing carrying through the streets. News from beyond the neighborhood carried by five dedicated men leaving a lasting legacy we remember.

(posted by Amy D.)

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The More Things Change . . .

Posted on June 21, 2010 by SCblogger

On June 21, 1923, the Davenport Public Library formally opened the new addition to its Main Street location.  The eighteen-year old building—the largest Carnegie library west of the Mississippi at the time of its construction—was already in sore need of more elbow room.

The addition was on the east side of the library and included a new stack room,* a cataloguing department, an office for the librarian,** and something called a ‘special library room.’  The stack room in the original building was turned into a reference room, and the children’s room was given a small parent-teacher reference room and stack area of its own.  The library also gained enough new basement space for a new smokeless boiler, bigger coal bins, and fire-proof rooms for the newspaper archives and documents collection.

These renovations were the brainchild of Miss Grace Rose, former Davenport librarian, and her successor, Miss Grace Shellenberger.**

The library opened in the afternoon and visitors, explored the renovations amid flowers sent by supporters of the library.  Music was provided by the Apollo Mandolin Club and the Orphans’ Home band.

The Davenport Democrat trumpeted the opinion of Julia A. Robinson, secretary of the state library board, in the evening edition:

“The Davenport library, as it stands completed today, is without a doubt the best equipped and most conveniently arranged of any library in the state.  Even Des Moines has to take second place now.”

Johnson Brigham, president of the board, agreed:

“Your library is one of the city’s great big assets and should be appreciated by every Davenporter.”

Isn’t that nice?

And now, eighty-eight years later, we are poised to open our third location so that we may better serve the east side of our city.  The Grand Opening of the Eastern Avenue Library is scheduled for early July.  Unlike Miss Shellenberger’s dream library, Eastern has meeting rooms, study rooms, computer workstations for all ages, a teen area, and a café.   It will also be LEED certified, with a geothermal heating and cooling system, stormwater management systems for the roof and parking areas, energy efficient lighting, and plenty of sunlight.

Because, in the further words of Miss Robinson:

“The library today is doing more than just handing out books over the loan desk.  It has a greater and more far reaching field than that.”

In Davenport, some things never change.

___

*The term ‘stacks’ is libraryspeak for an area of dense shelving which is often, but not always, closed to the public.

**The position of librarian in the early 1900s was equivalent to the current position of director.

Sources Used:

Coughlin, Betty.  History of the Davenport Public Library.  ([Cleveland, Ohio]: Western Reserve University, School of Library Science), 1952.

“Davenport library now the best in state say visitors form Des Moines.”  Davenport Democrat and Leader, 21June1923, p.4.

(posted by Sarah)

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Yearbooks: Embarrassing or Awesome?

Posted on June 17, 2010 by SCblogger

The Davenport Community School System has three high schools.  The original Davenport High School took up residence in its current Main Street campus in 1904.  It was renamed Central High School after West High was built on West Locust in 1960.  Twenty-five years later, North High School opened on West 53rd Street.

 And while we are missing a few years here and there, our library boasts a collection of yearbooks from these schools from 1916 to the present.*  That’s a lot of books.

Our patrons have used these books to search for old friends and relatives, prepare for reunions, complete homework assignments, reminisce about the glory days, and to find images of their loved ones to blow up for birthday and retirement parties.  Kids in particular like to look up their parents and grandparents and, well, snicker.

But yearbooks are far more than senior photos and candid shots.

Unlike some histories that were written decades after the events they list, yearbooks were created to be personal reminders of a single year in time—primary resources and freeze frames not only of young people about to be launched into adulthood, but of the local, national, and world events that formed them.

There are questionable fashions in these books, to be sure, and interesting nicknames and inside jokes, but as one moves from the oldest to the more current, one can see the definitions of youth and education changing, as well as the social mores and opinions of each succeeding class of graduates.

So whether you’re looking for memories, history, or humor, our collection of high school yearbooks are a fascinating, if occasionally embarrassing, look into the past.

___

*

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Once Upon a Fairy Night

Posted on June 10, 2010 by SCblogger

Imagine a fairyland of delights only a trolley’s ride away from the center of the city’s downtown,  a welcome escape from the heat, dust and smells of summer in a crowded river city. Imagine families picnicking in the cool shade underneath old-growth trees as live music plays from a nearby pavilion. Young couples wait in line for amusement rides while those bearing the marks of passing years tell stories of their childhood homes and first loves.  

It sounds almost too good to be true, but it existed once in Davenport.

Schuetzen Park, twenty-two acres of paradise, was dedicated on June 12, 1870 by the Davenport Schuetzen Gesellschaft in northwest Davenport.  Founded by German immigrants, the Schuetzen Gesellschaft was a target shooting club with local origins dating from around 1862, when it was known as the Davenport Schuetzen Verein.  It became the Davenport Schuetzen Gesellschaft from 1868 to 1890 when it the name was changed again to the Davenport Shooting Association.  Despite the official name changes, the club was commonly known as the Schuetzen Verein.   A tradition brought over from Germany by Davenport’s early immigrants, the Schuetzen Verein combined target shooting, target shooting festivals, and socializing. 

Schuetzen Park was created in celebration of all three. 

On opening day, the park featured natural woodland, drives, walkways lined with hedges and flowers, a dining hall, coffee and lunch houses, shooting gallery, refreshment stand, music area, and even a prize temple.  An estimated 5,000 people arrived to help celebrate the park’s dedication.

Not only were members of the Schuetzen Verein at the opening, but also members of the local Turner’s Societies, other German organizations, and local officials.  Speeches were made, music was played, songs were sung (most likely in German and English), and refreshments consumed on that Sunday afternoon.  Why Sunday?  As most individuals still worked a six day a week work week; Sunday was considered not only a day for religion or rest, but also a day for socializing with friends and family. 

Over time, an inn, trolley station, athletic field, music pavilion and small amusement area that featured a four-story roller coaster were added to the park.   It truly was worth the price of admission, based on the reports that up to 12,000 people a day would attend special events.

Fortunes changed for Schuetzen Park with the advent of World War I.  Even an overwhelming German population could not escape anti-German sentiments and the call for patriotism in every part of life.  Early in the war, Schuetzen Park was renamed Forest Park.*  German songs and traditions were replaced by Red Cross and war bond fundraisers at the park.  Economically,  people were not able to spend money on large events simply for entertainment’s sake.  Galas and large picnics slowly faded away during the war years, and did not return.

A World War changed the fate of Schuetzen Park, but the war against alcohol may have affected the park as well.  On July 1, 1917 Iowa became one of 23 dry states.  This was a big change for a park that thrived on German traditions, including the tradition of beer drinking, and profits from its sale.

Negative feelings toward German-related traditions, state prohibition (plus the coming of the 18th Amendment in January 1920), decreased revenue, and economic hard times hitting both patrons and the park—insurance was costly for a roller coaster that tended to have accidents—eventually led to the closing of Schuetzen/Forest Park after 45 years.  

Schuetzen Park was sold in 1923 to the Chiropractic Psychopathic Sanitarium for $35,000, with the understanding that the public could still use what remained of the park and the shooting society could use their shooting range until the final payment was made.  That final payment occurred in 1938 and the shooting club moved to a new location in Princeton, Iowa.  Slowly, woods and hospital expansion erased the beauty that was Schuetzen Park.   The only remaining landmark is the trolley pavilion, which became a local historic landmark in 1998. 

In 1960, the Good Samaritan Society bought the property from the Sanitarium to use as a nursing home and assisted living residence.  However, Schuetzen Park was not forgotten and in the early 1990’s, the Schuetzen Park Gilde was formed to help preserve what remained of the original park. 

Now, through the Gilde’s efforts, Schuetzen Park is once again a twenty-two acre nature park with a picnic shelter and area for bands to play.  Music programs, a Schuetzen Verein-style (wooden) bird shoot, and other outdoor events have been held during warmer months.

Why not venture out sometime?  Maybe amongst the sounds of nature one can still hear the laughter and music of the past.

As I began work on this blog I realized that 2010 is the 140th anniversary of the founding of Schuetzen Park.  Then I spotted a news release that Schuetzen Park Gilde is planning to celebrate the momentous event on, of all days, June 12, 2010.  Please visit http://www.schuetzenpark.info/ for more information.  The park is located at 700 Waverly Road, Davenport, Iowa.

___

* Tellingly, the Davenport Democrat and Leader, which had many readers of German descent, still called the park Schuetzen Park, while the Davenport Daily Times referred to it as Forest Park. 

(posted by Amy D.)

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Closed for Memorial Day, Open for New Hours

Posted on May 29, 2010 by SCblogger

The Davenport Public Library will be closed on Memorial Day. Please join us in remembering those who gave their lives so that we could have the opportunity to live ours in freedom.

Scott County Soldiers’ Monument

We will be open on Tuesday, June first—and introducing new hours of operation.

The new hours at the Main Street location (which includes our Center) aren’t a big change, but if you’re planning a trip to see us, please take note:

Monday : 12 – 8
Tuesday – Saturday : 9:30 – 5:30
Sunday : 1-4 (October through April)

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