Dred Scott Slept Here

Posted on September 21, 2009 by SCblogger

In 1833, John Emerson, an army physician, moved to Fort Armstrong on the Mississippi River Island now called Arsenal Island.    With him, Dr. Emerson brought his slave, Dred Scott, whom he had purchased in St. Louis, Missouri. 

Dr. Emerson became friends with Col. George Davenport and Antoine LeClaire but was soon transferred to Fort Snelling in the Wisconsin Territory.  Dred Scott again accompanied him and there married another slave, named Harriet.   Dr. Emerson sent the Scotts back to St. Louis, and returned there himself a few years later. 

By 1842, Dr. Emerson had met and married Irene Sanford and decided to settle upriver in Davenport, which had been founded by his good friends.  Leaving Dred Scott behind to take care of his St. Louis property, Dr. Emerson purchased the center lot on the south side of East 2nd Street, between Perry and Rock Island (now Pershing)* to build a house for his new family.  Unfortunately, Dr. Emerson had contracted tuberculosis and died before the house was completed. **

Emerson’s property, which included his slaves, was left to his wife and infant daughter in a trust, administered by Mrs. Emerson’s brother, John Sanford.   It had been Dred Scott’s understanding that John Emerson intended to free his slaves upon his death, but John Sanford and Mrs. Emerson refused.

In 1846, Dred Scott sued for his freedom in St. Louis, claiming that he was already a free man because he had lived in the free state of Illinois and in the Wisconsin Territory, where the Northwest Ordinance prohibited slavery.  The trial took place in 1847, and Scott lost.

 However, a new trial was granted on technical grounds, and in 1850, Dred Scott won freedom for himself and his wife.  Mrs. Emerson promptly appealed and won her case in the Missouri Supreme Court in 1852.

Dred Scott wasn’t finished fighting for his freedom.  He and his wife, accompanied by lawyer Montgomery Blair, brought the case to the United States Supreme Court .  In 1857, the Supreme Court passed the infamous “Dred Scott  Decision” of Scott vs. Sandford:  any person descended from Africans  was not a citizen of the United States, and therefore could not sue in federal court.  Furthermore, the Court ruled that neither the Northwest Ordinance nor the Missouri Compromise had the power to exclude slavery or to grant freedom and citizenship to the descendants of Africans. 

In other words, slaves were the property of their masters, with no rights or freedoms except those given to them by their masters.   This opened up the entire country to the importation of slaves and gave legal justification to the subjugation and degradation of human beings.

And only a few years later, it became the moral impetus for Civil War.

Ironically, this ruling proved to have a far greater impact on the nation than on Dred Scott himself.  It seems that Mrs. Emerson had remarried Calvin C. Chafee, an abolitionist politician, who was understandably upset at discovering his wife’s involvement in the Dred Scott case.  Chafee, who lived in Massachusetts, contacted the Blow family of St. Louis, Dred Scott’s original owners, who agreed, as residents of Missouri, to emancipate their former slave. 

Dred Scott was freed by Taylor Blow on May 26, 1857.  He died in September of the following year—of tuberculosis, the same disease that had felled Dr. Emerson and sent Mr. Scott on his quest for freedom.   He is buried in Calvary Cemetery in St. Louis.

Dred Scott did not live to see the emancipation of every American slave in 1863.  He did not live to see the 1868 ratification of the Fourteenth Amendment, which unequivocally granted citizenship to all people born, or naturalized, in the United States.

But thanks to him, so many others did.

We are proud to be able to say that he was here.

____

*Lot 8, Section 62, LeClaire’s Addition

**Dr. Emerson was first buried in Antoine LeClaire’s private cemetery. After that property was sold in 1848, Dr. Emerson was reburied in what became St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery according to a probate receipt. The cemetery was closed in 1920. Some families moved loved ones to Mt. Calvary Catholic Cemetery. Dr. Emerson is not recorded there. Those without headstones, no known relatives, or by family choice remained in the cemetery which was leveled off as a play area for children. It is believed his body is still in St. Mary’s cemetery grounds.

Scott County Iowa Probate Packet #0265

Sources Used:

Huebinger, Melchoir Atlas of the city of Davenport and the town of Bettendorf, Iowa [Davenport, Iowa : Iowa Publishing Company], 1916.

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

 Wooster, Robert.  The Civil War 100 : a ranking of the most influential people in the War Between the States 

***

Since 2004, libraries across the world have organized events about freedom and issues that matter to their communities during the month of September. This grassroots project favors free over fee, public over private, and voices over silence.   Throughout the week of September 21, the blogs of the Davenport Public Library will be featuring posts relating to freedom and democracy, as well as hosting displays about these topics.  For more information about the September Project, visit www.theseptemberproject.org.

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The September Project

Posted on September 21, 2009 by SCblogger

Since 2004, libraries across the world have organized events about freedom and issues that matter to their communities during the month of September. This grassroots project favors free over fee, public over private, and voices over silence.

Throughout the week of September 21, the blogs of the Davenport Public Library are featuring posts relating to freedom and democracy, as well as hosting displays about these topics. 

For more information about the September Project, visit www.theseptemberproject.org.

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A Place to Tap Your Feet – The Col Ballroom

Posted on September 15, 2009 by SCblogger

If I’ve said it once I’ve said it a hundred times (how many of us heard that saying growing up?), the early Quad City Germans loved to sing and parade through town.  It wasn’t just local Germans truthfully.  When Davenport held special events it could be counted on that thousands of fellow Germans would arrive in town to help celebrate with them.  One such event was the Eighteenth National Saengerfest of the Sangerbund of the Northwest concert that was held in Davenport in July 1898.  This national concert and competition brought in a reported 100,000 fellow singers and supporters to the area.  What a party and potential future blog article!

Where to hold such a large event?  How about a Saengerfest Hall built with musical events, and acoustics, in mind? Built in 1898 the Saengerfest Hall located at 1029 – 1053West 4th Street was remodeled in 1906 and reopened as The Coliseum in 1907.  It held not only musical events and dances, but also the first auto shows in Davenport and boxing events attended by thousands of people.  This all ended on October 21, 1913 when the Coliseum burnt to the ground.

This wasn’t the end of the Coliseum though (otherwise this would be a very short blog). The Coliseum was rebuilt at 1012 West 4th Street (instead of wood as with the original structure, this time brick was used as a safety measure) across the road from the original site and reopened on October 27, 1914 with a long list of musical events from the Redpath-Vawter Series dedicating the beautiful new building. 3,000 people attended the event. 

Later renamed the Col Ballroom, this structure with its exquisite millwork has been the site of many musical and social events through the years.  Bix Beiderbecke, Jimmy Hendrix, the Guy Lombardo Orchestra, and the Beach Boys have all played at the Col.  High school proms, weddings, political rallies, and war fundraisers have all been part of the building’s history too.  There even were 1920s Charleston dance contests at the Col along with dance marathons in the 1930s.  Don’t imagine these wonderful events are a thing of the past either.  In 1995 the Quad Cities Mexican American Organization took over the Col Ballroom and under their control the Col had a wonderful restoration in 2007 that reintroduced to a new generation original features of the building that had been hidden for years. Perfect to bring back memories while creating a unique place to create new ones.

Now a days the Col hosts bingo, wedding receptions, bands during Bix, a Mexican-American Debutant Ball (education and volunteering are highlighted for these debutantes), and the post-St. Patrick’s Society Grande Parade Bash with music and dancing  just to name a few events that keep the Col hopping.   Small bands still play their shows at the Col.  Kevin Costner and his band performed there just a few weeks ago for over 700 people!  What a wonderful place still making happy memories for those in the Quad Cities! We hope the QCMAO continues to keep this dance land dancing and making memories for years to come.

Read about these Reception centres in Melbourne which will make you fall in love with the venues and be the perfect choice to host your special events.

(Amy D.)

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The Ephemera Files: Labor News

Posted on September 8, 2009 by SCblogger

We hope you had a wonderfully relaxing Labor Day holiday. I took the opportunity to think about what we have in our Special Collections ephemera files that pertains to the labor movement or to local labor organizations and found two interesting items.
One is a photocopied manuscript complete with editing notes by Roy F. McNabney, a local historian, dated 1936. In it he states the first unions listed in Davenport appeared the same year the government enacted the eight-hour day law in 1868, namely the Coachmaker’s International Union and the Tailor’s Association. The Machinists and Blacksmiths Unions are first mentioned as active in 1880 and the local Knights of Labor formed Assembly 2179 in 1882, meeting every Monday evening at Schumacher’s Hall, 210 Harrison Street. The manuscript ends with a listing of local labor unions and the dates they began which includes the Buttonmaker’s Union of Iowa and Illinois, the Buttermaker’s Union and the Milkmen’s Union.
We also have a September 1911 Machinists Convention Souvenir Booklet. Davenport’s International Association of Machinists lodges evidently hosted the national affair that year. The Convention Committee consisted of J. C. Davenport, M. Gorman, B. F. Kindred, J. Hynes and J. Smithinger. This booklet contains their photographs as well as images of the ladies auxiliary and local active machinist’s lodges. It also provides brief histories and some very cool advertisements from local businesses including The Golden Lion restaurant at 210 Harrison Street (remember Schumacher’s Hall from McNabney’s piece?), the Brothers Silberstein, agents for Auto Brand Union Made Workingmen’s Clothes who boast garments that are “cut roomy but of good proportion”, and the Proclamation sponsored by M. Ziffrin, Rock Island, Illinois Local Agent that “Nothing is Too Good for the International Association of Machinists. They Drink Old Style Lager – the Beer with a Snap to it!!”
So “Snap to It” and view the rich resources available in the Ephemera files here in the Richardson-Sloane Special Collections Center.

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Ode to Oakdale

Posted on August 31, 2009 by SCblogger

 One of the difficulties in locating death records in Iowa is that they did not exist prior to 1880.* This means that roughly fifty years worth of ancestors passed away in our state without leaving behind that vital (if you’ll pardon the pun) piece of genealogical evidence.

So how could you prove that your ancestor died in 1872?

Cemeteries can be a good alternate source of information.  Gravestone surveys might provide the full name of the deceased, and perhaps the year, at least, of death (and sometimes birth).  But Cemetery records, besides providing documentation, might offer more information than a weather-worn stone—at the very least, the exact date of burial, which could lead to a greatly narrowed date of death, or perhaps even an obituary.

And if your ancestor was lucky enough to have been buried in a certain cemetery in Davenport, Iowa,   you might even find more than that.

Oakdale Cemetery was established in 1856, and immediately began taking the burden off the overcrowded City Cemetery.  Noted burials there include Bix Beiderbecke,   artist Paul N. Norton, Phebe Sudlow, George L. Davenport **,  Alice French, and orphans from the Iowa Soldier’s Orphans’ Home .   In addition, two hundred and sixty-two of the 280 pioneer families of Scott County are buried there.

 For many Scott County residents, including 262 of the 280 original pioneer families, Oakdale was the place to take one’s eternal rest.

 Likewise, for many genealogists, Oakdale is the place to find information on those eternally resting Scott County residents who passed prior to 1880. 

 Oakdale’s interment records cover the basics—the date and place of burial and the name of the funeral home—but offer more:  the full date of death, the place of death, and even date of birth (if known).  And as if that wasn’t enough, they also provide a bonus:  the cause of death, information which is rarely included in early obituaries.

You won’t find the names of the deceased’s parents in these records, as you would with death records, but otherwise Oakdale can provide both genealogical documentation and a whole lot of information.

Our Center has Oakdale’s interment records, and accompanying indexes, from 1860 to 1960 on microfilm.  Both the running indexes*** and the records are clean, clear, and readable—it’s almost a joy to search for a name or interment number.

So if your Iowan ancestor died too early to leave behind a death record, cemetery records can be a good alternative resource.  And if your ancestors passed away in Scott County, come visit our Center or drop us a line—we’ll be glad to search our cemetery collections for them.

Maybe they’re waiting for you in Oakdale!

___

*Although marriages were documented from the beginning of each county, Iowa first began compiling both birth and death records in 1880. Compliance wasn’t enforced until later, however, so these early records might not  include every event.

** George L’oste Davenport was the first born son of Col. George Davenport and one of the men who helped greatly in the development of our city.

***Running indexes were added to as each record was filed.  They are therefore arranged alphabetically by the first letter of the surname, but are chronological within those groups.  In other words, if you look under the “B”s in Oakdale’s running index, you might find a Mr. Broom listed before a Mr. Balloon, if Mr. Broom was buried first.

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Davenport’s Contemporary Club

Posted on August 24, 2009 by SCblogger

The Richardson-Sloane Special Collections Center welcomes donations that enrich our local history collection, particularly from organizations that have thrived within our Quad City communities. Recently a donation of Contemporary Club papers came to us.
The Contemporary Club was formed in Davenport in 1896 by Rev. Hamilton Schuyler, Dean of Davenport Cathedral. He founded the Club with the purpose of discussing current problems involving the public welfare in a serious but friendly way in order to better understand and become equipped to solve these issues.
The Weekly Outlook, a local publication “Devoted to Home and Outing Life, Literature, Art, Music, and the Drama” first reported on the fledgling club in mid-October 1896. It stated that:
“… meetings will be held every third Thursday night, at which time one of the party is to tell all he can about a certain subject assigned him by a committee. He is given half an hour to do this, and then each member present will have an opportunity to deny his premises, jump his logic, and challenge his facts for five minutes. There is no doubt but that this club will prove a lively and interesting one.”
The “by invitation only” membership was originally limited to twenty-five but was soon raised to thirty-three men. Early meeting places included Lee Hall, Library Hall at 6th & Brady, the Commercial Club, and for many years the Outing Club. Members soon referred to themselves in meeting minutes as “the Immortals” presumably because their words would live on in these scholarly papers examining contemporary issues. Over the years Contemporary Club members have included politicians, journalists, lawyers, doctors, architects and educators and the Club continues to thrive.
Stop by Special Collections sometime to view the many different and timely topics discussed in these papers ranging from serious to tongue-in-cheek. You may be surprised at how timely the topics from the early 20th century are today, such as “The Future of Credit Island”, “Prison Reform”, “Feeding a Hungry World”, or “The Influence of Modern Journalism”.
Posted by Karen

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A Veteran’s View: Robert Rubley

Posted on August 17, 2009 by SCblogger

 In 2001, our own Karen, along with several volunteers, began interviewing local residents for a World War II/Korean War Oral History Project.  Our Oral History Collection now includes the war-related stories of 74 veterans, former civilian workers, and even a war bride or two.

 Rubley-1    

  Robert Rubley signed up for the draft in 1943 at the age of
  18. Despite being born and raised in Davenport, he did
  not suffer from seasickness– he claims that this is why
  he was appointed a 2nd class quartermaster aboard the
  USS Compel, a M162 auxillary minesweeper. 

  After the War, Mr. Rubley earned a  GED and attended
  St. Ambrose University.  He is retired from Central State
  Steel and still makes his home in Davenport. 

 If, after hearing this brief recording, you would like to hear the rest of Mr. Rubley’s story, you are welcome to bring your favorite set of headphones to our Center!

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We’ll Be There at the Mississippi Valley Fair – Part II

Posted on August 10, 2009 by SCblogger

“We are here! We are here! We are here!
There’s a bright spot in the Mississippi valley
Where health, wealth and beauty wins.
We invite you one and all to rally
In our city where the west begins,
We will give you the best there is in us,
And take the greatest care,
To furnish you snappy entertainment,
At the Mississippi valley fair.
You’ll be there! We’ll be there!
At the Mississippi valley fair,
Where is the fair?
In the place of glee and fun and sport
In dear old Davenport!”*

What wonderful lyrics.  Who knew that the Mississippi Valley Fair had its own song (maybe you did after reading last Thursday’s blog)?  The “Mississippi Valley Fair Booster Song” was written and published in 1924 by Albert Petersen, Director of Petersen’s Band.  The song made its official public debut in a concert at Fejervary Park on July 6, 1924.  Then it was taken on the road.

Albert Petersen had been the fair booster band director since 1922. Yes, the fair had its own booster club with members of local civic organizations and citizens supporting it.  The job was simple, travel to local cities in the weeks leading up to the fair to attract visitors to the big event.  Apparently Mr. Petersen thought these booster trips needed a little boost and wrote this wonderful song.  Mr. Petersen taught members of the group the song and even sold copies to fans in Davenport and in the towns they visited.

July 31st, August 1st and August 2nd were the big booster trips for 1924.  On the first trip local towns between Davenport and DeWitt, Maquoketa, Clinton, Princeton, and LeClaire were visited.  The second trip included Sheffield, Kewanee, Galva, Cambridge, and Aledo. The final booster run hit Durant, Wilton, Muscatine, Columbus Junction, Washington, West Liberty, Iowa City, Tipton, and Bennett.  The trips took place via train or car caravan. 

On July 31st the first trip set off, but not before parading through downtown Davenport.  The band played the new booster song while a man named Peter MacArthur sang the lyrics for the gathered crowds.  The group that day also included two men dressed as twins, several clowns, a small calliope called a “Tangley”, a Kiwanis quartet, and much more.  Over 200 people were reported to have made the excursion that day.  The next two days saw similar numbers of members partaking in the event.  The local newspapers reported the travelers were warmly welcomed at each stop.  From lemonade to cigars to chicken dinners, the towns visited played host graciously to the probably overheated, but motivated boosters.  The last trip on August 2nd was a 300 mile trip via train – all done in one day!  The boosters seem to have done their job well as fair attendance that year was estimated at 71,443 people.

The boosters’ job was to create interest to visit the fair, but something had to keep people there once they arrived.  Starting from the first fair in 1920, entertainment was always a priority.  The 1920 fair featured such excitement as Ethel Dare who jumped from plane to plane in mid-air, horse races of all kinds, “Siege of the Dardanelles” fireworks display, and auto polo and racing.  The 1924 fair featured another fireworks display called “The Destruction of Tokyo: The Great Japanese Earthquake Disaster”, auto races, horse races, and Rubin and Cherry Shows (a traveling carnival).  Of course livestock, agricultural and industrial exhibits were always a major attraction for fair visitors.

These events were certainly something to see and talk about for months afterwards.  Even today this is true.

As the Mississippi Valley Fair has drawn to a close once again we can console ourselves with the thought that wonderful entertainment and exhibitions will return August 3 – 8, 2010.   If that seems to far away, stop by (or email or call) to see our copy of the booster song so you are prepared for next’s year’s fun.  See you at the fair!

*”Mississippi Valley Fair Booster Song” written by Albert Petersen, copyright 1924.
(Amy D.)

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We’ll Be There at the Mississippi Valley Fair – Part I

Posted on August 6, 2009 by SCblogger

 

“We are here! We are here! We are here!
There’s a bright spot in the Mississippi valley
Where health, wealth and beauty wins.
We invite you one and all to rally
In our city where the west begins,
We will give you the best there is in us,
And take the greatest care,
To furnish you snappy entertainment,
At the Mississippi valley fair.
You’ll be there! We’ll be there!
At the Mississippi valley fair,
Where is the fair?
In the place of glee and fun and sport
In dear old Davenport!”*

Something exciting is happening in “dear old Davenport” this week!  From August 4th – 9th the Mississippi Valley Fair will be held.  In fact, this tradition of “glee, fun and sport” is marking its 90th year at the Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds in western Davenport.  Anyone interested in going?

This modern fair dates back to late 1919 when eighty-five acres of land was purchased for $91,000 according to an August 16, 1920 front page story in the Daily Times.  The fair association needed space for their grand vision: The Mississippi Valley Fair and Exposition.  The concept was simple: create an event not only for entertainment, but also as a way to share ideas and inventions between professionals and the general public. 

Des Moines had (and still has) the state fair, but few local residents had the ability to attend the grand event on the other side of the state.  The Mississippi Valley fair board not only wanted intellectual concepts  such as those on display in Des Moines to be shown here in Davenport, but they even encouraged other towns to hold their own modern fairs.  The board felt knowledge should be shared to make progress possible in a changing world.

The first Davenport fair reportedly occurred in 1854.  Held on one acre of land and hosted by the Scott County Agricultural Society, the fair focused on produce and animal displays and sales.  Over the years, the location of the fair was moved from site to site in search of a permanent home.  Locations included what is now Oakdale Cemetery (before it was a cemetery of course), the area around present day 16th and Main Streets, and on thirty-three acres of land including what is now Vander Veer Park. 

With the purchase of land in western Davenport in 1919, the Mississippi Valley fair association quickly began to build structures on the new fair grounds.  A new half-mile racing track was installed, an auto park created (that would be our present day parking lot), a 6,000 seat grandstand, comfort stations, grand entrance, exposition building, barns, and more.  All of these additions cost the fair association around $200,000 in 1920s currency.  The fairgrounds were a showcase when completed with modern day ammenities for all to experience.

The first Mississippi Valley Fair and Exposition opened on August 16, 1920 and ran through August 21st.  The fair was so exciting that Davenport Mayor Barewald declared Thursday August 19th a half work day for city and local businesses so everyone could attend the event.  Even the local retail merchant board held a special meeting and approved the mayor’s proclamation.

An estimated 115,262 persons attended the modern Mississippi Valley Fair and Exposition that first year.  The fair was a success and has been a crowd favorite for 90 years.  Anyone else feeling like eating cotton candy right now?

If you are wondering about the booster song at the top of this article, you will need to come back on Monday August 10th to find out the interesting history of the fair song and about the entertainment showcased at the first Mississippi Valley Fair and Exposition!

*”Mississippi Valley Fair Booster Song” written by Albert Petersen, copyright 1924.
(Amy D.)

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The Best Excuse Ever for Being Late.

Posted on July 27, 2009 by SCblogger

If you are planning to visit the libraries of Davenport later this week, please note that all locations—including the Main Street location, which houses our Center—will be opening late this Friday (July 31). Doors will open at 1 pm, instead of 9:30 am.

Are we undergoing universal repairs? Attending an  in-service? Perhaps an all-staff hula-hoop contest?

No, better than that!

p1020164-300x225

We will all be attending the groundbreaking\tree planting ceremony for the library’s new Eastern Avenue location.  And you are all invited to attend the ceremony, which will take place at 6000 Eastern Avenue at 10:30 am.

If the historic occasion isn’t enough, there will also be cookies and a neighborhood open house for the new homes in the area, and children will be given a tour of the equipment being used on the site.

So if you were planning on visiting the library on Friday, it looks like you might have some free time on your hands–so why not join us?   Just turn north on Eastern Avenue off of 53rd Street and keep going until you see our sign!

Want more information on our Eastern Avenue location?  The project blog can provide photos, timelines, and commentary.

See you there!

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