Announcing the Quad-Cities Civil War Legacy Conference!

Posted on September 8, 2008 by SCblogger

Have you ever wondered about the part the Quad Cities played in the Civil War? If not, you really should be wondering. It is an absolutely fascinating subject! To help explore this subject more deeply the Richardson-Sloane Special Collections Center of the Davenport Public Library is pleased to announce the Quad-Cities Civil War Legacy Conference to be held Saturday, October 18, 2008 in the film room at the Davenport Public Library at 321 Main Street from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m with registration beginning at 8:30 a.m.

Speakers will include:

Kris Gayman Leinicke, Director of the Rock Island Arsenal Museum, will speak on the Rock Island Prison Barracks that held Confederate Prisoners during the war.

Sheila Hanke and Laura Ramirez from the State Historical Society of Iowa will present “Honor the Colors: Iowa’s Civil War Battle Flags” with an emphasis on artifacts tied to local regiments and companies. Hanke and Ramirez are part of Iowa’s battle flag restoration project.

Robert Plumb of Pennsylvania will discuss “George P. McClelland as Citizen Soldier”. After suffering severe wounds in the Civil War, Mr. McClelland moved to Davenport where he became a civic leader and successful business man. Mr. Plumb has done extensive research on George McClelland and will share details of his fascinating life story.

Please join us as we learn more about the Quad Cities during this historic time. The registration fee is $10 which includes light refreshments during the day. Lunch will be on your own. Seating is limited so we are encouraging people to sign up early. Your seat is confirmed when payment is received.

For more information or to sign up for the event, please call 563-326-7902 or email SpecialCollections@davenportlibrary.com. Payment by credit or debit card is not available at this time. Checks may be made out to Davenport Public Library.

This conference is possible thanks to a “George P. McClelland Legacy Grant” from the Tawani Foundation, based in Chicago, Illinois, which provides funding to organizations that further awareness of the importance of America’s citizen soldiers and their role in the preservation of democracy. Collection development, ongoing research and programming for adults and youth are made possible by this grant.

This will not be the only exciting news related to this conference. Please keep watching our blog for another amazing announcement relating to the Civil War, the State of Iowa, and the Davenport Public Library!

(posted by Amy D.)

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“A Monster Parade”: Davenport’s First Labor Day

Posted on August 29, 2008 by SCblogger

“Attempts to count the procession were futile. There was so much to see and admire that all counts failed . . . It is estimated that there were close upon 5,000 men. It was a monster parade.”
Davenport Democrat, September 1, 1890

Although Labor Day was first sanctioned and promoted as a national holiday around 1885*, it took five years to reach the Quad-Cities. When it did, thousands of people from both sides of the Mississippi River, some of them from well outside Scott and Rock Island counties, flocked to Davenport, where Governor Horace Boies was the honored guest.

The morning parade took hours, with most of the 400 participating horse teams hauling floats and displays from area businesses and organizations. But according to the newspaper accounts, the real party was at Schuetzen Park. There were picnics and sporting games, orchestra music and other activities and programs to amuse those waiting for the speeches to begin at 2pm.

Mayor Ficke was introduced by the President of the Industrial Home Association, Dr. C. T. Lindley, and delivered a welcoming speech to great applause. Published verbatim by the Democrat, it began:

“Visitors and Friends of Labor:–I consider it a privilege to extend to you, in behalf of the city of Davenport, on the first observance of our new holiday, a most hearty welcome.

“Year after year, the people of this state have observed with patriotic fervor the day on which was born our nation’s independence. Year after year have they also observed in a fitting manner the day set apart to commemorate the noble services of the patriotic men who on southern battlefields laid down their lives that the union might live. And now when peace is with us; when this nation is in the zenith of its prosperity; when its wealth and greatness command the admiration of the world, there is added another bright star to its constellation of holidays, so that a grateful people may henceforth on that day commemorate honest, faithful labor’s services in building up that wealth and greatness.”

The rest of the Mayor’s oration was followed by a short musical interlude before the Governor gave a somewhat lengthier speech on labor unions that “was listened to by the closest attention by the great concourse of people.”**  Several more speeches followed—one was even in German, given by Henry Vollmer, Jr.

The crowd stayed on to enjoy a program of music supplied by area musicians and were still celebrating when the evening Democrat had to be put to press. “The demonstration,” as the article put it, was “the greatest of the kind seen in Davenport.”

So, how will you celebrate Labor Day?

_______________________
* According to the World Book Encyclopedia, the first Labor Day was celebrated in New York on September 5, 1882, which was a Tuesday. The holiday later spread to industrialized cities and towns throughout the country.

**Anyone who would like to read either speech may find them on the front page of the Democrat for September 4, 1890. This issue is included in our microfilmed newspaper archives.

(posted by Sarah)

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Labor Day Closing

Posted on August 26, 2008 by SCblogger

Our library will be closed this Monday, September 1,  for Labor Day.

If you were planing a Labor Day weekend trip to see us, we will be open Saturday, August 30 for your researching pleasure.  You could spend the next two days relaxing in the Quad-City area–lots going on!–and then join us again on Tuesday, September 2 for another go at the family tree.

Our hours, should you need them, are posted here on our website, as are some indexes and other items to help plan your visit!

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A Public Service Announcement: Iowa Vital Records, 1920-1941

Posted on August 25, 2008 by SCblogger

From the early 1920s to the early 1940s, many were born, got married, or died in every county in Iowa. Unfortunately, the county courthouses—and the public libraries, like ours, that archive microfilmed copies of county documents– won’t have many records of them doing so.

You see, during this time period, Iowa law didn’t require County Clerks to keep copies of vital records certificates or enter them into the county registers. They were simply required to collect the documentation and send it to the state.

Many Clerks did keep on writing down these events in the county ledger books when they had a spare moment, at least for a while.* Making it even more confusing and frustrating for future genealogists, each Clerk completely stopped entering his county’s vital records at different times—so some counties have more of these ‘county optional’ vital records, and some have less.

In Scott County, the Clerk stopped entering births in 1924, marriages in 1926, and deaths in 1931. However, many certificates were not entered before they were sent on, so Scott County vital records are sketchy after 1920.

By 1940, the law changed back again. The Scott County Clerk dusted off his ledgers and began entering births again in April of 1941, marriages in February, and deaths in July. Most other County Clerks did the same, though the months may vary.

But if you are looking for an Iowa vital record for this twenty-year span, and the county didn’t catch it, do not despair! You may be able to order it through the Iowa Bureau of Health Statistics.

___________________

*A researcher might note that short spans of these records were often entered alphabetically, possibly because they had already been sorted for the state

(posted by Sarah)

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An 1858 Job Review?

Posted on August 18, 2008 by SCblogger

Reading through original receipts and requests in the City of Davenport Council Papers 1859 – 1862, we came across an interesting bill submitted by City Marshal John Bechtel for the December 2, 1858 council meeting. This bill left us scratching our heads a little and realizing that even 150 years ago people probably had bad days at work.

The job of the City Marshal in 1858 encompassed many diverse duties. The Marshal collected all taxes for the city, sold property and animals as needed, enforced ordinances, handled public nuisances, repaired sidewalks, and until May 5, 1858 even acted as Chief of Police.*

With so many duties the City Marshal hired individuals to help when needed. One area that needed extra labor was nuisance abatement. Problems with sanitation, street conditions, and removal of animal carcasses all fell under this category. Looking through council papers, it was common for the City Marshal to submit bills for laborers to be reimbursed for work either catching or burying animals. These bills were usually paid without written comment or question. That is what caught our attention about the following bill:

City of Davenport
For John Templeton Sr. July 29 1858 For Burying dead horse in E. Dpt
Davenport Dec1 /58 $5.00

Apparently Mr. Templeton was hired to bury a horse in East Davenport. Not unusual at all. What surprised us was a note written in pencil at the bottom of the page.

being a bad job alow [sic] him 1.50
John Bechtel
City Marshal

On the reverse side of the bill is a note from the City Treasurer indicating council approved $1.50 to be paid to Mr. Templeton, not the original $5.00 requested.

We can only imagine how Mr. Templeton reacted upon hearing the news of being paid $1.50 for what must have been a difficult job to say the least. We also wonder what Marshal Bechtel saw that made him declare it such a bad job. It certainly does leave a mind wondering!

*On May 5, 1858 the Davenport City Council passed an act establishing and regulating the police department of the City of Davenport. This act included the creation of the position of Chief of Police, official police department, and officers separate from the duties assigned to the City Marshal. This was just one of many steps in the development of the Davenport Police Department.
(Amy D.)

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Dreams of Olympics Past–Victor Hopkins

Posted on August 14, 2008 by SCblogger

Victor Hopkins was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on July 19, 1904 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, by a single mother and was adopted at a very young age by Mr. and Mrs. Jakob Hopkins, an older couple who died when he was nine. The 1915 Iowa State Census places a ten-year-old Victor at the Iowa Soldier’s Orphans’ Home (later called the Annie Wittenmyer Home) in Davenport, where he stayed until at least his sixteenth birthday—in 1920, the Federal Census lists him with a Frank and Anna Coffin.

According to a letter written by Harry Hopkins, Victor’s son, Victor joined the Davenport Cycling Club while he was still very young—the story goes that Worth Mitten, the founder of the Club, was out with his group of cyclists one day and they were all left in the dust by this kid who was out delivering newspapers. Encouraged by his fellow members, Victor set a new Amateur World Record for cycling his first year with the Club: 5 miles in 11 minutes, 22 seconds.

In 1924, Victor set his sights on the Olympics in Paris, France. He biked from Davenport up to Milwaukee for the 116-mile time trial, placed second, then went home again—all on his one-speed bicycle. When he qualified for the final 117-mile trial three weeks later, he pedaled the thousand or so miles up to Paterson, New Jersey—and won the trial by 20 seconds.

Unfortunately, Victor’s extraordinary skills couldn’t overcome sheer bad luck. During the 117-mile road race in Paris, he had breezed his way to third place when he hit a poorly-marked railroad-crossing gate and bent his rear wheel. By the time he fixed the damage and re-entered the race, it was too late to regain his position. His son states that he came in 58th, though most newspaper accounts have Victor in 59th place.

Regardless, Victor did not let this disappointment stop him once he returned home. He continued cycling, but also began racing Motorpace bikes. He trained by riding from Davenport to Dewitt, over to Clinton, and back to Davenport, a circuit of over 70 miles. Victor won the 1926 American Professional Motorpace Title after competing in only 24 or the 36 races, some with a broken collarbone!

According to an article in the Quad-City Times (October 1, 2006) He returned to Paris in 1932, supposedly to enter the Tour De France, which would have made him the first American to do so. Victor did get a racing license, but he isn’t in the official race roster, and there is no documentation or other evidence that he participated in any part of the Tour. It is speculated that he might have been an alternate on stand by, or that he decided to compete in one or more of the other, shorter races that were going on at the same time.

Victor retired from both cycling and pace racing in 1934 and moved to Nutley, New Jersey where he passed away in December of 1969. In October of 2006, Victor Hopkins was inducted into the United States Bicycling Hall of Fame–and about time, too!

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The Barnard Lehrmann Memorial Road Race?

Posted on August 4, 2008 by SCblogger

As we all continue to recover from the Bix 7 Run,* it might be of interest to look back 150 years and a month back to another race that took place one Davenport summer—a race that was far more spontaneous and far less planned than the Bix , but somewhat longer and certainly as much a test of physical endurance.

The race took place on Thursday, June 17, of 1858. The Daily Gazette carried a front-page report on the following Saturday:

Great Foot Race.—Considerable interest was excited on Thursday among our German friends in relation to the result of a singular bet. Jake Hoering and two other persons almost as fleshy and Mr. Lahrman proprietor of the German Theatre, who is a rather spare man, got to disputing in regard to the difficulty of ascending the bluff in the lower part of the city to a house standing near the summit, which, we presume, was designed to be used at the Saengurbund festival.

It is to be noted here that Jacob Hoering was the proprietor of Heoring & Henne, which the 1858 city directory lists as a ‘people’s garden and saloon’ on Harrison Street, between 2nd and 3rd Streets. Banard Lehrmann resided at the German Theater, a mere block away at 89 West 2nd. 

The Saengurband festival mentioned was one of many musical events organized by the German community for nearly a century. These events evolved into the Saengerfests that involved the entire city and even produced a few souvenir booklets.**

The article continues:

The result of the discussion was a bet to a small amount that Mr. Lahrmen couldn’t run up the bluff to the building and back forty times within a given time. He started on his race, Jake timing and giving him a ticket each return trip. In both going and returning Mr. L was considerably retarded by being obligated to climb a fence five feet high, yet he accomplished the feat in two hours and three quarters, running a distance by actual measurement of ten miles and 240 feet.

Please note that the Bix 7 Run is, as can be deduced, only 7 miles long. There are indeed a few remarkable hills along the way, but that route pales in comparison to one that was the equivalent of five miles and 120 feet straight up with a fence in the way.*** We hope that Mr. Lehrmann won at least the 1858 equivalent of the Bix prize money for this year!****

The article concludes:

Pretty warm exercise for a hot day. We suggest hereafter that the bluff be known as Lahrmen’s Hill.

We agree on both points–but unfortunately, we have no record that this city took this suggestion seriously, so we aren’t sure exactly which hill it was. The saloon where the argument likely took place was at the foot of Harrison Street Hill, but the hills of Main Street and Brady Street, both formidable in their ways, are only one or two blocks away. Ripley Street Hill is also a contender.#

So, if anyone could shed any light on which hill was involved in this historic, if not famous, race, we would be glad to do a follow up.  Perhaps someday Davenport could hold a Barnard Lehrmann Memorial Road Race in honor of this extraordinary feat!

***************

*Yes, it was two weeks ago, but some of us have unrelenting muscle memories—especially when Brady Street Hill is involved.

** Davenport Illustrated: Saengerfest Souvenir, July 1898 (SC Closed Stacks 917.7769 Dav)

***Not to mention, to spare the winces of those of us with knee issues, five miles and 120 feet straight down. With a fence in the way.

****This year’s prize was $10,000 or a new car—but as Mr. Lehrmann would have had to wait more than sixty years until the invention of the internal combustion engine, he probably would have been more than happy with the $467.12, which is what $10,000 in today’s money would have been back then (according to our historic inflation index).

#Though it is our opinion that if Mr. Lehrmann tried to run up and down Ripley forty times, this article would have been an obituary.

(article discovered by Mary Ann and ‘borrowed’ by Sarah, who ran with it—pun intended)

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Such a deal!

Posted on July 28, 2008 by SCblogger

You just never know what you might find in our Archive and Manuscript Collection! I’d be willing to spend a whole dollar for these ready-to-hang lace curtains, even without the brass rod! No wonder Von Maur has been in business so long!! I wonder if Mrs. Horst took advantage of that sale.

Photographic postcards are fun to look at, and it’s exciting to find one that gives so many different historical clues. Notice the wallpaper and the saucy hairstyle of the very modern housewife who is busy decorating her house. She has so many philanthropic and social activities that curtains requiring no sewing that can be hung in a minute are obviously the very thing she needs!

Housewives needed to watch their time and budgets in 1913, just as now. After all, a dozen fresh eggs cost 20 cents, a can of Calumet Baking Powder was going for 9 cents, and a 100 pound sack of sugar would set the household back about $5.

I still think the curtain AND the brass rod is a good deal, though.

(Posted by Karen)

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A Double-Bix Weekend!

Posted on July 21, 2008 by SCblogger

Bix Beiderbecke, for those of you who don’t know, was a jazz genius, a coronet player who jammed with the likes of Hoagy Carmichael and played with the Jean GoldKette  Orchestra and the Paul Whitman Band.    When he died on August 6, 1931, of pneumonia, quite a few musicians and music lovers took it hard.

In 1971, some jazz musicians decided to honor the 40th Anniversary of Bix’s death.  They visited the gravesite in Davenport’s Oakdale Cemetery and planned a jam session at the Holiday Inn.  Well, more than 2,000 people showed up at that session to listen and join in (according to the next day’s Times-Democrat), so they decided to make it an annual event:  The Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Jazz Festival.  A few years later, the Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Society was formed to keep the festival going, and they certainly have.  The event moved to LeClaire Park in its second year and mostly stayed there, but what with the Mississippi River being a little uncooperative this summer, the 2008 festival will be held at the baseball stadium.

Meanwhile, the Cornbelt Running Club had the idea of establishing a 7-mile running event through some of the scenic historic neighborhoods* of central Davenport.  As everyone was already coming to Davenport for the memorial Jazz Festival, the Club set the event for the same weekend in 1975 and dubbed it the Bix 7 Run.  Only 70 people competed in that first race, which started at the foot of Perry Street hill, wound down Kirkwood Boulevard and around through a deceptively challenging course before  turning around at McClellan Boulevard and East River Drive.  But by 1980, several world class runners—including Olympic gold medalists Frank Shorter and Joan Benoit—had joined in, giving the race national publicity and sending participation through the roof.  In 1983, they had to switch the starting line to the foot of four-lane Brady Street hill to accommodate the expansion.  Since then, thousands of runners have registered each year–and thousands of cheerleaders have hollered them up and down the course and into the major party and recovery site downtown.** 

So come on down (or up, or over) to Davenport this weekend (that would be the 26th and 27th) to work up a sweat running, cheering, clapping, or jamming at the Bix 7 Road Race or the Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Jazz Festival.  You’ll see us at the finish line—the Main Street library will be closed.***

 

(Posted by Sarah)

_______________________________________________

 *Which includes some of the highest hills and steepest grades in the city, too, but we’re sure that’s just a coincidence.

** Which is most appreciated, since the only way some of us can get up that looong initial hill—a 12% grade, according to our Public Works Department– is through the encouragement of others!

***Mostly because you can’t get near the library during the race!

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The Little Engine that Did—another first for Davenport!

Posted on July 14, 2008 by SCblogger

This week, we are celebrating the upcoming anniversary of the first locomotive in Iowa, which arrived in Davenport on July 19, 1855. 

This was a pretty big deal—most people were counting on reliable overland transportation to be as much of a gold mine west of the Mississippi as it was to the east.  By 1855, the Mississippi & Missouri Railroad had already laid tracks through Davenport towards Des Moines in one direction and Muscatine in the other–and they  just couldn’t wait to get things running.

But, as we all know from a previous entry on this humble blog, the first railroad bridge over the Mississippi River wasn’t completed until a year later.  So how did the train get here?

By boat, of course. 

According to the Sunday Democrat-Times– which ran a 100th anniversary article on August 17, 1955–the M&M railroad hired a special barge to ferry the small locomotive over to where nearly all of Davenport had gathered to welcome it.    A few hours later, the engine had been fed a load of pine wood and enough steam had been built to take its inaugural run.

Twenty-five prominent citizens took that first crowded train trip—the first train trip in the state.  The whistle blew at every intersection, drawing cheers from the crowds.    Alas, the trip was cut short at the west border of the city by a low-hanging branch over the tracks.  Loathe to risk damage to the brand new locomotive, the engineer took her back to the business district, where everyone could take a gander before it was put to work. 

The engine was named the Antoine LeClaire, after one of Davenport’s founders and leading citizens.  Mr. LeClaire had supported the railroad all along, not only by helping to finance the M&M, but by donating his former house—the Treaty House, which was built on the spot where the Blackhawk Treaty was signed– as a railroad station.

Railroading caught on as well as those early supporters would have wished.  By the 100th anniversary of that first train, Iowa had about 8,600 miles of track covering the state.

(posted by Sarah)

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