Tag Archives: Davenport (Iowa)

Total Eclipse of the Sun: August 7, 1869

As we prepare for the upcoming solar eclipse, we thought we would take a look back at the Solar Eclipse of 1869 as viewed by Davenporters. The last solar eclipse of the 19th century occurred on Saturday, August 7th, 1869. … Continue reading

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Turkey Notes: The 2015 additions

As loyal readers of this blog know, this is the time of the year when we share our favorite Turkey Notes submitted by staff of the Davenport Public Library. If you are not among our regular readers, our best explanation is … Continue reading

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SO CUTE!! Vintage Fejervary Petting Zoo Photos

Mother Goose is once again welcoming children at Fejervary Park. The City of Davenport Parks & Recreation Department will be hosting Family Fun Days at Fejervary Learning Center on the third Saturday of the month. Upcoming dates are July 18, August 15, September 19 and … Continue reading

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Join Our Family Album!

It’s no secret that family photographs forge connections to the past. We may never have met Aunt Betsy or Great-Grandpa Milton, but we can see ourselves in their faces and learn something of our family circumstances through their clothes and … Continue reading

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Pop Quiz! Can you name these Davenporters?

How many well-known Davenporters can you name? Most native Quad-Citizens can name a few local celebrities off the tops of their heads—Annie Wittenmyer? Rascal the River Bandit?–and many of us can recognize the names of historical Davenporters of note—Phebe Sudlow? … Continue reading

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Mapping Early Churches

Early Davenport had a lot of two things: bars and churches. It would be difficult to document all the places that might have offered our citizens refreshments of an alcoholic nature prior to 1880; many of them didn’t exist long enough to … Continue reading

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Davenporters of Note: Charles William Toney

Charles William Toney was born in LaCrosse, Wisconsin on August 23rd, 1913 to Wilber and Stella Toney. He attended Clinton High School in Clinton, Iowa, and was on the swim team.  This led to his first fight for civil rights … Continue reading

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By the Light of the Moon (Law)

When Iowa entered statehood, many cities were granted Special Charters to help them with municipal administration while the Iowa State Legislature was still trying to get off the ground. The Charters regulated everything from elections to street maintenance, city clerk … Continue reading

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First National Bank of Davenport: 150 years of memories and architecture

This June marks the 150th anniversary of the founding of the First National Bank of Davenport.  Although it is no longer with us, its legacy lives on in the architecture of the building that stands at 201 West Second Street. … Continue reading

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Platting the Past

Maps are fascinating glimpses into the past—but not always for the obvious reasons. Take this 1940s era plat book for example, which shows us what a modern and attractive home looked like at the time: This set of plat maps … Continue reading

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