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Tag Archives: Davenport (Iowa)
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
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
Posted in Local History
Tagged Davenport (Iowa), Davenporters of Note, Hostetler Studios, Local History, Photographs, Quiz!
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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
Posted in Local History
Tagged buildings, churches, city directories, Davenport (Iowa), Maps
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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
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
Posted in Local History
Tagged Davenport (Iowa), Ernst Wenzel, Ficke & Ficke, Iowa, laws, Moon Law, Prohibition, Special Charter Cities
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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
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
Posted in Local History
Tagged 1940 Plat Map, Davenport (Iowa), Local History, Maps, Plat Maps, Resources
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Davenporters of Note: Lottie Boies Clapp
Women’s History Month provides reminders of the importance of the contributions of women to our present society, culture, and communities. Many women did this by filling traditional roles, but others took on non-traditional, necessary tasks—and some of them were the … Continue reading
Posted in Local History
Tagged Clapp Mortuary, Davenport (Iowa), Lottie Boies Clapp, Women's History
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The Rise and Fall of the Hickey Brothers
In 1901, William Hickey and his kid brother Dennis pooled their savings and opened a little cigar store at 123 East Third Street. It did pretty well. So well, in fact, that in five years, they opened a second store … Continue reading
Posted in Local History
Tagged Davenport (Iowa), Hickey Brothers, Local History, William Hickey
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The Colored School Controversy
In August of 1857, Iowans ratified their State Constitution, including Article IX, which established a popularly elected state board of education authorized to provide “for the education of all the youths of the State, through a system of common schools” … Continue reading
Posted in Local History
Tagged African-Americans, Children, Davenport (Iowa), Davenport Schools, Local History, Racism, segregation
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