Tag Archives: Local History

Coming Up: Ricki King on Iowa’s Black Pioneers!

Mark your calendars for Saturday, September 9th, when the Scott County Iowa Genealogical Society (SCIGS) and the Richardson-Sloane Special Collections Center present a talk by Ricki King on “Iowa’s Black Pioneers.” King, a credentialed genealogist and professional researcher specializing in … Continue reading

Posted in Genealogy, Local History | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Going Local for African-American History Month 2016

Delve into the rich history of the African-American community in Davenport with these resources available from the Richardson-Sloane Special Collections Center: Oral Histories An oral history of the Black population of Davenport, Iowa. Davenport, Iowa : Palmer Junior College, c1979. … Continue reading

Posted in Local History | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

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

Posted in Local History | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

We Mustache This Question: The 1884 Davenport Police Department

As we’ve mentioned before, this year marks the 175th anniversary of the Davenport Police Department.   In previous posts, we’ve shared some of the historical information and resources in our collections about and from the Department, and even cleared up … Continue reading

Posted in Local History | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Davenporters of Note: Julie Jensen McDonald

“I’ve set a lot of things in Iowa, and this is home.  I know it, and I think you should always try to write about what you know . . . And also, there are a certain set of values … Continue reading

Posted in Local History | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

All the Way Bach: The Music Students Club

On October 7 of 1883, three women met in the Episcopal rectory on 3rd Street to enjoy a musical afternoon. Celestine Fejervary, who was trained in voice, organ, and piano, Miss Gertrude Wilkinson, who also sang, and Mrs. David Garrett, … Continue reading

Posted in Library, Local History | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

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

Posted in Local History | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Davenport Glucose Works

Corn, as everyone knows, isn’t just for eating on the cob.  The possibilities for corn products appear to be endless:  ethanol, plastics, liquors, starches, packing material, fabrics—and of course, corn syrups. It seems like corn syrup has been part of … Continue reading

Posted in Local History | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Weekly Outlook: featuring Miss Susie Glaspell

The July 25, 1896 issue begins to get more titillating as Banks’ POINTS OF VIEW segment berates the condition of the Scott County Jail, calling it an “abomination”, and stating it is “alive with vermin, many of these large enough … Continue reading

Posted in Local History | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

The Fire Fighting Advance that Wasn’t

In 1899, Davenport was a growing city.  This concerned those responsible for public safety, not only because the city was growing out, but because it was growing up.  From a fire department’s point of view, higher buildings mean higher fires—and in … Continue reading

Posted in Local History | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments