Davenport, Iowa
Davenport is a city in and the county seat of Scott County, Iowa, United States. Located along the Mississippi River on the eastern border of the state, it is the largest of the Quad Cities, a metropolitan area with a population of 384,324 and a ...
, was part of the
Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase (french: Vente de la Louisiane, translation=Sale of Louisiana) was the acquisition of the territory of Louisiana by the United States from the French First Republic in 1803. In return for fifteen million dollars, or app ...
. In 1814, during the
War of 1812
The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...
the
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
military, along with the
Saux and
Fox
Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush'').
Twelve sp ...
Indian tribes fought against the Americans near Davenport. In August, Major
Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor (November 24, 1784 – July 9, 1850) was an American military leader who served as the 12th president of the United States from 1849 until his death in 1850. Taylor was a career officer in the United States Army, rising to th ...
, later President, fought a battle east of what is now
Credit Island
Credit Island is an island in the Mississippi River on the south west side of Davenport, Iowa within the Quad Cities area. Its name was derived by the use of the island as an early Indian trading post. Credit could be obtained on the pro ...
Park, in Davenport.
[Svendsen, p. 10] An outpost was set up at
Fort Armstrong
A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...
and
George Davenport
Colonel George Davenport, born George William King (1783 – July 4, 1845), was a 19th-century English-American sailor, frontiersman, fur trader, merchant, postmaster, US Army soldier, Indian agent, and city planner. A prominent and well-known ...
and Antonie LeClaire were stationed there.
Davenport was established in 1836 by
Antoine LeClaire
Antoine Le Claire (also "LeClaire"; December 15, 1797 – September 25, 1861) was a US Army interpreter, landowner in Scott County, Iowa, and Rock Island County, Illinois, businessman, philanthropist and principal founder of Davenport, Iowa.
...
and named after his good friend Colonel
George Davenport
Colonel George Davenport, born George William King (1783 – July 4, 1845), was a 19th-century English-American sailor, frontiersman, fur trader, merchant, postmaster, US Army soldier, Indian agent, and city planner. A prominent and well-known ...
. The first settlers of Davenport were mostly Germans. After a
county seat dilemma with neighboring town
Rockingham in 1840, Davenport was established as the county seat of
Scott County. Davenport was declared to be Iowa's first military headquarters just before the
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
by Governor
Samuel J. Kirkwood
Samuel Jordan Kirkwood (December 20, 1813 – September 1, 1894) was an American politician who twice served as governor of Iowa, twice as a U.S. Senator from Iowa, and as the U.S. Secretary of the Interior.
Early life and career
Samuel Jordan ...
. In November 1865, the
Iowa Soldiers' Orphans' Home
The Iowa Soldiers' Orphans' Home, also known at the Annie Wittenmyer Home or the Annie Wittenmyer Center, located in Davenport, Iowa, United States is a former orphanage for children. It is listed on the Davenport Register of Historic Properties an ...
was opened in Davenport to take in children left orphaned by the Civil War. In 1895, the city hall was built, and in 1897, the first chiropractic school in the world,
Palmer Chiropractic College
Palmer College of Chiropractic is a private chiropractic college with its main campus in Davenport, Iowa. It was established in 1897 by Daniel David Palmer and was the first school of chiropractic in the world. The college's name was original ...
was opened.
Davenport experienced an economic and building boom in the 1920s and early 1930s. The
Kahl Building and the Capitol Theatre,
the baseball stadium, the Parker Building, and the
Blackhawk Hotel are a few of the buildings built during this time period that are still standing. The
Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
brought economic tough times to the city. The inclusion of new factories in the 1940s and 1950s helped turn the economy around after
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. Davenport was on hard times once again with the farm crisis of the 1980s, when the
Caterpillar
Caterpillars ( ) are the larval stage of members of the order Lepidoptera (the insect order comprising butterflies and moths).
As with most common names, the application of the word is arbitrary, since the larvae of sawflies (suborder Sym ...
Plant closed, costing 35,000 jobs. The city was rejuvenated once again in the 1990s and present by renovations and building additions.
19th century
Early 19th century
![Davenport Claim House](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/53/Davenport_Claim_House.jpg)
In 1832, Chief
Keokuk and General
Winfield Scott
Winfield Scott (June 13, 1786May 29, 1866) was an American military commander and political candidate. He served as a general in the United States Army from 1814 to 1861, taking part in the War of 1812, the Mexican–American War, the early s ...
signed a treaty to end the
Black Hawk War
The Black Hawk War was a conflict between the United States and Native Americans led by Black Hawk, a Sauk leader. The war erupted after Black Hawk and a group of Sauks, Meskwakis (Fox), and Kickapoos, known as the "British Band", crosse ...
.
Antoine LeClaire, who was part
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
and part
Pottawattamie, served as translator. A generous portion of land was given by Chief Keokuk to Marguerite LeClaire, Antoine's wife, as she was the granddaughter of a Sac chief.
Keokuk stipulated that Antoine build their home on the exact spot where the treaty was signed or forfeit the land. Antoine did so, finishing the Treaty House in the spring of 1833. Davenport was established in 1836 by Antoine LeClaire and named after his good friend Colonel George Davenport.
Colonel Davenport arrived in 1816 with the establishment of
Fort Armstrong
A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...
.
He acted as a "sutler", or supplier, for the army's Fort Armstrong. Fort Armstrong was located on the northwestern tip of
Arsenal Island
An arsenal is a place where weapon, arms and ammunition are made, maintenance, repair, and operations, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether Private property, privately or state-owned, publicly owned. Arse ...
with the purpose of monitoring fur trade traffic in the area and keeping the peace between local Native American tribes.
He contributed to the organization and mapping out of the community, now known as the
Quad Cities
The Quad Cities is a region of cities (originally four, see History) in the U.S. states of Iowa and Illinois: Davenport and Bettendorf in southeastern Iowa, and Rock Island, Moline and East Moline in northwestern Illinois. These cities are t ...
.
[Svendsen, p. 11] He also aided in establishing plans for the first railroad bridge to cross the
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...
.
County seat dilemma
In 1837, shortly after
Scott County was formed Davenport, and rival neighbor Rockingham both campaigned to become the county seat. As stated by the
Iowa Territory
The Territory of Iowa was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 4, 1838, until December 28, 1846, when the southeastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of Iowa. The remaind ...
, the city with the most votes at the February 1838 election, would become the county seat.
[Svendsen, p. 19] On the eve of the election, Davenporters secured the temporary service of
Dubuque
Dubuque (, ) is the county seat of Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, located along the Mississippi River. At the time of the 2020 census, the population of Dubuque was 59,667. The city lies at the junction of Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin, a r ...
laborers so that they could vote in the election. Davenport won the election. Rockingham supporters however, did not like this. They protested the elections to the territorial Governor. The Governor of the territory refused to certify the results of the election. A second election was scheduled for the following August. To avoid another import of voters, the Governor set a sixty-day residency requirement. Both cities proved to be corrupt as the second election drew near. Davenport, was again the victor, by only two votes.
A third election was set by the Territorial Legislature for the summer of 1840. As the August election drew nearer, Rockinghamers grew tired of the county seat cause.
Antoine LeClaire
Antoine Le Claire (also "LeClaire"; December 15, 1797 – September 25, 1861) was a US Army interpreter, landowner in Scott County, Iowa, and Rock Island County, Illinois, businessman, philanthropist and principal founder of Davenport, Iowa.
...
's $3,000 contribution, and the efforts of other Davenporters were difficult to challenge. Davenport easily won the third election. To ensure the question of county seat would not arise again, Davenport built the first county courthouse.
Mid-Late 19th century
![BridgeDavenportIAAerialView1800s](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/59/BridgeDavenportIAAerialView1800s.jpg)
Colonel Davenport arrived in 1816 with the establishment of
Fort Armstrong
A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...
. He acted as a "sutler", or supplier, for the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
garrisoned at Fort Armstrong. Fort Armstrong was located on the northwestern tip of
Arsenal Island
An arsenal is a place where weapon, arms and ammunition are made, maintenance, repair, and operations, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether Private property, privately or state-owned, publicly owned. Arse ...
with the purpose of monitoring fur trade traffic in the area and keeping the peace between local Native American tribes. He contributed to the organization and mapping out of the community, now known as the Quad Cities. He also aided in establishing plans for the first railroad bridge to cross the Mississippi. On July 4, 1845, Colonel Davenport was assaulted in his home by the
Banditti of the Prairie
The Banditti of the Prairie, also known as The Banditti, Prairie Pirates, Prairie Bandits, and Pirates of the Prairie, in the U.S. states of Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio, and the Territory of Iowa, were a group of loose-knit outlaw gangs, duri ...
men who thought he had a fortune in his safe. Beaten and left for dead, he survived long enough to give a full description of the criminals before he died that night.
Five men were charged with the murder of George Davenport, and all but one, who escaped before the trial, were hung for the murder.
[ Three more men were charged with accessories to the murder. One man was sentenced to life in prison, but escaped and was killed three months later, one man served one year in prison, and the charges were dropped against the third man, who left the area.][
On June 9, 1849, Maj. William Williams visited Davenport and provided a brief description in his journal:]
Davenport is situated on the Iowa site of the river on a very extensive flat of land, gently rising from the River Mississippi for a mile back, when the bluff rises to considerable height affording most beautiful sites for improvements. This is a charming place; buildings good but in some part scattered; streets very wide and beautified with trees on each side; some very pretty residences; a great deal of taste displayed. We have a fine view of the river both up and down. The population is from 1,100 to 1,200. The town has the appearance of a more ancient town than any I have seen on the Mississippi... Davenport is the county seat of Scott county. Supports two lawyers, four doctors, has seven churches... No cholera here- a healthy place. ...Two large steam flouring mills that manufactures 620 barrels of flower per week, one steam saw mill. ...Eight or ten stores here, good ones, some groceries, 3 drug stores, one regular hotel- 2 doggeries... A very fine college owa Collegeat Davenport under the direction of the Congregationalists; a very fine building, beautifully situated on the bluffs in rear of the town.
In the 1850s, Germans
, native_name_lang = de
, region1 =
, pop1 = 72,650,269
, region2 =
, pop2 = 534,000
, region3 =
, pop3 = 157,000
3,322,405
, region4 =
, pop4 = ...
made up Davenport's largest settlement group. By 1858, more than one-fifth of Davenport's nearly 11,000 residence were Germans. The growing city had a need for a railroad bridge to cross into Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
. Before a bridge was built, privately owned ferryboats transported passengers, wagons, and cargo across the Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...
. In 1856, the first railroad bridge built across the Mississippi River connecting Davenport and Rock Island, IL
Rock Island is a city in and the county seat of Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. The original Rock Island, from which the city name is derived, is now called Arsenal Island. The population was 37,108 at the 2020 census. Located on t ...
. It was built by the Rock Island Railroad
The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad (CRI&P RW, sometimes called ''Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway'') was an American Class I railroad
In the United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly k ...
. Steamboaters saw nationwide railroads as a threat to their business. On May 6, 1856, just weeks after it was completed, a steamboater crashed the ''Effie Afton'' steamboat into the bridge. The owner of the ''Effie Afton'', John Hurd, filed a lawsuit against The Rock Island Railroad Company. The Rock Island Railroad Company selected Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...
as their trial lawyer.
The case, "Hurd v. Rock Island Bridge Company" was argued by Lincoln in the U.S. Circuit Court in Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
before Judge John MacLean, on September 8, 1857. The jury deliberated for a few hours and ended up as a hung jury so the case was dismissed. In 1858, the Committee on Commerce
The United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation is a standing committee of the United States Senate. Besides having broad jurisdiction over all matters concerning interstate commerce, science and technology policy, a ...
of the United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...
conducted an investigation to decide if the Rock Island Bridge was a serious obstruction to the navigation of the river. The committee concluded that the bridge was a hazard because of the length of the pier, the angle of the bridge, and the swift current under the bridge. The committee believed, however, that the courts should settle the matter and therefore did not recommend any action by the United States Congress
The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washing ...
.[ In May 1858, Ward filed suit in the ]United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa
The United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa (in case citations, S.D. Iowa) has jurisdiction over forty-seven of Iowa's ninety-nine counties. It is subject to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, Eighth ...
asking the court to declare the bridge a nuisance and order its removal and restore the river to its original capacity for all purposes of navigation. The judge declared the bridge a nuisance and ordered the Mississippi and Missouri Railroad
The Mississippi and Missouri Railroad (M&M Railroad) was the first railroad in Iowa. It was chartered in 1853 to build a line between Davenport, Iowa, on the Mississippi River and Council Bluffs, Iowa, on the Missouri River.Dix, John Adams. Speech ...
to remove the three piers and their superstructure that lay on the Iowa side. The judge reasoned that if this bridge was not stopped, many other bridges would follow. The piers were not torn out, because the railroad company appealed the case to the United States Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...
. The Supreme Court, reversed the decision of the district court and allowed the bridge to remain.[
]
Just before the start of the Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
, Governor Samuel J. Kirkwood
Samuel Jordan Kirkwood (December 20, 1813 – September 1, 1894) was an American politician who twice served as governor of Iowa, twice as a U.S. Senator from Iowa, and as the U.S. Secretary of the Interior.
Early life and career
Samuel Jordan ...
declared Davenport to be Iowa's first military headquarters. Five camps were set up in Davenport during the war. Camp McClellan was the largest camp, on the eastern edge of the city. Thousands of Iowa troops trained here. Camp McClellan contained twenty wooden barracks, a stockade building, headquarters buildings, and hospitals. A Davenport neighborhood, McClellan Heights is named after the camp.
Hundreds of Iowa children were left homeless by the Civil War. On November 16, 1865, the Iowa Soldiers' Orphans' Home
The Iowa Soldiers' Orphans' Home, also known at the Annie Wittenmyer Home or the Annie Wittenmyer Center, located in Davenport, Iowa, United States is a former orphanage for children. It is listed on the Davenport Register of Historic Properties an ...
(renamed the Annie Wittenmyer Home in 1949) was opened.[Svendsen, p. 54] The first 150 children arrived from Keokuk, Iowa
Keokuk is a city in and a county seat of Lee County, Iowa, United States, along with Fort Madison. It is Iowa's southernmost city. The population was 9,900 at the time of the 2020 census. The city is named after the Sauk chief Keokuk, who is ...
. Starting in 1876, children from broken homes as well as orphans from all of Iowa's ninety-nine counties were taken in at the home. The home was a self-contained community, containing residences, a school, tailor shop, and a chapel. The home had three separate fires during its course. On November 9, 1887, at three o’clock in the morning, the third fire started. The building burnt to the ground. The next day’s Morning Democrat Gazette pointed out that if home was not set up with several different buildings as houses, all 350 children at the time would have been homeless, and some may have not survived the fire. After 110 years of service, the home closed in 1975. It is estimated that well over 12,000 children were helped by the Home during its operation.
In 1872, Phebe Sudlow
Phebe W. Sudlow (July 11, 1831 - June 8, 1922) was a pioneer for women in the education field and was the first female superintendent of a public school system in the United States. Sudlow also became the first female professor at the University o ...
was appointed principal of Davenport High School. She was the first female principal in the United States. On June 19, 1874, Phebe Sudlow
Phebe W. Sudlow (July 11, 1831 - June 8, 1922) was a pioneer for women in the education field and was the first female superintendent of a public school system in the United States. Sudlow also became the first female professor at the University o ...
was then unanimously voted to the position of Superintendent of Davenport Schools. She was also the first woman in United States history to be a public school superintendent.
In 1895, in the midst of a deep national economic depression, Davenport built an ornate new City Hall. The cost was about $90,000 — an astronomical sum at that time — and the City constructed the new building without issuing any municipal bonds. Local legend has long suggested that the city retired the debt so quickly by taxing the city's brothels, but the fines levied against the brothels accounted for only between $7,000–$9,000 per year, just a portion of the financial windfall the city reaped in the mid-1890s. The bulk of the funds came from a new state law (the "mulct tax") which applied to the city's 150 illegal saloons and amounted to around $50,000 per year. This tax allowed for construction not only of City Hall, but also paved streets and a new sewer system, and from 1902–08, the city eliminated its property taxes altogether.
In 1897, Palmer College of Chiropractic
Palmer College of Chiropractic is a private chiropractic college with its main campus in Davenport, Iowa. It was established in 1897 by Daniel David Palmer and was the first school of chiropractic in the world. The college's name was original ...
was founded by Daniel David Palmer
Daniel David Palmer (March 7, 1845 – October 20, 1913) was a Canadian American chiropractor who was the founder of chiropractic. Palmer was born in Pickering, Ontario, but emigrated to the United States in 1865. He was also an avid proponent ...
. It is the first chiropractic school in the world.
20th century
Early 20th century
On July 25, 1901, a large fire erupted on Davenport's east side. The fire burnt itself out late in the day, instead of being brought under control. Eight blocks of buildings were destroyed causing one million dollars of damage. There were no deaths during the fire.
The 1920s brought an economic and building boom. The city's skyline began to form, with the construction of commercial buildings like the Kahl Building and the Capitol Theatre, the Parker Building, and American Commercial and Savings Bank
Davenport Bank and Trust Company was for much of the 20th century the leading bank of the Quad Cities metropolitan area and the surrounding region of eastern Iowa and western Illinois. It was at one time Iowa's largest commercial bank, and the he ...
. Large national department stores also arrived downtown, Montgomery Wards
Montgomery Ward is the name of two successive U.S. retail corporations. The original Montgomery Ward & Co. was a world-pioneering mail-order business and later also a leading department store chain that operated between 1872 and 2001. The curren ...
, Sears
Sears, Roebuck and Co. ( ), commonly known as Sears, is an American chain of department stores founded in 1892 by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck and reincorporated in 1906 by Richard Sears and Julius Rosenwald, with what began a ...
and J.C. Penney
Penney OpCo LLC, doing business as JCPenney and often abbreviated JCP, is a midscale American department store chain operating 667 stores across 49 U.S. states and Puerto Rico. Departments inside JCPenney stores include Mens, Womens, Boys, Girl ...
. The Blackhawk Hotel was built in downtown in 1915. The original hotel was seven stories. Four floors were added in the 1920s, giving a total of 400 rooms. The Blackhawk has been host to several high-profile people including Carl Sandburg
Carl August Sandburg (January 6, 1878 – July 22, 1967) was an American poet, biographer, journalist, and editor. He won three Pulitzer Prizes: two for his poetry and one for his biography of Abraham Lincoln. During his lifetime, Sandburg ...
, Herbert Hoover
Herbert Clark Hoover (August 10, 1874 – October 20, 1964) was an American politician who served as the 31st president of the United States from 1929 to 1933 and a member of the Republican Party, holding office during the onset of the Gr ...
, Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...
, and Jack Dempsey
William Harrison "Jack" Dempsey (June 24, 1895 – May 31, 1983), nicknamed Kid Blackie and The Manassa Mauler, was an American professional boxer who competed from 1914 to 1927, and reigned as the world heavyweight champion from 1919 to 1926. ...
.[Svendsen, p. 78] The hotel named rooms 412–414 the "Nixon Suite". Big bands such as Guy Lombardo
Gaetano Alberto "Guy" Lombardo (June 19, 1902 – November 5, 1977) was an Italian-Canadian-American bandleader, violinist, and hydroplane racer.
Lombardo formed the Royal Canadians in 1924 with his brothers Carmen, Lebert and Victor, and othe ...
and Stan Kenton
Stanley Newcomb Kenton (December 15, 1911 – August 25, 1979) was an American popular music and jazz artist. As a pianist, composer, arranger and band leader, he led an innovative and influential jazz orchestra for almost four decades. Though K ...
played at the Blackhawk on many occasions
On Christmas
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus, Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by country, around t ...
day in 1920, 10,000 people turned out to see the opening of Davenport's new, elegant theater, the Capitol Theatre. The Capitol Theatre featured a classical interior, an orchestra pit and a full-scale theater organ. The third balcony extended five full stories. The theater's 2,000 seats were regularly filed. On February 18, 1922, WOC Radio made its local broadcasting debut. WOC was the second radio station licensed in the country. In 1933, WOC hired future President Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...
as a staff announcer.
In 1930, efforts began to turn a city dump into a landmark. The project was to construct a municipal stadium (now called Modern Woodmen Park
Modern Woodmen Park (known previously as John O'Donnell Stadium and Municipal Stadium) is a minor league baseball venue located in Davenport, Iowa. It is home to the Quad Cities River Bandits, the Midwest League affiliate of the Kansas City Roya ...
). The project was financed by bonds, and cost more than $150,000. Special features included reserved seats, box seats, and night lighting. The stadium was home to the Saint Ambrose University
St. Ambrose University is a private Catholic university in Davenport, Iowa. It was founded as a school of commerce for young men in 1882.
History Foundation
St. Ambrose was founded as a seminary and school of commerce for young men in 1882, kn ...
football games, and boxing matches. Today the stadium is home to the Quad Cities River Bandits
The Quad Cities River Bandits are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. Their home games are played at Modern Woodmen Park (formerly John O'Donnell Stadium) in Davenport, Iowa, one ...
baseball team. By 1932, thousands of Davenporters were on public relief due to the Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
. A shantytown grew in the west end of the city along the Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...
. Sickness, hunger, and unsanitary living conditions plagued the area. Through county and municipal government, the federal Civil Works Administration
The Civil Works Administration (CWA) was a short-lived job creation program established by the New Deal during the Great Depression in the United States to rapidly create mostly manual-labor jobs for millions of unemployed workers. The jobs were ...
gave employment to thousands of men. They worked to extend the seawall along the riverfront. More than 200 jobs were created by the construction of Lock and Dam 15
Lock and Dam No. 15 is a lock and dam located on the Upper Mississippi River. It spans the river between Rock Island, Illinois and Davenport, Iowa. Lock and Dam 15 is the largest roller dam in the world, its dam is long and consists of nine no ...
project, in 1932. Hundreds of state employees worked on completing the Kimberly Road Outerbelt Bypass in 1936.
Mid-Late 20th century
In 1946 Alcoa
Alcoa Corporation (an acronym for Aluminum Company of America) is a Pittsburgh-based industrial corporation. It is the world's eighth-largest producer of aluminum. Alcoa conducts operations in 10 countries. Alcoa is a major producer of primary ...
decided to build a new rolling mill east of Davenport in Riverdale, Iowa
Riverdale is a city in Scott County, Iowa, United States. The population was 379 at the time of the 2020 census.
Arconic has an aluminum rolling mill in Riverdale that employs approximately 2,000 people. The city is surrounded on three sides b ...
. With the construction, concerns about postwar unemployment ended. Retailing in Davenport was changed by the inclusion of the automobile into mainstream America. In the late 1940s, parking meters were installed in downtown
''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business distric ...
to encourage rotation of space between different users. Soon there were more cars then the street parking spaces could handle. In 1953, the first multi-story ramp was completed in the state, on the corner of Fifth Street and Brady Street. The large variety of shops kept downtown a retail leader even after the opening of the Village Shopping Center in 1956. Another first for Iowa.
The deadliest fire in Davenport history came on January 7, 1950, when 41 people were killed in a fire at the St. Elizabeth's Hospital, a mental ward operated by Mercy Hospital. Most of the people who lost their lives were female patients trapped behind windows locked shut by rusty, iron bars. The cause was attributed to a patient who was lighting curtains on fire with a cigarette lighter.
Davenport experienced a post-war economic and population boom after World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. Oscar Mayer
Oscar Mayer is an American meat and cold cut producer known for its hot dogs, bologna, bacon, ham, and Lunchables products. The company is a subsidiary of the Kraft Heinz Company and based in Chicago, Illinois.
History Early years
German immigr ...
, Ralston Purina
Ralston Purina Company was a St. Louis, Missouri,–based American conglomerate with substantial holdings in animal feed, food, pet food, consumer products, and entertainment. On December 12, 2001, it merged with Swiss food-giant Nestlé's Fri ...
, and other companies all built plants in west Davenport. 1956 brought the Interstate highway network to Davenport. Local transportation planning took on a new design after World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. Paved state and federal highways built to and through Davenport in the 1930s were expanded to handle new truck shipping patterns. In 1960 a second span was constructed to help with the increased traffic on the Iowa-Illinois Memorial Bridge, while the first segment of Interstate 80
Interstate 80 (I-80) is an east–west transcontinental freeway that crosses the United States from downtown San Francisco, California, to Teaneck, New Jersey, in the New York metropolitan area. The highway was designated in 1956 as one o ...
, between Iowa Highway 38 and U.S. Highway 61, opened later that year. A segment connecting U.S. 61 to U.S. 67 was completed in 1964, while other Interstate highways – 74 on the east and 280
__NOTOC__
Year 280 ( CCLXXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Messalla and Gratus (or, less frequently, year 1033 '' ...
on the west – also opened to traffic during the 1960s and early 1970s.
By 1959, more than 1,000 homes a year were being constructed. By the late 1970s, the economic growth was over for both downtown and local businesses and industries. The farm crisis of the 1980s hit Davenport and the rest of the Quad Cities
The Quad Cities is a region of cities (originally four, see History) in the U.S. states of Iowa and Illinois: Davenport and Bettendorf in southeastern Iowa, and Rock Island, Moline and East Moline in northwestern Illinois. These cities are t ...
hard, with high unemployment and financial hardships. 35,000 workers lost their jobs throughout the entire Quad Cities area. The Caterpillar Plant on the cities north side closed, causing many jobs to be lost.
In the late 1970s, Davenport city leaders, began plans to construct a civic center in downtown.[Svendsen, p. 194] The center would become a focus for the revitalization of downtown's sagging property values. In December 1983, following sixteen months of construction, the civic center was opened. After a public naming contest, it was named the RiverCenter a short time later. The adjacent Orpehum Theatre was renamed the "Adler Theater" and was placed under the management of the RiverCenter. In the late 1970s a large shopping mall was built drawing most customers away from downtown and leaving the area in its own economic depression.
The 1990s brought the beginnings of an economic turnaround for the city. Many renovations and building additions have occurred to revitalize downtown. Including fixing up Modern Woodmen Park
Modern Woodmen Park (known previously as John O'Donnell Stadium and Municipal Stadium) is a minor league baseball venue located in Davenport, Iowa. It is home to the Quad Cities River Bandits, the Midwest League affiliate of the Kansas City Roya ...
, building the Skybridge
Skybridge may refer to:
* Skyway or skybridge, a type of pedestrian bridge
* Jet bridge or skybridge, a retractable connecting bridge between an airport and an aircraft
* SkyBridge (people mover), a people mover in Rome
* Skybridge (TransLink), a ...
, and the Figge Art Museum
The Figge Art Museum is an art museum in Davenport, Iowa. The Figge, as it is commonly known, has an encyclopedic collection and serves as the major art museum for the eastern Iowa and western Illinois region. The Figge works closely with sever ...
, along with many other projects.
Davenport (along with neighboring Rock Island, Illinois
Rock Island is a city in and the county seat of Rock Island County, Illinois, Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. The original Rock Island, from which the city name is derived, is now called Rock Island Arsenal, Arsenal Island. The popul ...
) won the "2007 City Livability Award" in the small-city category from the U.S. Conference of Mayors. Tom Cochran, Executive Director of the Conference, stated that the award "gives the Conference a chance to highlight mayoral leadership in making urban areas safer, cleaner and more livable." The award acknowledges achievements from the "RiverVision" plan of Davenport and Rock Island.
List of mayors of Davenport
*1839 Rodolphus Bennet
*1840 John H. Thorington
*1841 Jonathan W. Parker
*1842 Harvey Leonard
*1843–1846 James Thorington
James Thorington (May 7, 1816 – June 13, 1887) was a frontiersman, lawyer, judge, and one-term United States House of Representatives, U.S. Representative from Iowa's 2nd congressional district.
Biography
Born in Wilmington, North Carolina, T ...
*1847–1848 James Bowling
*1849 Jonathan W. Parker
*1850 James Hall
*1851 Charles Weston
*1852 John Jordan
*1853 John A. Boyd
*1854 James Grant
*1855 Enos Tichenor
*1856 Gilbert C.R. Mitchell
*1857 George B. Sargent
*1858–1859 Ebenezer Cook
*1860 James B. Caldwell
*1861–1862 George H. French
*1863 John E. Henry
*1864 Robert Lowry
*1865–1866 John L. Davies
*1867–1868 M. Donohue
*1869 James Renwick
*1870 J.M. Lyter
*1871 John C. Bills
*1872 A.H. Bennett
*1873 J.H. Murphy
*1874 J.W. Stewart
*1875–1876 Roderick Rose
*1877 Tristram Thomas Dow
*1878 John W. Thompson
John Wendell Thompson (born April 24, 1949) is an American technology executive who was the chair of Microsoft from 2014 until June 2021, and chair of Illumina (company), Illumina since 2021. He is a former chief executive of Virtual Instrument ...
*1879 Jerrie Murphy
*1880 Roderick Rose
*1881 John E. Henry
*1882 John G. Bills
*1883 John W. Thompson
*1884–1889 Ernest Claussen
*1890–1891 C.A. Ficke
*1892 John C. Bills
*1893–1896 Henry Vollmer
Henry Vollmer (July 28, 1867 – August 25, 1930) was an attorney, the mayor of Davenport, Iowa, and a Democratic U.S. Representative from Iowa's 2nd congressional district. Winning a special election in 1914, he served just over one year in ...
*1897 S.F. Smith
*1898–1899 George T. Baker
*1900–1901 Fred Heinz
*1902–1903 Waldo Backer
*1903–1905 Harry W. Phillips
*1906–1907 Waldo Becker
*1908–1910 George W. Scott
*1910–1916 Alfred C. Mueller
*1916–1918 John Berwald
*1918 C.M. Littleton (Partial Term, Not Qualified)
*1918–1920 Lee J. Daugherty
*1920–1922 Charles Lawrence Barewold
*1922–1924 Alfred Muller
Alfred Muller (23 December 1940 – 13 November 2020), was a French politician who served as a member of the National Assembly of France from 1993 to 1997.
Biography
Alfred Muller was born on 23 December 1940 in Strasbourg, Bas-Rhin. In 1971 he ...
(sic)
*1924–1928 Louis Roddewig
*1928–1930 Harold Metcalf
*1930–1934 George Tank
*1934–1938 Merle Wells
*1938–1942 John Jebens (Died in Office, March 8, 1942)
*1942–1944 Edwin Frick
*1944–1954 Arthur Kroppoch
*1954–1957 Walter Beuse (Died in Office, August 26, 1957)
*1957–1961 Donato (Don) Petruccelli
*1961–1966 Ray T. O'Brien
*1966–1971 John H. Jebens
*1971–1975 Kathryn Kirschbaum
*1975–1977 Robert Duax
*1977–1981 Charles Wright
*1982–1986 Charles Peart
Charles Peart (22 December 1759 – 1798) was a British sculptor of the late 18th century.
Life and career
Peart was born at Newton, a rural parish located immediately north-east of Monmouth After leaving the school, he worked as an assistant to ...
*1986–1991 Thomas Hart
*1992–1998 Patrick Gibbs
*1998–2002 Phil Yerington
*2002–2006 Charlie Brooke
*2006–2008 Ed Winborn
*2008–2016 Bill Gluba
Bill Gluba (born October 7, 1942) is the former mayor of Davenport, Iowa. Born in Davenport, he received a bachelor's degree in political science from St. Ambrose University in Davenport. He received a master's degree in political science from ...
*2016–2019 Frank Klipsch
*2020–present Mike Matson
See also
* Antoine LeClaire House
The Antoine LeClaire House is a historic building located on the east side of Davenport, Iowa, United States. It is a community center that was built as a private home by one of the founders of the city of Davenport. It also housed two of Davenp ...
* Bucktown, Iowa
Notes
References
*Svendsen, Marlys, "Davenport A Pictorial History", (1987) G. Bradley Publishing, INC,
External links
History of the bridges over the Mississippi at Davenport
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Davenport, Iowa
Davenport, Iowa
Davenport is a city in and the county seat of Scott County, Iowa, United States. Located along the Mississippi River on the eastern border of the state, it is the largest of the Quad Cities, a metropolitan area with a population of 384,324 and a ...