Davenport is a city in the American state of Iowa
that borders the Mississippi River. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 98,359. A 2006 estimate tells that the city
had grown slightly to 99,514.[1] The city is part of the
Quad Cities of Iowa and Illinois. Davenport is the home of Saint Ambrose University
and Palmer College of Chiropractic, which is the birthplace of
chiropractic medicine and wellness technique. Davenport is the county seat of Scott County, and the partner city of
Kaiserslautern, Germany.
Davenport often makes national headlines when the Mississippi River floods. It is
the only city over 20,000 people bordering the Mississippi that has no permanent floodwall or levee. Davenport prefers the open
access to the river for parks and vistas over having access cut off by dikes and levees. Davenport has adopted ordinances that
any new construction in the floodplain must be elevated above the 100 year flood level or protected with walls. As a result,
feasibility studies done by the United States Army Corps of
Engineers have determined that building a floodwall along Davenport's riverfront is not feasible. Two examples of
buildings that are elevated or floodproofed in Davenport are John O'Donnell
Stadium and the Figge Art Museum.
Several well-known annual music festivals take place in Davenport. Notable festivals are the
Mississippi Valley Blues Festival, The Mississippi Valley Fair, and the Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Jazz Festival, dedicated to Davenport native
Bix Beiderbecke. An internationally known seven-mile foot race called the
Bix 7 is run during the festival.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Davenport is based in Davenport. In
addition to covering the Iowa portion of the Quad Cities, this diocese also covers the southeast quarter of the state of Iowa. The current Bishop
of the Diocese is Bishop Martin John Amos. The Bishop Emeritus of the diocese is
William Edwin Franklin. The Cathedral
parish for this Diocese is Sacred Heart
Cathedral. St. Ambrose University, established in 1882, is affiliated
with the diocese.
Davenport is one the recipients of the "2007 City Livability Award," in the small-city category, from the U.S. Conference of
Mayors and Waste Management representatives. The award acknowledges achievements from the "RiverVision" plan of Davenport and
Rock Island; "RiverVision is a bi-state collaboration between Davenport and Rock Island to transform the Mississippi River’s edge
into one of the most compelling waterfronts in the nation." [1]
History
Davenport was established in 1836 and named after the town's first permanent resident, and prominent businessman, Colonel
George Davenport. Colonel Davenport arrived in 1816 with the establishment of Fort
Armstrong. He acted as a "sutler," or supplier, for the army's Fort Armstrong (1816 - 1845). Fort Armstrong was located on
the northwestern tip of Arsenal Island with the purpose of monitoring fur trade
traffic in the area and keeping the peace between local Native American tribes. The title of 'Colonel' was actually an honorary
title bestowed upon him by the army for his many services. Colonel Davenport was a man of many trades. He was a riverboat pilot
who guided ships through the Rock Island Rapids. 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 murdered in his home by a gang
of outlaws known as the Prairie Bandits.
The first railroad bridge built across the Mississippi River connected Davenport and Rock Island, IL in 1856, built by the Rock Island Railroad. Steamboaters saw nationwide railroads as a threat to
their business. On May 6, 1856, just weeks after it was completed,
an angry 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 as their trial lawyer.
A few decades earlier, Keokuk and General Winfield Scott signed a treaty to end the Black Hawk War in
1832 on the same spot the railroad bridge would later be built. The treaty resulted in the United
States gaining 6 million acres (24,000 km²) of land.
In 1872, Phebe Sudlow was appointed principal of Davenport High School. She was the first female principal in the
United States. On June 19, 1874, Phebe Sudlow 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.
On November 29, 1986, actor Cary Grant suffered a major stroke while performing at Davenport's Adler Theater. He died at 11:22 p.m. while
admitted to St. Luke's Hospital (now the east campus of Genesis Hospital).
Davenport made national headlines on August 4, 2004, when both
of the main candidates in the 2004 Presidential election held
events there. Both John Kerry and George W. Bush made
appearances, and the events for both men were only a few city blocks away from each other.
Geography
Davenport is located at 41°32′35″N, 90°35′27″W (41.542982,
-90.590745)1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area
of 168.2 km² (64.9 mi²). 162.6 km² (62.8 mi²) of
it is land and 5.6 km² (2.2 mi²) of it (3.31%) is water. Davenport has 27 parks with a total of 2,200 acres (8.9 km²) of
land.
While situated squarely in the path of 'Tornado Alley,' Davenport is believed to be
protected by a blessing going back to the days when the indigenous population (Sauk and Fox tribes) lived in nearby Saukenuk.
Only one tornado has touched down within city limits. It happened on July 20, 1854, and killed one person.
The influence of the native Sauk and Fox tribes in the Upper Mississippi region led British immigrant George Davenport, in
1805, to establish a home and trading post on Rock Island (Now the US Army Rock Island Arsenal). The Davenport trading post attracted many entrepreneurs, including part-Native
American Antoine Le Claire, who founded a settlement at the bluffs across from "Colonel" Davenport's Trading Post. From a small
village of traders, the town became known for transporting cargo up the famous Rock Island Rapids, and became a rough and tumble
European community, with heavy German and Flemish settlement late in the 19th Century.
Davenport was located on the longest stretch of the Mississippi river with rapids. At this point, the river also runs east to
west. Anyone who has grown up elsewhere along the river is mildly surprised to see the sun rise and set along its path. Part of
the native blessing of the Sauk and Fox is that when the "Father of Waters," the spirit of the Mississippi, flowed south between
this portion of Iowa and Illinois, he turned to look with wonder at the great beauty of the valley. Thus, the "nose" of the map
of Iowa was created, with Davenport its leading town.
| Weather averages for Davenport |
| Month |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
Year |
| Record high °F (°C) |
69 (21) |
70 (21) |
88 (31) |
93 (34) |
94 (34) |
100 (38) |
101 (38) |
100 (38) |
98 (37) |
95 (35) |
80 (27) |
72 (22) |
() |
| Average high °F (°C) |
30 (-1) |
36 (2) |
48 (9) |
61 (16) |
72 (22) |
81 (27) |
85 (29) |
83 (28) |
76 (24) |
65 (18) |
48 (9) |
35 (2) |
() |
| Average low °F (°C) |
13 (-11) |
19 (-7) |
29 (-2) |
41 (5) |
52 (11) |
63 (17) |
68 (20) |
66 (19) |
57 (14) |
45 (7) |
32 (0) |
20 (-7) |
() |
| Record low °F (°C) |
-17 (-27) |
-22 (-30) |
-3 (-19) |
19 (-7) |
32 (0) |
44 (7) |
53 (12) |
44 (7) |
35 (2) |
22 (-6) |
8 (-13) |
-18 (-28) |
() |
| Precipitation inch (mm) |
1.28 (32.5) |
1.41 (35.8) |
2.59 (65.8) |
3.64 (92.5) |
4.44 (112.8) |
4.75 (120.7) |
2.99 (75.9) |
4.31 (109.5) |
2.90 (73.7) |
2.39 (60.7) |
2.47 (62.7) |
1.93 (49) |
() |
| Source: [2] |
Education
Davenport public schools serve nearly 17,000 students in the communities of Davenport, Blue Grass, Buffalo, and Walcott. The
Davenport Community School District is the second largest school district in Iowa.[2] Davenport has three public high
schools: Central, West, and North and one private high
school: Assumption. There are six public intermediate schools:
Smart, Sudlow, Walcott, Williams, Wood, and Young. There are 22 public elementary schools: Adams, Blue Grass, Buchanan,
Children's Village at Buchanan, Hayes, Hoover, and West, Eisenhower, Fillmore, Garfield, Harrison, Hayes, Jackson, Jefferson,
Lincoln, Madison, McKinley, Monroe, Truman, Walcott, Washington, and Wilson. The high schools are part of the Mississippi Athletic Conference for sports.
Demographics
Davenport
Population by decade |
| 1860 |
11,267 |
| 1870 |
20,038 |
| 1880 |
21,831 |
| 1890 |
26,872 |
| 1900 |
35,254 |
| 1910 |
43,028 |
| 1920 |
56,727 |
| 1930 |
60,751 |
| 1940 |
66,039 |
| 1950 |
74,549 |
| 1960 |
88,981 |
| 1970 |
98,469 |
| 1980 |
103,264 |
| 1990 |
95,333 |
| 2000 |
98,359 |
| 2006 |
99,514 (est.) |
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 98,359 people, 39,124 households, and 24,804 families
residing in the city. The population density was 604.8/km² (1,566.5/mi²). There were
41,350 housing units at an average density of 254.3/km² (658.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 83.68% White, 9.24% Black or African American, 0.37% Native American, 2.00% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 2.32% from other races, and 2.36% from two or more races. 5.36% of the population
were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 39,124 households out of which 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.0% were married couples living together, 13.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.6% were
non-families. 29.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or
older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.2% under the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 30.1% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from
45 to 64, and 12.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 94.7 males.
For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $37,242, and the median income for a family was $45,944. Males had a median
income of $34,153 versus $24,634 for females. The per capita income for the city was
$18,828. About 10.5% of families and 14.1% of the population were below the poverty
line, including 19.2% of those under age 18 and 6.4% of those age 65 or over.
Transportation
Three interstate highways serve Davenport: Interstate 80, Interstate 280 and Interstate 74.
U.S. Highway 61, U.S. Highway 6 and
U.S. Highway 67 also go through Davenport; U.S. 67 crosses over to Illinois via the Centennial Bridge. Davenport is
connected to the Illinois side of the Quad Cities by a total of four bridges across the Mississippi River.
Other highways include Iowa Highway 22 (on the city's southwest side) and
Iowa Highway 130, along Northwest Boulevard on Davenport's north edge.
For air travel, Davenport Municipal Airport – located adjacent to the city's northern city limits – serves smaller aircraft,
while the Quad City International Airport across the river in
Moline, Illinois is the closest commercial airport.
CitiBus is the local transit system. The web site can be found here.
Major railroads include the Iowa Interstate Railroad and the Iowa, Chicago
& Eastern.
Two national U.S. recreation trails intersect in Davenport: the Mississippi River Trail and the American Discovery
Trail.
Law and government
Davenport currently uses the mayor-council form of local government
consisting of a mayor and a ten-person council, all duly elected officials. Nonpartisan elections are held in odd-numbered
years.
- Further information: List of mayors of Davenport, Iowa
Events and Festivals
Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Jazz Festival - a
three-day music festival with many traditional jazz bands held in tribute to internationally renowned jazz cornetist, pianist,
composer, and Davenport native Bix Beiderbecke. Organized and produced by the Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Society, 2006 saw its 34th
consecutive festival.
Sturgis on the River - annual motorcycle festival
Mississippi Valley Blues
Festival
River Roots Live
Sports
-
Notable people
Points of interest
- See also: Quad Cities Landmarks
Centennial Bridge over the Mississippi River in Davenport
Media
-
Partner/Sister Cities
References
- Homepage. City of Davenport,
Iowa. Retrieved on December 17, 2005.
See also
External links
Coordinates:
41.542982° N 90.590745°
W
