history iowa iowa war british military fox indian tribes fought americans near august major later president fought battle east outpost set fort armstrong george stationed established named good friend colonel settlers germans county seat dilemma neighboring town established county seat declared iowa military headquarters civil war governor november opened children left orphaned civil war city hall built school world opened experienced economic building boom 1920s early 1930s baseball stadium parker building buildings built time period standing great depression brought economic tough times city inclusion new factories 1940s 1950s helped turn economy world war hard times farm crisis 1980s closed costing jobs city 1990s present renovations building additions 19th century early 19th century general signed treaty end french served translator generous portion land given wife granddaughter sac chief stipulated build home exact spot treaty signed land finishing spring established named good friend colonel colonel arrived establishment acted supplier army fort armstrong located northwestern tip purpose monitoring fur trade traffic area keeping peace local native american tribes contributed organization mapping community known aided establishing plans railroad bridge cross mississippi_river county seat dilemma shortly formed rival neighbor campaigned county seat stated city votes february election county seat eve election secured temporary service laborers vote election won election supporters like protested elections territorial governor governor territory refused results election second election scheduled following august avoid import voters governor set day residency requirement cities proved corrupt second election drew near victor votes election set summer august election drew nearer grew tired county seat cause contribution efforts difficult challenge easily won election ensure question county seat arise built county courthouse mid late 19th century colonel arrived establishment acted supplier united_states_army garrisoned fort armstrong located northwestern tip purpose monitoring fur trade traffic area keeping peace local native american tribes contributed organization mapping community known aided establishing plans railroad bridge cross mississippi july colonel assaulted home men thought fortune safe beaten left dead survived long description criminals died night men charged murder george escaped trial hung murder men charged accessories murder man sentenced life prison escaped killed months later man served year prison charges dropped man left area june visited provided brief description journal situated iowa site river extensive flat land gently rising mile bluff rises considerable height beautiful sites improvements charming place buildings good scattered streets wide trees pretty residences great deal taste displayed fine view river population town appearance ancient town seen county seat supports lawyers doctors seven churches cholera healthy place large steam mills barrels flower week steam saw mill stores good ones drug stores regular fine college iowa college direction fine building beautifully situated rear town 1850s germans largest settlement group fifth nearly residence germans growing city need railroad bridge cross illinois bridge built privately owned transported passengers wagons cargo mississippi_river railroad bridge built mississippi_river connecting built saw nationwide railroads threat business weeks completed crashed bridge owner filed lawsuit selected abraham_lincoln trial lawyer case argued lincoln chicago judge september jury hours ended hung jury case dismissed united_states house_of_representatives conducted investigation decide navigation river committee concluded bridge hazard length pier angle bridge swift current bridge committee believed courts settle matter recommend action united_states congress ward filed suit iowa asking court declare bridge order removal restore river original capacity purposes navigation judge declared bridge ordered mississippi remove piers superstructure lay iowa judge reasoned bridge stopped bridges follow piers torn railroad company appealed case supreme_court reversed decision district court allowed bridge remain start civil war governor declared iowa military headquarters camps set war camp largest camp eastern edge city thousands iowa troops trained contained wooden barracks building headquarters buildings hospitals neighborhood named camp hundreds iowa children left homeless civil war november renamed opened children arrived iowa starting children broken homes iowa ninety counties taken home home self contained community containing residences school tailor shop chapel home separate fires course november clock morning fire started building burnt ground day morning democrat gazette pointed home set different buildings houses children time homeless survived fire years service home closed estimated children helped home operation appointed principal female principal united_states june unanimously voted position woman united_states history public school superintendent midst deep national economic depression built ornate new city hall cost astronomical sum time city constructed new building issuing municipal bonds local legend long suggested city retired debt quickly city fines levied accounted year portion financial city bulk funds came new state law tax applied city illegal amounted year tax allowed construction city hall paved streets new sewer system city eliminated property taxes altogether founded school world 20th century early 20th century july large fire erupted east fire burnt late day instead brought control blocks buildings destroyed causing million dollars damage lives lost fire 1920s brought economic building boom city skyline began form construction commercial buildings like large national department stores arrived downtown built downtown original hotel seven stories floors added 1920s giving total rooms host high profile people including richard_nixon hotel named rooms nixon suite big bands played occasions christmas day people turned opening new elegant theater featured classical interior orchestra pit scale theater organ balcony extended stories theater seats regularly filed february local broadcasting debut second radio station licensed country hired future president ronald_reagan staff announcer efforts began turn city dump landmark project construct municipal stadium called project financed bonds cost special features included reserved seats box seats night lighting stadium home football games boxing matches today stadium home baseball team thousands public relief great depression grew west end city mississippi_river sickness hunger living conditions plagued area county municipal government federal gave employment thousands men worked extend jobs created construction lock dam project hundreds state employees worked completing road bypass mid late 20th century decided build new rolling mill east iowa construction concerns postwar unemployment ended changed inclusion automobile mainstream america late 1940s parking meters installed downtown encourage rotation space different users soon cars street parking spaces handle multi story ramp completed state corner fifth street street large variety shops kept downtown retail leader opening village shopping center iowa deadliest fire history came january people killed fire elizabeth hospital mental ward operated people lost lives female patients trapped windows locked shut iron bars cause attributed patient lighting fire cigarette lighter experienced post war economic population boom world war companies built plants west brought interstate highway network local transportation planning took new design world war paved state federal highways built 1930s expanded handle new truck shipping patterns second span constructed help increased traffic iowa illinois memorial bridge segment interstate iowa highway highway opened later year segment connecting completed interstate highways east west opened traffic 1960s early 1970s homes year constructed late 1970s economic growth downtown local businesses industries farm crisis 1980s hit rest cities hard high unemployment financial hardships workers lost jobs entire cities area cities north closed causing jobs lost late 1970s city leaders began plans construct civic center downtown center focus downtown property values december following sixteen months construction civic center opened public naming contest named short time later adjacent theatre renamed placed management late 1970s large shopping mall built drawing customers away downtown leaving area economic depression 1990s brought beginnings economic turnaround city renovations building additions occurred downtown including fixing building projects neighboring illinois won city award small city category executive director conference stated award gives conference chance highlight mayoral leadership making urban areas safer cleaner award acknowledges achievements plan list
History of Davenport, Iowa