The city of Davenport traces its beginnings to an
1832 treaty signed by Chief Keokuk of the Sauk
Indians, which transferred a fifty-mile strip of land along the
Mississippi River from the Yellow River in the north to the Des Moines
River in the south. Over the past 168 years, the resultant city has
evolved from a frontier outpost to a premier gateway to the West, a
commercial powerhouse on a prime river location to a Midwestern banking
and financial center. This pictorial history documents the
transformation of the city through more than 200 vintage photographs.
Davenport was a major entrance to the West, as well as a destination
itself during the 19th century. Pioneer families and immigrants alike
found a haven in the rapidly growing city, and they founded department
stores, construction companies, breweries, banks, and churches. Germans,
Irish, Swedes, Hungarians, and African Americans all brought cultural
traditions and ideas that contributed to the flavor of the city. The
Great Depression, two world wars, and the economy's conversion from
agriculture to commerce also delineated the boundaries of Davenport as
we know it today.