Davenport, Iowa

The city of Davenport was incorporated in 1839 and is located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 98,359. The city is part of the Quad Cities of Iowa and Illinois. The city borders the Mississippi River. Davenport is the home of Palmer Chiropractic College, the birthplace of Chiropractic medicine and wellness technique. Saint Ambrose University is also located in Davenport. Davenport is the county seat of Scott County.

History

The first railroad bridge built across the Mississippi River connected Davenport and Rock Island, IL in 1856. It was built by the Rock Island Railroad Company. 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. It was a pivotal trial in Lincoln's career. It was Lincoln's first legal case.

Related Topics:
Rock Island, IL - 1856 - May 6 - Abraham Lincoln

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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.

Related Topics:
Keokuk - Winfield Scott - Black Hawk War - 1832

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The first female mayor in the state of Iowa, Kathy Kirschbaum, was elected in Davenport in 1972.

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November 28, 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).

Related Topics:
November 28 - 1986 - Cary Grant

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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.

Related Topics:
August 4 - 2004 - John Kerry - George W. Bush

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