2Titles
Explore publications and collections from the past.
Community History Archive Partner
Davenport Public Library
Davenport, Iowa
Explore this community history collection to discover the people, places, organizations, and events of Davenport.
1863 to 1894Dates represented
See individual titles for available dates.
16,464Archive pages
Historical pages reported for this collection.
Explore local history
Discover the people, places, and stories of Davenport, Iowa.
Discover another side of Davenport, Iowa through newspapers preserved in the Davenport Public Library's digital archive. The archive includes Davenport Daily Gazette and The Davenport Tribune, with material from 1863 to 1894.
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Selected titles
A selection from Davenport Public Library: “Davenport Daily Gazette” and “The Davenport Tribune”.
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Free and open access
No subscription or payment required.
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A closer look
An earlier generation comes into view through the stories its newspapers chose to report, placing familiar names and events within the concerns of their time.
The reporting of earlier years offers a way to explore how events were understood as they happened and how local experiences became part of the historical record. A family story, a classroom project or curiosity about a familiar place can lead to a closer look at the community and the lives of earlier generations. Explore the archive online for free, without a subscription.
Explore the collection
Titles in this collection
Explore Davenport Daily Gazette and The Davenport Tribune through 16,464 digitized pages, with material from 1863 to 1894. Through a partnership with Advantage Archives, Davenport Public Library shares these sources from the past. Some years or items may be missing between the dates shown.
A family story or a question about a familiar place can lead somewhere unexpected. Browse the titles below and see which detail draws you in.
Davenport Daily Gazette
1,420 pages in 1863
The Davenport Tribune
15,044 pages from 1887 to 1894
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About the Archive
About The Davenport Public Library’s History Archives
The Davenport Public Library is dedicated to preserving the city’s historical record, offering free access to digitized newspapers and archival materials. These resources provide invaluable insight into the history of Davenport and the broader Quad Cities region.
About the Library
About Davenport Public Library
Davenport Public Library connects a diverse community to resources that educate, enrich, and entertain. Through curation of library materials, engaging public programming, and high-quality services, the Library seeks to improve the quality of life for everyone in the community. The Library maintains nearly a quarter million items in its collection across three premier facilities: Main Library, Fairmount Branch, and Eastern Branch, as well as the Richardson-Sloane Special Collections Center and the OWL (Outreach Wheeled Library). People in Davenport and the broader Quad Cities region are welcome to participate in any of the approximately 1,500 annual programs. The Library offers something for everyone! The Library operates as a department of the City of Davenport and is overseen by a Board of Trustees. It is accredited by the State of Iowa and engages in collaborative efforts with other libraries in the Quad Cities through the RiverShare Libraries consortium. The FRIENDS of the Davenport Public Library, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, serves as the foundation for the Library, responsible for fundraising and managing the endowment portfolio. Each branch provides wireless internet access, public computers, and various services, including faxing, copying, scanning, and notarization.
Partner Story
Main Library
Located in the vibrant downtown area, this 66,000-square-foot facility, constructed in 1968, was designed by the internationally renowned architect Edward Durell Stone. As Iowa's only "Stone" building, Main Library is recognized as a Local Historic Landmark and is a contributing property to the Davenport Downtown Commercial Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2021, the building underwent a $1.8 million renovation to improve accessibility, add study rooms, expanded meeting spaces, provide comfortable seating with charging stations, the Seed Library, and the Library's first Makerspace. Main Library also houses the Richardson-Sloane Special Collections Center and serves as the Davenport City Archives.
Partner Story
Fairmount Branch
Situated on the west side of Davenport at 3000 N. Fairmount St., this 26,000-square-foot library was established in 2006, following the Branching Out initiative and the Special Library Levy approved by Davenport voters in 2003. The Fairmount Branch, easily accessible from the Duck Creek Trail Parkway, offers two meeting rooms, two study rooms, specialized zones for children, teens, and adults, a warm fireplace, a Book Nook lounge for refreshments, the FRIENDS used bookstore, a drive-up service window, and a community garden. New: The Library collaborated with The Burgeon Group to create early learning interactives in the children's section—be sure to visit!
Partner Story
Eastern Branch
Situated in Davenport's northeast at 6000 Eastern Ave., Eastern Branch spans 26,000 square feet. Constructed in 2010 under the Branching Out initiative and funded by the Special Library Levy, it boasts a silver LEED® certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) and has garnered multiple awards, including Library Journal's New Landmark Libraries Honorable Mention (2011), American Libraries' Library Design Showcase (2011), and the National Association of Women in Construction Award (2011). Set amidst the 14-acre Prairie Heights Park, Eastern Branch offers two meeting rooms, two study rooms, specialized zones for children, teens, and adults, a drive-up return, a FRIENDS used book sale section, and expansive windows that bathe the interior in natural light, fostering a connection with nature in a welcoming literary setting. New: The Library collaborated with The Burgeon Group to create early learning interactives in the children's section—be sure to visit!
Partner Story
OWL (Outreach Wheeled Library)
The OWL delivers library services directly to the community by partnering with senior living facilities, schools, early learning centers, and various community events. Make a request using this form.
Partner Story
Online Services
The Library provides round-the-clock virtual services, including access to its catalog, website, eBooks, digital audiobooks, and a variety of digital resources.
More ways to explore and share local history
Research Guidance
Compare accounts as you trace a story
The history of Davenport includes individual lives as well as events remembered by the wider community. In the digital archive shared by the Davenport Public Library, begin with a name, place or date connected with the story you want to explore. When using historical newspapers, try alternate spellings and nearby dates, then read the surrounding page to place a local story in its time. Compare later reporting or another available title to explore different perspectives rather than treating one account as the whole story. Use a report's date to look for earlier or later coverage where those issues are available. Compare what each account says and what it leaves out, treating a related mention as a lead rather than a complete history.
Compare each newspaper account with a nearby dated issue where available, noting what changes or stays consistent. Keep alternate versions and unresolved details visible rather than blending distinct sources into one story. Use those differences to frame a next question, not to settle the account before the sources support it.
Keep source details beside each quotation or observation. If accounts differ, preserve both references and note what remains unresolved. Let the evidence, rather than a smooth retelling, show where the sources agree and where the story is still open.
Community Partnership
Keeping local history a community resource
This community archive is made possible by the collaboration of the Davenport Public Library, its community, and Advantage Archives. Together, these partnerships preserve local sources and give people a way to explore, learn from, and share the history around them.
Advantage Archives covers ongoing archive hosting, storage, development, and maintenance. The institution and its community do not pay a subscription, seat license, annual support contract, or other recurring archive-service charge. Local history remains a community resource, not a subscription to maintain.
Would you like to see more of your community's history preserved and accessible? Start a conversation with your library, newspaper publisher, historical or genealogical society, museum, or school about the materials they would like to share and a possible partnership with Advantage Archives.
Learn about partnerships
Stories, research tips, and archive news
Read All About It connects archive research with the people and institutions preserving local history. Explore partner and community stories, project updates, research ideas, and perspectives on digitization, education, and working with primary sources. Use the articles as a starting point for your next question or a new way to share a discovery.
May 7, 2025
Why Microfilm is still important in 2023
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Don’t Search For An Obituary By Only Searching For An “Obituary”
In the quest to trace our roots and understand our heritage, obituaries often serve as a crucial starting point. Obituaries are undoubtedly…
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April 9, 2025
Unveiling the Hidden Mysteries: Exploring Cold Cases and Unconventional Clues
Even the most esteemed police forces in the county encounter perplexing cold case files. These unsolved mysteries often leave investigators and genealogists…
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April 1, 2025
This Week in History: March 31st through April 6th
Discover History in The Community History Archives. This week in history, there is absolutely nothing to talk about… April Fools! April…
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March 24, 2025
This Week in History: March 24th through March 30th
Discover History in The Community History Archives. It has officially been a year since I started writing This Week in History,…
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March 18, 2025
It’s Your Community’s History, So Why Rent Something You Own?
We believe that history belongs to the communities where it was made - not locked behind paywalls or inaccessible due to budget restrictions. Subscription-based services and large content aggregators are generally more concerned with "content" and less concerned with the history that content contains. Their models typically involve a reoccurring charge for a plan that renews annually or licensing agreements with the library based on population served or circulation numbers. You are essentially Renting Access To YOUR History.
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