Colonel Davenport House

10/24/2026

Come see us today 1 to 4!

10/24/2026

Come see us today 1 to 4!

Do you love history? Archives? Museums? What to learn about them all in one place! Check out the Archives Fair this Saturday at The Putnam from 1-4pm!

The Archives Fair will be full of tables showcasing our unique archives, libraries, and museums from across the Quad Cities. Visit tables to learn about the specialized collections housed at these organizations. In addition to visiting this wonderful Quad Cities museum, there will be a special guest speaker from their staff. You may even win a door prize of swag from local history organizations!

Free and open to the public. To learn more about this event, visit the QC Stacks page!

10/24/2026

Come on out this afternoon and see us and others at the Putnam Museum !

Check out the Quad Cities Archives Fair today from 1-4pm at the Putnam Museum! It is a free event open to the public! Learn about the fascinating history of the Quad Cities through over 25 historical and cultural institutions!

10/22/2026

10/20/2026

Looking forward to seeing you on Saturday at the Putnam Museum !

We’re a week away from the Quad Archives Fair at the Putnam Museum! Join us next Saturday from 1-4 for this free event! Learn about the libraries, museums and historical sites from across the QC region!

10/17/2026

October is Museums and Galleries Month! Stop by the Rock Island Arsenal Museum, open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Discover incredible Army history and make the Arsenal part of your fall plans!

10/07/2026

Great pictures from the 2026 Meskwaki Powwow

The 110th Meskwaki Annual Powwow edition of the Meskwaki Nation Times is available to view online.
Click here: https://meskwaki.aflip.in/PW2026

10/03/2026

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On October 3, 1838, the Sauk leader Black Hawk (Mahkatêwe-meshi-kêhkêhkwa) passed away. A vital leader, Black Hawk fought for Sauk sovereignty as the United States pushed west across the continent.

A sacred bundle holder, Black Hawk gained notoriety for bravery in intertribal conflicts and while allying with the British during the War of 1812. Critical of the American Treaty of 1804, Black Hawk continued to advocate Sauk sovereignty after the war. When American settlement pushed the Sauk and Meskwaki west of the Mississippi River, Black Hawk and other tribal members disputed the treaty. In April 1832, encouraged by promises of alliance with other tribes and Britain, he relocated his so-called "British Band" of more than 1,500 people, comprising both warriors and non-combatants, to Illinois. The war stretched from April to August 1832, with several battles and skirmishes before ultimately culminating in Black Hawk’s capture following the massacre of Sauk and Meskwaki at the Bad Axe Massacre in August of 1832.

Black Hawk spent time in captivity and at Jefferson Barracks before being brought on a tour of the eastern United States, where he met President Andrew Jackson. Near the end of his captivity in 1833, Black Hawk told his life story to Antoine LeClaire, a government interpreter. Edited by local reporter J.B. Patterson, Black Hawk's account was one of the first Native American autobiographies published in the U.S. After touring the east, Black Hawk lived with the Sauk along the Iowa River and later the Des Moines River near Iowaville in what is now southeast Iowa.

Buried on the farm of James Jordan following his death, Black Hawk’s remains were stolen by James Turner to put the Sauk leader’s body on display. Black Hawk's sons, Nashashuk and Gamesett, went to Governor Robert Lucas of the Iowa Territory, who used his influence to secure the bones in his Burlington office. With Black Hawk's sons' permission, the Burlington Geological and Historical Society held the remains. When the Society's building burned down in 1855, Black Hawk's remains were destroyed. An alternative account suggests that Governor Lucas passed Black Hawk's bones to Enos Lowe, a Burlington physician, who then left the remains to his partner, Dr. McLaurens. After McLaurens moved to California, workers reportedly found the bones at his house. They buried the remains in a potter's grave in Aspen Grove Cemetery in Burlington.