[QuadCityImages]

The Quad Cities are a metro area on the Mississippi River consisting of Davenport and Bettendorf in Iowa, and Rock Island, Moline, and East Moline in Illinois. The MSA population is 376,000, and we're one of the few bi-state metros with population pretty evenly split between the two states. At around 100,000, Davenport is the largest city in the metro, but there really is no dominant city.

Downtown Davenport:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v353/Dodger6500/QCI/maindav-1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v353/Dodger6500/QCI/skyline.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v353/Dodger6500/QCI/davenportview1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v353/Dodger6500/QCI/cars.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v353/Dodger6500/QCI/sk8crowd2.jpg

Downtown Rock Island:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v353/Dodger6500/QCI/downri1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v353/Dodger6500/QCI/downtownri.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v353/Dodger6500/QCI/bhawk1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v353/Dodger6500/QCI/tripleheader.jpg

Downtown Moline (During the Taste of the Quad Cities):
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v353/Dodger6500/QCI/taste.jpg

Downtown Bettendorf (Dominated by Isle of Capri Casino/Hotel):
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v353/Dodger6500/QCI/ioc1.jpg

The Quad Cities have grown up around the Mississippi, and we are beginning to really refocus on it as the area tries to reinvent itself. The 80's farm crisis hit the area hard (lost 30,000 jobs) but we are definitely in the midst of a rebirth.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v353/Dodger6500/QCI/ducksbet.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v353/Dodger6500/QCI/amqueen.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v353/Dodger6500/QCI/boat.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v353/Dodger6500/QCI/sunrise1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v353/Dodger6500/QCI/butter1.jpg

The I-74 Bridge:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v353/Dodger6500/QCI/i74dusk-1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v353/Dodger6500/QCI/illmissui74.jpg
The Centennial Bridge:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v353/Dodger6500/QCI/centennial.jpg
The Arsenal Bridge (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_Bridge) was built in 1896, near the site of the first railroad bridge across the Mississippi. Its still a working swing span drawbridge.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v353/Dodger6500/QCI/arsenalbridge.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v353/Dodger6500/QCI/arsenalbridgesun-1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v353/Dodger6500/QCI/arsenalbridgebw-1.jpg

Downtown Davenport has been working on a number of projects over the last 5-6 years to revitalize downtown, including the $113 million River Renaissance project. Part of RR was the $48.5M Figge Art Museum designed by David Chipperfield:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v353/Dodger6500/QCI/figge23.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v353/Dodger6500/QCI/figgenight.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v353/Dodger6500/QCI/figge1.jpg

There has also been a number of new residential projects in both downtown Davenport and Rock Island:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v353/Dodger6500/QCI/lofts1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v353/Dodger6500/QCI/beforeafter.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v353/Dodger6500/QCI/cityviewlight-1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v353/Dodger6500/QCI/clipper1.jpg

Davenport's newly renovated riverfront baseball stadium:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v353/Dodger6500/QCI/crowd2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v353/Dodger6500/QCI/crowdnight.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v353/Dodger6500/QCI/gamecrowd1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v353/Dodger6500/QCI/newblue2.jpg

A couple of nearby attractions include Maquoketa Caves and Wildcat Den State Park:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v353/Dodger6500/QCI/maquoketa.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v353/Dodger6500/QCI/mill1.jpg

The rest of these are mostly some of the festivals and events that are hosted throughout the year:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v353/Dodger6500/QCI/stpat4.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v353/Dodger6500/QCI/parade2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v353/Dodger6500/QCI/pops3.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v353/Dodger6500/QCI/pops2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v353/Dodger6500/QCI/village.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v353/Dodger6500/QCI/pool3.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v353/Dodger6500/QCI/fair06.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v353/Dodger6500/QCI/kartstart.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v353/Dodger6500/QCI/beaux1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v353/Dodger6500/QCI/bobbuilder.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v353/Dodger6500/QCI/bobbuilderS.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v353/Dodger6500/QCI/bix1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v353/Dodger6500/QCI/crowd1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v353/Dodger6500/QCI/criterion.jpg

[boden]

Thanks for the post.

[Ayreonaut]

Wow, there seemed to be a ton of people at the Baby Flames game. Nice set, the first pictures I've seen of the Quad Cities on here.

[JackStraw]

excellent thread and photos of an area I don't think has ever been posted on here.

[QuadCityImages]

the first pictures I've seen of the Quad Cities on here.

I know, and its pretty sad. Rather than wait until I had all the images I wanted (there are some other things I would have liked to have shown) I decided just to post some from my collection.

[JackStraw]

I know, and its pretty sad. Rather than wait until I had all the images I wanted (there are some other things I would have liked to have shown) I decided just to post some from my collection.

Who cares just post them later on. There isn't a limit on how many times you can post of one town. I think Pittsburgh gets a new thread twice a week.

[Ayreonaut]

You really don't even need to make a new thread, just add to this one.

[kcexpress69]

Great pics!! I hope to see you take some more of these when the weather thaws. I Had hoped for an opportunity to go up to the Quad Cities to showcase them this year but you can save me the trouble!! :haha: I may try to get up to Iowa later this year, but right now I'll be focusing my attention to Missouri and Kansas.

[flar]

This looks like a really nice area, thanks for posting :tup:

[NehemiahNesheim]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v353/Dodger6500/QCI/bobbuilderS.jpg
Happy Bob The Builder Day?
:shrug:

[aaron38]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v353/Dodger6500/QCI/butter1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v353/Dodger6500/QCI/i74dusk-1.jpg

Ah home sweet home. I grew up in Moline, about a mile from the river and that bike path, which I know by heart. I learned how to water ski in that stretch of the river.

Most of my family still lives there, and I've been meaning to do a Moline photo shoot, but haven't found the time while I'm home.

Thanks for posting these QCImages, keep it up! It's great seeing the QC in a thread title.

[ColDayMan]

Cool!

[QuadCityImages]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v353/Dodger6500/QCI/bobbuilderS.jpg
Happy Bob The Builder Day?
:shrug:

That's actually from our "Holiday Parade" in November. It actually has more balloons than the Macy's parade on Thanksgiving. Here's a more holiday-themed one for you. Everybody loved Bob the Builder though...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v353/Dodger6500/blog/santaS.jpg

[DeBaliviere]

So is any one of the Quad Cities better than the others?

[arbeiter]

What industries are the Quad Cities attracting in order to reinvent itself?

[Evergrey]

what is East Moline's role?

[QuadCityImages]

What industries are the Quad Cities attracting in order to reinvent itself?

Its really a mixture. Part of the River Renaissance project was the New Ventures Center, which is kind of a one-stop place for venture capitalists, SBA, and also a small business incubator. The original idea was for it to be AgTech-based, but now I think its just wide open to new businesses. Tourism is supposed to be a $100M business for the QC area, and obviously our centralized location has been making us attractive to distribution centers and logistics companies. The corporate headquarters of the Von Maur department store chain is here... the world's largest pet food factory... a large Alcoa aluminum rolling mill... really a nice mixture of things compared to the farm-based economy of the 80's. Deere is still important to us, but its not our lifeblood like it once was.

what is East Moline's role?

East Moline was the original 4th Quad City, when it changed from the Tri Cities to the Quad Cities. Bettendorf has been growing quickly as a suburb-type community, so it has arguably usurped East Moline as one of the 4. EM has a lot of industry, but they're also trying to redevelop their downtown and riverfront. One of their challenges is that their downtown isn't ON the river, so they've also developed a riverfront area called The Quarter, which has yet to see much progress.

[Cbautz]

I love the Quad Cities. Keep posting. Its an area we don't see too often.

[hauntedheadnc]

Looks like a community with "good bones." All the ingredients for an exceptional community are there.

[Surrealplaces]

Nice photos!

btw, I wonder if this is the same quad cities that hosts the Calgary Flames ice hockey farm club?

[Ex-Ithacan]

Good to see a Quad Cities thread here. I know there's been a couple of others (eh rock), but always fun to see a place not often viewed. Nice pics.

I think I did see a grey-haired rascal with a small dog and an evil grin trying to poke the Bob the Builder balloon with a knitting needle. :sly:

[tjh1]

Great pics of a rarely seen area!

[QuadCityImages]

btw, I wonder if this is the same quad cities that hosts the Calgary Flames ice hockey farm club?

Yes it is. This image is from their first game as the QC Flames.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v353/Dodger6500/QCI/crowd1.jpg

[Ayreonaut]

Are the QC Flames popular? If so then I'm happy for the cities, it would make the move worth it, because The Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights had one of the best logos in all of sports.

Edit: looks like a big arena, what's it's capacity?

[QuadCityImages]

Are the QC Flames popular? If so then I'm happy for the cities, it would make the move worth it, because The Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights had one of the best logos in all of sports.

Edit: looks like a big arena, what's it's capacity?

The i Wireless Center holds about 12,000 for concerts, somewhere in the upper 9000's for hockey I think.

Unfortunately, the QC Flames could definitely be more popular. I'm not sure what the issue is, but I think a key problem is that they're 7th out of 8 in the division standings right now. The Quad Cities had UHL hockey for 10 years, and apparently many of us are fair-weather fans. When our UHL team did worse, attendance dropped, and now our AHL team is not doing that well, and attendance is low. That image shows about 7500 in attendance, which is probably the highest we've had this season. In comparison, in the early years of UHL hockey we actually AVERAGED around 8,000 a game.

Hopefully they gain in popularity as time goes on, because I'd hate to lose the team. On the positive side, the parent club has a sweetheart deal with the QC owners, so I don't think they'll give up as fast as they did in Omaha.

[Ayreonaut]

Too bad, last year the nights were a great team, I think they were 1st or 2nd in the AHL West.

[rockyi]

Wow, there seemed to be a ton of people at the Baby Flames game. Nice set, the first pictures I've seen of the Quad Cities on here.

excellent thread and photos of an area I don't think has ever been posted on here.

I know, and its pretty sad. Rather than wait until I had all the images I wanted (there are some other things I would have liked to have shown) I decided just to post some from my collection.

I love the Quad Cities. Keep posting. Its an area we don't see too often.

Nice photos!


[QUOTE=tjh1;3303482]Great pics of a rarely seen area!

*Sigh* What am I going to do with you guys? I've posted around 20 Quad City photo threads over the years and no one remembers. :shrug: OK, I think EX-I visited most of them. :yes: (to tell the truth, I haven't posted a photo thread in quite a while.)
But anyway, welcome to SSP, QuadCityImages. Fantastic shots. (I've actually seen you posting them on another forum. I especially like the vintage autos in front of the Redstone building.:tup: )
It's nice to have another, uhh.. Quad Citian?....Quad Citizen? on the forum. Maybe now I'll flip through my Photobucket account and see if there are any I have yet to post.

[LSyd]

great tour.

and i remember rockyi's photo threads!!!

-

[whatsthepoint13]

looks like a pretty nice, very underrepresented city :)

[rockyi]

Thank you LSyd. :cheers:

Good to see a Quad Cities thread here. I know there's been a couple of others (eh rock), but always fun to see a place not often viewed. Nice pics.

I think I did see a grey-haired rascal with a small dog and an evil grin trying to poke the Bob the Builder balloon with a knitting needle. :sly:


Maaaybe you did, maaaaaaybe you didn't. :) (Yup, that's actually at the same parade)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v420/rockyi/DCP_0940.jpg

If you don't mind QCImages. I will post a few others, some I've already shown, some not.

Various Moline, Rock Island and Davenport shots.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v420/rockyi/017_9-2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v420/rockyi/Dcp_0745.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v420/rockyi/013_13-2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v420/rockyi/010_16-1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v420/rockyi/024_2-2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v420/rockyi/014_12-2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v420/rockyi/012_14-2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v420/rockyi/Dcp_0862.jpg

John Deere HQ detail
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v420/rockyi/Dcp_0899.jpg

Credit Island
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v420/rockyi/009_5a.jpg

[Lakelander]

Great collection of images. I've always wondered what these cities look like at street level.

[Ayreonaut]

*Sigh* What am I going to do with you guys? I've posted around 20 Quad City photo threads over the years and no one remembers. :shrug: OK, I think EX-I visited most of them. :yes: (to tell the truth, I haven't posted a photo thread in quite a while.)
I don't think you've done any since I've been here.

[rockyi]

I don't think you've done any since I've been here.
I just checked and it's been more than a year since I posted a photo thread.:( But I am always showing pics of the area in other threads, usually a "Show us your city's______" thread.

Here's just a few more then I'll stop hi-jacking this thread. :)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v420/rockyi/022_3A-1.jpg

".....So tonight, let us welcome, fron Rock Island, Illinois, the blues band of Joliet Jake and Elwood Blues, The Blues Brothers!!"
Somebody is always stealing their RayBan sunglasses.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v420/rockyi/008_29.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v420/rockyi/002_23A-1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v420/rockyi/034_3.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v420/rockyi/031_6.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v420/rockyi/016_21.jpg

I'm looking forward to see more photos from you, QuadCityImages!

[Buckeye Native 001]

You mean there's other places in Illinois besides Chicago!?

That comment's just for you, rock. ;)

Yay for the pics, and yay for minor league hockey! :tup:

[rockyi]

It's a well kept secret. :yes:

[ady26]

Davenport looks great!

[QuadCityImages]

I remember your threads Rocky, and your various assertions that Davenport is better than LA or NYC. Like you said though, its been a while since a QC photo thread. I've been reading this forum quite a while, and I've slowly been gathering up somewhat of a representation of the Quad City area in images.

[hulkrogan]

Go QC Flames!

From what I remember your arena is really new and gorgeous from the outside (if I'm wrong that must have been Omaha). Any pictures of the exterior?

[Keng]

Great thread, I have heard of the Quad cities but had no idea where you were located. I believe you play against our AHL team Manitoba Moose based in Winnipeg. Thanks for posting...

[Deepstar]

Yes it is. This image is from their first game as the QC Flames.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v353/Dodger6500/QCI/crowd1.jpg

Cool. It looks like a Flames game with all the red. Thanks for posting that. :tup:

That's a pretty good sized arena. How many people can it seat?

[Deepstar]

Sweet! Just need to get a statue of a rubber biscuit ;)



http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v420/rockyi/008_29.jpg

[denveraztec]

Looking lively, nice to see!

[rockyi]

QuadCityImages, I see that you say you live in downtown Davenport. If you don't mind me asking, which building are you in? I'm guessing it's the Crescent Lofts by looking at your avatar. :)

[PA Pride]

Quad Cities!!! Looking great. Very interesting area, with 4 cities all clustered like that. Nice pics.

I think I spotted you rockyi in some of those photos, peeking out of various dumpsters and delicatessens!

[FloridaChicago]

I lived in the Quad Cities area in 1971, and I haven't been back in 36 years. It really looks great, much better than I remember it.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v420/rockyi/016_21.jpg

I do remember a lot of old houses like this in Davenport that were a bit slummy. I hope they were saved.

[QuadCityImages]

QuadCityImages, I see that you say you live in downtown Davenport. If you don't mind me asking, which building are you in? I'm guessing it's the Crescent Lofts by looking at your avatar. :)

I did live in the Crescent Lofts for over 2 years, but now I've moved up the hill a ways. I loved living down there, but my girlfriend has a Beagle, and downtown isn't really a place for keeping a dog.

[Robert Pence]

Excellent photos and an interesting-looking area. Rock Island looks pretty lively in the pics.

[JV_325i]

That Arsenal bridge is incredible.

[rockyi]

I did live in the Crescent Lofts for over 2 years, but now I've moved up the hill a ways. I loved living down there, but my girlfriend has a Beagle, and downtown isn't really a place for keeping a dog.
I came across the Crescent Lofts site online and was very impressed with the variety of floorplans available. Maybe if they have an open house in the future I'll go be nosey and check it out. I would also like to see what the LeClaire apartments in Moline look like inside.

I remember your threads Rocky, and your various assertions that Davenport is better than LA or NYC.

Hmmmm, my memory is getting a bit faulty I don't remember that. (but then again I never remember where I put my shoes either.:) )

[QuadCityImages]

Hmmmm, my memory is getting a bit faulty I don't remember that.

My bad on this one, I was thinking of this crazy guy over (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost.php?p=8054647&postcount=29) on SkyscraperCity. But I do remember some of your previous photo threads.

[Wheelingman04]

It sure looks nice.

[rockyi]

Go QC Flames!

From what I remember your arena is really new and gorgeous from the outside (if I'm wrong that must have been Omaha). Any pictures of the exterior?

First opened in 1993 as "The Mark of the Quad Cities" it's now called the"i-wireless Center" :yuck: (As you can tell, I'm not crazy about that name.)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v420/rockyi/Dcp_0835.jpg

[rockyi]

Boy was I surprised when I was reading Barb Ickes' column in the Quad City Times this morning and I see quadcityimages and skyscraperpage.com mentioned. That was a pretty nice article. How did you come to attract the attention of Ms. Ickes?

[QuadCityImages]

She emailed me somewhat out of the blue, and said that my blog post about posting the images over here got some people's attention.

[PA Pride]

Boy was I surprised when I was reading Barb Ickes' column in the Quad City Times this morning and I see quadcityimages and skyscraperpage.com mentioned. That was a pretty nice article. How did you come to attract the attention of Ms. Ickes?

Wow. thats awesome!

Reminds me of how Evergrey and thus SSP was recently was talked about in a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette column.

This website can generate some press!

[HeneryHawk]

Nice pics. I love the area, so much beauty, so much history, and so much of it is unknown to those who live there.

The Arsenal Bridge is gorgeous, built in the 1890s ( for railroad on the top deck and on the bottom was the horse, buggy, and wagon traffic, now autos ) and on the piers of the 1872 bridge that preceded it. That bridge was only a few hundred feet downstream from the first bridge across the Mississippi River ( the only bridge across the Mississippi previous was in Minneapolis, and that was for foot traffic )built in 1854. That bridge was the center of controversy and resulted in a law suit by river boat interests that wanted to eliminate competition rom rail. The attorney for the railroad? Abraham Lincoln. The case set precedent that river traffic has right of way. The present swing span turns a complete 360 degrees, and I think it is the only span that does this.

That is nice pic of the John Deere World HQ, a terrific Eero Saarinen design, and probably the most beautiful building in the area ( in my mind, if not number one, at least in top five ). the Chipperfield designed Figge Art Museum is his first North American commission.

The old mansion on Main Street looks great in that pic, I remember when it was a Palmer Chiropratic College Frat ( is it still? ). I love how the 1903 Davenport High School ( now Davenport Central High School, across the street from that mansion ) looks today, the site and the way the updates make it look so nice ( especially when compared to the boring looks of newer schools most of the time ).

The abundance of old mansions, the various styles of architecture demonstrated in them, is a treat to wander through the area and see. I used to have an article on one of my favourite houses in the area, on Marquette Street in Davenport. It is a Prairie School design, it is a divided apartment mess now. It caught on fire in 1980 ( I think, the summer ) and they thought it would be destroyed. It wasnt, it is inhabited now, as apartments, and may never be restored. Too bad.

[Stanzmastertron3000]

Great pictures QuadCityImages and Rockyi.

[bnk]

:cool:

http://www.qctimes.com/articles/2008/02/02/opinion/columnists/barb_ickes/doc479c16ba21db0882612165.txt

In defense of his Davenport



By Barb Ickes | Saturday, February 02, 2008 | 12 comment(s)

Age shouldn’t have anything to do with it.

But it does.

When it comes to selling newspapers, spending millions on city amenities or even campaigning for president, there is one target audience that is considered gold: The 20-somethings. Everybody wants a piece of the young, elusive, technology-savvy market.

One question is asked with such a wrinkle of the brow that you’d think it’s as complex as splitting an atom: How do we get these 20-somethings to stay in the Quad-Cities?

Maybe the answer is simply this: Help them love it here.

It worked for Chris Meyer. He founded quadcityimages.blogspot.com, an Internet blog site that cheers so mightily for the Quad-Cities that it may even drown out the rah-rah-rahs of the Quad-Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau.

For instance, Meyer recently collected 47 pictures he took from favorite Quad-City locations and posted them on an international Web site called skyscraperpage.com, a site for urbanism enthusiasts from across the globe.

Thanks to Meyer’s love of the Quad-Cities and his ability to navigate the Internet, an untold number of people now are aware that we exist. Somebody from Dundas, Ontario, commented on Meyer’s pictures, saying, “This looks like a really nice area.”

Well, the photographer sure thinks so.

At 25 years old, Meyer is possibly the most positive, well-informed, well-connected cheerleader for our part of the earth. He knows Davenport inside and out. And he hates it when people criticize what seems like every single effort that’s made to make it even better.

The angry taunts at the downtown skybridge as “The Bridge to Nowhere” is a good example.

“The majority of people probably like it,” Meyer said. “I like it.”

He likes a lot of things about Davenport. He acknowledges he even has “a passion” for his hometown.

“I got this way partly from defending Davenport,” he said.

His defense grew out of his childhood. Meyer and both his parents graduated from Davenport Central High School. Even earlier than that, his schooling fostered a love for the city that surrounded him.

As a student in Garfield Elementary School’s gifted and talented program, he helped in a civics project that included surveying the public about Davenport’s downtown. He remembers getting back hundreds of the surveys, which showed a big demand for more downtown parking.

“Now we’ve built two new parking garages, and everybody complains about that,” he said.

There were other contributors to his dislike of the negative.

“My dad liked to watch what was going on downtown Davenport,” he said. “In the late-1980s, we’d park somewhere downtown for a while and watch historic buildings being demolished.

“When I took classes on city administration and urban planning (while earning a bachelor’s degree at Western Illinois University), it really struck a chord with me. They were talking about the neighborhood where I grew up.”

In fact, urban planning appeals to Meyer as a possible career. For now, he’s settling on a third-shift blue-collar job to pay the bills while he spends hours and hours a day on his pro-Davenport blog.

For a man of strong opinions, a career in politics can’t be ruled out.

On new Davenport Mayor Bill Gluba: “I worry about all his fiery rhetoric from years of partisan stances.”

On former Mayor Ed Winborn: “I thought he did a decent job and didn’t really get credit for it.”

The Davenport Promise: “I believe Davenport is beginning to grow on its own. But I also think that 12th grade is sort of an arbitrary place for the public funding to end. Education is education.”

This column: “I disagree with you a lot of the time.”

Illinois politics: “It’s a whole state of Chicago politics. You’ve got a new prison that’s empty, a (former) governor in jail and this great opportunity in a Western Illinois campus in Moline, and no one’s doing anything about it.”

And what would Meyer do if he suddenly found himself the youngest-ever mayor of Davenport?

“I’d like to showcase some of the good things we already have, both to potential visitors and new residents, but also to current residents who may not know about the different things available,” he answered. “I’d like to do something to help people be more proud of Davenport and see how far we’ve come in the last decade.”

Maybe the 20-somethings really are gold.

Chris Meyer

Founder of quadcityimages.blogspot.com.

[rockyi]

The old mansion on Main Street looks great in that pic, I remember when it was a Palmer Chiropratic College Frat ( is it still? ). I love how the 1903 Davenport High School ( now Davenport Central High School, across the street from that mansion ) looks today, the site and the way the updates make it look so nice ( especially when compared to the boring looks of newer schools most of the time ).

The abundance of old mansions, the various styles of architecture demonstrated in them, is a treat to wander through the area and see.

Davenport Central High School recently went through a multi-million dollar renovation so hopefully it will be around another 100 or so years. If I'm not mistaken, it's the oldest high school building in continuous use in the U.S.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v420/rockyi/015_22.jpg

About 10 years ago, or so, the people of the Quad Cities FINALLY realized what architectural beauties we have and many are finding a new life.

This home on Brady Street in Davenport used to be a derelict covered on pea-green paint, now it's "The Bishops House" bed and breakfast.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v420/rockyi/Dcp_0586.jpg

Below are some newly renovated painted ladies in Rock Islands "Broadway" distrct.
Until recently, this unusual home was a boarded up mess covered with peeling white paint and nearly hidden from the street by dozen's of nasty ailanthus trees growing around it's foundation.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v420/rockyi/80019767.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v420/rockyi/002_23A.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v420/rockyi/9f135da7.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v420/rockyi/ef30a7af.jpg

I also know the Marquette Street house you mean, HenryHawk, and yes, I think it's beyond any help. It's often on the news for crimes committed there. And the victorian mansion on Main Street, that you refer to, is in fact still a frat house for Palmer college. I'm impressed with how well the boys keep it in excellent repair.
There is also the 1855 octigon house in Davenport, which I don't have a photo of. It's also nearly unfixable.

Thanks for the link to the "Times" article, bnk.

[HeneryHawk]

Thanks for all the nice pics.

That old house was always a fav of mine, I remember looking at it often when I would ride with my dad down to work with him. Then the fire, I think in 1980 or 81 just trashed it. If I remember correctly, they figured they would have to destroy it, yet it still survives ( kind of ). I just wish I could get to the Times archives to get the long articles about that place, with all the pics of when it was nice. I wonder if the city still has the architect plans on file.

Recently, when passing through, I realized that some bonehead(s) tore down my great great grandfathers building on Fourth St. It hasnt been used for much, although being across the street from the Courthouse, it would have been a perfect place for an attorney to fix up and use. Now its just a gravel lot......sickening. It was build around 1872, and when he died in 1908, he was considered a pioneer resident of the city, was the oldest living baker in Iowa and had been the leader/president of the state bakers association. It was a nice two story building with two bay windows projecting out from the second floor. It was next to the Tri City Electric building.

I need to get over and take some more pics myself ( although, I should convert over to digital, as film gets old to work with at times, especially to share online ).

Anyone have a nice pic of the real nice John Bloom statue down on the river near East Davenport?

I wish the Van Allen Building was smack in the middle of downtown Davenport, it would look real nice there.

[HeneryHawk]

That octagon house has been looking like it was going to collapse for more than a decade now. That area, other than the LeClaire House, has been sitting there rotting for a time now, is there anything happening good there now?

I like many of the houses around Vander Veer Park. I used to live across from the Park and would go running through the neighbourhoods daily, so it was always nice to see the neat houses, the differing styles and all. I have been in a couple of them, each one was nice.

[aaron38]

Davenport Central High School recently went through a multi-million dollar renovation so hopefully it will be around another 100 or so years. If I'm not mistaken, it's the oldest high school building in continuous use in the U.S.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v420/rockyi/015_22.jpg

That's the high school my dad went to, back in the late 60s. They did good work with the renovation.

[rockyi]

That octagon house has been looking like it was going to collapse for more than a decade now. That area, other than the LeClaire House, has been sitting there rotting for a time now, is there anything happening good there now?

I like many of the houses around Vander Veer Park. I used to live across from the Park and would go running through the neighbourhoods daily, so it was always nice to see the neat houses, the differing styles and all. I have been in a couple of them, each one was nice.

I'm not sure if anything is happening in the area of the octagon house or LeClaire house. I haven't been in that area for a while and I haven't heard about any projects around there. I did a photo thread on the VanderVeer Park area and it hasn't been deleated yet. Here's the link http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=129309


That's the high school my dad went to, back in the late 60s. They did good work with the renovation.

Yeah, it looks very nice. They did sell off all of the original 1904 oak hall lockers to the public, though. I guess they didn't meet code or whatever. I really wished I would have bought a couple, they looked pretty nice.

[HeneryHawk]

Nice park pics. I loved living in that area. I really am happy with the way St Ambrose is growing and dressing up the area (some of the houses they have displaced were quite dumpty and the changes are good ).

Probably can see the Oct house from some of the units in the Crescent lofts, and I guess that isnt a selling point ( about the only major negative I can think of down there ) for them, is it?

I have some neat antique hi ball glasses that are for Rock Island Lines Motor Freight, promotional I guess. The shorter building next to the Crescent is the Old Rock Island Motor Freight terminal.


How does it look down these with the Cement plant gone?

That little building on the corner ( formerly a gas station WAY way back ), used to be a hot dog stand back in the 60s or early 70s , I think. If its still there, it would make for a good coffee hang out, especially with all the traffic that passes by and the lofts all around ( it would be unique place there ).