German Savings Bank
September 17, 2023 |
2:00 pm -
3:00 pm
$0-5
For 150 years, Davenport was the financial capital of Iowa and the entire trans-Mississippi region. The largest and most important of its banks was the German Savings Bank — later renamed the American Commercial and Savings Bank, and then simply Davenport Bank. This institution was continuous for 125 years, and during most of its existence, it was the largest bank in Iowa. This presentation will explore the bank’s institutional history, the factors that created the conditions for such success, and its effects on the culture of Davenport and the Greater Quad-City region. Included in this presentation will be “virtual architectural tours” of the buildings.
FREE for GAHC&M members, $5 for non-members
Register here.
This lecture is offered both in-person and virtually. The session will be recorded and available to watch afterwards. If you need assistance registering or have questions please contact [email protected].
About the speaker
Gates Thomas is a freelance composer, arranger, and music director. Born and raised in Davenport, he was based in New York City for 25 years, writing for the Lionel Hampton Big Band, Bobby McFerrin, Pat Metheny, Gary Burton, Jim Hall, Chris Willis, The New American Orchestra, and many others. Since moving back to Davenport, in October 2020, Gates has maintained his freelance career, and continues to serve as Professor of Contemporary Writing and Production at Berklee College of Music in Boston. In November 2022, he assumed duties as music director of the Unitarian-Universalist Congregation of the Quad Cities.
German Immigrants impacted American culture through food, fashion, music, and even education. How many of those things can you spot in this post?
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Schuetzen Park Celebration
Sunday August 2nd | 1:00 pm
FREE
�The Schuetzen Park will continue its 155th anniversary celebration of the grand opening of the Park which took place in June 1870 with a free public concert. The Deutsche Polka Band will headline the event on Sunday August 2nd. Beginning at 1:00 food and drinks will be served, and the concert will commence at 2:00. Admission to the Park is always free.
Schuetzen Park is located at 700 Waverly Road in Davenport. More information can be obtained by calling: 563-449-2358 or by email: [email protected].
Photo from Davenport Iowa History:
Schuetzen Park Club House – 1902
"The beautiful and inviting Club House at Schuetzen Park was under the care of Bruchman & Co. in 1902. August Bruchman and Fred Kuehl were lessees of the park, operating the saloon, restaurant, dancing pavilion and bowling alley. Fred Kuehl was the manager of the Turner Hall and the New Grand Opera House at Third and Scott streets, while his brother-in-law, August Bruchman, was the former head bartender at the Turner Hall. August and his wife Mary resided at Schuetzen Park."
Davenport Coliseum, 1911. Images from German American Heritage Center & Museum Collections.
Initially called the Saengerfest Halle, this building is now the Col Ballroom in Davenport, IA.
Look at those colors!
Only a few more days left to enjoy free admission in July! 🎟️
Visit the museum free of charge through July 31st. Explore the history of Davenport and the German immigrants who built our community.
Open:
Tuesday – Saturday 10 am – 4 pm
Sunday 12 – 4 pm
Closed Monday
German Lutheran Church in Geneseo, IL. 1890.
Image from German American Heritage Center and Museum Collection.
The Outing Club, 1900. Image from German American Heritage Center Collections.
Established in 1891. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1977 and a contributing building of Vander Veer Park Historic District since 1985.
Though not directly part of the German American Immigrant history, The Outing Club is a pillar in Davenport`s communal history.
Stay tuned for a BIG reveal coming next week!
After 16 years on display and noticeable wear and tear to our permanent exhibition panels, we are installing new, dynamic, and exciting signage and artifacts to our timeline area on the 3rd floor. We can`t wait to see our hard work come to life in our permanent exhibition space.
The new information still explores the experiences of German immigrants to our area, but we are adding more artifacts, telling broader stories and experiences of residents in the Quad Cities during the high points in immigration history, and exploring what German immigrants arrived to in Iowa—some expected, and others not.
Thank you to Regional Development Authority for their support of this project. And thank you to our generous donors who helped us recover the lost funding after the federal budget cuts earlier this year: Cal and Jill Werner, Bob Thoreson, The Jewish Federation of the Quad Cities, and an anonymous donor. We could not have done this project on our original timeline without the support of our community.
And thank you to Edwards Creative for working with us on this project. Your designs and imagination will bring this exciting project to life!
We`re excited to share that our virtual version of our "Recent Acquisitions" exhibition is now live! This exhibition explored some of the newest and most interesting items added to our collection from the last 6 years. It was on display in person until June 1st, but now it is available to view year-round online.
In addition to photographs and the didactics from the original exhibition, our summer intern, Enya, has translated the exhibition to German, provided voiceovers for the artifact labels, and conducted additional research and resources to enhance the exhibition. We hope these additions are useful and help make this content more accessible to a wider audience.
You can explore the virtual exhibition here: https://virmuze.com/m/gahc/x/whats-new-recent-acquisitions-to-the-collection/
Enya is a student in the @wiulovesmuseumstudies MA program (anticipated to graduate in December of 2025) and an intern at the German American Heritage Center and Museum. She is German-American, having been born in Bavaria, and regularly visits family there. As she was a military-brat, she has also lived in the Rhineland-Pfalz region of Germany, England, and multiple U.S. states. She loves helping others learn about German culture, as well as learning about different cultures from around the world.
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