Davenport, city (2020 pop. 101,724),
seat of Scott co., E central Iowa, on the Mississippi River; inc. 1836.
Bridges connect it with the Illinois cities of Rock Island and Moline; the three communities and
neighboring Bettendorf, Iowa,
are known as the Quad Cities. Davenport is a rail, commercial, and
industrial center. Its chief manufactures are food, fabricated metal
products, and apparel. An early trading post was on the site, and the treaty
ending the Black Hawk War
was signed there in 1832. Davenport prospered with the arrival (1856) of the
first railroad to bridge the Mississippi and had heavy river traffic in the
late 19th cent. It is the seat of St. Ambrose College, Marycrest College,
and the Palmer College of Chiropractic (developed by the son of D. D.
Palmer). Also in
the city are museums of art and of history and natural sciences and several
parks, including Credit Island, a battle site in the War of 1812. Unlike
many cities on the Mississippi, Davenport remains unprotected by a large
floodwall, which puts riverfront areas at risk for occasional flooding. A
large roller-gate dam and several locks, built there by the federal
government, raise the water level of the river.
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