Sunday, January 27, 2008

5th Street: 99 Years Later

This first image is from a 1908 postcard, showing the corner of 5th and Iowa. The building on the left is still there today. Even though its labeled Sieg Iron Company, the buildings in the foreground almost look like a lumber yard. This image was taken in 2007 from the roof of the Crescent Lofts. The building that remains from the 1908 image is now part of Crescent Electric. The house at 5th and Pershing is easily seen in the newer image, but also barely visible in the postcard.
Also, I'd like to welcome any new visitors to the blog today, and thank Barb Ickes and the QCTimes for their coverage.

12 comments:

Unknown said...

Congrats on the nice write-up by Barb Ickes. As a follow defender of Davenport, I admire how you seem to be able to keep emotion out of the equation when offering your opinions. It's a quality I sometimes lack. :)

You deserve whatever praise comes your way, QCI.

Anonymous said...

U da MAN, QCI

Anonymous said...

Tried to find your pics at skyscraperpage.com, no luck.

Anonymous said...

Chris:

I would like to add my congratulations to your recognition in Barb Ickes’ article. You have consistently stayed positive and thoughtful and conduct a very informative blog.

Outside Looking In

Anonymous said...

Meyer? Your last name is Meyer? You're not Keith's kid, are you?

QuadCityImages said...

Thanks for the positive comments folks.

12:40, if you look down a few posts you'll see the link to where I posted the pictures. Here's the link again.

And nope, no relation to the former Alderman.

L.K. Baker said...

In the current photo, the house with the four columns is my house located at 224 E. 6th St. (corner of 6th & Pershing). The stone mansion was built in 1856 by Dr. E. S. Barrows. The boarded up building to the west of mine, 212 E. 6th St. was the home of one of Davenport's early mayors, J.W. Stewart. The blue building across the street from mine was the home of the Bettendorf family when they lived in Davenport prior to the fire that destroyed their business. As we all know, they relocated in Bettendorf, IA.

In the 1908 photo, the red building in the top center of the photo is the old Adams School once located at 7th & Perry. Directly below Adams School is the Barrows Mansion. The building which appears to have a tower in the upper right of the photo, is the original Lincoln School, which was torn down and a short distance away our current Lincoln School was built.

I want to thank you for sharing these great photos!

Anonymous said...

I like the new downtown, I know someone who lives in the lofts there. When they moved in a year ago or so, it was really nice. Now, it is a mess. I hope the managment gets better. My friend tells me that there are many problems with drugs and tenants and that management does nothing. She is moving out when her lease is up. She says that there are others leaving too. She is in a rent subsidized apartment and still thinks it is too high at $675.00 per month. Two bedroom. I thought is was supposed to be affordable. It that affordable? Or am I just out of the market too long to know?

QuadCityImages said...

Which lofts are you talking about? It doesn't sound like where I lived; they had little tolerance for troublemakers and evicted several.

Anonymous said...

She lives in the one on 4th. Like I said, they were really nice a year ago after they opened. Clean and neat. Now if you go in there, the front door is wide open always - no security and there is always the need for a vacuum in the hallways. Cigarette butts are literally on the balconies. She had to complain because the people used to stand out and just rhrow the cig butts over the balcony. Also, they had these people next door who threatened her. She says it is just a bad place to live now and expensive for the grief. I think it is a neat place and I wish I were exxagerating. Maybe your building was the other one>? Is it better? Nicer? I just wish they would mamange this better before it turns ghetto.

Anonymous said...

I've got a buddy that still lives there and I haven't heard anything of that negative nature at all.

Aside from that, nice write-up in the paper QCI. Keep up the good work.

RB said...

Considering moving to Downtown Davenport after I got a job nearby. Helpful site for at least seeing where things are, etc. Good times.