Join us for this program on local women’s history presented by Dr. Jane Simonsen of Augustana College. This program will explore the poems of Mary Brackett Durham, an upper-class white woman who lived in Rock Island in the late 19^th century.  Her poems, many of them based on the recollections of early settler Susan Lewis, romanticize race relations in the region and consign Native Americans to a ghostly past. At the same time, they offer glimpses of a more complex set of economic and political relationships that are often glossed over in public memory. Using Durham’s poems as an example, we’ll consider white women’s historical lack of access to academic forms of history-writing, their problematic use of the “vanishing Indian” myth to understand and shape public memory, and the ways that their accounts have influenced local history even today.

This program is best suited for adults. Registration is required. This program is offered in person or virtually. Masks are recommended at the library. Please observe social distancing and follow local COVID-19 safety recommendations. This program is subject to COVID-19 safety protocol updates. Please check back here for updates.

About the Davenport Public Library

The Davenport Public Library is the municipal library for the City of Davenport, Iowa, serving a population of 102,196 resi-dents. The Library has three conveniently located facilities. |Main |Fairmount, and |Estern. Main is also the home of the Richardson-Sloane Special Collections Center, which focuses on local history and genealogy. New in 2020, the Library acquired the Outreach Wheeled Library (OWL) that brings library services directly to retirement facilities, schools, daycares, community events and organizations throughout Davenport. Patrons can access our library catalog, website, e-books, e-audiobooks, and countless digital re-sources, remotely 24-hours a day. Wireless Internet access and public computers, faxing, copying, notary services, and scanning are available at each of our locations.