Ghost Tales Bring Spooky Fun To Colonel Davenport House This Weekend
Kick off the Halloween season as the Colonel Davenport Historical Foundation presents “Ghost Tales” with spooky stories told by local storytellers on the grounds of the Colonel Davenport House on Arsenal Island at 7 p.m. on Saturday.
Local author Gena Schantz will kick off the stories with a reading from the book she wrote about George Davenport that was published in 2020. The Trader at Rock Island: George Davenport and the Founding of the Quad Cities is the first and only biography ever written about
Colonel Davenport House
the man for whom the city of Davenport is named. Gena will be available to sign copies of her book starting at 5:30 p.m.
The Trader at Rock Island tells the story of George Davenport and his entry into the Indian trade and his eventual transition into services and businesses marketed toward the new settlers. After the Black Hawk War, Davenport promoted land development as the frontier turned from Indian land to commercial centers of industry. By the time of Davenport’s murder in 1845, the cities now known today as the Quad Cities in Iowa and Illinois were in their infancy.
Admission for this family-friendly event is $6 for adults; 12 and younger are free. Enjoy the refreshments for sale. Bring a mask to wear when inside the house. Don’t forget to bring a lawn chair or blanket. Costumes encouraged. Come before the main event to get a tour of the Colonel Davenport House beginning at 5:30 p.m. that’s included with admission.
Attendees age 16 and older must show U.S. photo I.D. since the Island is a working military facility. Please enter through the Moline gate. You don’t need any additional passes since this is an approved special event. For more information, visit www.davenporthouse.org.
About the CDHF
The Colonel Davenport Historical Foundation (CDHF) is a nonprofit volunteer group that works to preserve Colonel George Davenport’s former home and share his story with the community. The Colonel Davenport House, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was built in 1833-1834 and is on the North end of Arsenal Island in the Quad Cities. Colonel Davenport was the first permanent white settler in the Quad Cities and built the first house in the area. The Foundation relies on volunteers to maintain and operate the house. It is open for tours from May to October, Thursday-Saturday from 12-4 p.m.
