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SAVE THE DATE October 18th, 2025!
Welcome to Butterworth Center & Deere-Wiman House, located in the Overlook District of Moline, Illinois. Both historic homes once belonged to John Deere’s descendants but are now operated by the William Butterworth Foundation. They serve as year-round sites for quality educational and cultural events, meeting space for not-for-profit organizations, and tours for local, national, and international visitors.
The Deere Family Homes offer a glimpse into the Victorian era. Deere-Wiman House, built in 1872, was home to John Deere’s son, Charles Deere. Butterworth Center, built in 1892, was home to John Deere’s granddaughter, Katherine Butterworth. Guided tours are available Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday beginning at Deere-Wiman House at 2:30p, except for major holidays. Larger group tours are by appointment Monday through Friday.
Educational programs reach all age groups and are supported by the archival materials housed in the homes. To learn more go to www.butterworthcenter.com
Tours offered Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays beginning at 2:30p at the Deere-Wiman House
HOURS
Tues- Sat 10-4PM
Sun: 12- 4PM
CONTACT Info@gahc.org
Current Exhibits
The German Immigrant Experience
Sound Mind Sound Body: Turnverein Traditions
Steam Circus: Colourful Word of Carousels
In the mid-to-late 1800’s millions of German citizens left their homeland and settled as immigrants in the United States. The 1900 U.S. Census documented that over half the citizens in Iowa, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota were German immigrants or their descendents. Scott County, where the first passenger railroad crossed the Mississippi River, was the entry point for many immigrants to the upper Midwest region and points west. In 1900, Joseph Eiboeck, a veteran German newspaperman, described Davenport as, “the most German city, not only in the State, but in all the Middle West, the center of all German activities in the State”.
Founded on August 1, 1994 as a private, not-for-profit organization, the German American Heritage Center (GAHC) seeks to preserve the heritage of our German speaking ancestors for present and future generations and to enrich our knowledge of the German immigrant experience.
The Mission is to “preserve and enrich for present and future generations knowledge of the German immigrant experience and its impact on the American Culture.” GAHC’s focus is cultural programs and immigrant contributions. GAHC seeks to reach out to other cultural groups and demonstrate the contributions immigrants from many countries and from varied backgrounds have made to the ethnic palette which is the United States.
FUN FACTS The German American Heritage Center is one of six remaining "Gasthauses" left in the country!
Our building operated as a hotel from 1871 until 1990, even being owned by the Standard Oil Company!
HOURS
Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 5 PM
CONTACT specialcollections@palmer.edu
As the birthplace of the profession of Chiropractic, Palmer College of Chiropractic has the largest collection of chiropractic resources in the world. The mission of Special Collections and Archives is to preserve and make accessible all types of materials related to Palmer College, Palmer Family, and the wider history of the chiropractic profession. There is a wide range of rare and unique items including books, journals, pamphlets, audiovisual media, photographs and manuscripts, which are available for viewing both in person and online as part of the digital collections.
The Richardson-Sloane Special Collections Center at the Davenport Public Library collects, preserves, and provides access to extensive genealogical and local history collections. Special Collections also houses the Scott County Iowa Genealogical Society Collection as well as the Richardson-Sloane Genealogical Library.
Collections in the Richardson-Sloane Special Collection Center include:
Archives and Manuscript Collections
Books and other publications
Images
Maps
Architectural Drawings
Local and Regional Newspapers
Vital and Court records
Search our collections through our Library Catalog, our Archives and Manuscript Catalog, the Upper Mississippi Digital Image Archive, and our blog, Primary Selections from Special Collections.
Contact Information
Contact Information
The Richardson-Sloane Special Collections Center is located on the lower-level of the library.
Address
321 N Main Street (Maps and Directions)
Davenport, IA 52801-1490
Phone
(563) 326-7902
Follow us on Social Media
Follow us on Social Media
St. Ambrose University
St. Ambrose University
The mission of the St. Ambrose University Archives is to preserve, arrange, describe, and make accessible historically significant documents and other materials which reflect the University's origins and development, and the activities and achievements of its officers, faculty, staff, students and alumni.
More information about Archives and Special Collections is found here: https://libguides.sau.edu/archives
Archives and Special Collections are located on the third floor of the library. Appointments are preferred. Please contact the Archivist, Onnica Marquez at marquezonnicaf@sau.edu or 563-333-5868
Archives and Special Collections are located on the third floor of the library. Appointments are preferred. Please contact the Archivist, Onnica Marquez at marquezonnicaf@sau.edu or 563-333-5868
Materials in the Archives are produced by, or are specifically about, St. Ambrose.
Items in the Archives include:
Artifacts
Photographs
Documents
Yearbooks
Catalogs
Newspapers
Magazines
University Publications
Theses
And so much more!
Special Collections
The Special Collections division of the Library collects, preserves, describes and makes available unique materials. Items in Special Collections include:
Book Arts
Books about St. Ambrose (the saint), his legacy and his contemporaries
Publications about St. Ambrose (the institution) and historical figures
Publications written by Ambrosians (faculty, staff, students, and alumni)
The Swenson Swedish Immigration Research Center
The Swenson Swedish Immigration Research Center
The Swenson Swedish Immigration Research Center, on the campus of Augustana College, is a national archives and research institute providing resources for the study of Swedish immigration to North America, the communities the immigrants established, and the role the immigrants and their descendants have played in American life. This is achieved by promoting and initiating academic research in the field and by collecting and cataloging Swedish-American archival and library materials. Another major role for the Center is to assist people researching their Swedish-American family history.
The Swenson Center was founded by Birger and Lyal Swenson on December 31, 1980. Birger Swenson emigrated from Sweden in 1912, graduated from Augustana College, and worked for the Augustana Book Concern. The endowment established by the Swensons provided the initial financial support for the Swenson Swedish Immigration Research Center.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
WEBSITE: https://www.swensoncenter.org/
PHONE: 309-794-7204
FAX: 309-794-7443
EMAIL: swensoncenter@augustana.edu
ADDRESS:
Mailing address:
Swenson Swedish Immigration Research Center
Augustana College
639 38th Street
Rock Island, IL 61201-2296
Street address:
Denkmann Memorial Hall, Augustana College
3520 7th Ave
Rock Island, IL 61201
HOURS:
Monday-Friday: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm & by appointment
More info here:
https://www.qcahn.org/swenson-swedish-immigration-research-center.html
DID YOU KNOW?
While it's true that many of our materials are in Swedish, about 41% of our materials are in English. You can use many of our resources even if you don't read Swedish!
Moline attracted large waves of immigrants from Sweden beginning around the 1850s. Four mayors of Moline were Swedish-born, with three others having Swedish heritage.
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