For 175 years, the site of the Black Hawk Treaty of 1832 — the place of Davenport’s very origin — has been inaccessible, hidden in plain sight. Like the nearly-vacant lot that stood at the Treaty site for the last 50 years, the historical canon of early Davenport has become overrun with weeds and underbrush — an impassable thicket of confusing references and misidentifications. Calling upon primary sources from Davenport’s earliest history, this session will trace the development of the Black Hawk Treaty grounds over two centuries of change, and clear away some common misunderstandings and misidentifications in the historical canon.
Gates Thomas is a composer, arranger, and conductor with 25 years of experience in the New York music industry. Professor of Contemporary Writing and Production at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Gates is also a 2015-16 Mount Vernon Fellow at the George Washington National Library in Mount Vernon, VA, and has lectured on topics including Davenport, 20th century music, the American Revolution, the United States Navy, and the recording arts. He returned permanently to Davenport in 2020.
Saturday March 16th | 2:30 pm
FREE
Davenport Public Library – Main Branch
321 N Main Street, Davenport, IA 52801
This program is offered in person and virtually. To attend the event virtually, please follow this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84574678234.
For more information, please visit www.davenportlibrary.libcal.com