1953 Map of Davenport East

About this map

The Mississippi River defines the heart of this mid-century urban landscape, separating the growing cities of Davenport and Bettendorf in Iowa from Rock Island and Moline in Illinois. At the center of the channel, the Rock Island Arsenal sits on its namesake island, flanked by Lock and Dam No 15 and the narrow Sylvan Slough. The map documents a dense network of civic and religious institutions, from Mercy Hosp and St Anthonys Hospital to a high concentration of parochial centers like St Anthonys Church and School and Holy Family School. While the riverfront remains industrial and dominated by the Burlington Northern and other rail lines, the northern periphery shows the expanding residential footprints of Green Acres and Ridgeview Park near the Davenport Municipal Airport. This 1953 survey, with revisions through the mid-1970s, captures the transition from a traditional river-and-rail economy to modern suburban development.