“A Prairie Village: Herbert Hoover's West Branch, 1874 to 1885,” April 5

Tuesday, April 5, 6 p.m.

Presented by the Davenport Public Library

A special event in the 3rd Thursday at Hoover’s Presidential Library & Museum series landing instead on the month's first Tuesday, the Davenport Public Library's virtual presentation A Prairie Village: Herbert Hoover's West Branch, 1874 to 1885 will, on April 5, deliver a fascinating exploration into Herbert Hoover’s hometown and the people and places that the future president knew.

West Branch was laid out in 1869 by Joseph Steer and incorporated in 1875, and the city was first settled chiefly by Quakers from Ohio. Its name is derived from the meeting place of the West Branch Quakers, and the location of the city on the west branch of the Wapsinonoc Creek. Before the Civil War, areas in and around West Branch were stops of the Underground Railroad. Abolitionist John Brown once stayed at the Maxson farm east of West Branch, and also spent time at James Townsend's inn, the Traveler's Rest, in the winter of 1856. In 2008, archaeologists found evidence of unmarked graves in nearby North Liberty Cemetery while investigating an account of 17 escaped slaves who died before reaching Canada.

President Herbert Hoover was born in West Branch in 1874, and the eventual Herbert Hoover Presidential Library-Museum was dedicated here by Hoover and his close friend, President Harry Truman, in 1962. The Herbert Hoover National Historic Site, which includes the Library-Museum, the Hoover Birthplace Cottage, and the gravesites of President and Lou Henry Hoover, was authorized by Congress on August 12 of 1965, and the Davenport Public Library's April 5 presentation will place West Branch into the larger context of Midwestern communities in the late 19th century, touching on the city's social and economic life during Hoover’s childhood.

Serving as presenter for the virtual A Prairie Village: Herbert Hoover's West Branch, 1874 to 1885 program is Peter Hoehnle, a National Park Service park guide at the Herbert Hoover National Historic Site who holds a doctorate in history. He enjoys doing historical research and has been widely published on American communal societies, including volumes on Amana and the Shakers. Hoehnle has also served as President of the Communal Studies Association and is a past editor of the journal Communal Societies.

A Prairie Village: Herbert Hoover's West Branch, 1874 to 1885 will be presented at 6 p.m. on April 5, participation in the virtual program is free, and more information is available by calling (563)326-7832 and visiting DavenportLibrary.org.