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Bill Roba German-Iowan Strategies in Celebrating the Centennial of Alexander von Humboldt’s Birth
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The morning of 14 September 1869 was overcast and cool; later on a tremendous thunderstorm threatened the plans of German-Iowans. But by late morning, much of the rain had dried up and unique celebrations began to unfold in the two largest cities of Eastern Iowa: Dubuque and Davenport. Both of them were on the shore of the Mississippi River. Many of the established leaders of Iowa had faced with dismay the arrival of two new ethnic groups. In the 1850s approximately 36,000 German-speaking migrants (6% of the population) and a slightly smaller number of Irish (4%) had arrived in the state.[1] These new Iowans settled in the eastern third of the state, and exerted greater community influence after their involvement in the successful Federal conclusion to the American Civil War. In particular, the German citizens voted, and became an important part of the triumphant Republican coalition. In 1860, Dubuque was the 80th largest city in America with 13,000 people, while Davenport was the 89th largest, with 11,267 people. By 1870 the cities had become the 80th and 70th largest in the country; Dubuque’s population had risen to 18,289 while Davenport’s grew to 20,038. In each city, an elite group of German-Iowan leaders emerged by the late 1850s and registered their first success in ethnic pageantry with the Centennial of Friedrich Schiller’s birth on 10 November 1859. In Davenport, the event was held in the recently dedicated German Theater, two blocks from the riverfront. A grand banquet started the evening festivities, followed by a carefully choreographed program: orchestral music, orations, declamations and living tableau displays presented by members of the Turner Society.[2] “Afterwards, the newly elected German-Iowan, Lt. Governor Nicolaus Rusch [1822-1864], spoke briefly and the evening’s entertainment continued with a grand ball. [Davenport’s] was [one of the two] first state-wide cultural celebration[s] following more than a decade of German settlement.”[3] The development of ethnic pageantry after the end of the American Civil War was based upon the political organization of Federal veterans into the Grand Army of the Republic with local chapters throughout the Northeastern and Midwestern states. They symbolically “flexed their political muscle” by winning elections as Republicans, and their leaders used parades, speeches and community festivals to extend this influence, and to present their “ethnic story of success and acceptance into American life. The potency of Alexander von Humboldt’s influence in creating posi tive public acceptance of German residents was based upon the generalized early German-Iowan festivals of the 1850s, and he appeared to many Iowans as the public personification of Victorian science. In Iowa, this imprinting of these ideas can be indicated in two ways. First, the influential State Library of Iowa purchased the London edition of Cosmos for $3.32 or $100 in 2011 dollars.[4] Second, the last county created in the state was named Humboldt County in 1857, just before his death. In both the English and German language press in Iowa, Humboldt was portrayed as symbolizing the unity of Nature’s diversity, and one of the last members of the Enlightenment tradition to also hold progressive views on social change. This was true not only for scholars and educated citizens, but in regions with heavy German settlement, he had become an ethnic hero for the general public. Inspired by the flush of ethnic acceptance in the two leading cities of Iowa, German-Iowan leaders became aware of the planned celebrations in the Eastern United States, and began their own planning of public pageants on the tenth anniversary of the 1859 festivals for Schiller.[5] The plans for New York City consisted of decorated public and business buildings, a procession to Central Park followed by the dedication of a Humboldt monument, and eloquent orations in English and German ending with a grand banquet and torch light procession. This became the blue print for the Davenport centennial celebration. The other plan followed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania was an unofficial holiday, with most businesses closed, and a large parade to the cornerstone dedication of a monument in the city park. With slight modifications, this became the Dubuque celebration. The Dubuque German-Iowan leaders, many of whom were professionals or leading businessmen, began with plans for a celebration of Humboldt’s birth under the auspices of the Dubuque Männerchor Society. By early summer, representatives of the Männerchor and the newly incorporated Iowa Institute of Science and Arts, met and decided upon a September celebration with the support of the Dubuque Board of Trade, all German Societies (Männerchor, Turners, Schützen Society, and German Benevolent Society) and the local GAR (Grand Army of the Republic).[6] The huge festival was planned for Humboldt’s birthday, coinciding with the formal opening of the Institute. Some of the leaders were aware of the New York City plans, which became the center of national attention. As it was worked out, public buildings were decked out in bunting, flags and portraits, and this was carried onto the ships in the harbor which “were bright with bunting [and Manhattan itself] was in “holiday dress; so were the crowds that early in the day thronged the route that the procession was to take.”[7] German-Iowan leaders transferred these ideas to their smaller cities, and probably followed the Albany, New York’s celebration with processions of German societies, orations and music; and that of Wheeling, West Virginia with the procession of German societies to the Fairgrounds for orations in German and English.[8] The result was a symbolic assimilation of German inhabitants into the Dubuque urban society. The resulting parade, which was two miles long, took an hour to pass any given point.[9] An estimated 1,300 Dubuquers rode in 63 assorted wagons, carriages and bandwagons.[10] The procession started with the lead wagon containing the bust of Humboldt, which would be donated to the Institute; it was inscribed “Germania, Hibernia, Albion, Columbia and Humboldt.”[11] There were an overwhelming number of members of German societies (Humboldt Encampment No. 28, three Odd Fellows Lodges, Schützen Verein, three Catholic societies and the Steinhauer Verein) but also 200 Irish members of the Fenian Brotherhood, and 61 members of the Société Française representing Luxembourgers in the county. These ethnic units marching in the parade were balanced by interspersed American groups (Early Settler’s Association, Miner’s Association, volunteer fire companies, teachers, and students). Besides these marching units were a large number of Dubuque county farmers making up the crowd along the roadways. This represented the work of the Farmer’s club. “The farmers, with their wives and daughters [who normally stay at home] turned out en masse.”[12] The units at the head of the procession were carefully organized. “The Typographical Union was assigned a post of honor, being placed next to the car of state. Representatives of the Daily Herald, Daily Times, National Demokrat and Staats Zeitung, occupied this car with a complete printing office, […].”[13] On the sides of the car the prominent inscriptions of “Dubuque Typographical Union, No. 22” and the names of Gutenberg, Faust, Schaefer and Franklin [were] prominently displayed.[14] Another highlight was the geological cars. Following the Car of Honor with the statute of Humboldt, and the Car of State with young ladies representing the states, was Prof. J. V. Phillips’s Geological and Mineralogical Car had “views of Humboldt’s sections of the Harts Mountains, Mount Blanc, and sections illustrating the great continental iron, coal, lead and zinc fields of Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa and Missouri.”[15] Later there were four cars representing the importance of lead with the first one showing miners prospecting with a shaft using an air hose; the second was sponsored by the Dubuque Level and Lead Mining company. T. C. Roberts and other builders had “mounted large rocks of galena limestone, at which miners were busily at work, drilling and setting off blasts.”[16] The last wagon, had smelters with “pigs” of lead. There were a number of crowd-pleasing units such as the printers who created a humorous newspaper as a handout. It was a “very spicy paper entitled ‘The Bazoo’ with the terse motto, ‘We blow our own Horn!’ the brains behind the operation were A. Loafer, editor, and Y. Z. Blowhard, assistant editor.”[17] Another wagon was devoted to music and burlesque, which entertained the audience with its lower class humor. Another creative wagon called the zoological car contained two bears, one of whom was “rampant” (or standing on its hind legs), and the other was “couchant” (or lying down with its head raised) according to the anonymous newspaper man. Another car by the Northern Line Packet with a miniature small steamer “Dubuque”, fired up, with paddles playing and full of passengers into the Texas or top deck, followed by caulkers and a scaled down model of A. McKee’s sloop, the “Katie Dean” fully rigged with sail.[18] Some of the cars had a connection with the sciences of Humboldt such as the ornithology car with Otto Junckermann, German-Iowan Curator of the Iowa Institute; a conchology wagon with hundreds of shells and five young women waving to the crowd; and a botanical wagon. But most of the units were connected to the immense number of different occupations in the large city of Dubuque. They were intermixed with scientific wagons and included butchers, printers, window makers, millers, wagon makers, marble workers, black smiths, furnace makers, cigar makers, brewers, ice dealers, oyster seller, stove makers, tanners, plumbers, telegraphers, teamsters, postal workers, and sewing machine sellers. At the end of the parade, at least 10,000 people had gathered at Washington Square, with a decorated grandstand continuing the downtown decorations of flags, festoons and wreaths. Before the actual program of speeches began, the large audience was visually introduced to the “keywords” of the speakers, in using American slogans to acquaint the audience with ways of thinking about Humboldt, and the German-Iowan portion of the city’s population. Nature is a unity, governed by a combination of immutable laws. – Humboldt. Humboldt - - the friend and patron of merit and talent. The study of Nature leads mankind toward perfection. Man alone of created being, can become the interpreter of Nature. Humboldt, the pathfinder in Natural Sciences, the man of the people. Humboldt, the observer and expounder of the mysteries of Nature. Nature always responds to those who properly interrogate her. It is instructive to compare and contrast these slogans in the Midwestern cities of Dubuque and Davenport, with the Jersey City, New Jersey slogans in its Hamilton Square. ALEXANDER VON HUMBOLDT, he lives not for an age, but for all time. ALEXANDER VON HUMBOLDT, the great benefactor…. The greatest philosopher of his country. The founder and teacher of universal natural science. The Aristotle of a new era. There are certain similarities, but these statements apparently were indigenously devised in local communities.[19] After music from the Germania Band, the speakers were introduced by Austin Adams: Dr. Hoffbauer of Guttenberg, and both Oliver Perry Shiras, and C. G. Wullweber, from Dubuque. Hoffbauer, speaking in English, gave many examples of Humboldt’s scientific studies, closing with the thought that “the present celebration will be productive of good results. Many who have heretofore only known the name of Humboldt, will now begin to read and study his works. Museums and institutes of science will be established in large numbers, for the benefit of the masters whose intellectual and moral culture the welfare of the Republic” will be required.[20] Oliver Perry Shiras, prominent local attorney, followed with a sketch of Humboldt’s scientific achievements. Then C. Wullweber gave the German language address, emphasizing the biographical background of the great scientist.[21] Rev. A. B. Kendig concluded with a short speech, “every house has its bugs, and there are three kinds of bugs, as most people know, day-bugs, night-bugs and humbugs. We want the two former, but none of the latter.”[22] The large group assembled marched to the Iowa Institute of Sciences and Arts, which had rented rooms in the Façade building. A platform temporarily assembled in front of the building was the resting place for the bust of Humboldt, and a triumphal arch visually led to the speaker’s area. After music by the Band, Dr. Asa Horr formally opened the Institute. He described the opportunities for members to use the five rooms of cabinets and more than 2000 items in the library.[23] The bust of Humboldt was unveiled and after a few more speeches, the doors were opened to the public. The evening speech was delivered by Prof. J. W. Foster, ex-President of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, at the congregational Church. His lengthy speech described Humboldt’s scientific successes, and then different aspects of his life.[24] The orchestrated day of activities was a conscious attempt to weave ethnic diversity: the movement started with the English and German speeches, then moved towards the Institute, and finally to the Congregational Church with its Puritan religious antecedents in Massachusetts Bay Colony. The Institute was eminently successful in its controlling influence upon ethnic pageantry, in Americanizing a globally admired German scientist. They had raised $1,314 and spent $874, probably connected to the printing of the booklet. This is the equivalent of $13,400 in 2011 dollars.[25] The Iowa Institute of Science and Art had been organized in January 1869 and by appealing to the Dubuque elite, 135 members had been accepted into membership.[26] A linguistic analysis of surnames yields only 20 German-Iowans, or 14% of the membership list. There were enough German-Iowans to persuade the organized German societies in Dubuque to not only cooperate but also allow them to be used by the Institute with its financial resources. The connection with the American Association for the Advancement of Science also provided the cover of national support, with a published speech in its journal.[27] The Davenport German-Iowan leaders had a keen sense of their impact upon public opinion, based upon the Schiller celebration a decade before. This time they wanted to create a more nuanced public impression, by using the German Theater as the center of activities, with “Germans and Americans uniting in the testimonial to the memory of the mightiest mind that ever lit up the pathways of science.”[28] A mixed audience assembled at 7:30 p. m. for Prof. Jacob Strasser’s Centennial Orchestra, which played Beethoven’s “Egmont” overture.[29] Then a tableau, chorus, German Oration, a second tableau, the English Oration, a closing tableau, and the chorus completed the more public portion of the celebration. Then a Grand Torchlight Procession followed the traditional parade route, which had existed since the 1850s. The evening closed with a banquet for one hundred fifty invited guests, closing with seven toasts and responses. The tableaux were a popular form of dramatic story-telling. The costumed actors carefully posed in choreographed scenes, with the participants not moving. The goal was to tell a story and make a point, which educated the audience as to a way of thinking. This was reinforced by a catered dinner for this special occasion; the drinking toast was an occasion to emphasize the person chosen for the statement, and even the order of topics and toasters. The first tableau was The Reformation presented as a triptych with Tetzel, the Dominican indulgence seller on the left; the central scene showed an auto-da-fé with Grand Inquisitors burning a young man on a pile of sticks; the right-hand scene portrayed Luther nailing 95 theses on the door of the Wittenberg Schlosskirche. When “the red fire lit it up, the audience expressed their admiration in loud applause.”[30] This was followed by a combined choir of 70 singers from Concordia, Thalia, Männerchor and Turner societies singing a chorus from Wagner’s most controversial opera, Tannhäuser, under the direction of Prof. Strasser. The German Oration was delivered by J. P. Stibolt, who confined himself to the scientific importance of Cosmos because “it was designed to embrace nature as a whole, actuated and animated by internal forces.”[31] The anonymous journalist continued by explaining how Stibolt traced the unity of science: botany leads to meteorology, landforms and climatology while astronomy leads to mathematics and chemistry leading the researcher into understanding the unity of science. In conclusion, another newspaperman explained that the oration “gave a history… of the era of science which he inaugurated and which is filled and adorned. This speech was remarkable for its strength, lucidity and comprehensive grasp of the subject of which it treated.”[32] The second tableau illustrated the Progress of Science in two scenes: the first showed a priest keeping botany, astronomy, chemistry and medicine from going forward; after thunder the priest sunk to lower regions and “the clouds vanishes and a bust of Humboldt, on a pedestal wreathed with flowers, is exposed to view, with three graces of science, in beautiful array, extending crowns of palm over his head.”[33] The red light flashed and the scene was completed. Then the English Oration was presented by Gen. J. B. Leake who provided a biographical sketch of Humboldt’s life. This was followed by the “most beautiful [tableau] of the evening … [called Cosmos]. A rising sun illuminated Humboldt on the stage with a volume of Cosmos while addressing the personifications of Asia, Africa, Europe and America." The nine muses closely listened to Humboldt “as if paying earnest heed to his words. The applause which followed this scene was tremendous.”[34] Later in the evening, a torch-light procession which formed in the following order: Strasser’s Band, Turnverein, Schützenverein, Thalia Society, Männerchor, Jung Männerbund, Luppy’s Band, Liberty Fire Engine company No. 1, Rescue Fire Engine Company No. 2, Pioneer Hook and Ladder Company No. 1, Citizens. "About five hundred men marched in the procession. While it was moving, fireworks were set off, rockets sent upward, Roman candles discharged, and brilliant red, blue and white lights displayed, along the route, and at regular intervals cannon thundered from the hills. Here and there, transparencies were borne with inscriptions in German and English…"[35] Science the Providence of Men. Luther, Goethe, Humboldt: the Champions of German Intellect Nature and Nature’s laws lay Hid in night, Till Humboldt shone on Earth Then all was right. Humboldt, the Priest and Interpreter of Nature. Through Science to Liberty. The procession used old – fashioned German torches, “such as might have been seen in the capitals of Europe a century ago, on royal occasions.”[36] During the parade route, various stores and dwellings were illuminated. Afterwards, the banquet at the German Theater was the highlight of the evening. It was nearly 1:00 when toasts were given: Humboldt and Nature, response by Dr. Olshausen; Science and Faith, response by Dr. Dries; Humboldt and Jefferson, response by Henry Lischer; Humboldt and his brother, response by Dr. Kunze; Humboldt and Social Liberty, response by Hon. Mathias J. Rohlfs; Humboldt and Germany, response by Ernst Claussen; Science the Providence of Man, response by F. I. Jervis.[37] The points of comparison between the Dubuque and the Davenport experience are instructive. In Davenport, the German-Iowan leadership planned the celebration, without the Davenport Academy of Science, founded in 1867 and with 72 members by 1869. Of the members, the seven physicians outnumbered the three German members, and the two women![38] The Academy was dominated by professional men, and was typical of post-Civil War scientific societies.[39] Their decision was to focus their membership on a major experiment: photographing the eclipse of the sun on 7 August 1869 and publishing the findings.[40] The overall strategies of the German-Iowan leadership of the two cities were different. The Dubuque experience turned out to be one where the German ethnic population was assimilated into the citizens, with inclusiveness from peripheral Irish and French-speaking Luxembourg population in the south of the county. From an analysis of the pageantry planning in the two cities, differences in German province of origin, historical experiences, and institutionalization of ethnic allegiance suggests that a Humboldt celebration point to Humboldt celebrations of differing agendas of ethnicity. Looking at Dubuque’s German-Iowan leadership, the ten leaders’ average age was in the 40s; three of them were members of the local scientific organization; six were professionals (3 lawyers, two doctors and a college professor); and they were closely split in ethnicity with six of them German-speaking; three of them had estates averaging $205,000 in 2011 dollars. AUSTIN ADAMS (1826- ?)[41] was a graduate of Dartmouth College and Harvard Law School, who identified himself as a Republican.[42] He went on to become a Judge of the Iowa Supreme Court who entertained Ralph Waldo Emerson when Emerson lectured in Dubuque.[43] DR. WILLIAM HOFFBAUER (1812-1892),[44] born in Nordhausen, Thuringia, was a physician who gave the major German address. He lived in the nearby river town of Guttenburg in Clayton County. His fame rested upon having been a member of the 1848 Frankfurt Assembly.[45] DR. ASA HORR (1817- ?)[46] was a surgeon, botany researcher for the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D. C., President of the Iowa Institute of Science and Art and a self-described Republican.[47] OTTO JUNCKERMANN (1826-?)[48] was a successful druggist in Dubuque, member of the Iowa Institute of Science and Art, and Curator of Ornithology whose parade car showed his interests in birds. CHARLES K. KLEIS (1827-1909)[49] born in Baden, was a successful soda manufacturer.[50] In the parade he had a model soda factory “mounted on wheels, and surrounded with an oaken leaved bower. The process of bottling, etc, was kept up through the march.” On the car’s side was the inscription “Humboldt teaches us what nature will produce.”[51] F. M. PLEINS (1823- ?), born in Prussia, was a successful cigar manufacturer who owned real estate valued at $18,000 and personal estate at $8,000.[52] This would represent $296,000 and $132,000 in 2011 dollars.[53] OLIVER PERRY SHIRAS (1833- 1916)[54] was a successful lawyer having graduated from the Yale Law School, was president of the Dubuque Young Men’s Library Association, member of the local GAR, and later became a Federal Judge.[55] Col. THEO STIMMUNG (?-?) was president of the Dubuque Schützen Society.[56] Under his direction, the members with arms had dressed uniforms, which resembled the earlier militias popular in the 1850s.[57] PROF. J. V. PHILIPS (1819- ?),[58] born in New Jersey, was a geologist, member of the Iowa’s Institute of Science and Art who was quite wealthy, with real estate of $5,000 and personal estate of $5,000 or $82,000 and $18,000 in 2011 dollars.[59] The HON. C. G. WULLWEBER (1833 – 1877) was born in Hagenow, Duchy of Mecklenburg, studied law at the University of Berlin and Heidelberg; with his law degree from Harvard, he had been a professor at Alexander College in Dubuque, 1853 – 1856.[60]; he later was named U. S. Ambassador to Ecuador.[61] He had real estate valued at $8,000 and personal estate at $2,000 or $132,000 dollars and $36,000 in 2011 dollars.[62] Turning now to the Davenport German-Americans, 9 of the ten had migrated from the German Confederation; their average age was the same as those in Dubuque, in the 40s; however, none of them were members of the Davenport Academy of Science; and 7 were professionals (4 of them were involved in publishing, 3 were lawyers). A closer look at the origin of the nine German-Iowans reveals that six of them came from the Duchies of Schleswig, and Holstein on the Danish border and had experienced the earlier and failed attempt at creating a small republic of Schleswig-Holstein in 1848 – 1851.[63] ERNST CLAUSSEN (1833- ?) was born in Holstein and fought in the 1848 war of independence against Denmark; his father was a representative to the Frankfurt Parliament.[64] He was a lawyer when he volunteered in April, 1861 for the Federal forces as a 1st Sgt in Company G., which was completely German except for 3 Irish immigrants; he served as 1st Ward Alderman[65] with the older Samuel Hirschl, wealthy Viennese department store owner. He later served six terms as mayor of the city of Davenport. DR. HANS-CHRISTIAN DREIS (1809-1872) was a physician from the Duchy of Holstein, who owned a successful lager beer brewery in Davenport.[66] He had personal estate of $1,000, equivalent to $17,000 in 2011 dollars.[67] FRANK IBBERSON JERVIS (1847- ?) was born in England, and after moving to Davenport, published reprints of free-thought literature in the TRUE RADICAL (1867–1869).[68] He was an artist who was married to a local opera singer, Johanna Clausen; her career languished and he became assistant editor at the Davenport Democrat. LT. JOHN C. JOHANNSEN (1839- ?)[69] was born in the Duchy of Schleswig, belonged to the Masons, and was the earliest established grocer in Davenport; his real estate was valued at $350, or $8,100 in 2011 dollars.[70] DR. AUGUST KUNZE (1839- ?) born in Saxony, he was a physician who owned real estate worth $2,000, or $34,000 in 2011 dollars.[71] GEN. JOSEPH B. LEAKE (1828-1913) was a successful lawyer who lost in a State Senate race in 1861, running as a Democrat, but was elected in 1862.[72] He was Lt. col. In the 20th Iowa Infantry, and became Brigadier General in 1865, He was named commander of the Iowa Grand Army of the Republic, and sought to revitalize the local GAR posts; he later moved to Chicago where he became U. S. District Attorney.[73] HENRY LISCHER (1828-1903) was born in the Kingdom of Bavaria, became publisher of Der Demokrat and elected alderman.[74] He enlisted for 90 days in the St. Louis 3rd Home Guard, and later became an officer for the German Savings Bank in 1869. DR. JOHN J. OLSHAUSEN (1816 (1817?)-1890) was born in Eutin, Grand Duchy of Oldenburg. After leaving the Gymnasium he travelled for several years through Europe and South America and afterwards studied medicine in Kiel. Olshausen emigrated to the United States in 1847 and moved to Davenport in 1854 where he served as a director of the public schools for fifteen years.[75] HON. MATHIAS ROHLFS (1816- ?) was born in the Duchy of Schleswig, and arrived with the first large contingent of Norddeutschen in Davenport (1 August 1847). He was elected to the Scott County Board of Supervisors in 1861, serving for 12 years before holding other county and state political positions.[76] JENS PETER STIBOLT (1813-1887) had edited newspapers in Illinois during the 1850s, and arrived in Davenport as the new editor of Der Demokrat in 1860 and served in that capacity until his death in 1887. He presented the German oration. PROF. JACOB STRASSER (1831-1905) was born in Baden, and arrived in America in the 1840s, serving as a Quartermaster in the Mexican-American War. He was in New Orleans in 1853 as part of an Italian Opera Company, eventually settling Scott County in 1855, and from 1861–1862 serving in the Regimental Band, 44th Illinois Infantry, Company K. His instrument was the violin, and he returned to Davenport, creating the Union Band, and becoming the founder of orchestral music in eastern Iowa.[77] The summary position of the German-language press in Iowa in 1869 was the larger context. Stibolt printed an influential feuilleton in Der Wöchentliche Demokrat, entitled “Napoleon – Humboldt,” in the weekly edition of the newspaper.[78] He used his imagination to suggest what Napoleon would have thought if he had visited the Davenport fest, and then suggested that Humboldt was to science as Napoleon was to politics: they both had a global impact with their powerful intellect and popular support. It was a surprising comparison, which lead to increased circulation for the weekly edition. In summary, an analysis of ethnic pageantry requires an awareness of American English in the 1860s in order to use contemporary accounts in newspapers and publications. In looking at Iowa in the Midwestern region, there appeared to be a heightened awareness of Humboldt outside of the German community. Its leaders used a commemorative occasion to push their own strategies. The assimilationist goal of the Dubuque German-Iowan leaders seems to have been met with the strong admixture of entrepreneurial success in the city. The more separatist view of the Davenport German-Iowan leaders may reflect the different values of those from Northern Germany, who looked to their successful bi-cultural approach towards influencing this city. It is possible that the differing experiences for these cities, half century later, can be traced back to this variation in constructing ethnic influences. Bibliography Brigham 1912 Brigham, Johnson: Pioneer History of the Territorial and State Library of Iowa. In: Annals of Iowa 10 (1912-1913), 481-453. Briggs 1921 Briggs, John E.: Iowa and the Diplomatic Service. In: Iowa Journal of History and Politics 19 (1921), 321-365. Celebration 1869 Celebration of the Humboldt Centennial and Opening of the Iowa Institute of Science and Arts. At Dubuque, Iowa, September 14, 1869. Dubuque 1869. Davenport Academy 1867-1876 Proceedings of the Davenport Academy of Natural Sciences. Volume I. 1867-1876. Davenport 1876. Davenport City Directory for 1863 Power, John C./John W. Collins: Davenport City Directory for 1863. Davenport 1863. Davenport City Directory 1868-1869 Root, O. E.: Root's Davenport City Directory for 1868-9. 2nd Edition. Davenport 1869. Downer 1910 Downer, Henry: History of Davenport and Scott County Iowa. Volume I. Chicago 1910. Goldstein 2008 Goldstein, Daniel: The Knowledge Trade and the Expansion of Scientific Community in Post-Civil War America. In: ISIS 99 (2008), 519-546. Gray 1872 Gray, Asa: Address before the American Association at its Recent Meeting in Dubuque, Iowa. In: American Journal of Science and Arts 4 (1872), 282-298. History of Dubuque County 1880 History of Dubuque County, Iowa, Containing A History of the County, its Cities, Towns, etc. […]. Chicago 1880. History of Scott County 1882 History of Scott County, Iowa; Together with Sketches of its Cities, Villages and Townships, Educational, Religious, Civil, Military, and Political History; Portraits of Prominent Persons, and Biographies of Representative Citizens. Chicago 1882. Klencke 1859 Klencke, Hermann: Alexander von Humboldt. Ein biographisches Denkmal. 3rd revised edition. Leipzig 1859. Koch 1989 Koch, Rainer: Die Frankfurter Nationalversammlung 1848/49. Ein Handlexikon der Abgeordneten der deutschen verfassungsgebenden Reichs-Versammlung. Kelkheim 1989. Roba 2004 Roba, William: German-Iowan Studies. Selected Essays. New York u. a. 2004. U. S. Biographical Dictionary 1878 The United States Biographical Dictionary and Portrait Gallery of Eminent and Self-Made Men. Iowa Volume. Chicago / New York 1878. U. S. Census 1860 Population of the United States in 1860; Compiled from the Original Returns of the Eighth Census, Under the Direction of the Secretary of the Interior, By Joseph C. G. Kennedy, Superintendent of Census. Washington 1864. U. S. Census 1870 Ninth Census. Volume I. The Statistics of the Population of the United States, Embracing the Tables of Race, Nationality, Sex, Selected Ages, and Occupations. […] From the Original Returns of the Ninth Census (June 1, 1870), Under the Direction of the Secretary of the Interior, by Francis A. Walker, Superintendent of Census. Washington 1872. Newspapers Davenport Democrat (Iowa) Davenport Gazette (Iowa) Dubuque Times (Iowa) Der Wöchentliche Demokrat (Davenport, Iowa) New York Times How to cite Roba, Bill (2014): German-Iowan Strategies in Celebrating the Centennial of Alexander von Hum-boldt’s Birth. In: HiN - Humboldt im Netz. Internationale Zeitschrift für Humboldt-Studien (Potsdam - Berlin) XV, 29, S. 182-191. Online verfügbar unter: <http://www.uni-potsdam.de/romanistik/hin/hin29/roba.htm> Permanent URL unter <http://opus.kobv.de/ubp/abfrage_collections.php?coll_id=594&la=de> [1] U. S. Census 1860. This and the U. S. Census 1870 are the sources for demographic information in this essay. [2] “The Schiller Celebration”, Davenport Democrat (12 November 1859). [3] Roba 2004, p. 2. [4] Cf. MeasuringWorth.com (1 February 2014); Brigham 1912, p. 511. It was ordered on 16 November 1852 from the book jobber Tafts Library Agency in Boston, Massachusetts. [5] “By Telegraph”, Dubuque Times (15 September 1869). [6] Celebration 1869, p. 6. [7] New York Times (15 September 1869). [8] Dubuque Times (15 September 1869). [9] Ibid. [10] Analysis of “The Procession” in the Institute book (Celebration 1869, pp. 8-13). [11] Ibid., p. 8. These Latinate words referred to Germany, Ireland, England and America. [12] Celebration 1869, p. 8. [13] Ibid. [14] Ibid., p. 8-9. [15] Dubuque Times (15 September 1869). [16] Ibid. [17] Ibid. The play on words refers to loafers who had no jobs and depended upon begging; blowhard is someone who likes to pontificate in a blustery manner with a verbiage of words. [18] Ibid. [19] Celebration 1869, p. 15; New York Times (15 September 1869). [20] Celebration 1869, pp. 15-16. [21] Ibid., translation on pp. 23-28. [22] Ibid., p. 28. The word meant fraud, and had been in use in the Germanic Confederation since the 1830s; in America it was closely associated with the Dickens’s character, Ebenezer Scrooge who thought that Christmas was a fraud. [23] Ibid., p. 29-30. This was classic American slang of the 1860s referring to willfully deceptive talk. [24] Ibid., p. 33-49; about 12,000 words with a formal citation to Prof. Hermann Klencke’s biography of Alexander von Humboldt (Klencke 1859). [25] Cf. MeasuringWorth.com (1 February 2014). [26] Ibid., p. 57-58. [27] Gray 1872. [28] Davenport Gazette (15 September 1869). [29] The implication of the selection was obvious to the audience: heroic sacrifices to stop oppression had a special meaning after the American Civil War with more than 600,000 casualties. [30] Davenport Gazette (15 September 1869). [31] Ibid. [32] Davenport Democrat (15 September 1869). [33] Ibid. [34] Ibid. [35] Ibid. [36] Ibid. [37] Ibid. [38] Davenport Academy 1876, pp. 244-248. [39] Cf. Goldstein 2008. [40] Davenport Academy 1876, pp. vi, 24-28. [41] U. S. Census 1870 (manuscript census accessed from ancestry.com (1 February 2013) used in following footnotes where wealth is indicated. Cited as US Census). [42] History of Dubuque County 1880, pp. 759-760. [43] Briggs 1921, p. 273. [44] U. S. Census 1870. [45] Koch 1989, p. 218. [46] U. S. Census 1870. [47] History of Dubuque County 1880, p. 812. [48] U. S. Census 1870. [49] Ibid. [50] History of Dubuque County 1880, pp. 658. [51] Celebration 1869, p. 10. [52] U. S. Census 1870. [53] Cf. MeasuringWorth.com (1 February 2014). [54] History of Dubuque County 1880, pp. 778-789. [55] Ibid. [56] Celebration 1869, p. 10. [57] Dubuque Times (15 September 1869). [58] U. S. Census 1870. [59] Cf. MeasuringWorth.com (1 February, 2014) [60] History of Dubuque County 1880, p. 903. This college opened in 1856 under the auspices of the Presbyterian Church and closed in 1859. [61] Briggs 1921, p. 325. [62] Cf. MeasuringWorth.com (1 February, 2014). [63] Of the others one came from Baden, one from Bavaria and one from Saxony. [64] Downer 1910, p. 816; Koch 1989, p. 115. [65] There were two aldermen per ward, and he served with the older Samuel Hirschl, a former Viennese department store owner in Davenport, before he returned to the Habsburg Empire in 1867. [66] Davenport City Directory for 1863, p. 63. [67] U. S. Census 1870; cf. MeasuringWorth.com (1 February 2014). [68] Ibid., Davenport City Directory for 1868-1869, p. 105. [69] Downer 1910, p. 825. [70] U. S. Census 1870; cf. MeasuringWorth.com (1 February 2014). [71] Ibid. [72] Downer 1910, p. 759. [73] History of Scott County 1882, p. 455. [74] Downer 1910, p. 819. [75] The U. S. Biographical Dictionary 1878, pp. 374-375. [76] History of Scott County 1882, p. 275. [77] Downer 1910, p. 819. [78] Der Wöchentliche Demokrat (16 September 1869). This is the most significant source with its wide regional readership base. It was called the Low German Bible by Iowa’s and Illinois’s Plattdüütsch speakers and readers.
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