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Davenport, city (1990 pop. 95,333), seat of Scott co., E central Iowa, on the Mississippi River; inc. 1836. Bridges connect it with the Illinois cities of Rock Island and Moline; the three communities and neighboring Bettendorf, Iowa, are known as the Quad Cities. Davenport is a rail, commercial, and industrial center. Its chief manufactures are food, fabricated metal products, and apparel. An early trading post was on the site, and the treaty ending the Black Hawk War was signed there in 1832. Davenport prospered with the arrival (1856) of the first railroad to bridge the Mississippi and had heavy river traffic in the late 19th cent. It is the seat of St. Ambrose College, Marycrest College, and the Palmer College of Chiropractic (developed by the son of D. D. Palmer). Also in the city are a municipal art gallery; a public museum; a zoo; and several parks, including Credit Island, a battle site in the War of 1812. Unlike many cities on the Mississippi, Davenport remains unprotected by a large floodwall, which puts riverfront areas at risk for occasional flooding. A large roller-gate dam and several locks, built there by the federal government, raise the water level of the river.
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