HIBERNIAN HALL
421 Brady; Davenport, Iowa

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National Historical Register Information:

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Newspaper Articles on Hibernian Hall Happenings

Davenport Daily Leader; Davenport, Scott, Iowa; November 23, 1891

FOR THE POOR
The Ladies' Catholic Union Flower Show

There will be a flower show next Wednesday and Thursday evening at Hibernian Hall on Brady between Fourth and Fifth streets, 
given by the Ladies' Catholic Union to raise funds for the support of the poor during the coming winter. Light refreshments 
will be furnished. Admission for adults, 15 cents, for children, 10 cents. The public is invited to attend.
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Davenport Morning Tribune; Davenport, Scott, Iowa; March 2, 1892

Work was commenced yesterday on the foundation for the new front to the Hibernian Hall.
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The Davenport Tribune; Davenport, Scott, Iowa; May 18, 1892

The Old and the New

A large and old-fashioned brick building on Brady street, gable to the front, between Fourth and Fifth, standing far back 
from the street, is labeled in large letters "Hibernian Hall." For many years this ancient but very respectable house, right 
where a business block should stand, has been a source of grief to all progressive citizens. It was a church building in the 
marts of commerce. The money changers were all around it. Finally, a disposition was made of the property, when the 
congregation a short time ago erected a beautiful church building on the bluff. But, alas, in big letters on the building as 
successor to the Christian or Disciples congregation which had worshipped there, was the brazen sign -- "Hibernian Hall." 
Citizens then gave it up as to getting that old house out of the way. It might be a Hibernian Hall long as it was the 
Christian Chapel, and the first was built there in 1844, and his house erected in 1855-6, as a then costly structure. But 
the Hibernians are up with the spirit of the age, or with the progress of Brady street. As before noticed in the Tribune, 
they are erecting a large brick business house, with two store rooms, right in the expansive front yard of the old chapel, 
and yesterday the street walls were just beginning in their rise to obscure the high up sign of "Hibernian Hall." In a few 
days the old church building and hall will be but a memory, lost to sight, yet still there and in the performance of honest 
duty.
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Davenport Daily Leader; Davenport, Scott, Iowa; February 23, 1893

DR. O'LEARY,
THE PHYSIOLOGIST,
Will commence a brief course of 
LECTURES
On
DEMOLOGY
At Hibernian Hall, Monday Night, Feb. 27
Splendidly illustrated. Seats free first lecture. 
Boys under 18 must have a written pass from 
parents or teachers to vouch for their good
behavior, or they will not be admitted.
WHITHER ARE WE DRIFTING!
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Davenport Daily Leader; Davenport, Scott, Iowa; May 14, 1893

Herman Hartz, late of the firm of Rodler & Hartz, has purchased an interest with A.C,. Detrick, in the Hibernian hall barber 
shop, 423 Brady street, and the new firm is Detrick & Hartz, and they invite their many friends to call and see them.
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Davenport Daily Leader; Davenport, Scott, Iowa; January 17, 1894

HORSESHOERS
They Hold a Meeting at Hibernian Hall Last Evening

There are quite a goodly number of horseshoers in Davenport, Rock Island and Moline, and they have a strong organization 
known as the Tri-City Horse Shoers Protective association. The association is not as strong in this city as in those across 
the Mississippi, and therefore steps are being taken to remedy this state of affairs.

Last evening at Hibernian hall there was an open meeting of the horseshoers of Davenport, at which plans for the betterment 
of the organization were informally discussed. An effort will be made to get all Davenporters of the profession to unite for 
mutual protection and benefit and establish good feeling and fellowship all around. Another open meeting will be held next 
month at which it is hoped every shop will be represented.
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Davenport Daily Leader; Davenport, Scott, Iowa; April 29, 1894

HARD TIMES PARTY

Last Monday night a Hard Times party was given at Hibernian hall. It was not a public affair by any means, but the young 
ladies who issued the invitations were obliged to procure a ball to accommodate a large circle of friends.

The guests began to arrive about 8 o'clock. They did not come in carriages or even in street cars. The nature of the party 
forbade that extravagance.

Misses Mary Dorgan, Mary Hayes, Alice Ryan, Mary Schneider and Mary Finch acted as reception committee. The heartiest 
welcome was given to those who wore the oldest clothes. But one or two well-dressed persons were admitted on proof that they 
meant no disrespect by such attire.

There is always an element of jollity in such a party, that is unattainable in anything except a picnic. Everybody doffs his 
self-reserve with his good garments. It is quite impossible to feel dignified when you have a long, red flannel patch on 
your trousers, or a hat without a crown, or a dress that has lost all idea of style.

Probably a merrier crowd never assembled in Hibernian hall on that night. Danciing was fast and furious. The quadrilles were 
one round of laughter and frolic, until the sides of every person were sore from laughing. Then it was etiquet to sit on the 
floor. You can't do this at an ordinary "biled-shirt" party, because you might soil your clothes. Pedestrians on the street 
below paused and looked up apprehensively, and then got out from under, lest the building should fall. But it didn't.

After a number of waltzes, polkas and square dances, lots were drawn for partners to supper. Everyone was ready for supper 
too. At a hard times party it is fashionable to have an appetite. The supper was excellent and was thoroughly appreciated, 
judging by the few remnants left. Then the dancing was resumed and the guests lingered and lingered, for "just one more" 
till it was almost time for breakfast.

A description of the costumes would be inadequate to the purpose. The public would not fully grasp the pictures. Take a 
young man and clothe him in a ragged suit of misfit garments, with patches here and there, old brogans on his feet and a 
shapeless hat on his head, and you have a fair sample of the gentlemen there. Then let a young lady assume a faded calico 
dress that hangs like a bag on a pole, give her old shoes and a bonnet made when the world was young, and you have a fair 
sample of the feminine contingent. Everybody laughed at everybody else.

Among those present in costume were:

Messrs. and Mesdames - 
T.F. Halligan, Guy Ahrens, Will Lillis, Frank Harrison, J. Driscoll.

Misses - 
Ella McCortney, Jenny Marinan, Joe Purcell, Mamie Feeney, Lottie Kelly, Laura Kelly, Annie Gillon, Maggie Dwyer, Nellie 
Nevins, Mame Lindley, Jennie Lillis, Minnie Sharon, Fannie Marinan, Kittie Purcell, Alice Connors, Mamie Connole, Mamie 
Dorgan, Mary Hayes, Alice Ryan, Mary Finch, Mary Schneider, Mollie Leahy, Aggie Brennan, Alice Kane, Mamie Brennan, ____ 
Hodgson, Maggie Grady.

Messrs - 
_____ Kelly, J.T. Hayes, John Ryan, Fred Sharon, J. Leonard, Thos. Murdock, Bert Horne, Richard Kelly, John Mullen, Art 
Kelly, John Gorman, Ed. J. Dorgan, Chas. O'Hara, John Dorgan, M. Renihan, T. Feeney, Vincent Dorgan, Leo Wynes, Harry McGee, 
James Brennan, John O'Conner, Robert Watters, Vestis Rohn, James Lindley, George Huot, Will Grady, James Dunn, D.C. Murphy, 
Thos. Brehany, Prof. Thiedemann. 

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Davenport Daily Leader; Davenport, Scott, Iowa; July 26, 1894

The exhibit of china painting at the Hibernian hall is attracting a fine attendance.
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Davenport Daily Leader; Davenport, Scott, Iowa; January 24, 1896

TURKISH BATH NOTES

P. Prosperi has secured the services of J.C. Fuller, former manager of the Palmer house, Chicago, Turkish bath rooms, and 
Mr. Fuller will henceforth be found at Mr. Posperi's fine establishment in the Hibernian hall building on the East side of 
Brady street, between Fourth and Fifth. Mr. Fuller is an experienced and skilled operator and his advent to Davenport will 
be learned with pleasure by all devotees of the health-giving and refreshing system.

Special arrangements have been made also for ladies, and every Thursday henceforth will be ladies day, from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
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Davenport Daily Leader; Davenport, Scott, Iowa; April 19, 1896

The Turkish bath rooms at Hibernian hall have been remodeled and will be run on the sanitarium plan for ladies and gentlemen 
and opened for business Monday.
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Davenport Daily Leader; Davenport, Scott, Iowa; November 27, 1896

SALMAGUNDI PARTY TONIGHT

Tonight at Hibernian hall the second Salmagundi party under the auspices of the ladies of the Sacred Heart Relief society 
will take place. The tables will be set and the progressive cinque party begin promptly at 8:30 o'clock. The entertainment 
is to raise funds for charitable purposes.
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Davenport Daily Leader; Davenport, Scott, Iowa; November 29, 1896

Salimagundi Party

The ladies of Sacred Heart Relief Society gave the second of the series of entertainments that the society has planned for 
the coming season. There was a good attendance and progressive cinque was the game of the evening and Hibernian hall, where 
the party was given, was a scene of much gaity and levity. The young people who were present had a most enjoyable time and 
the older ones were not barred by a long chalk from the roundedly of pleasures. Refreshments were served at the usual time 
and music furnished a feature of the evenings entertainments. The object of the society is to give relief to the poor people 
of Sacred Heart parish and a neat sum was realized which added to the sum secured by the former entertainment makes a good 
round sum.

The hall was beautifully decorated with flowers and made a very pleasing appearance. There were eleven tables of players in 
the game of progressive cinque. Miss Jennie Kane, of Chicago, who is visiting her parents in Rock Island, won the ladies 
prize, while J.W. Walsh and John Cody tied for the gentleman's prize and when the cards were cut to decide the tie the prize 
fell to Mr. Walsh.
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Davenport Daily Leader; Davenport, Scott, Iowa; August 24, 1897

PHRENOLOGY
Hibernian Hall Every Night This Week.

Hear Prof. Wm. Windsor, LL. B., Ph.D., the world's most eminent, Phrenologist in his grand course of FREE LECTURES TONIGHT.
Prof. Windsor will delineate the characters of prominent citizens selected by the audience every night, producing 
astonishment and roars of laughter.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT-
How to Be Healthy.

THURSDAY NIGHT,
Admission 10c.
MATRIMONY: How to Select a Husband or Wife. Electric and Magnetic Affinities explained. Scientific definition of love.
Prof. Windsor will introduce several beautiful young ladies, representing different types, and select husbands for them 
from the audience.

FRIDAY NIGHT,
Admission 15c.
TO LADIES ONLY: "Health, Happiness and Beauty."

This course of lectures is an EDUCATION IN ITSELF. Do not miss a single night.
Prof. Windsor can be consulted during the say from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. at his office in HIBERNIAN HALL.
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Davenport Daily Leader; Davenport, Scott, Iowa; July 7, 1898

DRAMATIC READING.
A.A. Mallon Gives an Interesting Impromptu Program.

There was a meeting of the ladies' auxiliary of the A.O.H. at Hibernian hall last night. After the business of the evening 
had been disposed of a number of gentlemen who had also been holding a meeting in the hall were called in and all were given 
a treat which was as delightful as unexpected.

A.A. Mallon, actor and comedian, who has been in the city for the past two or three weeks, and who was one of the members of 
the old joint stock companies organized here away back in the sixties was introduced. To say that the audience was delighted 
would be expressing it rather tamely. He gave them a program, devised on the spur of the moment that the equal of which has 
rarely been seen in this city.

Mr. Mallon opened with a short "actor talk" on the late Edwin Booth and then gave an imitation of Booth in the closet scene 
from Hamlet. It was a wonderful piece of work and those present who had seen Booth in his palmy days say that they could 
almost see him again before them. From this he turned to a bit of pantomine or "silent acting" from a little French drama, 
the plot of which is laid in Monte Carlo. It was a very clever thing and excited the applause of the audience time and 
again. It remained for his comic sketches however, to take the audience by storm. It was an illustration of how different 
people "popped the question."

The sketches included the English marine, the French dancing master, the German, the Irishman, the colored man, the Jew, the 
actor, the Chinaman and the Yankee. It was a laugh from the beginning to the end.

The closing and special piece of the evening was an imitation of the two great American stars, Booth and Lawrence Barrett in 
the quarrel scene between Brutus and Cacius from Julius Caesar. The reading was superb and brought forth the highest praise 
of the actor's worth and ability.

An amusing incident occurred while the actor was doing the "silent acting." The colored Light Guard band which was 
accompanying a colored trolley party about the three cities, stepped in front of the hall to give them a serenade. The music 
was not of the "shivery, deep villain" character, but drowned even the acting. Solemnly the actor turned to the place where 
the L.R. should be and in stentorian tones called out, "Mr. Stage Manager, ring down the curtain please, the orchestra is 
late with the overture."
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Davenport Republican; Davenport, Scott, Iowa; November 24, 1898

GEN. GEDDES CIRCLE

At Hibernian hall last evening was held the annual dance of the Gen. Geddes Circle ladies of the G.A.R. The attendance was 
good though happily not so great as to place the merry dancers under the inconvenience attendant upon an overcrowded hall. 
The excellent quality of those upon the floor was a noticeable feature ofthe event. The ladies that had the dance in charge 
deserve great credit for the manner in which it was conducted. Refreshments were served free during the evening. Albert 
Petersen furnished a spring orchestra for the occasion. Geo. Welsh was floor manager. The committees are as follows:

Arrangements - Mrs. Hewes, Mrs. Lager, Mrs. Karwath, Mrs. Alvord.

Reception - Mrs. W.B. Flanagan, Mrs. F. Tillotsen, Mrs. S.A. Wood, Mrs. L. Welch.

Invitation - Mr. Frank Tillotson, Mr. Joe Fisher, Mr. W.B. Flanagan, Mr. Sackett, Mrs. Wm. Smith, Mrs. Fisher.
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Davenport Republican; Davenport, Scott, Iowa; March 17, 1901

HIBERNIAN HALL PROGRAM

This Evening's Entertainment In Honor of St. Patrick Will Be a Fine One

St. Patrick's Day will be appropriately celebrated this evening by a public entertainment at Hibernian hall, given under the 
auspices of the A.O.H. and the ladies' auxiliary of that organization. The program, to hear which the public is cordially 
invited, will consist of addresses and musical selections, and will be excellent throughout. Rev. J.F. Lockney, of Rock 
Island, and E.M. Sharon and A.P. McGuirk of this city will be the speakers. Piano solos will be played by Miss Mary Croak, 
E.C. McCormick, Mae Michell, Eugene Kelly and Mary Gordon. Vocal solos will be presented by Bowman J. Eldridge, Alice 
O'Connor and Mlle. Orme. Messrs. O'Connor, Lindley and Oakes will sing the trio "Oh, Restless Sea."

Mlle. Ilda Orme, one of the vocal soloists, is a professional singer and a well known composer of songs, who is visiting in 
the city, and has consented to appear on this occasion. She will sing "Wearing of the Green," and a potpourri of popular 
songs. She has had 18 of her compositions accepted by publishers in the past ten months, the best known being "A Lesson in 
Kissing."
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Davenport Republican; Davenport, Scott, Iowa; March 18, 1902

HE PRAISED THE IRISH
GEO. W. SCOTT CREDITS THEM WITH GREAT ACHIEVEMENTS

Hibernian hall was beautifully decorated last evening in a manner appropriate to St. Patrick's day. The walls were festooned 
with green bunting and decorated with immense shamrocks cut out of paper. A picture of St. Patrick hung at the rear of the 
platform and over it a motto in huge letters of gold and written in the Irish tongue. Translated it meant "A Thousand 
Welcomes." Rev. Father Davis, who presided at the meeting, said 'this motto was one that hung over the door of the homes of 
the Irish before the English began making trouble there.

Rev. Father Davis Presided

Rev. Father Davis made an address at the opening of the meeting and his remarks at this time as well as those he made during 
the course of the entertainment when he was announcing the numbers of the program were greatly enjoyed.

A music and literary program of merit was a part of the exercises. An incident of it was the violin playing of Miss McNevin 
who was accompanied on the piano by Prof. Ernst Otto. At the conclusion of the rendition of a piece in response to an encore 
Miss McNevin was presented with a beautiful bouquet, carried forward by John Crowley.

The Three Addresses.

Three addresses were the chief features of the evening. One of these was delivered by E.M. Sharon on the work of St. 
Patrick, the second was by Geo. W. Scott on the subject of the Irishmen in America and the third was by Henry Vollmer on the 
struggle of the Boer republics...
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Davenport Republican; Davenport, Scott, Iowa; February 21, 1903

ENJOYABLE CARD PARTY OF KNIGHTS OF MATTHEW

The Knights of Father Mathem gave a card party at Hibernian hall last evening. There were about 100 couples in attendance 
and everyone enjoyed a very pleasant evening. C.E. Johnson captured the gent's first prize, and Miss Meenan of Rock Island 
the ladies.
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Tri-City Star; Davenport, Scott, Iowa; September 20, 1904

CARD PARTY LAST EVENING AT HIBERNIAN HALL

The ladies of Sacred Heart cathedral gave a card party last evening at Hibernian hall for the purpose of raffling off a 
diamond ring, for which tickets were sold at a social early in the summer. Those in charge of the affair were Miss Theresa 
Sharon, Mrs. Fred Niels and Mrs. Lewis. Mr. T. Kunrath was the fortunate winner of the ring. Cinch was the game of the 
evening and the ladies' prize going to Miss Alma Gerwe, and the gentleman's prize to Mr. Harry McFarland. The raffling 
committee were composed of Messrs. John Shields, John O'Keefe and John Jones.


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