Bucktown is a historic area in the eastern end of downtown Davenport, Iowa , along the Mississippi River.
Settled by many German immigrants, [1] it was known in the early 20th century during the Prohibition era for its numerous speakeasies. Bucktown was an area of the city dominated at night by crews and passengers from river boats. At the same time, this area attracted "adult" entertainments. Jazz and other music of the people was played by the era's finest musicians, [8] including Louis Armstrong [9] from New Orleans and the legendary Bix Beiderbecke. Bucktown was also known for its high culture.
It was a destination for waves of German immigrants after the Revolutions of Art and music, for the common man, was central to the German way of life. When the Tri City Symphony Orchestra was founded in , it was the twelfth in the nation.
As two-thirds of its membership was drawn from the Strasser Marching Band, some scholars believe the orchestra should be considered the oldest music organization in the country. Davenport was built on the arts.
Before there were paved streets and running water to homes in the city, there were opera houses with foot domed ceilings. These were destinations for operatic troupes from Chicago who traveled on horseback to perform. The most famous of these was the Burtis Opera House, which still stands on the north side of the Bucktown District.
