Community Corner

Davenport Public Library: Davenporters Of Note: Jasper Eugene Wood

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Press release from the Davenport Public Library:

September 6, 2021

Jasper E. Wood was born July 27, 1901, in Monmouth, Jackson Co., IA to Everett and Elsie Gertrude (Preston) Wood. His parents divorced soon after and his mom remarried and moved to Tipton, Cedar Co., IA. In 1920 he was living with his mom’s brother Benjamin Preston and his family at 1927 College Avenue in Davenport.

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Jasper married Helen Dorothy Kirchner on March 25, 1922, in Davenport. The couple had one infant son die in 1927, a daughter named Beverly was born in 1928, and a son Warren was born in 1932.

In the 1920s he worked as an electrician for the Hummel Electric Shop at 104 E 2nd Street. He became business manager of Local No. 145, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers in Rock Island in June of 1930, a position he kept for 30 years. His career spanned the “Roaring ’20s”, the “Great Depression”, FDR’s New Deal, WWII, and the post-war boom.

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Jasper E. Wood died on February 27, 1961, in his home at 2 Cedar Place in Davenport.

Boards, Commissions, Committees, etc.

J.E. Wood was a well-respected civic leader and volunteered or was elected/appointed to several boards, commissions, committees, and citizens’ advisory groups:

  • Appointed to the Davenport Recreation Commission in May of 1931 as the representative from the Labor unions.
  • Building Trades Council secretary, 1931 and president, 1956
  • FERA Workers Wage Committee, 1934
  • Citizens’ Committee for the Purchase of the Water Works, 1936
  • Appointed secretary of the Scott County Draft Board #2 in 1940 and president in 1945
  • United War and Community Chest Appeal, 1942
  • “Labor for Victory” celebration committee, 1942
  • Quad-City War Transportation Committee, 1942
  • Elected financial secretary of the Tri-City Federation of Labor in 1943
  • Workers Recruitment Committee, 1943
  • Delegate to the Republican State Conclave, 1944
  • V-J Day Community Celebration Committee, 1945
  • Tri-City Labor Review board member, 1945 and president, 1949
  • State of Scott social committee, 1947
  • Labor Building planning committee, 1949
  • Davenport Airport Commission, 1950
  • Davenport Chamber of Commerce housing and traffic control/off-street parking committees, 1951
  • County Courthouse Citizens Advisory Committee, 1951 and dedication committee, 1956
  • Named to the planning committee for new lighting system in Downtown Davenport, 1954
  • Scott County Grand Jury panel, 1958
  • Named to the executive board of the newly merged Quad-City Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, 1959

    • Spokesperson for Labor Unions

    J.E. Wood was quoted in the local newspapers several times throughout his career.

    On the wage controversy between union electricians of the Tri-Cities and electrical contractors in 1936:

    On the Davenport Schools bond issue election in 1938:

    On the U.S. War Bond selling campaign in 1943:

    On the proposed Davenport Municipal Airport in 1943:

    (posted by Cristina)

    This press release was produced by the Davenport Public Library. The views expressed here are the author’s own.

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