The Brothers Who Named a City

This mansion was built in the early twentieth century for Joseph Bettendorf, one of the two brothers who put this city on the map. Joseph and his brother William ran an axle company in Davenport until their factory burned in nineteen oh two. When they relocated their operation to the small town then called Gilbert, the grateful residents renamed the town Bettendorf in nineteen oh three.

William had invented a revolutionary single-piece steel truck frame for railroad cars, and the company grew into a major national manufacturer. Joseph built this house on Sunset Drive as the family reached its peak of local influence. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

It now houses Rivermont Collegiate, a private school.