Muscatine, IA

Thundertubs · #1 Posted **Apr 28, 2010, 9:41 PM**

Muscatine is a city of 22,000 on the Mississippi River in easternmost Iowa. It is a little under 30 miles downriver from Davenport and the Quad Cities. I wasn't expecting much, but was very pleased by the solid, reasonably well preserved downtown and housing stock, and pleasant, hilly neighborhoods. Muscatine is the seat of Muscatine County, and has a nice courthouse, but I missed it, as it is set a few blocks back from the downtown.

Nothing like some wholly unheralded Midwestern small-city urban goodness.

Headin' down the river...

Rock Island County, Illinois, across the river.

Industry on the Iowa side.

In the Midwest most small cities are either river towns or railroad towns. I find the river towns to have a certain elegance and urbanity often less noticeable in the more utilitarian railroad towns on the prairie. I've got a few more good ones coming.

Down the Mississippi:
Dubuque, IA
Davenport, IA

rockyi · #2 Posted **Apr 28, 2010, 9:59 PM**

You're really getting around, Thundertubs. Thanks for the pics of our downstream neighbor, I always found Muscatine to be a pleasant town.

Did you intentionally skip Clinton, Iowa on your way downriver?

Thundertubs · #3 Posted **Apr 28, 2010, 10:24 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by rockyi

You're really getting around, Thundertubs. Thanks for the pics of our downstream neighbor, I always found Muscatine to be a pleasant town.

Did you intentionally skip Clinton, Iowa on your way downriver?

I actually swung out west to Cedar Rapids and Iowa City between Dubuque and Davenport. I'd been through Clinton once back in 2004. It was a very... olfactory experience.

rockyi · #4 Posted **Apr 28, 2010, 10:46 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thundertubs

....I'd been through Clinton once back in 2004. It was a very... olfactory experience.

Yep, I once made the mistake of driving through Clinton when I was sick with a hangover.....bad choice. I almost didn't make it. not a bad town, just a little pungent.

xzmattzx · #5 Posted **Apr 29, 2010, 3:25 AM**

Nice pictures. I've never heard of this place before, but it looks pretty nice.

Evergrey · #6 Posted **Apr 29, 2010, 4:07 AM**

not too shabby

stepper77 · #7 Posted **Apr 29, 2010, 6:02 AM**

What a nice town with some great buildings. Thanks!

esquire · #8 Posted **Apr 29, 2010, 1:50 PM**

Nice thread.

This place looks extremely urban for a city of only 22,000. The downtown area is quite attractive with a very nice building stock as well... some of those older buildings look like they're in need of an overhaul, but at least they're still standing and the potential is there to do something with them.

Sekkle · #9 Posted **Apr 29, 2010, 2:28 PM**

nice looking buildings in the downtown area. Great set!

Ex-Ithacan · #10 Posted **Apr 29, 2010, 2:35 PM**

^ I think esquire hit it right on the head. Love some of those old houses too.

btw, is the city's name pronounced the along the lines of muskratdine?

Just wondering.

Rizzo · #11 Posted **Apr 29, 2010, 6:05 PM**

Certainly has a lot of substance. I like it.

rockyi · #12 Posted **Apr 29, 2010, 9:08 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ex-Ithacan

.....btw, is the city's name pronounced the along the lines of muskratdine?

Just wondering.

Pronounced - mus-kah-TEEN.

Ex-Ithacan · #13 Posted **Apr 29, 2010, 9:28 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by rockyi

Pronounced - mus-kah-TEEN.

Teen, eh? Damn kids gotta take over everything.

CastleScott · #14 Posted **Apr 30, 2010, 5:21 PM**

Great thread Thundertubs, I use to go through Muscatine on the way up to the Quad Cities to visit family. Hey just wondering if your headed further south down the ole Miss to the cities of Burlington, Fort Madison and Keokuk? My mom's side of the family was from around those areas (near Nauvoo were they rebuilt the Mormon temple and Hamilton IL).

Quote:

In the Midwest most small cities are either river towns or railroad towns. I find the river towns to have a certain elegance and urbanity often less noticeable in the more utilitarian railroad towns on the prairie.

I certainly agree..

Zack · #15 Posted **May 2, 2010, 11:32 AM**

Great pictures, I love small towns.

flar · #16 Posted **May 2, 2010, 1:16 PM**

Nice! If you told me this was in Southern Ontario, I'd believe it.

Centropolis · #17 Posted **May 3, 2010, 1:58 AM**

I have a certain...weakness for river towns. Thanks for showcasing so much of the central upper Mississippi. I always look forward to your threads. You have inspired me to fill some gaps and photograph the lower upper and upper lower Mississippi at some point, if you don't beat me to it.

kcexpress69 · #18 Posted **May 4, 2010, 5:42 PM**

Another great smaller town shot by Thundertubs!!

One of my best friends's wife is from here. Her family still recides there. Thanks for the shots!!

ChiSoxRox · #19 Posted **May 16, 2010, 3:30 AM**

My folks have a sort of in-joke about Muscatine: on one trip we saw a raccoon in broad daylight walking along a street near the industrial area. We joked that the smell of flour in the air was luring him in. Muscatine is one of the grittier towns in my area, but the downtown is very nice for a town of its size. Muscatine also was once the world's leading producer of pearl buttons, and an EF3 tornado did quite a bit of damage a few years back.