Wikipedia:Featured article candidates/Davenport, Iowa/archive1

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The following is an archived discussion of a featured article nomination. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the article's talk page or in Wikipedia talk:Featured article candidates. No further edits should be made to this page.

The article was not promoted by User:SandyGeorgia 21:02, 17 November 2008 [1].

Davenport, Iowa[edit]

Nominator(s): CTJF83Talk

I worked really hard to get the article to GA status, and then completed the Peer Review. I have worked hard to get it up to FA status and feel it is ready to be an FA. CTJF83Talk 23:05, 1 November 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Comments: I can see that a lot of work has gone into this. I will try, a little later, to read it through more carefully. Meanwhile here are a few points:-

  • Davenport is mentioned rather too often in the lead, at least eleven times. Each of the three lead paragraphs start with "Davenport". A little careful rewriting should reduce this repetition and give the prose a livelier feel
  • Bix Beiderbecke and Rock Island are both linked twice in the lead.
  • The two sketch maps in the infobox need more explanation. I worked out that the right-hand one is of Iowa, with Scott County indicated in red, and the left-hand one is Scott County, with Davonport indicated in red. This should be made plainer.

Brianboulton (talk) 01:04, 2 November 2008 (UTC)[reply]

    • Ok, you have a good point about the number of times "Davenport" is in the lead. I got it down to 5 (note that the 6th time is the name of George Davenport), from the original 12, I can reduce more, if necessary. I fixed the map caption and removed the two duplicate links you mentioned. CTJF83Talk 02:08, 2 November 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Comments

Otherwise sources look okay, links checked out with the link checker tool. Ealdgyth - Talk 01:37, 2 November 2008 (UTC)[reply]
      • All of the dead links, besides the Figge have been fixed. I couldn't find anything about the Figge being flood proof in a Google search, or their newly remodeled website. I know it is flood proof, because of how high up it sits, but I'm sure I'll have to delete it, without an actual reference. The Essential Iowa link has been changed to a source from the Quad City Times. CTJF83Talk 02:30, 2 November 2008 (UTC)[reply]
  • On my screen the first image in the history section collides with the infobox, causing a 3-4 line whitespace between the main page link and the actual start of the text in the section. I also notice that you have a lot of pictures aligned on the same side of the page. Please fix the issue I described (I tried to myself, but failed miserably) and try to put more life in the article by changing alignment of images. Usually an alternation model helps: left-right-left-right etc. - Mgm|(talk) 13:24, 2 November 2008 (UTC)[reply]
Possibly, also, there are a few too many images. It might be worth considering, say, the eight best, and then aligning them as suggested above. The infobox problem doesn't occur on my screen but I'll see if I can fix it. Brianboulton (talk) 16:13, 2 November 2008 (UTC)[reply]
I've realigned the Treaty House image to the left - does that solve the infobox clash problem? Brianboulton (talk) 16:20, 2 November 2008 (UTC)[reply]
Yep, that did it. No other objections yet, but I won't support until I read it all. - Mgm|(talk) 16:46, 2 November 2008 (UTC)[reply]
I alternated the pictures, as you suggested, Brianboulton, but I'm not sure if I agree (yet) of too many pictures. I think a good amount of pictures add to the quality of the article. If other reviewers think there are too many, I'll remove some of the less notable ones. CTJF83Talk 07:06, 3 November 2008 (UTC)[reply]
I removed, less than notable pictures, image:Iowa American Water Company in Davenport, Iowa.jpg and Image:Figge Art Museum.jpg. If necessary, I can part with another picture or two. CTJF83Talk 07:35, 3 November 2008 (UTC)[reply]
  • Comment - more of a historical perspective would be useful.
    • What sorts of crimes took place in Davenport in 1836-2002? This need not be exhaustive, but maybe a few famous cases?
    • Has manufacturing always been the city's biggest industry?
    • Has the current form of city government always been used?
    • When was the public school system established? Horace Mann visited Iowa as a consultant, so this might be interesting.
    • When were the highways built (at least what decade)?
    • When was the city electrified? What was medical care like years ago?
  • Books, rather than websites, may be required to answer many of these questions. Biruitorul Talk 17:45, 2 November 2008 (UTC)[reply]
    • Any progress on these? The Davenport Public Library may also be able to help you out: [2], [3]. Biruitorul Talk 17:23, 11 November 2008 (UTC)[reply]
      • Ok, I'm headed to the library today and tomorrow to finish up with your concerns. CTJF83Talk 18:34, 11 November 2008 (UTC)[reply]
        • Great, thank you - I'll check back in; do let us know how it goes. Biruitorul Talk 19:56, 11 November 2008 (UTC)[reply]
  • Please see WP:ACCESS and WP:MOS#Images regarding placement of images within sections, not above them, but no left-aligned images under third-level headings. SandyGeorgia (Talk) 02:28, 3 November 2008 (UTC)[reply]
    • I think Ctjf83 is new to FAC and needs a little guidance on images. I have removed the forcing of image sizes after the lead. I have realigned some images to get them within their sections. There are no left-aligned images below third-level headings that I can see. There are still a few problems on placement, which would be helped if some of the overlong captions were shortened, but it is definitely looking better. Brianboulton (talk) 11:11, 3 November 2008 (UTC)[reply]
      • Yes, this is my first FAC, and I thank you very much for your assistance! CTJF83Talk 16:16, 3 November 2008 (UTC)[reply]
  • Comments — Some comments from the Climate section:
  • The summers are marked by hot, humid days. - "Marked" isn't a very good word choice.
  • Winter has cold temperatures, and often high winds. - This is vague, as most locations can expected high winds at some point during the winter. What cause the winds?
  • The entire section is filled with rather short, choppy sentences, which leads me to believe the whole article might need to be smoothed out.
  • The wettest month is on average June, followed closely by May. - It's already noted in the beginning of the section that these statistics are on average, so remove that wording from this sentence.
  • While situated squarely in the path of Tornado Alley, Davenport is believed to be protected by a blessing from a mass mound.[19] The Mass Mound is a sort of an alter, to protect the city from tornadoes. - Why is "Mass Mound" capitalized in one use, but not the other?
  • The reason for no tornadoes may be due to the fact that the Mississippi River and Rock River come together close to the city. - "Come together" → "merge". Also, "the reason for no tornadoes" → "the lack of tornadoes".
  • Davenport was located on the longest stretch of the Mississippi river with rapids. At this point, the river also runs east to west. - This isn't really related to climate.
  • The last paragraph of the Climate section comprises mostly of info about that mound. One or two sentences about it would suffice.
  • I would really like to see the Climate section expanded with general information, rather than hard statistics. Have any tropical cyclones affected the region? What kinds of storms are most common? What are the primary effects from frontal boundaries? Does the city receive severe weather?
  • Are the little images in the averages box really needed? I know they're cute, but they're not really encyclopedic.

Overall, I can tell that quite a bit of work has gone into the article, but I shouldn't be able to find this many concerns from one short section. Cheers, –Juliancolton Tropical Cyclone 18:08, 3 November 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Oppose. This is a decent article, and a great first attempt at writing an FAC. Overall, it seems comprehensive and the sections flow pretty well together. (caveat, I stopped reading at the Sports section.) I have two primary concerns. The first is sourcing - some sentences are not sourced when they should be, and the sources used may not be the best. Secondly, I would recommend a good copyedit. The writing is good, but not quite at the professional level of the FA criteria. I've listed below some examples of what ought to be fixed. Good luck, and I hope we see many more of your articles at FAC!

  • I think this sentence in the lead might need to be rewritten "The city was founded on May 14, 1836 by Antoine LeClaire and named after his friend Colonel George Davenport following the signing of a peace treaty ending the Black Hawk War." - it made me think that Col George Davenport must have had something to do with the peace treaty, and then when I read the body that wasn't the case
  • Prose issues
    • Make sure the focus is always on the article topic. For example, the 2nd paragraph of hte lead starts out with "Palmer College of Chiropractic, which is the birthplace of chiropractic medicine and wellness technique and Saint Ambrose University are the two main universities in the city". This could easily be reworded to: "The city has two main universities, Saint Ambrose University and Palmer College of Chiropractic, which is the birthplace of chiropractic medicine and wellness technique." (The next sentence has a similar problem.)
    • Watch for passive voice. Whenever possible, sentences should be in active voice - that usually reads better and flows better.
    • Watch for comma usage. There are a lot of unnecessary commas in the article. There are also a few cases where commas are needed and not used. For example "Forcible sex abuse is the only crime with an increase of 17.4% to 142." - makes it sound like this is the only crime with an increase of 17.4% (meaning other crimes increased by different percentages).
  • This is an awkward sentence that doesn't make a lot of sense to me: "Colonel Davenport arrived in 1816 with the establishment of Fort Armstrong" - did he establish Fort Amstrong? Where is fort Armstrong? Why are we jumping back in time from 1830s to 1816 and then up to 1845 and back to 1837?
  • Why does the history section go into depth on Davenport's death? Is that really one of the most important facts about the history of the city? The article never actually says that he lived in the city.
  • "After three elections, Davenport finally officially won." - why did it take three elections? Had they "unofficially" won before?
  • were there any military companies recruited from Davenport in the Civil War? If so, that would be an interesting detail to add to the Civil War paragraph. Can you expand on the military headquarters or the camps at all?
  • " Palmer College of Chiropractic was also built in 1897" - why "also"? The sentence before was talking about 1895.
  • Can you put in a specific citation for the Census Bureau data on the size of the town (2nd sentence Geography section)? That is the kind of data that sneaky vandals like to change and that doesn't get noticed if there isn't a specific citation to check.
  • Can you put in a citation for "The Mississippi River runs from east to west along Davenport's banks, as opposed to the north to south direction the river flows the rest of the way."
  • I'm confused about the Mass mound stuff...could that be explained a bit better?
  • For the tornado part, I think I'd put the scientific information first, then explain what the city residents believe. (appropriate weight)
  • "The Hamburg neighborhood contains the most architecturally significant residents " - is this supposed to be "Residences"? What makes them architecturally significant?
  • There is a lot of duplicated linking. In general, terms should be linked once in the lead and once in the article body.
  • In the neighborhoods sectiopn, there is a lot of opinion that is essentially presented as fact. It would be best to clarify who thinks some of this - for example "contain some of the most expensive and elegant houses in Davenport"
  • There probably ought to be a citation for this "The north and west end neighborhoods also contained many working class Germans and was plotted in the 1850s with extensive development occurring in the 1870s"
  • "Vander Veer Park is a large park with large houses surrounding it" - this is not a great description, and makes me wonder why the park is even listed here. This paragraph likely needs to be reworked so that it contains a more elegant description.
  • These two sentences need citations "The houses were built between 1895 and 1915 and are Queen Anne and Tudor Revival style. Development of the Vander Veer Park was the first major beautification effort outside two small spaces in downtown"
  • In the first paragraph of demographics, the citation should likely be at the end of the paragraph, not at the beginning.
  • The second and third paragraphs of demographics also need citations, even if that means duplicating a cite in multiple paragraphs.
  • "Other notable local business include Whitey's Ice Cream, a popular ice cream store, Hungry Hobo, a sandwich shop, and Happy Joe's and Harris Pizza, both local pizza restaurants." - what makes them notable? "popular" also needs a citation.
  • "Several Davenport cultural and educational institutions figure prominently in the history of the United States, particularly west of the Mississippi river" - this paragraph then mentions 4 different institutions, but only explains how 2 of them "figure prominently in " US history
  • This needs a citation: "The first chiropractic school in the world,"
  • This needs a citation: "The annual Bix 7 road race, started in 1975, has often been run by over 20,000 people."
  • "the Wells Fargo Street Fest features live music, food, and vendors until 12 a.m" - this seems awfully detailed (do we really need to know how late it is open?)
  • (I stopped reading at sports - sorry, but I'm running out of wiki time this afternoon).
  • In your sources, newspaper names should be in italics.
  • I also have a few concerns about the sources. It seems that much of the article is sourced to primary sources - either the city websites or individual websites about a business or an area of the city. I do understand that in an article about a city, you have to have some primary sources. However, you should strive to have as much of the article as possible sourced to secondary sources - newspaper, books, magazines. For example, the article should cover festivals that newspapers think are important - by sourcing that section primarily to the festival websites, you are essentially doing original research and cherrypicking which ones you think are important.

Good luck! Karanacs (talk) 18:05, 7 November 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I have hopefully fixed all comma issues. Your other points are being worked on now. CTJF83Talk 20:09, 10 November 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Image review - All images have descriptions and licenses can be verified. Awadewit (talk) 19:20, 9 November 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Comments - Some things from Sports and recreation:

  • Don't understand the second half of this sentence: "Bands for the Bix Fest play in the park each July, and celebrations for Red, White and Boom, the fourth of July events take place in the park." Perhaps put a comma after events?
  • Remove commas after Vander Veer Botanical Park and Duck Creek Pathway. Do the same for Riverfront Parkway. These two comments are indicative of the comma issues that Karanacs mentioned above.
  • Hyphens for "river related" and "three meal"?
    • I think you might have used en dashes instead. Hyphens would be better for these. Giants2008 (17-14) 01:58, 12 November 2008 (UTC)[reply]
      • That I did...they are hyphens now. CTJF83Talk 03:11, 12 November 2008 (UTC)[reply]
  • Tense correction needed: "to an all day (another hyphen here?), three meal cruises up to Dubuque, Iowa.
  • From a brief glance at History: Spell out the state in Rock Island, IL (fourth paragraph of section). Giants2008 (17-14) 22:53, 9 November 2008 (UTC)[reply]
All your concerns are fixed. There are a lot of comma issues, I'll go back and look it over CTJF83Talk 19:10, 10 November 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Comments

  • You should use the convert template for the miles.
  • Check comma usage throughout:
    • "In 1832, Sauk Indian tribe chief Keokuk, and United States Army General Winfield Scott signed a treaty to end the Black Hawk War." the second comma there acts almost like an opening parenthesis, and so a second comma should be used after "Winfield Scott"
    • "In 1837, shortly after Scott County was formed Davenport, and rival neighbor Rockingham" misplaced comma should be after "formed"
    • "The city with the most votes at the February 1838 election, would become the county seat." comma not necessary
  • The paragraph about the railroad bridge seems to have too many short, choppy sentences
  • What makes $100,000 "meager"? Comma not needed again

Overall it looks good, and is a nice, easy read. Just the punctuation needs looking at. Matthewedwards (talk • contribs • email) 18:48, 10 November 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I corrected all your concerns CTJF83Talk 19:09, 10 November 2008 (UTC)[reply]
Nice job. Have the rest of Karanac's comments been addressed? Although I am close to supporting, I can't commit unless I know they've been taken care of. Matthewedwards (talk • contribs • email) 08:07, 15 November 2008 (UTC)[reply]
I've posted a few inquires on her page, but I guess she is busy in real life. Hopefully she responds soon, before the FAC fails. :( CTJF83Talk 08:15, 15 November 2008 (UTC)[reply]
I didn't see the questions on my talk page until I saw this comment. I've responded on Ctjf83's talk page. The quick answer is - the sourcing needs a complete overhaul. There are too many primary sources and too many unreliable sources used. Karanacs (talk) 15:42, 17 November 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Comments:

  • Capitalization question: "class A" in lead - should it be "Class A"?
  • I did an earlier review of the article here. Those issues/problems appear to be resolved.
  • I'd like to see a citation for the first sentence of the "Economy" section where it asserts that John Deere provides the "vast majority" of jobs. Particularly for the "vast" part of that assertion.
  • I've fixed a few minor errors in the article as well.
  • Overall, Support. Quite a good article - let's show it off. --Philosopher Let us reason together. 05:39, 12 November 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Support - Excellent article! I know Ctjf83 has worked really hard on this one and he's done a great job. --TheLeftorium 14:29, 12 November 2008 (UTC)[reply]


  • Closing note: This candidate has been archived, but there may be a delay in bot processing of the close. Please see WP:FAC/ar, and leave the {{FAC}} template in place on the talk page until the bot goes through. Please work on addressing Karanacs' concerns before resubmitting. SandyGeorgia (Talk) 21:14, 17 November 2008 (UTC)[reply]
The above discussion is preserved as an archive. Please do not modify it. No further edits should be made to this page.
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