After closing abruptly due to the flood, the Bix Beiderbecke Museum will re-open Monday. Located in the basement of the RME in downtown Davenport, it features a wide range of memoribilia dedicated to the famous jazz musician and composer who was born in the city.
Howard Braren, president of the museum board, says when the city's temporary floodwall along River Drive failed on April 30th, water started flowing into the museum. He and some other volunteers hurriedly picked up all the exhibits and carried them upstairs.
But the one exhibit they couldn't remove, Bix's piano, had to stay in the basement.
"At the time the puncture occurred, we didn't know how high that water could come up. We had a bunch of guys raise it and put it on cinder blocks. So it raised it significantly in case the water level rose. Fortunately, it was not damaged."
The Bix Museum opened two years ago, and includes one of his cornets, records of his tours, early recordings, and even the names of those who attended his funeral - he died at the age of 28, in 1931.
Museum hours are 10 to 5 Monday through Friday, and 10 to 2 on Saturdays.
